Whales are really big, and a hippopotamus is roughly the same size as a rhinoceros. But do you know the biggest mammals by category? Here's a list of the 20 biggest mammals, in 20 categories, starting with the biggest whale and ending with the biggest shrew:
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The Division of Mammals houses a world-class collection of roughly 590,000 preserved specimens. This collection supports a wide range of scientific research.
Biggest Whale: Blue Whale (200 Tons)
At 100 feet long and 200 tons, not only is the blue whale the biggest mammal in the world, but it's also the largest vertebrate animal that has ever lived. Not even the largest dinosaurs approached it in bulk. Some titanosaurs were over 100 feet long, but they didn't weigh 200 tons. Fittingly, the blue whale is also the loudest animal on earth. This cetacean can vocalize at 180 decibels, enough to render most other animals deaf.
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Biggest Elephant: African Elephant (7 Tons)
The largest land-dwelling mammal on earth, at seven tons, the African elephant is smaller than the blue whale for good reason: The buoyancy of water helps to counteract the blue whale's weight, and elephants are terrestrial. One reason the African elephant has enormous ears is to help dissipate its internal body heat. A warm-blooded, seven-ton mammal generates a lot of calories.
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Biggest Dolphin: Killer Whale (6 to 7 Tons)
How can the biggest dolphin be a whale? Killer whales, also known as orcas, are classified as dolphins rather than whales. At six or seven tons, male orcas are bigger than the largest sharks, which means that killer whales, rather than great white sharks, are the atop predators of the oceans. Sharks have a more fearsome reputation because very few humans have been killed by killer whales.
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Biggest Even-Toed Ungulate: Hippopotamus (5 tons)
Even-toed ungulates, or artiodactyls, are a widespread family of plant-eating mammals that includes deer, pigs, cows, and the biggest cleft-hoofed mammal, the common hippopotamus. The pygmy hippopotamus doesn't approach its cousin's five-ton heft. You could make a case for another even-toed creature, the giraffe, which is much taller than a hippo, but they weigh only two tons.
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Biggest Odd-Toed Ungulate: White Rhinoceros (5 tons)
Perissodactyls, or odd-toed ungulates, aren't as diverse as their even-toed cousins. This family consists of horses, zebras, and tapirs on the one hand and rhinoceroses on the other. The biggest perissodactyl is the white rhinoceros, which at five tons rivals Pleistocene rhinoceros ancestors such as the Elasmotherium. There are two types of white rhinos, the southern white rhinoceros and the northern white Rhinoceros; it's easy to figure in what part of Africa they reside.
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Biggest Pinniped: Southern Elephant Seal (3 to 4 Tons)
At up to four tons, not only is the southern elephant seal the biggest pinniped alive, but it's also the biggest terrestrial meat-eating mammal, outweighing the largest lions, tigers, and bears. Male southern elephant seals vastly outweigh females, which top out at two tons. Like blue whales, male elephant seals are extraordinarily loud; they bellow their sexual availability from miles away.
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Biggest Bear: Polar Bear (1 Ton)
![Mammals of the world volume 2 Mammals of the world volume 2](/uploads/1/2/5/2/125231077/942833648.jpg)
If you're under the illusion that polar bears, grizzly bears, and pandas are comparable in size, you're wrong. Polar bears are by far the biggest—and deadliest—ursines. The largest males can reach a height of 10 feet and weigh up to a ton. The only bear that comes close is the kodiak bear; some males can reach 1,500 pounds.
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Biggest Sirenian: West Indian Manatee (1,300 Pounds)
The sirenians, the family of aquatic mammals that includes manatees and dugongs, are distantly related to pinnipeds and share many characteristics. At 13 feet long and 1,300 pounds, the West Indian manatee is the biggest sirenian by an accident of history: A bigger member of this breed, Steller's sea cow, went extinct in the 18th century. Some of them weighed 10 tons.
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Biggest Equid: Grevy's Zebra (1,000 Pounds)
The genus Equus comprises not only horses but also donkeys, asses, and zebras. While some domesticated horses exceed 2,000 pounds, Grevy's zebra is the world's largest wild equid; adults reach half a ton. Like many other animals on this list, Grevy's Zebra is nearing extinction; there are probably fewer than 5,000 in scattered habitats in Kenya and Ethiopia.
