Description
About this guide
The National Geographic Pocket Guide to the Mammals of North America is a compact field guide written by Catherine Herbert Howell, a former National Geographic staff member who has written more than a dozen natural history books. Published in 2016, it covers North American mammal species with color photography, commissioned illustrations by Jared Travnicek and Fernando Baptista, and the animal track silhouettes that make NatGeo’s pocket guides useful in the field rather than just on the shelf.
The book is part of National Geographic’s Pocket Guide series, which applies the same format across birds, reptiles, wildflowers, trees and shrubs, rocks and minerals, and night sky. If you’ve used any of those guides, this one works exactly the same way. The guides are designed to be accessible for a first-time visitor while still giving experienced naturalists a reliable quick-reference.
What’s inside
The 184-page guide includes:
- Color photographs for species identification
- Newly commissioned illustrations and graphics by Jared Travnicek and Fernando Baptista
- Animal track silhouettes for identification from prints alone
- Bulleted key facts per species: size, range, behavior, habitat
- Tips for observing, tracking, and identifying mammals in their natural habitats
- Logical organization for quick field reference
Specifications
- Pages: 184
- Dimensions: 4-1/4″ x 7-1/4″ x 7/16″
- Weight: 6.8 oz
- Binding: Paperback
- Publisher: National Geographic
- Author: Catherine Herbert Howell
- Illustrators: Jared Travnicek, Fernando Baptista
- ISBN-13: 978-1-4262-1648-0
- Published: March 2016
Who is this for?
First-time visitors to Wind Cave or Agate Fossil Beds who want to know what they’re looking at. Both parks have active wildlife populations, and a pocket guide is the kind of thing you grab off the shelf at the visitor center bookstore, toss in a pack, and actually use the same day. This guide is intentionally designed for that audience: organized for quick look-ups, not written for specialists.
Hikers and outdoor regulars who want something authoritative but portable. The NatGeo Pocket Guides are a known, trusted series. The format is consistent across all six titles BHPFA carries, so if you already use the Birds guide on the trail, this one functions exactly the same way.
Anyone buying a gift for a nature-curious person. At $12.95 it works as an add-on gift alongside a park pass or a more expensive item, and it’s specific enough to feel thoughtful rather than generic.
Frequently asked questions
How many mammals does this guide cover?
The guide covers a broad range of North American mammal species with color photographs and identification details. National Geographic has not published an exact species count in the product listings, but at 184 pages with bulleted species entries, it covers the common and regionally significant mammals you’re likely to encounter across North America. Check the table of contents in-store for the specific list.
Is this a good guide for beginners?
Yes. The NatGeo Pocket Guide series is aimed at people who want to learn without being overwhelmed. The entries use bulleted key facts rather than dense paragraphs, and the illustrations are there to help you confirm an ID rather than require expert knowledge going in. Catherine Herbert Howell wrote it specifically to meet the needs of an enthusiastic beginner.
How does this compare to Peterson or Audubon field guides for mammals?
Peterson and Audubon guides for North American mammals are more comprehensive and heavier. They cover more species in greater depth, which makes them more useful for serious naturalists or researchers. This NatGeo guide is better suited to day use in the field: smaller, lighter, easier to flip through quickly. If you’re spending a week in the Black Hills and want to identify what’s running across the road, this guide does that job well. If you’re working through a species list across multiple states over several years, a Peterson or Audubon guide will serve you better long term.
Does this guide cover the animals I’ll see at Wind Cave and Agate Fossil Beds?
Yes. Both parks have active mammal populations: bison, elk, pronghorn, prairie dogs, and coyotes at Wind Cave; pronghorn and various smaller mammals at Agate Fossil Beds. This guide covers the common large and small mammals of North America, including the grassland and plains species you’ll encounter at both parks.
Does buying this support the parks?
Yes. BHPFA is the official nonprofit partner of Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Scotts Bluff National Monument, and Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, as well as the Black Hills National Forest and Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands. Proceeds from every purchase support education programs, conservation projects, and visitor services at these sites.
Is this the same as the NatGeo field guide app?
No. The app and this book are separate products. The pocket guide is a physical book with no digital component. Some people use both: the app when they have cell service, the book when they don’t.
Are there other guides in this series?
Yes. BHPFA carries six titles in the National Geographic Pocket Guide series: Birds of North America, Rocks and Minerals, Wildflowers of North America, Trees and Shrubs of North America, and Night Sky of North America, plus this Mammals guide. Each guide follows the same format and size, so they stack neatly and work as a set.
Other titles in the National Geographic Pocket Guide series at BHPFA
- National Geographic Pocket Guide to the Birds of North America
- National Geographic Pocket Guide to Rocks and Minerals of North America
- National Geographic Pocket Guide to Wildflowers of North America
- National Geographic Pocket Guide to Trees and Shrubs of North America
- National Geographic Pocket Guide to the Night Sky of North America
