Acta Theriologica 55 (1): 95, 2010.

BOOK REVIEW

A handbook of the world’s Carnivores Wilson D. E. and Mittermeier R. A. [eds] 2009. Handbook of the mammals of the world. Vol. 1. Carnivores. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona: 1–727. a summary on the taxonomy, distribution, descriptive notes, habitat, food and feeding, activity patterns, movements, home range and social organization, breeding and status and conservation. A very attractive element of the book are the beautiful photographs and color plates depicting each species. The photographs were carefully selected to show various aspects of carnivores’ behavior in their natural environment and they are really great! I also admire the artistic presentation of all predators on color plates by Toni Llobet. The images present the characteristics of each species and subspecies with an impressive accuracy. Overall, I got a feeling that the book has been designed chiefly for a general reader, especially taking into consideration the emphasis that has been placed on its illustrative side, and as such it is perfectly done. However, from the point of view of a scientist – mammalogist, there is one thing that is missing. That is the lack of referring to the literature within the text. Although the lists of cited papers are included in several places, a clear indication of where the information comes from would be useful. This emphasizes that the conception of the book was to facilitate reading, but on the other hand it created a temptation to include more speculation by the authors. Such an example is the use of supposed scent glands on the felids’ cheeks for scent communication by cats, while its existence has been questioned. Another disadvantage of the book was that too little weight was given to the uniformity of particular chapters throughout the range of the species and too much freedom was allowed to authors regarding the volume of the respective sections. For instance, the aspect of relationships with humans is overrepresented in the family text of Felidae, while surprisingly little space is devoted to the population spatial organization. Similarly, chapters dedicated to Ursidae and Canidae would gain more insight if enriched with most recent European literature. In conclusion, the “Carnivores”, despite some minor shortcomings, is a magnificent work where one can find information on virtually all mammalian predators living on Earth. Therefore it is greatly recommended to all enthusiasts of mammals, particularly carnivores.

Every year we learn about new species of mammals. We discover species that have been elusive enough to escape the eyes of researchers until now or species we thought we knew so well. Science brings to light new data that allows us to understand the world of mammals with greater accuracy and reliability. While there will always be new discoveries to be made, the time is ripe for a summary of our current knowledge on the world of mammals. This challenge has been undertaken with a great success by Don Wilson and Russell Mittermeier as the editors of the Handbook of the Mammals of the World published by Lynx Edicions, Barcelona in 2009. Carnivores – is the first of the eight planned volumes of the Handbook. From among the mammalian textbooks and encyclopedias it appears to be the most comprehensive and most updated work ever published. As such it is a source of rich information on all modern mammalian families, genera and species. The group of appointed authors – worldwide recognized specialists in particular carnivore families – guarantees the high scientific value and reliability of the presented data. The text is divided into chapters presenting each of the extant 13 families of Carnivora with the excepton of walruses, seals and sea lions that have been included into the volume dedicated to marine mammals. The families include: Nandinidae (African palm civet), Felidae (Cats), Prionodontidae (Linsangs), Viverridae (Civets, Genets and Oyans), Hyaenidae (Hyenas), Herpestidae (Mongooses), Eupleridae (Madagascar carnivores), Canidae (Dogs), Ursidae, (Bears), Ailuridae (Red panda), Procyonidae (Raccoons), Mephitidae (Skunks) and Mustelidae (Weasels and relatives). Because “Carnivores” is the first volume of the whole series it includes a chapter recalling basic facts on mammals in general with remarks on their anatomy, morphology, physiology, behavior, ecology and evolution. Within the chapters presenting each family of Carnivora there are two sections – a family text, which gives an overview of the knowledge of a given family and the species accounts section, which describes particular species in detail. The family text covers the following topics: systematics, morphological aspects, habitat, general habits, communication, food and feeding, breeding, movements, home range and social organization, relationship with humans and status and conservation. The species accounts section presents a full description of all currently recognized species of carnivores. Information on each species contains

Krzysztof SCHMIDT, Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 17-230 Bia³owie¿a, e-mail: [email protected]

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