National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Marine Mammals (Audubon Society Pocket Guides) [Paperback]

Steven H. Amos (Author)

Book Description

Series: Audubon Society Pocket Guides | Publication Date: July 21, 1990

Overflowing with detailed color photographs and concise descriptions, the National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Marine Mammals of North America is still compact enough to easily bring along when observing marine life. The streamlined volume contains a revised field guide for identifying 58 species of marine mammals native to North American waters with discussions of the key aspects of these creatures' behavioral characteristics.

This pocket guide is brimming with information; full-color photographs, line drawings and paintings of various marine creatures; specific visual and behavioral traits for each species; facts regarding each mammal's habitat and range; illustrations of various whale anatomies and a glossary of oceanography terms.

Whether you are visiting the coast or venturing out to sea, the National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Marine Mammals of North America, will help you identify and learn more about the fascinating mammals from the ocean.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Overflowing with detailed color photographs and concise descriptions, the National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Marine Mammals of North America is still compact enough to easily bring along when observing marine life. The streamlined volume contains a revised field guide for identifying 58 species of marine mammals native to North American waters with discussions of the key aspects of these creatures' behavioral characteristics.

This pocket guide is brimming with information; full-color photographs, line drawings and paintings of various marine creatures; specific visual and behavioral traits for each species; facts regarding each mammal's habitat and range; illustrations of various whale anatomies and a glossary of oceanography terms.

Whether you are visiting the coast or venturing out to sea, the National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Marine Mammals of North America, will help you identify and learn more about the fascinating mammals from the ocean.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Knopf (July 21, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679729836
• ISBN-13: 978-0679729839
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 4.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,565,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars There are Better Guides Out There, December 1, 2004

By 

Sure Thing "surething88" (San Diego County, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Marine Mammals (Audubon Society Pocket Guides) (Paperback)

PROS - Compact and lightweight; really does fit in a pocket; nice photography/artwork; descriptions kept brief.

CONS - A number of questionable assertions, e.g., page 30 states that the Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) is "also called the Leopard Seal." This is the only book I've seen which makes this statement and it can't be true for there exists a separate species known as the Leopard Seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), but which is found only in Antarctica and, unlike the Harbor Seal, has what is often referred to as a "reptilian" head and is quite predatory (it also feeds on penguins and other seals). Another example is on page 82 where the Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is said to be "also known as the Hourglass Dolphin." Again, the Hourglass Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus cruciger) is a very different species both in terms of anatomy and distribution. Also, the author consistently and improperly refers to large gatherings of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) as "herds" when the correct term is "pods."

For pocket-guide-type books on the subject of marine mammals, I would recommend the Sierra Club Handbooks ("Whales and Dolphins" & "Seals and Sirenians") over this one. True, they're a little bulkier but you get a lot more detail and accuracy from recognized professional marine mammalogists.

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE LITTLE BOOKS, July 20, 2000

By 

halie - See all my reviews

This review is from: National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Marine Mammals (Audubon Society Pocket Guides) (Paperback)

I totally love whales! And so i have many books on them. My favorites are my small little field guids like this. Its great, very informative descriptions. And great photographs of the animals. I highly recommend it to!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LITTLE BOOK, July 21, 2000

By 

halie - See all my reviews

This review is from: National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Marine Mammals (Audubon Society Pocket Guides) (Paperback)

I love all marine mammals and I have quite a few books on the subject. This is one of my favorite ones. It has small but informative discriptions on each of the known whales along with a little background on the cetaceans. It also has photographs of almost every species. I highly recommend it. I just love these little field guide books!