Florida Fabulous Mammals

I recently saw an otter and heard a group of coyotes howling. That led me to this book for more information on the animals around us in Florida. The color photos are good-sized and show the animals in varied activities. There's a nice amount of detail about what the animals eat, their lifestyle, issues, threats to their existence, etc. I learned a lot about feral pigs, bobcats, panthers, armadillos, black bears, foxes, bats, manatees, deer, etc. Children will enjoy the book also with all the photos and interesting facts. A lot of off-beat info is included set off in boxes. These include info about trapping, rabies, wild animals as pets, bat houses, an armadillo fan club, introduced species, and much more). One issue with the book is the font under some photos is the same size as the regular text, so the reader gets a little confused following down the columns. This could be easily remedied. Things I wish the book would include: maps for each animal showing their range in Florida and a section showing tracks and scat for identifying animals we don't see.

Most touristic field guides are remarkable either by a dearth of meaningful information, poor photography, or both. This book, and its parent series, for that matter, suffer from neither, and form excellent works that are a proud part of anyone's library. With respect to the instant work, the text is exceptional, containing many captivating facts about animals a lot of folks would regard as very ordinary and uninteresting. Did you know, for example, that beavers were once wild in Florida, were trapped into extinction. and that they are now returning? The great color photography closely follows the expertly-prepared text, and brings out many detailed facets of the creatures described. I would heartily recommmend this book and its companions to anyone, tourist or native, who has any sort of interest in Florida or North American wildlife or nature.

I have been charmed by this book, I can pick it up at any page and be absorbed, read interesting information about the mammals of Florida, my home state. The book is filled with many clear pictures of each animal, and even their young, and also details about their particular features, say clawed feet, or color forms, or teeth and such. In and around each picture is a clear explanation of each animal, their habits and lifestyle, what research there is and their condition of care or preservation in Florida. Also there are panels describing the the effects of man or changes in habitat, the politics and even what fokelore there is and whether this is true. The language is such that any young person who is able to read can understand it, but also it is extremely informative in ways that keep my interest as an adult. I would recommend this book to anyone of any age. Even pre-readers can use the pictures to learn by.