Mammals Books

This was my favorite book when I was a kid. It is the only one I really remember and it was one of the things that led me to major in Wildlife Biology. I have since worked on the Bison EIS(Environmental Impact Statement)in Yellowstone National Park. Thanks Shag!

As a child I remember this book as the first I read and gave me the desire to learn more about the west and the days of the pioneer spirt. As I approach the time of becoming a grandmother I will cherish the time I will spend reading this book to my little ones over and over again.

This was my favorite book as a child. It is meatier than the typical children's tome, and filled with simple yet real life information about the buffalo and its environment toward the end of its heyday in the 1870's. I highly recommend this for any parent who wants to introduce their child to a slightly more challenging story that will stimulate the brain and encourage a more advanced intellect, without sacrificing the charm and innocence that a children's volume also needs.

Let's say you want to meet a special shark-species face to face,for example silvertips and you want to know where the best chance of seeing them is-just use this book.

The Shark Watcher's Handbook lives up to the odd title. Shark diving is rapidly becoming a major attraction in the world of Scuba diving, as more dive operators have added "shark dives" to their retinue of dive sites. Some of these dives involve the proto-typical divers in cages observing the Great White, others feature divers tucked against coral walls observing reef sharks in a feeding frenzy upon fish treats served up by the dive boat above. This book gives a brief discussion of sharks and shark diving in the first third. In the second third it lists illustrations of the world's most common sharks and basic facts about each. In the last third lists all of the major dive operations in the world that offer shark dives and the type of sharks they routinely find and the type of dives they lead. An excellent resource for the Scuba-holic addicted to the thrill of shark watching.

My first experience of diving with a shark nearby was in Port Douglas, Australia in 2001. That was a single lonesome reef shark not moving much at all. Fortunately since then I have been able to dive in a few more places. Most recently in Palau (Feb 2004) where many of the dives had several sharks nearby. But, none more than the infamous Blue Corner.

It was then and there I gained a new appreciation and fascination for sharks. In total there must have been twenty+ sharks sighted in that dive alone including several that were no more than a couple of meters away swimming against the current with me. There was also a swarm of a dozen or so in the distance. This has to be one of the best experiences in my life. And that trip came amidst 7 months straight of traveling around the world.

Since then I've learned about Cocos Island, Galapagos, and South Africa as other places. High on my list too is to swim with whale sharks. To my great luck I came across this book on Amazon.

This well formatted book begins with sections on shark diving, history and public perceptions, then into tips on photography. The book then presents two page foldouts of all the major sharks that divers are likely to encounter and/or want to see. Hand drawn color pictures as well as the silhouette appearance (Cool!) of the shark underwater are shown too. On each foldout is a box with cross-references to the rest of the book which consists of maps and descriptions of 267 sites around the world. Every region of the world is covered. Each site is described in detail with weblinks to major tour operators. Appropriate "best season" info is also shown.

Now - I know where to dive with whale sharks and when to go! Prior evidence I found on the web was never complete and I am always leary of bias. Now there is a more objective resource. The great thing about this book is that places where sharks are located are usually great diving spots/areas. This book functions as a quasi diving guidebook.

Unfortunately, the picture isn't all pretty as described in the shark conservation section which talks about shark finning. I'll add sharks caught as by-catch of fishing for tuna too (BBC's Blue Planet book has a disturbing photo of 100 dead sharks on a purse-seine fishing boat). Do a google IMAGE search on SHARK FINS and you are bound to find more articles. National Geographic has good articles and disturbing photos on the shark finning industry.

I understand that the Blue Corner has been known to have up to 70 sharks. Perhaps I just wasn't there at the right time. Or perhaps the relentless overfishing of the ocean is affecting Palau too. It would be a shame to see such magnificent creatures be more or less wiped out save for a few remote areas by greed and ignorance (Palau is remote and it is under pressure too from the news I have read), if they aren't already in some areas.

This book is a great complement to BBC's Blue Planet video series and book as guides to understanding our world's oceans.

This book, along with Serge Dedina's Saving the Gray Whale: People, Politics,and Conservation in Baja California, is required reading for anyone who plans a whale watching trip in Baja.

This splendid book is aptly named, for the powerful glimpses in these chapters, full of emotion and drama, carry the resonance and significance of a sighting of the heart-shaped breath plume and knuckled back of one of the largest, gentlest, and most enigmatic creatures on the planet.
Sightings is beautiful reading. Each of the short chapters is rich as a poem, and indeed, many read like song or poetry, each woman's distinctive voice blending and harmonizing with her co-author's.
This book is not the standard National Geographic fare--though the authors are skilled reporters and intrepid travellers, following the whales in kayaks, small planes, boats and ferries. Theirs are the sightings of writers who don't merely observe, but who feel their subjects and feel them deeply, who use their intuitions and emotions as well as their intellects to come to their powerful conclusion: that, in this era of mass extinction, to kill such a creature as the gray whale is "an act against creation."
How lucky are we that these talented, spirited women have written this compelling and important testament to that truth.