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Biggest Pig: Giant Forest Hog (600 Pounds)
How big is the giant forest hog? This 600-pound pig has been known to chase African hyenas from their kill, though it's sometimes preyed on by the largest African leopards. Despite its size, the giant forest hog is relatively gentle. It is easily tamed, if not outright domesticated, and can live alongside humans. It's mostly a herbivore, scavenging meals only when it's especially hungry.
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Biggest Cat: Siberian Tiger (500 to 600 Pounds)
Male Siberian tigers weigh a whopping 500 to 600 pounds; females reach 300 to 400 pounds. Only 500 or so Siberian tigers still live in eastern Russia, and continuing ecological pressure may strip this big cat of its title. Some naturalists claim that Bengal tigers have surpassed their Siberian relatives, since they're not as endangered and are better fed. There may be as many as 2,000 Bengal tigers in India and Bangladesh.
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Biggest Primate: Eastern Lowland Gorilla (400 Pounds)
There are two contestants for world's largest primate: the eastern lowland gorilla and the western lowland gorilla. Both live in the Congo, and by most accounts, the 400-pound eastern variety has the edge on its 350-pound western cousin, though western lowland gorillas outnumber the eastern variety by a 20-to-1 ratio.
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Biggest Canid: Gray Wolf (200 Pounds)
Although some domesticated dog breeds grow larger, the consistently beefiest species of genus Canis is the gray wolf. Full-grown wolves often reach 200 pounds. Gray wolves mate for life.
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Biggest Marsupial: Red Kangaroo (200 Pounds)
The red kangaroo of Australia reaches five and a half feet tall and 200 pounds, making it the largest marsupial. That's not saying much considering the enormous sizes of its ancestors. The giant short-faced kangaroo weighed 500 pounds, and the giant wombat reached two tons. Male red kangaroos are much bigger than females and can cover almost 30 feet in a single leap.
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Biggest Rodent: Capybara (150 Pounds)
A full-grown capybara, a South American rodent closely related to guinea pigs, can reach 150 pounds. But the capybara isn't the largest rodent that ever lived. The hippopotamus-size Josephoartigasia weighed a whopping two tons.
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Biggest Armadillo: Giant Armadillo (100 Pounds)
During the Pleistocene epoch, armadillos were the size of Volkswagen Beetles. Abandoned shells of the one-ton Glyptodon were used by early humans as shelter. Today, this comical-looking breed is represented in the record books by the 100-pound giant armadillo of South America.
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Biggest Lagomorph: European Hare (15 Pounds)
The 15-pound European hare is by far the world's biggest lagomorph,a family that includes rabbits, hares, and pikas. European hares put their heft to good use: In the spring, females can be seen rearing back on their hind legs and swatting males in the face, either to refuse an invitation to mate or to see what kind of stuff their prospective mates are made of.
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Biggest Hedgehog: Greater Moonrat (5 Pounds)
The five-pound greater moonrat, native to Indonesia, emits a strong, ammonia-like odor, hisses menacingly to keep enemies at bay, and prefers to live alone, except during mating season. The greater moonrat isn't much smaller than the Deinogalerix, a giant hedgehog of the Pleistocene epoch.
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Biggest Bat: Golden-Capped Fruit Bat (3 Pounds)
'Megabat' is the term naturalists use to describe any bat weighing more than a few ounces, and no megabat is larger than the golden-capped fruit bat of the Philippines, also known as the giant golden-capped flying fox. Fortunately for humans, fruit bats are strictly herbivorous, and they also lack the common bat's ability to echolocate, or to find distant prey by emitting sound waves reflected back to them.
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Biggest Shrew: Hispaniolan Solenodon (2 Pounds)
The Hispaniolan solenodon, which lives on Hispaniola, the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, can reach two pounds, which may not sound like much until you realize that the vast majority of shrews weigh only a few ounces. Fortunately for the Solenodon, Hispaniola has few predators that could make it lunch.
Handbook of the Mammals of the World (HMW) is a book series from the publisher Lynx Edicions. The nine volumes will be published from 2009. Each mammal family is assessed in a full text introduction with photographs and each species has a text account with a distribution map and illustrations on a plate. This is the second major project by Lynx Edicions since the release of the Handbook of the Birds of the World in 1992. The chief editors are Russell Mittermeier and Don E. Wilson in association with Conservation International, the Texas A&M University and the IUCN. Don E. Wilson is also editor of the reference work Mammal Species of the World.
