Oklahoma is currently home to 117 known species of mammals, representing eight mammalian orders – one marsupial (opossums; Didelphimorphia), seven insectivores (shrews and moles; Soricomorpha), twenty-three bats (Chiroptera), one armadillo (Cingulata), four rabbits (Lagomorpha), fifty-one rodents (Rodentia), twenty-two carnivores (Carnivora), and eight artiodactyls (deer, pronghorn, sheep, and bison; Artiodactyla). For the professional mammalogist and amateur naturalist alike, Mammals of Oklahoma provides a clear, comprehensive, illustrated guide to Oklahoma's diverse native fauna, as well as introduced species and extirpated and unverified mammals cited in the state's records.
This second edition, published 34 years after the first edition published in 1990, incorporates the latest data and includes up-to-date descriptions and identification keys; line drawings and full-colour photos and distribution maps; life history information; and ecological notes on such things as dens, nests, burrows, food habits, reproduction, pathogens and parasites, and predators. The book's etymology offers insight into each species' scientific name, and its natural history describes habitat and diseases, among other distinguishing characteristics. A glossary provides guidance on technical terms.
This accessible and authoritative volume marks a significant update and expansion of the knowledge of mammals in Oklahoma. It will be the definitive desk reference and field guide to the state's rich mammalian diversity.
William Caire is Professor Emeritus of Biology at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) and former curator of the Mammal Section of the UCO Natural History Museum.
Lynda Samanie Loucks is the Collections Manager at the University of Central Oklahoma Natural History Museum and Lecturer in the UCO Department of Biology.
Michelle L. Haynie is a Professor of Biology at the University of Central Oklahoma.
"This much-needed, well-constructed, and easy-to-use synopsis will prove useful for the professional and lay enthusiast alike. Given the complex habitats and numerous ecoregions that Oklahoma shares with its neighboring states, this second edition of Mammals of Oklahoma offers a one-stop shopping opportunity for biologists and travelers interested in mammals of the southwest and south-central United States."
– Robert D. Bradley, coauthor of The Mammals of Texas, seventh edition
"This new edition provides valuable updated information about the mammal populations of Oklahoma. The updated maps and county lists, as well as detailed dichotomous keys, are a valuable resource."
– Jason Shaw, Associate Professor of Biology, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma