Customer Reviews

Squirrels of the West

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This is a wonderful, easy-to-read book. I'm in charge of squirrels and squirrel information at the California Wildlife Center in the Los Angeles area, and found it to be a nice reference, although the book is small and doesn't go into much depth. My only disappointment when I received the book is that the title is a little misleading, as it also covers relatives of the squirrels such as chipmunks, marmots, and prairie dogs. But they are all adorable! I'm delighted that I have a copy of this book.

This book is put together like a field guide, but it goes into more detail than do many guides. Several features make the book easy to use as a guide.

Near the front, on pages 4-7, is a well-illustrated "Reference Guide" where one can see a drawing of each species along with its name and page number. The introductionis divided into several sections that cover general items such as facts about Order Rodentia and the squirrels that belong to this group.

The book is well written and entertaining, while being very informative. Illustrations are in the form of high-quality color drawings and easy to read color range maps. Range maps are right on the pages with text and drawings. There are also drawings of tracks at the beginning of each group. The pages for each species have small drawings that indicate the types of habitat preferred by that species.

Squirrels of the West covers more species than one might assume from the title. Such species as eastern gray squirrels, eastern chipmunks, southern flying squirrels, and woodchucks, usually thought of as eastern animals, are covered in detail in this fine little book.

The book misses very little. Described in detail are twenty-two species of chipmunks, six of marmots, four of antelope squirrels, nineteen of ground squirrels, four of prairie dogs, eight of tree squirrels, and two of flying squirrels.

This is a great book for children or adults. Anyone even marginally interested in squirrels of any kind will be delighted. Having had one for a few months, I now plan to order several more copies for my grandchildren and some friends. I can readily recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the subject.

I first bought this book over 9 years ago and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It has never left my reading stack, and even though I've been through it many times, I never tire of learning more about our precious rodent friends. It is absolutely jam-packed with information about the finest, most regal, most magnificent animals in all of God's creation. Yes, you simply must have this book.

Contained within are 65 species, grouped into 7 categories: chipmunks, marmots, antelope squirrels, ground squirrels, prairie-dogs, tree squirrels, and flying squirrels. While focusing specifically on the varieties found west of the Mississippi River, the habitat and range of many do extend into the eastern United States and Canada. Since this book has been published, I must report that the ranges of some species have greatly expanded (YAY!). For instance, I have seen and photographed the majestic Douglas's Squirrel (pages 148-49) as far south as San Diego's Balboa Park, but the given range in this book does not extend past central California (not that I'm complaining). The population of this species has grown to such an extent that they may just take over the Golden State any day now, which would of course be a vast improvement.

As a field guide, this book can't be beat. Gary Ross and Kindrie Grove's fabulous, wonderful (where's my thesaurus?) illustrations and the detailed descriptions make species identification very easy. The only difficulty is when the delightful little angels won't sit still long enough to enable the comparison of markings and colorations. Even if one lives in the city, just reading and studying this book will give one many new insights and a greater appreciation of these deep-thinking, intellectual creatures. It's good to be squirrely!

Thank you Tamara Hartson, Lone Pine Publishing, and everyone else involved for a book I will always treasure. And remember, squirrels ALWAYS win, even in the 21st century!

Most chipmunks occur in the west and are very similar in appearance. This book points out the visual differences and compares with similar species. Ranges are provided as well as food habits and other data to make it easier to pinpoint species. Highly recommended for rehabbers, naturalists, and those concerned about the wildlife in a given ecosystem.

This guide is great for figuring out what's scurrying around your yard, and also gives you some useful facts about their habits, so you'll know how and when to encourage them (or discourage). It's fun to read all the way through, and it's always my first resource when I get a new furry visitor.