SIGHTINGS is an incredible book to read on the plight of Gray Whales. Although I started reading SIGHTINGS the last day on a cruise ship in Cabos, (literally, moments after photographing a large pod of dolphins leaping out of the ship's wake)... my husband and I even skipped meals because I could not pull my head up from non-stop reading of this fine book. Linda Hogan's proses through a Native American's eyes were very beautiful and insightful... Brenda Peterson pucked my heartstrings with her naturalist perspective for this amazing mammal's plight and journeys through an OCEANPLANET, all the while a majority of humankind believes it owns it, yet refuses to accept responsibility for what befalls this watery world's consequence. I encourage all to read this book... its pages will open your eyes and one will not be dissappointed. Several years ago, I was one of many that wrote letters to the Mexican Government concerning St. Ignacia's breeding grounds of the great Gray Whale. The book finally told me of the outcome. When I am sailing on my boat named Rumbledoll in Neah Bay, WA this summer, or in Mexico next year, I will be searching for Gray Whales and their children... with a renewed hope of their perservation for many milleniums to come.

Jadia Ward/Bright Eyes Creations

Excellent bit of children's literature here. The text is easy to follow and flows quite smoothly and the story is very, very good. I loved the illustrations and technique in this one and it certainly captures the attention of children. Little Bear and all his critter friends are quite likeable. This is a fun one to read out loud to the group or one that the kids seem to like to cuttle up in a corner with. Recommend this one highly.

When Little Bear wakes up early from his deep winter sleep, he looks out on a beautiful world of snow. However, what good is such a wondrous place if there are no friends to play with? And so, Little Bear starts to make himself a snowman. However, before he knows it, others start showing up to help and a good time is had by all!

I am back to being a connoisseur of children's books, due to the fact that I have a little three-year-old who loves being read to! Well, she loved this book. She loved the cute little animals, and seemed entranced by the sparkly snowman. She loves this book, and that's good enough for me. We give it two thumbs up!

The glitter on the snowmen in Snow Friends is a plus, but this book doesn't need shiny gimmicks to give it appeal. The illustrations are gorgeous--the bear, otter, and rabbit all look friendly and appealing, and the landscapes show a real appreciation for nature. I absolutely love the trees!
And let's not forget the writing. The story flows very naturally, without the awkwardness many children's books feature. Humor and kindness fill these pages.
A great addition to the world of children's literature!

This is absolutely one of the BEST books on wolves I've ever read! It is packed full of information but does not come across like an encyclopedia. It's easy reading with lots of colorful photographs. I was overcome with sadness and angry when I read McIntyre's account of the story of "Raggs the Digger," one of the famous and incredibly clever so-called "outlaw wolves" that eluded federal government capture for years. The book gives a lively and animated detail of how a famous bounty hunter "finally" killed Raggs, an indomitable spirit. It is an important reminder that there is no animal who will EVER be a match to a human being with a gun intent on killing it.

Excellent and readable book. I couldn't put it down. If you care about wolves, are simply interested in wolves and want to know their story, buy this!

Running a wildlife safari company in Yellowstone, the wolves that we view have become a major attraction. I have learnt so much from this book that it is now a requirement for all my guides to read it from front to back, so they are totally educated on wolves. Rick McIntyre's A Society of Wolves captures everything you want to learn about wolves, including their behavior, pack structure, and how similar they are to us. This book is a must if you are interested in wolves, wildlife and Yellowstone.

Rick McIntyre does us a great service with this book. It is an excellent compilation of written material and photographs that will prove transformational to anyone interested in wildlife. A moving account of day-to-day life in a wolf pack, it also provides an invaluable history of wolf persecution in this country. He also lists excellent resources to contact to learn more about the fate of the wolf and how to become active in their reintroduction. This book answers the questions "Where did all the wolves go?" and "Why do we need them back?" An important and compelling read.

Nan Lincoln's real-life story of finding a young seal is both heart-warming and informative; interspersing a history and background of Mount Desert Island amongst the story of Cecily. A very intersting and all-around wonderful book.

Nan Lincoln's story of the summer she spent raising (with the permission of the authorities) an abandoned seal pup is the most endearing story I think I've ever read. Her tale of her struggles to get it to eat, swimming with it, riding around with a seal in the car, carting Cecily to the shore in a wheel barrow, then, finally, successfully integrating it back into nature is destined to be a classic. Ms. Lincoln has a wonderfully readable prose style and the story is absolutely unique. I can't imagine anyone not being delighted with it. A friend called it "a little jewel."

