Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Vol.5: Monotremes and Marsupials

*Volume 5* of the *Handbook of Mammals of the World* offers complete coverage of two important groups of mammals: monotremes and marsupials. Monotremes, such as the platypus and echidnas, are a very distinct and ancient group of mammals, with only a few species still existing in Australia and New Guinea. Marsupials, with roots in South America, probably reached Australia through Antarctica about 50 million years ago. With relatives still in the Americas, marsupials have adapted to an incredible diversity of lifestyles and habitats.

This volume provides a detailed overview of all families of monotremes and marsupials, both from the Australasian and American regions, richly illustrated with color photographs showing different behaviors of all these animals. The text contains the latest information on all the families of these two groups.

Winner of the 2016 Whitley Medal

Each year, the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, Australia, organizes the Whitley Awards, a tribute to Gilbert Whitley, an important Australian ichthyologist. The Whitley Award is granted to the best publications published in the previous year on Australian zoology and the region’s unique fauna. The Whitley Medal and the Special Commendation are the most coveted awards in Australian zoological publishing.

The Whitley Awards ceremony was held at the Australian Museum in Sydney, on September 22, 2016. On behalf of Lynx Edicions, Professor Christopher Dickman accepted the award and delivered a speech.

Key Features

• Winner of the 2016 Whitley Medal
• 44 color plates
• 717 color photographs
• 375 distribution maps

Content

• Families covered in the Volume:
• Family Tachyglossidae (Echidnas): 1 genus, 4 species
  
• Family Ornithorhynchidae (Platypus): 1 genus, 1 species
  
• Family Didelphidae (Opossums): 18 genera, 103 species
  
• Family Caenolestidae (Shrew Opossums): 4 genera, 7 species
  
• Family Microbiotheriidae (Monito del Monte): 1 genus, 1 species
  
• Family Notoryctidae (Marsupial Moles): 1 genus, 2 species
  
• Family Myrmecobiidae (Numbat): 1 genus, 1 species
  
• Family Dasyuridae (Carnivorous Marsupials): 14 genera, 60 species
  
• Family Thylacomyidae (Greater Bilby): 1 genus, 1 species
  
• Family Peramelidae (Bandicoots and Echymiperas): 5 genera, 21 species
  
• Family Phascolarctidae (Koala): 1 genus, 1 species
  
• Family Vombatidae (Wombats): 3 genera, 4 species
  
• Family Burramyidae (Pygmy Possums): 2 genera, 4 species
  
• Family Phalangeridae (Cuscus, Brush-tailed Possums, and Scaly-tailed Possums): 8 genera, 24 species
  
• Family Pseudocheiridae (Ring-tailed Possums and Greater Gliders): 5 genera, 9 species
  
• Family Petauridae (Striped Possums, Leadbeater’s Possum, and Lesser Gliders): 3 genera, 6 species
  
• Family Tarsipedidae (Honey Possum): 1 genus, 1 species
  
• Family Acrobatidae (Feathertail Gliders and Feathertail Possums): 3 genera, 7 species
  
• Family Hypsiprymnodontidae (Musky Rat-kangaroo): 1 genus, 1 species
  
• Family Potoroidae (Bettongs and Potoroos): 5 genera, 10 species
  
• Family Macropodidae (Kangaroos and Wallabies): 13 genera, 56 species