Guide to the Mammals of Britain and Europe [antikvár]

PREFACE This book has been designed and written with two ends in view. It describes not only the species of mammals found in Europe today, but also the different habitats that they occupy. One should, however, beware of considering 'the mammals of Europe' as something stable. Climatic conditions have fluctuated since the last Ice Age and will continue to do so. As a result, mammalian populations will change as well. Not all mammals found in Europe today originated there, and new species are continually being introduced. If the populations of Europe as a whole are in a state of flux, the populations found in any particular habitat are even more liable to change. It is difficult to define a habitat with precision, and different habitats merge with one another and gradually change. Finally, mammals, being extremely adaptable, are rarely limited to a single habitat. It follows, therefore, that in the introductory section of the book changes in the mammalian fauna of Europe since the Ice Age should be described, as are the changes in its zones of vegetation, for it is only by knowing the history of the region that the present mammalian distribution can be understood. The biological features of mammals that make them so adaptable are then discussed together with those characteristics, such as dentition, that aid their classification. The main part of the book is composed of a comprehensive guide to every mammal species found in Europe, together with a discussion of their range, habits and life-history. They are arranged by habitat and each section is prefaced by a description of the habitat, the interrelationship of mammals within it, and the available foodstuffs which are so important a factor in the life of mammals. As has just been mentioned, mammals are adaptable and rarely limited exclusively to a single habitat. For this reason a feature of the book is a table which gives the range of alternative habitats in which each mammalian species may be seen.