Indian Mammals

A fully updated edition of the bestselling guide to the mammals of India Covering the rich diversity of mammal species in India, from tigers, elephants, rhinoceros and whales to primates, rodents and bats, Indian Mammals is field-ready, illustrated and comprehensive in approach. Rigorously researched, Indian Mammals reflects a lifetime's work by Vivek Menon, one of India's leading authorities on Indian wildlife. Planned for easy reference, this compact guide is the essential resource for wildlifers of any age, including animal watchers, eco-tourists and active conservationists. * More than 440 species of both terrestrial and aquatic mammals with introductory pages on each order * Describes key identification features, biometrics, behaviour, social strategies, habitat and distribution * Over 1,000 carefully curated photographs and supplementary illustrations * 140-plus updated distribution maps * Colour tabs for sections to facilitate ease of use * Live-action field notes from the author

India has a rich mammal fauna, including elephants, rhinos and the much sought after tiger. But there are many other species to be found there, many of them more conspicuous than the elusive tiger. This book is the first comprehensive field guide to the 400 species of mammals in India. Most are depicted with superb colour photographs or illustrations, and they are accompanied by an authoritative text by one of India's top biologists. The commentary pinpoints key characteristics of each species and gives useful distributional and habitat information. Maps are included for each species, and footprints as well, where relevant.

Originally published as: A field guide to Indian mammals / Vivek Menon. Delhi, India: Dorling Kindersley, 2003.

This magnificently illustrated study of a vast amount of South Asian animal stone sculptures provides an art history covering almost four and a half thousand years, analyzing the art historical, archeological and cultural context of animals in society.

Since antiquity, big mammals have inspired fear as well as fantasy among humans. Not only do megafauna pervade the domains of religion, art, literature, and folklore, it is also now widely acknowledged that they can serve as important, if not always adequate, indices of environmental quality. In this book, Shibani Bose looks into eras bygone in order to chronicle the journeys of three mega mammals, the rhinoceros, elephant, and tiger, across millennia in early north India. Carefully sifting through archaeological evidence and literary records in Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, and classical Western accounts, Bose documents the presence of these big mammals in diverse cultural contexts, from hunter-gatherer societies to the first urban civilization of India and beyond. This work aims to reconstruct human interactions with these mega species through time while trying to understand the larger ecology of ancient India. This book is especially well-timed as the conservation of our megafaunal heritage is a major concern for biologists, ecologists, and conservationists. It underlines the need to historicize human interactions with these mega mammals with the contention that awareness regarding their past is critical for their future.

This book is a field guide to the mammals of this unique subcontinent and includes the best places to watch them. It describes each of the 100 plus species that can be recognized in the field, including identification, habitat, range, behavior, diet, breeding, status, and similar species. The Field Guide also contains color illustrations of each mammal as well as tracks of the more prominent species, and mammal lists and maps for each national park. Key Features: The only current guide to mammals of the region Contains color pictures and full text on the 106 larger species likely to be encountered Includes drawings of tracks of key species to aid identification Presents full details of 23 parks and reserves, with location maps, visiting details and species lists for each