Book Description

"The authors have done a superb job of distilling a vast amount of information on the biology of the terrestrial mammals of the eastern United States in a style that will not only satisfy the expert's need for accurate data but will also appeal to students and others interested in natural history." —James N. Layne, Archbold Biological Station In their definitive work on eastern mammals, John O. Whitaker, Jr., and W. J. Hamilton, Jr., vividly convey their sheer delight at the variety and abundance of mammalian life. They have brought together a wealth of biological information and applied a biological subspecies concept to the mammals of the eastern United States. Their research extends "from the high reaches of Mount Katahdin in northern Maine, where water shrews and moose hold company," to the unglaciated hills of southern Indiana, where pygmy shrews (each weighing less than a dime) lived undetected until 1981. From there, they reach to "the cypress swamps of lower Florida, where the spoor of the mountain lion may be seen."*Describes the animals, their behavior, and dispersion in all 27 states east of the Mississippi River.*Almost entirely rewritten, this edition provides an abundance of scientific information in combination with anecdotes, field notes, and an underlying reverence for the fragile diversity of animal life. *Illustrations include 110 range maps, 167 black-and-white photographs, and 92 color images.*Covers 121 species, 17 more than in the previous edition. *Uses a biological subspecies concept, showing the results of evolution through differentiation. *Provides keys to orders and genera, anatomical line drawings. *Summarizes information on endangered and threatened species for each of the eastern states. *Lists state mammal books in the literature section.