Lemurs of Madagascar (book)
2010 reference work and field guide / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Lemurs of Madagascar is a 2010 reference work and field guide for the lemurs of Madagascar, giving descriptions and biogeographic data for the known species. The primary contributor is Russell Mittermeier, president of Conservation International, and the cover art and illustrations were drawn by Stephen D. Nash. Currently in its third edition, the book provides details about all known lemur species, general information about lemurs and their history, and also helps travelers identify species they may encounter. Four related pocket field guides have also been released, containing color illustrations of each species, miniature range maps, and species checklists.
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: Bloated article; uses the Mittelmaier book that is the subject of article 44 times, out of about the 60 references given. Contains excessive detail and primary sourcing. (May 2021) |
Author | Russell Mittermeier Edward E. Louis, Jr. Matthew Richardson Christoph Schwitzer et al. |
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Illustrator | Stephen D. Nash |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Series | Tropical Field Guide Series |
Genre | Field guide |
Published |
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Media type | Print (Paperback) |
Pages | 767 (Third edition) |
ISBN | 978-1-934151-23-5 |
The first edition was reviewed favorably in the International Journal of Primatology, Conservation Biology, and Lemur News. Reviewers, including Alison Jolly, praised the book for its meticulous coverage of each species, numerous high-quality illustrations, and engaging discussion of lemur topics, including conservation, evolution, and the recently extinct subfossil lemurs. Each agreed that the book was an excellent resource for a wide audience, including ecotourists and lemur researchers. A lengthy review of the second edition was published in the American Journal of Primatology, where it received similar favorable comments, plus praise for its updates and enhancements. The third edition was reviewed favorably in Lemur News; the reviewer praised the expanded content of the book, but was concerned that the edition was not as portable as its predecessors.
The first edition identified 50 lemur species and subspecies, compared to 71 in the second edition and 101 in the third. The taxonomy promoted by these books has been questioned by researchers, such as Ian Tattersall, who view these growing numbers of lemur species as insufficiently justified inflation of species numbers (taxonomic inflation).