- 1Published volumes
- 2Remaining volumes
Published volumes[edit]
Volume 1: Carnivores (published in May 2009)[edit]
With an introduction to the class Mammalia by Don E. Wilson
The first volume is devoted to Carnivora. It covers 13 families and the details to the taxonomy, range, habitat, reproduction, behavior, and conservation status of 245 species. It has more than 400 colour photographs and 257 distribution maps. The 33 colour plates are created by Catalan artist Toni Llobet. This book mentioned the olinguito or Andean olingo for the first time, a species from Ecuador and Colombia, which was officially described in 2013.
Groups covered in this volume are:
- African palm civet (Nandiniidae). One genus and one species.
- Cats (Felidae). 14 genera and 37 species.
- Linsangs (Prionodontidae). One genus and two species.
- Civets, genets and oyans (Viverridae). 14 genera and 34 species.
- Hyenas (Hyaenidae). Four genera and four species.
- Mongooses (Herpestidae). 15 genera and 34 species.
- Euplerids or Madagascar carnivores (Eupleridae). Seven genera and eight species.
- Dogs (Canidae). 13 genera and 35 species.
- Bears (Ursidae). Five genera and eight species.
- Red panda (Ailuridae). One genus and one species.
- Racoons (Procyonidae). Six genera and twelve species.
- Skunks (Mephitidae). Four genera and twelve species.
- Weasels, martens, polecats, badgers and otters (Mustelidae). 22 genera and 57 species.
Other details: Size: 31 x 24 cm. Pages: 728 pp. ISBN978-84-96553-49-1
Volume 2: Hoofed Mammals (published in August 2011)[edit]
The second volume is devoted to the ungulates (hoofed mammals). It covers 107 genera, 17 families in six orders and the details to the taxonomy, range, habitat, reproduction, behaviour, and conservation status of 413 species. It has 664 colour photographs and 433 distribution maps. The 56 colour plates are created by Catalan artist Toni Llobet.
Groups covered in this volume are:
- Aardvark (Orycteropodidae). One genus and one species.
- Hyrax (Procaviidae). Three genera and five species.
- Elephants (Elephantidae). Two genera and three species.
- Pangolins (Manidae). One genus and eight species.
- Horses, wild ass, and zebras (Equidae). One genus and seven species.
- Rhinoceros (Rhinocerotidae). Four genera and five species.
- Tapir (Tapiridae). One genus and four species.
- Camelids (Camelidae). Three genera and six species.
- Pigs, babirusa, and warthog (Suidae). Six genera and 17 species.
- Peccaries (Tayassuidae). Three genera and three species.
- Hippopotamus (Hippopotamidae). Two genera and two species.
- Chevrotains (Tragulidae). Three genera and ten species.
- Musk deers (Moschidae). One genus and seven species.
- Deers (Cervidae). 18 genera and 53 species.
- Bovids (Bovidae) 54 genera and 279 species.
- Pronghorn (Antilocapridae). One genus and one species.
- Giraffe and okapi (Giraffidae). Two genera and two species.
Other details: Size: 31 x 24 cm. Pages: 886 pp. ISBN978-84-96553-77-4
Volume 3: Primates (published in April 2013)[edit]
The third volume is devoted to the primates. It covers 17 families and the details to the taxonomy, range, habitat, reproduction, behaviour, and conservation status of 470 species. The 57 colour plates are created by English wildlife artist Stephen D. Nash. Edited by Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands, Don E. Wilson.
Groups covered in this volume are:
- Tarsier (Tarsiidae)
- Loris, pottos, and angwantibos (Lorisidae)
- Galago (Galagidae)
- Mouse, giant mouse, dwarf, and fork marked lemurs (Cheirogaleidae)
- True, bamboo, and ruffed lemurs (Lemuridae)
- Sportive lemur (Lepilemuridae)
- Woolly lemurs, sifakas, and the indri (Indriidae)
- Aye-aye (as only surviving member) (Daubentoniidae)
- Old World monkey (Cercopithecidae)
- Marmosets and tamarins (Callitrichidae)
- Capuchins and squirrel monkeys (Cebidae)
- Night monkey (Aotidae)
- Sakis, uakaris, and titis (Pitheciidae)
- Spider monkeys, muriquis, and howler and woolly monkeys (Atelidae)
- Gibbon (Hylobatidae)
- Great apes (Hominidae)
Other details: Size: 31 x 24 cm. Pages: 951 pp. ISBN978-84-96553-89-7
Volume 4: Sea Mammals (published in July 2014)[edit]
The fourth volume is devoted to marine mammals, which include the largest mammals on earth, the whales, as well as dolphins, ear seals, walrus, earless seals, dugongs, and manatees. It covers 19 families and the details to the taxonomy, range, habitat, reproduction, behavior, and conservation status of 147 species. The 30 colour plates are created by Toni Llobet.
