The best field guide to North American mammalsThe best-selling field guide that "sets new standards" (New Scientist) and "makes all other field guides for mammals of the United States. . . and Canada obsolete" (Journal of Mammalogy) is now even better. Covering 20 species recognized since 2002 and including 13 new color plates, this fully revised edition of Mammals of North America illustrates all 462 known mammal species in the United States and Canada-each in beautiful color and accurate detail. With a more up-to-date species list than any other guide, improved facing-page descriptions, easier-to-read distribution maps, updated common and scientific names, and track and scat illustrations, this slim, light, and easy-to-use volume is the must-have source for identifying North American mammals.Roland Kays and Don Wilson have scoured the technical literature to pull out the key differences between similar species, and illustrated these whenever possible, making the guide useful to amateur naturalists and professional zoologists alike. Casual animal watchers will appreciate the overview of mammal diversity and the tips on identifying animals they can spy in their binoculars, while scientists will appreciate the exacting detail needed to distinguish similar species, including illustrations of shrew teeth, bat toes, and whale dorsal fins.

Acknowledgments 6 Introduction 7 Species Included 8 What Is a Species? 8 What Information Is Included? 8 What Information Is Not Included? 10 Further Reading 10 Recommended Internet Resources 10 Using This Book to Identify a Mammal 11 Quick Mammal ID Chart 12 How Are Mammals Related? 16 Mammal Measurements and Anatomy 17 Species Plates 18 Glossary 240 Index 242