This is not a children's book, although it contains both photographs and sketches of her amazing experience and will be enjoyed by all ages. The youngest children won't be interested in her bits of history about Mount Desert Island, I suspect. Mom or Dad can skip those parts when reading out loud.

This should be a movie. Where's Michael Eisner when we need him

You're on a beach- the tide is coming in- you see an abandoned seal pup halfway under a rock. What would you do? When Nan Lincoln sees the pup on the beach in the early summer of 1976 she feels like she should adopt it, six hours later she decided to and she did. She named the pup Cecily. She keeps Cecily for the summer and finds ways to make her life as similar as it would be to the life of other pups. Cecily has an attitude that is expressed by Nan (in English not seal language) and is very funny to read about. In the first chapter however Nan mostly writes about the setting and her family which is also explained in chapter 2. Soon the book heats up and she finds Cecily and you are brought along on the ride of your life as you go through the summer with Cecily, Nan, and Nan's family. Each chapter brings a new laugh to the scene.
Nan has a unique writing style that is very descriptive and specific. She has written a very unique book that would be perfect for a 4th Grade read-aloud or an independent reading book for other grades as well as 4th Grade. Her writing style is also sometimes straying to short sub-topics of the story to help you understand other parts of the story. All in all I would give this book 5 star rating.

-- Caroline Miller

_Tasmanian Devil_ by David Owen and David Pemberton is a well-illustrated and researched overview of the natural and human history of the largest living marsupial carnivore.

After the introduction the first chapters of the book focus on the animal's natural history, the authors taking care to dispel popularly held myths about the animal. Devils are opportunistic feeders, eating live prey and carrion as well as invertebrates, fruit, and vegetation. A solitary hunter, they aren't fast enough to chase down wallabies or rabbits but do go after wombats (though some researchers have reported that they can chase prey at about 12 kilometers per hour for short bursts). They have tremendous jaw strength and powerful teeth that enable them to consume gristle, skin, and shatter bones (the equivalent of a dog four times their size or for their body mass more powerful than a tiger's).

Though usually solitary, devils feed communally on particularly large carcasses. Often described as being some sort of free-for-all with lots of screaming and apparent fighting, devils in fact have elaborate vocalizations and postures to maintain order and some speculate that just as the sight of daylight-circling vultures attracts other vultures the noises devils make may serve to alert other devils in the area to a large food source. The first arrival is the dominant feeder, making way for a challenger once it has gorged itself, the feeder defending only the amount of food it needs, not the entire carcass. Devils will generally seek to take what they can and hide with their share, consuming it in peace.

Though maligned by ranchers, the devils are the "great hygienists" of the Tasmanian bush. They consume dead and dying livestock and have been credited with breaking the sheep tapeworm cycle and keeping down blowfly populations.

Another social trait of devils is that of the communal latrine. Though most of the time devils are solitary animals, depending upon population size, dozens of devils will defecate in one area, "for reasons of communication barely understood, and further calling into question the "solitary" tag."

Interestingly, hyenas and ratels (or honey badgers), two species presented as examples of convergent evolution with devils, also use communal latrines. The authors go on to compare interesting examples of convergence with wolverines as well, looking at sense of smell, skull structure, markings (both devils and wolverines have white neck and throat patches), body posture, locomotion, and diet.

The evolution and fossil record of the Tasmanian devil are discussed also. The famous Riversleigh fossils site of northwestern Queensland has a species that is 15% larger than a modern devil with a 50% greater body mass. Scientists have speculated whether the modern devil is a dwarfed version of this species or if it coexisted with the larger extinct version. Some believe that several different-sized devils occupied a range of predator-scavenger niches. Devils apparently went extinct on the mainland as recently as 500 years ago for reasons unknown, though climatic issues and the introduction of the dingo are most often blamed.

The authors go into detail about the history of the study of these animals. The animal was known only to the island's 4000 indigenous inhabitants up until 1803, when Europeans started to settle what was then known as Van Diemen's Land. George Prideaux Harris was the first to scientifically describe the devil (in 1806). Other important figures are Louisa Anne Meredith who in late 19th century/early 20th century bred devils in her private zoo and helped the devils' public image tremendously and Professor Theodore Thomson Flynn, a pioneering 20th century mammalogist.

