Australia's vanishing mammals : endangered and extinct native species / Tim Flannery, Paula Kendall ; [illustrated by] Karen Wynn-Moylan.
Publication details: Surry Hills, N.S.W. : R.D. Press, 1990.Description: 192 p. : col. ill., maps ; 31 cmISBN:- 0864381611 :
- 599.00420994 20
- QL706.83.A8 F58 1990
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item reserves | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book | Melbourne Athenaeum Library | Non-Fiction large size | 599.004 FLA | Available | 065854 |
Includes index.
Bibliography: p. 187-190.
Includes index.
"Australia's last 200 years have seen the extinction of 20 mammal species and today many species that have so far survived are in danger of following them into oblivion. In some cases fewer than 100 individuals are known to exist.
AUSTRALIA'S VANISHING MAMMALS is a reminder of the species that we have lost forever and promotes appreciation of those we must save. The message is urgent and clearcut: unless we learn from our mistakes, the diversity of our wildlife will be reduced to a remnant of its former glory.
The beauty and characteristics of 10 extinct and 20 endangered mammal are shared with the reader. Each mammal is looked at separately, with informative text describing its appearance, habitat, feeding and breeding habits. The reader is also told about the discovery of each mammal by Western scientists and given reasons for the decline in numbers since discovery.
To illustrate how nineteenth-century scientists saw these mammals, there are 21 hand-coloured lithographs from John Gould's MAMMALS OF AUSTRALIA 1840-1863. Specially commissioned watercolour paintings of 10 extinct species, carefully researched and painted by artist Karen Wynn-Moylan, show how the mammals are now thought to have looked. Magnificent colour photos display endangered mammals in their natural surroundings.
WWF Australia has provided a checklist of all Australia's mammals that are extinct or endangered. There are distribution maps and diagrams showing how close each mammal is to extinction. AUSTRALIA'S VANISHING MAMMALS is an essential book for everyone who cares about the future of our wildlife." -- Inside cover.