Groups covered in this volume are:
- Otariidae (eared seals). Seven genera and 15 species.
- Odobenidae (walrus). One genus and one species.
- Phocidae (earless seals). 13 genera and 18 species.
- Balaenidae (right whales). Two genera and four species.
- Neobalaenidae (pygmy right whale). One genus and one species.
- Eschrichtiidae (gray whale). One genus and one species.
- Balaenopteridae (rorquals). Two genera and eight species.
- Physeteridae (sperm whale). One genus and one species.
- Kogiidae (pygmy and dwarf sperm whales). One genus and two species.
- Ziphiidae (beaked whales). Six genera and 22 species.
- Platanistidae (South Asian river dolphin). One genus and one species.
- Iniidae (Amazon river dolphins). One genus and three species.
- Lipotidae (baiji). One genus and one species.
- Pontoporiidae (Franciscana). One genus and one species.
- Monodontidae (beluga and narwhal). Two genera and two species.
- Delphinidae (ocean dolphins). 17 genera and 36 species.
- Phocoenidae (porpoises). Three genera and seven species.
- Trichechidae (manatees). One genus and three species.
- Dugongidae (dugong). One genus and one species.
Other details: Size: 31 x 24 cm. Pages: 614 pp. ISBN978-84-96553-93-4
Volume 5: Marsupials (published in June 2015)[edit]
The fifth volume is devoted to the marsupials, echidnas, platypus, and opossums. The 44 colour plates are created by Toni Llobet. It covers the details to the taxonomy, range, habitat, reproduction, behaviour, and conservation status of 375 species from 21 families in eight orders. The introductory chapter by Kristofer Helgen is about recently extinct marsupials like the thylacine.
Groups covered in this volume are:
- Tachyglossidae (echidnas). Two genera and four species.
- Ornithorhynchidae (platypus). One genus and one species.
- Didelphidae (opossums). 18 genera and 103 species.
- Caenolestidae (shrew opossums). Three genera and seven species.
- Microbiotheriidae (monito del monte). One genus and one species.
- Notoryctidae (marsupial moles). One genus and two species.
- Myrmecobiidae (numbat). One genus and one species.
- Dasyuridae (carnivorous marsupials). 17 genera and 74 species.
- Thylacomyidae (bilby). One genus and one species.
- Peramelidae (bandicoots). Six genera and 18 species.
- Phascolarctidae (koala). One genus and one species.
- Vombatidae (wombats). Two genera and three species.
- Burramyidae (pygmy possums). Two genera and five species.
- Phalangeridae (cuscuses, brushtail possums and relatives). Six genera and 29 species.
- Pseudocheiridae (ring-tailed possums and greater gliders). Six genera and 20 species.
- Petauridae (striped possums, Leadbeater's possum and lesser gliders). Three genera and twelve species.
- Tarsipedidae (honey possum). One genus and one species.
- Acrobatidae (feathertail gliders and possums). Two genera and three species.
- Hypsiprymnodontidae (rat kangaroos). One genus and one species.
- Potoroidae (bettongs and potoroos). Three genera and eight species.
- Macropodidae (kangaroos and wallabies). 13 genera and 59 species.
Other details: Size: 31 x 24 cm. Pages: 800 pp. ISBN978-84-96553-99-6
Volume 6: Lagomorphs and Rodents I (published in July 2016)[edit]
Initially it was intended to publish only one volume on lagomorphs and rodents. But due to the large number of described rodents Lynx Edicions organized a survey from summer to autumn 2015 in which a majority of customers decided in favor of two volumes. The sixth volume is devoted to the lagomorphs and 25 families of rodents, including the hares, pikas, chinchillas, the Laotian rock rat (a living fossil), the capybara (the largest extant rodent), and the diverse group of squirrels. The 60 colour plates are created by Toni Llobet. It covers the details to the taxonomy, range, habitat, reproduction, behaviour, and conservation status of 798 species from 27 families in two orders. It includes a special chapter on the overview of rodents, on morphology, taxonomy, and evolutionary history; why rodents are studied; and tools for studying them. Edited by Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher Jr, and Russell A. Mittermeier.
