2004-09-16 An Impressive Overview

This book is a singular one that it covers the mammalian fauna of the entire vast oriental region (the Indian Subcontinent & South-East Asia including South China and Indonesia as far east as the Moluccas) in a single volume.
Given its scope, details had to be kept to a minimum. It is basically a checklist covering nomenclature, range, regional variation (subspecies), and sometimes essential features distinguishing similar species. A basic distribution map is provided for most species, though drawings illustrate only a few, so this is obviously more of a reference than a field guide.
It is particularly useful for regions like much of Indonesia, whose fauna is yet to be dealt with in detail in any separate book.
Unfortunately, with all the recent discovery of "new" mammal species in various parts of the region, this book is no longer truly comprehensive and an updated edition would be very welcome.