Judith, I certainly did not mean to suggest that birders are not interested in the objects of their attention, but they do so with a different sense of how to go about it. Just ask a birder for some information about the behavior or biology of birds they have seen, and be prepared to have a beer or two whil= e they tell their stories.
I would venture to say that ALL people who are animal watchers (and even plant watchers) are interested in the animals they watch. Birds just have so many options tha they must divide their time among the many species, while primatologists often have fewer species and so devote more time to each. Jim On 8/13/07, Judith S. Weis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > One would hope that primate watchers (or watchers of anything else) would > become a bit more interested in the behaviors, life history etc. of the > creatures they watch than many birders who couldn't care less about the > biology of the birds they see, but just want to check them off their list= . > Does anybody know a way to get these people interested in the life > history, behavior etc. of the birds and their conservation rather than > just adding names to their lists? > > > > > > There are currently estimated to be 625 species and subspecies of > > primates,=3D > > and 26% of those are in immediate danger of extinction (Critically > > Endange=3D > > red or Endangered). That may seem like only a few primates to some > > people,=3D > > but to those of us who work in primate conservation, it is 160 taxa to= o > > ma=3D > > ny.=3D0A=3D0AAsia actually leads the world in endangered primates with = 55 > taxa > > =3D > > (some down to a handful of individuals), Neotropics with 34, Africa wit= h > > 33=3D > > , and Madagascar with 28. The Primate Specialist Group of the IUCN's > > Speci=3D > > es Survival Commission, Conservation International, and the > International > > P=3D > > rimatological Society put out a list of the Top 25 Most Endangered > > Primates=3D > > every 2 years (the list created during the 2006 IPS meetings should be > > rel=3D > > eased soon). As is said every other year when that list is debated, th= e > > li=3D > > st could easily be 50 or 100 species long. Check out the Red List or > the > > 2=3D > > 004 list of the top 25 most endangered primates > > (http://web.conservation.or=3D > > g/xp/news/press_releases/2005/040705.xml). =3D0A=3D0AJulie Wieczkowsk= i, > > admit=3D > > tedly someone who studies one of the 43 endangered primates in Africa= =3D0A > =3D > > =3D0A----- Original Message ----=3D0AFrom: William Silvert > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>=3D0ATo: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Monday, August 13, 2007 6:= 40:18 > >> A=3D > > M=3D0ASubject: Re: primate watching=3D0A=3D0A=3D0AThis is an interestin= g idea, > but > > =3D > > the analogy to bird-watching is weak. There =3D0Aare only a few primate= s > > that=3D > > are serously endangered, mostly the great apes, =3D0Aand I think that > > anyone=3D > > motivated by life lists would simply head for =3D0AMadagascar and coun= t > > lemu=3D > > rs. I suspect that getting a lot of spotters into =3D0Athe field would > have > > a=3D > > negative impact on the species being spotted.=3D0A=3D0AIt is worth kee= ping > in > > =3D > > mind that one of the most successful measures in bird =3D0Aconservation= is > > th=3D > > e habitat preservation by Ducks Unlimited, whose motive is =3D0Ato shoo= t > > duck=3D > > s!=3D0A=3D0ABill Silvert=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A----- Original Message ----- =3D= 0AFrom: > "WENDEE > > =3D > > HOLTCAMP" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>=3D0ATo: > > <[email protected]>=3D0ASent:=3D > > Sunday, August 12, 2007 7:19 PM=3D0ASubject: primate watching=3D0A=3D0= A=3D0A>I > > rea=3D > > d something recently where someone was pondering whether we could=3D0A> > > creat=3D > > e a system of primate watching, similar to birdwatching, as a way to=3D= 0A> > > ch=3D > > annel funds into primate conservation. So instead of life lists for =3D= 0A> > > bi=3D > > rds=3D0A> (or in addition to) they would have life lists for primates. = I > > thou=3D > > ght =3D0A> this=3D0A> was really interesting and was just going to try = to > > pitch=3D > > an article on =3D0A> it,=3D0A> but now I can't seem to find it anywher= e - I > > di=3D > > dn't find it from a google=3D0A> search and I can't remember if I saw t= his > > in=3D > > the news or a scientific=3D0A> journal TOC, or what. I am pretty sure = it > > was=3D > > a primatologist or=3D0A> biologist/ecologist making the > statement.=3D0A>=3D0A>=3D > > =3D0A>=3D0A> Does this ring any bells for anyone? If so please contact = me > > offli=3D > > st=3D0A> [EMAIL PROTECTED]>=3D0A> Wendee=3D0A>=3D0A> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=3D > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=3D0A>=3D0A> Wendee Holtcamp * Freelance W= riter > * > > =3D > > Photographer * Bohemian=3D0A>=3D0A> > > <http://www.wendeeholtcamp.=3D > > com/>=3D0A> http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com=3D0A> Bohemian Adventures Blo= g * > > <ht=3D > > tp://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com/>=3D0A> > > http://bohemianadventures.blogsp=3D > > ot.com=3D0A>=3D0A> The Fish Wars: A Christian Evolutionist =3D0A> > > <http://thefish=3D > > wars.blogspot.com/>=3D0A> http://thefishwars.blogspot.com=3D0A> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=3D > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=3D0A> Online Writing Course Starts Sep = 15. > > Si=3D > > gn Up Now!=3D0A>=3D0A>=3D0A>=3D0A>=3D0A=3D0AJulie Wieczkowski, Ph.D.=3D= 0AAssistant > > Profes=3D > > sor=3D0ADepartment of Anthropology=3D0A332 Pafford=3D0AUniversity of We= st > > Georgia=3D > > =3D0ACarrollton, GA 30118=3D0A678-839-6458 (ph)=3D0A678-839-6466 > > (fax)=3D0Ajuliewhi=3D > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]/~jwhiz > > > --=20 James J. Roper, Ph.D. Ecologia e Din=E2micas Populacionais de Vertebrados Terrestres ------------------------------ Caixa Postal 19034 81531-990 Curitiba, Paran=E1, Brasil ------------------------------ E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Telefone: 55 41 33857249 Mobile: 55 41 99870543 ------------------------------ Ecologia e Conserva=E7=E3o na UFPR <http://www.bio.ufpr.br/ecologia/> Personal Pages <http://jjroper.googlespages.com>