Groups covered in this volume are:
- Ochotonidae (pikas). One genus and 29 species.
- Leporidae (hares and rabbits). Eleven genera and 63 species.
- Castoridae (beavers). One genus and two species.
- Heteromyidae (kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice, and pocket mice). Five genera and 66 species.
- Geomyidae (pocket gophers). Seven genera and 41 species.
- Anomaluridae (anomalures). Three genera and seven species.
- Pedetidae (springhares). One genus and two species.
- Ctenodactylidae (gundis). Four genera and five species.
- Diatomyidae (Laotian rock rat or kha-nyou) One genus and one species.
- Hystricidae (Old World porcupines). Three genera and eleven species.
- Thryonomyidae (cane rats). One genus and two species.
- Petromuridae (dassie rat or noki). One genus and one species.
- Heterocephalidae (naked mole-rat). One genus and one species.
- Bathyergidae (African mole-rats). Five genera and 17 species.
- Erethizontidae (New World porcupines). Three genera and 17 species.
- Cuniculidae (pacas). One genus and two species.
- Caviidae (cavies, capybaras, and maras). Six genera and 20 species.
- Dasyproctidae (agoutis and acouchis). Two genera and 15 species.
- Chinchillidae (chinchillas and viscachas). Three genera and six species.
- Dinomyidae (pacarana). One genus and one species.
- Abrocomidae (chinchilla rats and Inka rats). Two genera and ten species.
- Ctenomyidae (tuco-tucos). One genus and 69 species.
- Octodontidae (viscacha rats, degus, rock rats and coruro). Eight genera and 14 species.
- Echimyidae (hutias, coypu, spiny-rats). 27 genera and 99 species.
- Aplodontiidae (mountain beaver). One genus and one species.
- Sciuridae (tree squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, flying squirrels, and ground squirrels). 60 genera and 292 species.
- Gliridae (dormice). Nine genera and 29 species.
Other details: Size: 31 x 24 cm. Pages: 988 pp. ISBN978-84-941892-3-4
Volume 7: Rodents II (published in December 2017)[edit]
The seventh volume is devoted to the nine families of mouse-like rodents (Myomorpha), including the true mice, rats, birch mice, tree mice, jerboas, hamsters, and voles. In contrast to other systematics (e.g. Wilson/Reeder: Mammal Species of the World, 2005) the family Dipodidae was split into Dipodidae, Zapodidae and Sminthidae, a new name proposed for the former subfamily Sicistinae. The 58 colour plates are created by Toni Llobet. It covers the details to the taxonomy, range, habitat, reproduction, behaviour, and conservation status of 1,744 species from 345 genera and 9 families in one suborder. It includes a special chapter entitled Priorities for Conserving the World’s Rodents. Edited by Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher Jr, and Russell A. Mittermeier.
Groups covered in this volume are:
- Sminthidae (or Sicistinae in other systematics) (birch mice). 1 genus and 14 species.
- Zapodidae (or Zapodinae in other systematics) (jumping mice). 3 genera and 5 species.
- Dipodidae (jerboas). 13 genera and 35 species.
- Platacanthomyidae (tree mice). 2 genera and 5 species.
- Spalacidae (muroid mole-rats). 7 genera and 28 species.
- Calomyscidae (brush-tailed mice). 1 genus and 8 Species.
- Nesomyidae (pouched rats, climbing mice and fat mice). 21 genera and 68 species.
- Cricetidae (true hamsters, voles, lemmings and New World rats and mice). 142 genera and 765 species.
- Muridae (true mice and rats (Old World rats and mice), gerbils and relatives). 155 genera and 816 species.
Other details: Size: 31 x 24 cm. Pages: 1008. ISBN978-84-16728-04-6
Volume 8: Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos (published in July 2018)[edit]
The eighth volume is devoted to the orders Cingulata, Pilosa, Afrosoricida, Macroscelidea, Scandentia, Dermoptera, and Eulipotyphla. The 28 color plates are created by Toni Llobet. There is a special chapter titled Conservation Priorities and Actions for the Orders Cingulata, Pilosa, Afrosoricida, Macroscelidea, Eulipotyphla, Dermoptera, and Scandentia by Rosalind Kennerley, Thomas Lacher, Jr., Victor Mason, Shelby McCay, Nicolette Roach, P. J. Stephenson, Mariella Superina and Richard Young. The most species covered in this volume have various insectivorous diets with the exception of the colugos and sloths that are either frugivorous or folivorous.
