The Encyclopedia of Animals: A Complete Visual Guide

Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The animal kingdom encompasses a mind-boggling range of creatures, from immobile sea squirts and long-winged Andean condors to predatory cheetahs and shy, nectar-loving butterflies. This illustrated reference methodically documents all the subgroups in the six taxonomic categories, demonstrating the diversity of life comprehensively and beautifully in pages dominated by full-color photos and line drawings. An overview of the animal kingdom’s essential characteristics includes sections on evolution, biology, habitats and endangered species. The largest portion of the book is devoted to mammals, with somewhat shorter chapters on birds, reptiles, amphibians and fishes, and the briefest on invertebrates; these groupings are further divided into orders and families, and sidebars highlight the species that fall into these categories. Other marginal text boxes provide intriguing details on subjects like anatomy, parenting behavior and species interaction. The writing isn’t overly technical, but it does assume readers possess an intermediate knowledge of biology, though the book contains a glossary of scientific terms for those who don’t. A bird’s-eye view of the varied creatures that walk the Earth, this is an excellent general reference for animal lovers of all stripes.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
This lavishly illustrated chronicle of Earth's biodiversity is a visual delight. Compiled by a team of animal experts from Australia, the U.K., and the U.S., it presents an overview of animal life and behavior. The audience includes younger readers, who will enjoy the photos and illustrations, as well as adults interested in the natural world.

Following an overview on animal classification, evolution, behavior, and more, content is arranged in six taxonomic sections covering mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Each of these sections is broken down into smaller sections that treat particular subgroups. A sample entry on bears covers two pages and includes the classification, two photos, six illustrations, a diagram of the skeletal structure, text about feeding and anatomy, and a sidebar on bear paws. A "Fact File," which relies heavily on icons, enumerates characteristics such as size, distribution, reproduction, and conservation status.

The information presented is a good start, although readers may need to turn to more comprehensive works, such as Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia [RBB Ap 1 04], for details about a specific species. The Simon and Schuster Encyclopedia of Animals (1998) is very similar to the University of California volume in size, arrangement, and number of illustrations but does not include invertebrates. The reasonable price and attractive layout of The Encyclopedia of Animals will make it a popular choice for school, public, and academic libraries. Jack O'Gorman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description
The Encyclopedia of Animals is a lavishly illustrated, authoritative, and comprehensive exploration of the rich and intriguing world of animals. Written by an international team of specialists, spectacularly adorned with a gallery of more than 2,000 color illustrations, and supplemented with distribution maps, detailed and beautifully rendered diagrams, and some of the world's finest wildlife photographs, this volume will become the standard by which all others are measured. Each page is expertly laid out to enhance either browsing or in-depth study. Readers will find detailed coverage of all sorts of animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and invertebrates. The Encyclopedia includes an introductory overview of animal evolution, biology, behavior, classification, habitats, and current conservation issues. An extensive encyclopedic survey of the animals follows, with special attention given to endangered and vulnerable species. All information is completely up-to-date, with the most recent scientific and conservation data. Elegant graphics put a broad selection of information at readers' fingertips, including classification information, scientific and common names, distribution maps for all animal groups, conservation panels that focus on threatened species, accurate and detailed anatomical drawings, and illustrations of multiple species. Each section is color coded for easy identification of animal groups. Feature pages explore topics of particular interest and provide insights into animal behavior. With its expansive scope, richly detailed information, and inviting design, this will be the ideal reference for a broad range of uses. * Completely up-to-date, with the most recent scientific information and conservation data * A gallery of more than 2,000 illustrations * Authoritative text contributed by a team of international specialists * Lavish color photographs from leading wildlife photographers * Distribution maps for all animal groups * Detailed explanatory scientific diagrams * Feature pages exploring topics of particular interest and providing insights into animal behavior

Illustrations: 475 color photographs, 1,700 color illustrations, 950 maps, 125 tables

About the Author
George McKay (mammals) is an independent consultant in conservation biology who lives in Sydney, Australia. He has contributed to Fauna of Australia and Zoological Catalogue of Australia. He is the editor of Encyclopedia of Biodiversity and Conservation. Fred Cooke (birds) was Chair of Wildlife Ecology at Simon Fraser University. He is President-Elect of the American Ornithologists Union and lives in Norfolk, England, where he is associated with the British Trust for Ornithology. Stephen Hutchinson (fish) is a Senior Fellow at the Southampton Oceanography Centre. Richard Vogt (reptiles and amphibians) is Curator of Herpetology and Professor at the National Institute for Amazon Research in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Hugh Dingle (invertebrates) is Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Davis, where he was also Director of the Center for Animal Behavior.