National Audubon Society Guide To Marine Mammals Of The World (National Audubon Society Field Guides (Hardcover)) Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
The National Audubon Society Guide to Marine Mammals of the World describes in fascinating detail all 120 species of the world's whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals and sea lions, manatees, Marine and Sea Otters, and the Polar Bear. Written by a team of experts and featuring more than 320 illustrations, 418 photographs, and 123 maps, this new guide offers more authoritative, up-to-date, and accessible information than any book previously published on the subject.Organized by the four major groups of marine mammals—marine fissipeds, pinnipeds, cetaceans, and sirenians—the species descriptions include:Full-color paintings, some depicting males and females, juveniles, subspecies, or special features. Color photographs showing appearance in the wild and illustrating typical behaviors. Life history data, including length and weight at various life stages, and life span. Range and habitat text and a full-color range map based on the most current information. Facts about social organization, surface behaviors, swimming, and diving. Information on mating behavior, breeding, and the rearing of young. Details about food items and foraging techniques. Estimates of population in the wild, plus current and historic threats.A general introduction outlines the evolution and taxonomy of marine mammals, distribution, migration, watching guidelines, identification techniques, organizations and laws that protect marine mammals, and more.Introductions to groups include comparative size illustrations, discussion of behaviors particular to the group, and other unique features.A useful illustrated glossary of terms and an index of species names complete the guide.Exquisitely detailed illustrations, stunning photographs, and clearly written text combine to make this an indispensible reference source for marine mammal watchers and anyone interested in the natural world.
Series: National Audubon Society Field Guides (Hardcover)
Paperback: 528 pages
Publisher: Knopf; 1 edition (April 2, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0375411410
ISBN-13: 978-0375411410
Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.6 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #229,272 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #80 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Biology > Marine Biology #83 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Biology > Entomology #107 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Marine Life
The National Audubon Society's Guide to Marine Mammals of the World contains a wealth of information about pinnipeds (seals and sea lions), cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), sirenians (manatees and dugongs), polar bears and otters that's timely and easy to digest. Descriptions, range, behavior, etc. of the various species are informative, with just enough detail for anyone short of a marine biology major.Along with a number of excellent quality photographs, Pieter Folkens (from my hometown of Benicia, CA!) illustrations are superb. From Knopf, the same publishers of the Sibley Guide to Birds, the graphics and layout of this guide are similarly clean and very attractive. I think it's one of the best looking books of it's type, and an ideal introductory guide for anyone with an interest in marine mammals.
I know 2 more guides on this subject, and I have to say that this one is, by far, the best of all of them, with abundant scientific, accurate and reliable text and descriptions, lots of pictures and drawings, user friendly and easy to tote. I strongly recommend it.
Although now a bit outdated (it doesn't include recently described species and many of its population estimates are no longer useful), I still consider this among the very best guides on marine mammals out there. It's more of a natural history guide than simply an identification guide, providing sections on the polar bear, otters, pinnipeds, cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), and sirenians (manatees and the dugong). Each section is written by an expert in their field (Phillip Clapham on baleen whales, Randall Reeves on odontocetes or toothed whales, Brent Stewart on polar bears, otters, and pinnipeds, and James A. Powell on sirenians). Two to four pages cover each species and include an introduction (usually something about their taxonomic history); a description of their appearance; range and habitat; similar species they could be confused with; behavior, reproduction, and foraging; and status and conservation. They also include a painting by Pieter Folkens, while most of the better known species include photographs. The book also includes a page on marine mammal morphology and a very useful illustrated glossary. Anytime I go out to see whales I always grab this book. As I said above, as it deals more with natural history than identification, I wouldn't recommend it solely for identifying marine mammals. Though I do love Folkens' paintings (particularly his very accurate ones on baleen whales), those alone aren't very useful for telling apart very similar species or describing the variety of dorsal fin shapes or coloration a species can have. Despite its poor layout and tiny photos, the Princeton Field guide is probably a better pure identification guide, perhaps combined with the older Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the eastern North Pacific (1988). Despite this, it is still a great guide to have in your book collection. I can only hope they provide an updated reprint of this lovely work some time soon.
Did you ever hear of a Dwarf Minke Whale? Well this book has it in it!For 320 full color photographs and fun facts,this is hands down a good book to make learning fun!For any ages!! A great book for a science project on Marine Mammals.Parental comment. I picked this book up outa izzi's pile. Wow what an impressive comprehensive easily digested marine mammal book. Each animal consicely presented. Each beautifully illustrated. Each with it's own distribution migration map. Noting is left out. And it's not too too big, like these kinda books sometimes get.
Pieter Folkens illustrates Guide To Marine Mammals Of The World, a comprehensive desk reference which blends color photos and maps with realistic drawings of marine mammals. Paintings illustrate juvenile and subspecies, photos show typical behavior and appearance in the wild, and color range maps reflect the latest information, while chapters cover all the natural history basics. Guide To Marine Mammals Of The World promises to be a lasting, important library reference.
This is my favorite book I have ever bought. Not only does it have Cetaceans (Whales & Dolphins) but also other Marine Mammals. The drawings were not too extremely reliable but it has real life photos too.
This is the best marine mammal guide I've found. (and believe me, I'm always looking at marine mammal guides trying to find some good ones!) Over 500 pages dripping with information. It's a FANTASTIC reference guide and perfect for anyone who wants to learn about marine mammals. It has them all, from the well known sea otters and bottlenose dolphins to the rare and obscure vaquita porpoises and South Asian river dolphins. This book is great for many purposes, whether you want to learn about animals that are new to you, or ones you already know about.
I work on a small passenger ship, and we always keep a copy of this book on the bridge for mammal sightings. The photos are great, as are the overview charts showing comparative sizes. The descriptions of behavior give people some insight into the lives of these wonderful creatures.
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