Dear List Members,

This book has now become available:

Odontocetes - The toothed whales

(2011) by Boris M. Culik

CMS Technical Series No. 24

Bonn, Germany

312 pp.

ISBN 978-3-937429-92-2

Available via Earthprint at http://www.earthprint.com/productfocus.php?id=3957&q=odontocetes

US$ 50

This reference book by Boris M. Culik, APL professor at Kiel University, Germany, and cetacean biologist for over 20 years, is intended for marine biologists, students and conservationists.

Based on his Review of Small Cetaceans first published online in 2001, Culik describes in this encyclopaedia all 72 toothed whale species (odontocetes), from the smallest, the Gulf of California vaquita to the largest, the gigantic sperm whale.

This book presents the most recent scientific findings on the distribution, migration, behaviour and threats related to all odontocetes. Up-to-date maps provided by the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group show the currently known distribution of each species. Colour illustrations by Maurizio Würtz, Genoa University and Artescienza, Italy, provide a realistic view of these marine mammals and nicely complement the book.

The conservation status of the toothed whales has worsened dramatically since 2001. Since then, more species have been listed in the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable and Nearly Threatened, while the Baiji river dolphin, which used to live in the Yangtze River, is now probably extinct. One major threat to toothed whales world wide is entanglement in fishing gear. This alone claimed an unsustainably high death toll and for 86% of all toothed whale species, entanglement and death in gillnets, traps, weirs, purse seines, longlines and trawls poses a major risk. Lack of food and forced dietary shifts due to overfishing pose additional threats to 13 species.

This encyclopaedia outlines the most recent findings in many areas of cetacean biology, from genetic work to habitat and dietary preferences, schooling and reactions to human induced noise. It will greatly facilitate the development and implementation of action plans that may help reduce the threats to many whale species.

Earthprint is the official non-profit online bookshop of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). By purchasing this book, you support the work of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

Ms Heidrun FRISCH

ASCOBANS Coordinator / CMS Marine Mammals Officer

UN Campus - Room 927

Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 10 - 53113 Bonn, Germany

Phone +49 228 815 2418 - Fax +49 228 815 2440 / 49

Skype: cms_marinemammalsofficer

h.frisch@ascobans.org / hfrisch@cms.int