Published by Lynx Edicions in association with Conservation International and IUCN Foreword by Russell A. Mittermeier Introduction to the Class Mammalia by Don E. Wilson Carnivores of all shapes and sizes are common throughout the world, being naturally absent only from the Australasian Region, where a few species such as the Dingo, the Red Fox, and the domestic cat have all arrived assisted by humans. Tigers, lions, wolves, bears, mongooses, civets, skunks, and weasels are some of the most well-studied mammals and most popular species among the general public, and all of them are members of the Carnivora order. Volume 1 of the Handbook of the Mammals of the World describes and illustrates the 245 species of the 13 families that constitute all the terrestrial carnivores known today. The marine carnivores (walruses, sea lions, seals, manatees, and dugong) are treated in volume 4 of the collection (Sea Mammals).
