science

Handbook of the Mammals of the World

Handbook of the Mammals of the World is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Handbook of the Mammals of the World rather than just read about it. In short: Handbook of the Mammals of the World (HMW) is a book series from the publisher Lynx Edicions. The nine volumes were published from 2009 to 2019.

Key takeaways

Handbook of the Mammals of the World belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Handbook of the Mammals of the World to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Handbook of the Mammals of the World from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Handbook of the Mammals of the World (HMW) is a book series from the publisher Lynx Edicions. The nine volumes were published from 2009 to 2019. 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. An updated two-volume set with taxonomic revisions was released in 2020 as the Illustrated Checklist of the Mammals of the World, and a condensed, single-volume version of the series was published in 2023 as All the Mammals of the World.

Published volumes

Volume 1: Carnivores (published in May 2009) 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 × 24 cm. Pages: 728 pp. ISBN 978-84-96553-49-1

Volume 2: Hoofed Mammals (published in August 2011) 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 × 24 cm. Pages: 886 pp. ISBN 978-84-96553-77-4

Volume 3: Primates (published in April 2013) 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 480 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:

Mouse, giant mouse, dwarf, and fork marked lemurs (Cheirogaleidae). Five genera and 31 species. Sportive lemur (Lepilemuridae). One genus and 26 species. Bamboo, true, and ruffed lemurs (Lemuridae). Five genera and 21 species. Woolly lemurs, sifakas, and the indri (Indriidae). Three genera and 19 species. Aye-aye (as only surviving member) (Daubentoniidae). One genus and one species. Galago (Galagidae). Five genera and 18 species. Angwantibos, pottos, and Lorises (Lorisidae). Four genera and 12 species. Tarsier (Tarsiidae). Three genera and 11 species. Marmosets and tamarins (Callitrichidae). Seven genera and 47 species. Squirrel monkeys and capuchins (Cebidae). Three genera and 29 species. Night monkey (Aotidae). One genus and 11 species. Titis, sakis and uakaris (Pitheciidae). Four genera and 44 species. Howlers, spider and woolly monkeys and muriquis (Atelidae). Five genera and 25 species. Old World monkeys (Cercopithecidae). 23 genera and 159 species. Gibbons (Hylobatidae). Four genera and 19 species. Great apes (Hominidae). Four genera and seven species (including humans). Other details: Size: 31 × 24 cm. Pages: 951 pp. ISBN 978-84-96553-89-7

Volume 4: Sea Mammals (published in July 2014) 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 128 species. The 30 colour plates are created by Toni Llobet. Groups covered in this volume are:

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Handbook of the Mammals of the World

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Handbook of the Mammals of the World claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Handbook of the Mammals of the World before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Handbook of the Mammals of the World ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Handbook of the Mammals of the World

In research: Handbook of the Mammals of the World appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Handbook of the Mammals of the World in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Handbook of the Mammals of the World is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2009 non-fiction books, Encyclopedias of science, Lynx Edicions books, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Handbook of the Mammals of the World outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Handbook of the Mammals of the World in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Handbook of the Mammals of the World means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Handbook of the Mammals of the World out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Handbook of the Mammals of the World in simple terms?

Handbook of the Mammals of the World (HMW) is a book series from the publisher Lynx Edicions. The nine volumes were published from 2009 to 2019.

Why does Handbook of the Mammals of the World matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Handbook of the Mammals of the World?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Handbook of the Mammals of the World.