Navigate: (use the links to quickly navigate your virtual bookstore)

This compact, comprehensive field reference treats every species of wild mammal found north of the Mexican border -- from squirrels and chipmunks to grizzly bears and jaguars -- as well as those in North America's offshore waters. The more than 1,200 images are based on photographs that have been digitally edited to show correct size ratios, comparative colors, and the field marks necessary for identification in the wild. And these are not static illustrations but portraits of animals in action -- bats flying, otters playing, wolves hunting, and many others.
With each title in the distinguished Focus Guide series, Kenn
Kaufman engages and educates naturalists of all ages and skill levels about the wonders of nature. In Mammals of North America, the format has been designed for easy field use, with illustrations, maps, and text arranged side by side. Detailed range maps show where each species is common or rare. The authoritative text discusses the identification of these animals and the essential facts about their habitats and behavior. Hundreds of illus

---

Brilliant images, lively text, and accurate maps - your best guide to North America's magnificent wild mammals

* Covers every species of mammal known to occur in North America and its offshore waters, including naturalized exotics - 450 species in all

* More than 1,100 photographs selected and digitally edited for clarity

* Organized for quick and convenient use, with a pictorial table of contents, a one-page index, and color tabs for sections

* Full index that doubles as a life list

* Range maps on text pages show where each species is common or rare

Even renowned birder Kaufman admits that sighting a "mammal trumps everything else" when observing nature in the field. To help naturalists identify those warm-blooded animals that cross their paths, he has teamed up with nature photographers Nora and Rick Bowers to present this comprehensive field reference for all 450 species of wild mammals known to occur in the United States and Canada. As in his earlier innovative guides (Birds of North America and Butterflies of North America), the touchstone is the digitally enhanced photography (all 1,200 images are edited to eliminate shadows, to correct colors and to resize for easy comparisons among species), the bulk of which the Bowerses shot during their 30 years of wildlife study. For quick reference, the mammals are subdivided into 15 categories, like "Hoofed Mammals," "Mice and Rats" or "Dogs, Cats, Bears," with color-coded tabs and a pictorial index. Each entry includes a photograph of the mammal on the right-hand page with an average weight and length, while a brief description of its habitat, behavior, scientific and common names, and a range chart appear on the corresponding left-hand page. In some cases, the authors have also included a sketch of the animal's tracks, or pictures of it during multiple seasons the Arctic hare, for example, is shown molting from a mottled brown in the summer to snow white in the winter. For more in-depth information, the authors list books and online sources; however, this compact volume's encyclopedic approach to identifying mammals makes it an indispensable field resource for amateur nature enthusiasts. 7-city author tour. (Apr.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.