Walker's Mammals of the World (Complete Edition) (2-Volume Set)

About this book

The sixth edition is 24% longer, and the number of separate genera has increased by 75 - among them, three remarkable large ungulates recently discovered in the forests of Indochina. New also is a full account of the woolly mammoth, now known to have survived until less than 4,000 years ago. As in the last two editions, the names and distributions of every genus are listed in systematic order. These lists now have been cross-checked to ensure coverage of all species in the comprehensive new Smithsonian guide,Mammal Species of the World.Facts on the biology of mammals have been brought together from more than 2,700 newly cited references, nearly all published in the last decade. Also new are the latest data on reproduction, longevity, fur harvests, numbers in the wild and in captivity, and conservation status. The new edition also records all official classifications of every mammal species and subspecies in the massive 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. The illustrations - more than 1,700 - include virtually every genus of mammals. Among them are pictures by such noted wildlife photographers as Leonard Lee Rue III, Bernard Grzimek, David Pye, and Warren T Houck. Mammals pictured here for the first time include the just-discovered giant muntjac deer of Vietnam; a rodent known only from the Soloman Islands; a large fruit bat whose male suckles the young; and an extremely rare web-footed tenrec of Madagascar.

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Biography

Ernest P. Walker (1891-1969) began work on 'Mammals of the World' in the early 1930s, when he became assistant director of the National Zoo in Washington. His work reflected an unequaled store of knowledge about the world's mammals. Ronald M. Nowak was senior author of the fourth edition and author of the fifth edition of 'Walker's Mammals of the World.' His other works on mammalogy include 'North American Quaternary Canis' and several parts of the National Geographic Society's 'Wild Animals of North America,' for which he also was editorial consultant. He received a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Kansas in 1973 and was staff mammalogist at the former Office of Endangered Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, from 1974 to 1987. He served as an Air Force officer for four years and is a private pilot.