Handbook of the Mammals of the World Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials

Edited by Don E Wilson & Russell A Mittermeier

Platypus, Echidnas, Opossums, Kangaroos, Koalas, Wallabies, and Wombats - Monotremes and marsupials include a host of animals that have intrigued mammal fanciers for centuries. Monotremes are a very distinctive ancient group of mammals with only a handful of extant species in Australia and New Guinea and marsupials, with roots in South America, likely reached Australia via Antarctica some 50 million years ago. With relatives remaining in America, marsupials have adapted to an amazing diversity of lifestyles and habitats. Volume 5 of HMW provides complete coverage of these two important groups of mammals. Lavishly illustrated with colour photos showing different behaviours of all of them, the text contains the latest up-to-date information on all families of Monotremes and Marsupials, both Australasian and American.

This volume also includes a Special Chapter on Extinct Marsupials, by Kristofer Helgen.

Families covered in this volume are:

• Tachyglossidae (Echidnas)
• Ornithorhynchidae (Platypus)
• Didelphidae (Opossums)
• Caenolestidae (Shrew Opossums)
• Microbiotheriidae (Monito del Monte)
• Notoryctidae (Marsupial Moles)
• Myrmecobiidae (Numbat)
• Dasyuridae (Carnivorous Marsupials)
• Thylacomyidae (Bilby)
• Peramelidae (Bandicoots)
• Phascolarctidae (Koala)
• Vombatidae (Wombats)
• Burramyidae (Pygmy Possums)
• Phalangeridae (Cuscuses, Brush-tailed Possums and relatives)
• Pseudocheiridae (Ring-tailed Possums and Greater Gliders)
• Petauridae (Striped Possums, Leadbeater's Possum and Lesser Gliders)
• Acrobatidae (Feather-tailed Gliders and Feather-tailed Possum)
• Hypsiprymnodontidae (Musky Rat Kangaroo)
• Potoroidae (Bettongs and Potoroos)
• Macropodidae (Kangaroos and Wallabies)

799 pages.

Hardback £159.99 £119.99