A Field Guide to Mammals: North America north of Mexico (Peterson Field Guide Series) (Paperback)

~ William H. Burt (Author), Roger Tory Peterson (Editor), Richard Philip Grossenheider (Illustrator) "YOUNG are born premature in most kinds and complete their development in fur-lined pouch (marsupium) on belly of female..." (more)
Key Phrases: other pocket mice, blunt tragus, tail membrane furred, Born April, Pacific Coast, Map Text (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Descriptions of 380 species include size, weight, color, markings, number of teeth, habitat, habits, and comparisons with similar species. Superb color illustrations and line drawings show 230 animals. Range maps as well as photos of skulls and drawings of animal tracks, dens, nests, and burrows round out the wealth of information given in "the best general guide to all of North America" (Peter Warshall, Whole Earth Review).

About the Author

William H. Burt is a contributor for the following Houghton Mifflin Company Title: A Field Guide to Mammals

Richard Philip Grossenheider is a contributor for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt titles including: Peterson First Guides to Mammals of North America.

Roger Tory Peterson, one of the world"s greatest naturalists, received every major award for ornithology, natural science, and conservation, as well as numerous honorary degrees, medals, and citations, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Peterson Identification System has been called the greatest invention since binoculars, and the Peterson Field Guides® are credited with helping to set the stage for the environmental movement.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Third Edition edition (May 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395910986
• ISBN-13: 978-0395910986
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #354,973 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #38 in

  Books > Outdoors & Nature > Field Guides > Mammals

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Field guide, March 22, 2000

By A Customer

Peterson's field guide to mammals is one of my standard references as a mammology student. I constantly use the range maps,color identification plates, and animal descriptions. The book provides you with good identification characteristics indicated by arrows on the illustrations of each animal and a brief life history of every species north of the border. There are skull plates at the back of the book that are good for comparing different families but do not include every species and in some cases are poor positions to see defining attributes. The color plates for the most part have good illustrations but a few look hoaky like the Mountain Lion. Nevertheless, they all still provide good size comparisons and coloration of the animals. Consistant with other Peterson guides.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Eh..., July 28, 2005

By	J. Miller "BioGeek" (CA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a good guide to be used in conjunction with the Kays and Wilson guide (a much more recent and complete book). It has not been updated in quite some time, but the information should not be dismissed. It works, but should not be your only mammal field guide. You will be disappointed if it is.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK (Get the new 4th edition instead!), July 22, 2009

By	Jesse D. Walker (Logan, UT) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There's a new edition of this book (Peterson Field Guide to Mammals of North America: Fourth Edition (Peterson Field Guide Series)), and it's fantastic! This third edition, however, is terribly outdated and not at all worth buying anymore. Buy the 4th edition of the book, completely redone by Fiona Reid. The new one has new color plates, more complete and updated natural history info, and colored range maps interspersed within the species accounts, instead of at the back of the book. It's the book I require of my students in the Mammalogy lab I teach at a university.