Groups covered in this volume are:
- Dasypodidae (long-nosed armadillos). One genus and seven species.
- Chlamyphoridae (chlamyphorid armadillos). Eight genera and 13 species.
- Myrmecophagidae (American anteaters). Two genera and three species.
- Cyclopedidae (silky anteater). One genus and seven species.
- Megalonychidae (two-toed sloths). One genus and two species.
- Bradypodidae (three-toed sloths). One genus and four species.
- Tenrecidae (tenrecs). Eight genera and 31 species.
- Potamogalidae (otter shrews). Two genera and three species.
- Chrysochloridae (golden moles). Ten genera and 21 species.
- Macroscelididae (elephant shrews). Five genera and 20 species.
- Ptilocercidae (pen-tailed tree shrew). One genus and one species.
- Tupaiidae (common tree shrews). Three genera and 22 species.
- Cynocephalidae (colugos). Two genera and two species.
- Erinaceidae (hedgehogs). Ten genera and 26 species.
- Soricidae (shrews). 25 genera and 448 species.
- Talpidae (moles). 18 genera and 54 species.
- Solenodontidae (solenodons). Two genera and two species.
Other details: Size: 31 x 24 cm. Pages: 710. ISBN978-84-16728-08-4
Remaining volumes[edit]
Volume 9: Bats (Scheduled for October 2019)[edit]
The ninth volume is devoted to the bats. It covers the details to the taxonomy, range, habitat, reproduction, behaviour, and conservation status of 1402 species from 21 families in the order Chiroptera. Unlike previous volumes, where all the illustrations were created by a single person in each one, the 73 plates of this volume contain illustrations from six artists, namely Ilian Velikov, Blanca Martí de Ahumada, Alex Mascarell Llosa, Faansie Peacock, Jesús Rodríguez-Osorio Martín and Lluís Sogorb.
Groups covered in this volume are:
- Old World Fruit Bats (Pteropodidae).
- Mouse-tailed Bats (Rhinopomatidae).
- Hog-nosed Bat (Craseonycteridae).
- False-vampire Bats (Megadermatidae).
- Trident Bats (Rhinonycteridae).
- Old World Leaf-nosed Bats (Hipposideridae).
- Horseshoe Bats (Rhinolophidae).
- Sheath-tailed Bats (Emballonuridae).
- Slit-faced Bats (Nycteridae).
- Madagascar Sucker-footed Bats (Myzopodidae).
- New Zealand Short-tailed Bats (Mystacinidae).
- Bulldog Bats (Noctilionidae).
- Smoky Bat and Thumbless Bat (Furipteridae).
- Disk-winged Bats (Thyropteridae).
- Ghost-faced Bats, Naked-backed Bats and Mustached Bats (Mormoopidae).
- New World Leaf-nosed Bats (Phyllostomidae).
- Funnel-eared Bats (Natalidae).
- Free-tailed Bats (Molossidae).
- Long-fingered Bats (Miniopteridae).
- Wing-gland Bats (Cistugidae).
- Vesper Bats (Vespertilionidae).
Other details: Size: 31 x 24 cm.
Opinions[edit]
It is believed, that the handbook is highly influential and will serve as a guideline for taxonomists, conservationists, ecologists, biodiversity managers, and politicians. However, there are controversies. Especially, the taxonomic system, which has been used for the prominent family Bovidae (Volume 2), is not generally accepted. Heller et al. criticise, that the revised bovid species list, which doubled the amount of recognized bovid species, is based only on one primary source. This increase was mainly due to an expanded species concept (PSC concept), not on new available data sets. The handbook distinguishes, for example, 11 species of klipspringer, but the morphological variations within each of these proposed species are often greater than between them. In addition, the taxonomy is criticised to be inconsistent, since many taxa, like the different giraffe forms are treated as subspecies of one single species, despite the fact, that some are clearly distinguishable. The authors warn, that taxonomic inflation of species could impede conservation efforts.[1]
![Number Number](/uploads/1/2/5/2/125231077/397472268.jpg)
References[edit]
- ^Heller, R., Frandsen, P., Lorenzen, E. D., & Siegismund, H. R. (2013). Are there really twice as many bovid species as we thought?. Systematic biology, 62(3), 490-493.
External links[edit]
- Handbook of the Mammals of the World more information about the series
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