[.ca] The Encyclopedia of Mammals (ISBN 0816064946)

check the copyright date:
This is an excellent source but one must be accurate about the copyright date. This book has been reprinted several times but the date of copyright is 1984. There has been much new information and research that would be available in a more current text.

Encyclopedia of Mammals very useful..:
This book was great in helping to identify the different animals that I'm able to see on a daily basis. I'm able to tell what mammal I'm looking at and tell people something about them.

Another Option Exists:
The exact same book (I think) exists in another form... available only from a certain "B and N" bookseller, it's huge (930 pg), nice, and $30. Check it out there for BIG savings...

A stellar book.:
After acquiring the Encyclopedia of Mammals, I went out and bought the others in the series. A great thing about the Facts on File animal encyclopedias is the excellent color photos - I am amazed they can give so many photos at such a low price; each page is packed!

A pleasure to read:
This book is informative enough to be a professional reference text, yet accessible and beautiful enough to be a coffee table book or even a picture book for older children. It presents a comprehensive overview of all the mammals, organized by taxonomical group. The text is supplemented with excellent photographs that allow the readers to "see the animals" for themselves and learn much the text does not say. It was used as a textbook for my college mammalogy class, and it served the purpose better than any standard text. The authors and editor, top mammalogists, do a good (albeit slightly conservative) job of bringing together what is known about mammalogy and condensing it into one large volume. Each section summarizes one species or group of animals. Special spreads describe details such as the songs of the gibbons and the responses of voles to the scent of their predators. It was very engaging, and I highly recommend it even as a popular science reference.