At its current tally of 212 species, California's mammal list is the largest of all the United States'. This new guidebook joins its sister titles A Californian's Guide to the Birds among Us and A Californian's Guide to the Trees among Us in introducing naturalists of all levels to over forty varieties of the Golden State's fascinating warm-blooded wildlife. Full-color images and evocative descriptions make identification fun and intuitive: a bobcat, for example, has "a Civil War look, with old-fashioned sideburns framing the face in black and white," while a blue whale is named for its coloration of not "old jeans or dull paint, but a luminous, 'how can water catch on fire?' kind of blue." Author Charles Hood supplements essential information with strange but true facts like voles' predilection for deer antlers as a source of calcium, and Mexican free-tailed bats' ability to live in gaseous environments that would kill most other animals. With refreshingly pragmatic commentary ("the fact is, even for experienced naturalists, most chipmunks look pretty much alike") and sound advice for where to see mammals in urban and wilderness settings alike, this lively and even quotable guide will inspire people to connect with their environments wherever they are.

An essential companion for the outdoor enthusiast and professional scientist, this up-to-date, compact guide to California mammals is illustrated in both black and white and color.

As its sister title, A Californian's Guide to the Trees among Us, did for arboreal varieties, this new guidebook introduces casual birders to 120 of California's most easily seen bird species native and exotic alike as found in a mix of urban, suburban, and traditionally natural habitats. Full-color images and clear, direct descriptions make identification easy, and author Charles Hood supplements the essential information with surprising facts and trivia, including endangered-species recovery stories and the world record for grasshoppers eaten by one flycatcher in a single day. In sections addressing which gear to buy, where to go birdwatching, and how to read a birdsong transcription, Hood encourages readers to take ownership of their experiences, no matter their level of ornithological expertise. This accurate, lively, and even quotable guide will inspire people to notice nature more closely and find joy in interacting with the astounding diversity of avian life in California.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1988. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1972. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived

This book is a guide to the mammals of California. It provides descriptions and illustrations of various species of mammals, as well as information on their habitats, behavior, and conservation status. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.