Doctors by Nature: How Ants, Apes, and Other Animals Heal Themselves

by Jaap de Roode

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This audiobook narrated by Anand Jagatia tells the astonishing story of how animals use medicine and what it can teach us about healing ourselves Ages before the dawn of modern medicine, wild animals were harnessing the power of nature's pharmacy to heal themselves. Doctors by Nature reveals what researchers are now learning about the medical wonders of the animal world. In this visionary book, Jaap de Roode argues that we have underestimated the healing potential of nature for too long and show more shows how the study of self-medicating animals could impact the practice of human medicine. Drawing on illuminating interviews with leading scientists from around the globe as well as his own pioneering research on monarch butterflies, de Roode demonstrates how animals of all kinds-from ants to apes, from bees to bears, and from cats to caterpillars-use various forms of medicine to treat their own ailments and those of their relatives. We meet apes that swallow leaves to dislodge worms, sparrows that use cigarette butts to repel parasites, and bees that incorporate sticky resin into their hives to combat pathogens. De Roode asks whether these astonishing behaviors are learned or innate and explains why, now more than ever, we need to apply the lessons from medicating animals-it can pave the way for healthier livestock, more sustainable habitats for wild pollinators, and a host of other benefits. Doctors by Nature takes readers into a realm often thought to be the exclusive domain of humans, exploring how scientists are turning to the medical knowledge of the animal kingdom to improve agriculture, create better lives for our pets, and develop new pharmaceutical drugs. show less

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Science: Zoology
107 works; 1 member

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3 Works 42 Members

Classifications

Genres
Science & Nature, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction
DDC/MDS
591.5Natural sciences & mathematicsAnimalsAnimal PhysiologyHabits and behavior
LCC
QL756.6 .D47ScienceZoologyZoologyAnimal behavior
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41
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716,565
Languages
English
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Paper, Ebook
ISBNs
3
ASINs
1