Book Review : The secret lives of Indian Mammals by Vivek Menon

Book Review: The secret lives of Indian Mammals by Vivek Menon

*Publisher: Hachette India *ISBN: 978-93-5195-115-5 *Genre: Reference/Wild life *Cover: Paperback *No of pages: 256 *Price: 399 INR *Rating: 5/5

My View:

A very nice and informative book, an excellent material for novice and for those would like to pursue their carrier in the field of mammals. This book is designed in such a way that through the picture’s you can easily teach your child the basics. This is the first time I am writing any review other than novel, biography or any other genre. I have visited many wild life sanctuaries and also roamed in many jungles but never got to know further, but after reading this book it creates curiosity in me to know further about animals.

I highly appreciate the effort of Vivek Menon who has written this book, from the cover of the book itself it justify that it’s a hand guide to know and teach your children about Indian mammals. The author has covered more than 400 species and 500 or more photographs as a reference guide to the wildlife lovers.

The information which is covered under the book is what are mammals? How do they live, where to find them in India? What they eat? The book is further classified under herbivorous and Non-herbivorous animals. What precautions to be taken while watching them, what are their behaviors, how to guess their age by pug marks, which is described through drawings by the author.

The book also covers National parks of India, how to save animals from poachers, a good chapter on illegal trades of wild life (a major issue in MP). Under the primates section comes the Monkey and Elephant, the different species of monkey, their height, weight, footmarks of infant and matured monkey, which family they came from, are they rare or can be found in different parts of India.

Odd-toed Ungulates and even-toed Ungulates, under this section why Rhino come under odd-toed ungulates are described through simple drawings which are easily understandable to the readers. Other than tigers and lions, you will find lynx, jungle cat, leopard’s cats, civets, hyena, wolf, jackal, wild dogs, martens, hares, pikars, desert hare, large eared pika, pangolins, bats, whales, dolphins etc.

I highly recommend this wonderful book to wildlife lovers and a reference guide to each and every parent to teach their children on Indian mammals. A must read book.

 Blurb:

What is the rhino’s horn made of?
How do deer and langurs help each other in the forest?
Why do elephants and monkeys suffer the most in captivity?
Where can you see the Irrawaddy Dolphin?
Which Indian mammal has arms on-and-a-half times the length of its legs?

Covering these many more intriguing facts, this handy wildlife guide features more than 400 mammal species in India, from tigers, elephants and rhinos to monkeys, rodents and bats.

Mammals fascinate us, probably because we are one of them! That’s why, along with expertly researched information about where these animals are found, and how they live, communicate and behave, conservationist and photographer Vivek Menon also shares secrets from his adventures in the wild.

Key identification pointers and stunning colour photographs help you identify different mammals easily, making The Secret Lives of Indian Mammals both a ready reckoner and a field guide for young, enthusiastic animal lovers.