Animal

Name: Animal
Rating: 5 (2 reviews)

ISBN-10: 0789477645
ISBN-13: 9780789477644
Series: Animal
Pages: 624
Language: English
Published: 2001
Publisher: DK
Authors: David Burnie, Don E. Wilson

Description

REF Compiled by an international team of over 70 zoologists, biologists, naturalists, and wildlife photographers under the editorship of science writer Burnie and Wilson, past president of the American Society of Mammalogists, this comprehensive, visually stunning encyclopedia of the animal kingdom should have wide appeal. The book is divided into three sections. The first is a general introduction to animals and their lives. The second looks at animal habitats, describing each habitat in terms of its climate, plant life, and the animals found there. The main part of the book profiles over 2000 species of animals, from the familiar to the extremely rare, and includes some newly recognized species. This section is divided into chapters according to the current general consensus on how animal groups should be classified and includes mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Each individual listing gives the animal's range, habitat, size, and social unit and includes a full-color illustration and descriptive paragraph. Each chapter concludes with a list of critically endangered species, and a glossary and comprehensive index enhance overall usefulness. The result is an outstanding publication appropriate for all types of libraries. The visual format makes it useful for children in the older primary grades, yet there is enough information to make it valuable for serious researchers. While there are other one-volume animal encyclopedias (e.g., Wildlife of the World. o.p.), this is unique for its comprehensiveness and its coverage of animal habitats and major evolutionary developments. Highly recommended. This volume, which is cosponsored by the Smithsonian, includes a free Encyclopedia of Nature CD-ROM, packaged in a gift box with the encyclopedia. Ed.| Deborah Emerson, Rochester Regional Lib. Council, Fairport, NY; 624pg.-