A chapter of course is spent on the history of the famous Warner Brothers cartoon character Taz. This "whirling, brown, slobbering creature" has vast international recognition, far beyond that of the real animal. Some have speculated that Warner Brothers studios had another Tasmanian in mind when they created the character, Errol Flynn (son of the aforementioned Dr. Flynn), who worked for the studio. Errol Flynn in his autobiography even titled the first chapter "Tasmanian Devil, 1909-1927". It would seem that that was merely coincidence as the authors provide the history of the development of the character (for all his fame only five Taz cartoons were made between 1954 and 1964 until his 1990 resurrection) and of the legal battles involving the character (Warner Brothers had trademarked the name Tasmanian Devil, a fact that has bothered and hampered many Tasmanians' use of their iconic animal in economic matters and in promoting tourism).

From the earliest days Europeans regarded the devil, along with the thylacine, as "stock-destroying vermin" and sought to trap, poison, and shoot them into extinction. Later researchers showed that neither species was to blame for livestock losses on the island (instead one could point at poor management and farming practices as well as packs of feral dogs), but "bush myths" proliferated that they would hunt sheep and even people (though in reality not preying upon healthy sheep and only consuming murder and suicide victims, the devils never having been known to kill anyone).

While enormous strides had been made in protecting devils from persecution, in 1996 Dutch wildlife photographer Christo Baars noted ghastly facial growths on devils he photographed and by 1998 researchers came to realize many areas were experiencing a serious decline in devils thanks to the spread of Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD), a virulent facial cancer that kills within five months of its manifestation. Poorly understood, some researchers believed it was a naturally occurring retrovirus, one that perhaps had caused devil population crashes in the past, perhaps triggered by pesticide or fertilizer chemicals or the rabbit-killing calicivirus, while others think it may have jumped species, perhaps from feral cats, to the devils. Attempts to save the devils have been complicated by political infighting over conservation and research funds, difficulty in diagnosis of the disease, and feral cats and foxes filing the emptying devil niche. Attempts to quarantine the devils to small islands have met with numerous obstacles as well.

This is one of the few books available about the Tasmanian devil that is not geared towards children. A fair, unbiased description of an often misunderstood animal, "Tasmanian Devil" tells the habits, myths, and cultural reactions to the animal behind the famous cartoon character.

Also addressed is the animal's vulnerable state, with a final chapter on the little understood disease currently ravaging the devil population and what is being done to save these animals from extinction.

This is a great, though all too brief book on the Tasmanian Devil. It is well written, giving anecdotes and highlights from scientific research on the little creatures' ecology and evolution. It also gives a chapter on devils in captivity, a great insight into those myths of devils being uncontrollable, voracious little predators that will bite the crap out of anything and everything. It tells of the persecution by man, which, unlike some books on persecuted animals, is told without being tedious.

It ends with some insight into the mystery surrounding the disease that is decimating wild populations.

I really was hopeing for more on the ecology of the animal, unfortunately there was not enough in this book. However, that merely highlights the lack of research that has actually been done, by amateurs or professionals.

Highly recommended to anyone interested in Australian animals, or anyone interested in animals fullstop.

A great balance between entertainment and education. I wish he would write a book for every so-called "nuisance" animal!

Gave this book to two families with young children. It delighted both kids and parents.

There's an Opossum in My Backyard is a children's picturebook about the Virginia opossum, the only marsupial native to North America. Written and illustrated in a realistic style, There's an Opossum in My Backyard is a child's perspective of an opossum's search for food, its attempts to evade predators by hiding or playing dead, and even its escapades when it gets inside a human house! The final two pages are filled with fun facts about opossums, in this educational and engaging storybook recommended for children's library and personal collections.

It looks to be a fabulous book & as I'm nutty about tigers, I'm sure I'll love it. However, a family member has hidden the book as it's for me for Christmas, so I can't really say much about it, but I have typed in 5 stars as I'm sure it will be,as I have read Stephen Mills articles in the BBC Wildlife magazine & they are great.

I received this book as a Christmas gift! It is the most in depth books about tigers that I have ever read! The pictures are great! Well worth the money!

This book tells about tigers like never before, it is full of grand information and colorful, beautiful photographs, nuff said! Buy it.

At one time, my favorite wild cat was the snow leopard (it is now the caracal, with sand cats, lynxes, bobcats, and fishing cats all placing above the snow leopard, which I still love). So I read this book. I found it very interesting.

While this book dealt with snow leopards, and has an excellent description on the snow leopards by Rodney Jackson at the end of the book, Hillard spends more time describing what it was like for her and Jackson to be on the field, the personality clashes with other biologists, and the thrill of getting to see snow leopards in the wild.

This book will take you to a place you've never been, and make you want to join them (though you won't want to get bit by a snow leopard as Jackson once was).

A great book that can just pull you right into it! Big cat lovers, conservationists, and anyone who likes remote field work might enjoy this one!

It keeps you interested throughout the entire book. It feels like you are right there with her. It is a good book for any cat lover.