Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing, 2005. Quarto, colour photographs, maps, other illustrations, laminated boards, scarce.

Drawing on the latest research from around the world, Life of marsupials explores this unusual group of mammals covering the extraordinary diversity of forms around the world, including Australia, New Guinea and the Americas. Despite their long separate evolution there are extraordinary similarities in which marsupials have solved the challenges of living in environments such as deserts, alpine snowfields and tropical rainforests. Some can live on grass and others on leaves; and some can glide, swim and others can hop with extraordinary efficiency. This book covers the biology of all marsupial families and how they have evolved. The author's original text, also called Life of marsupials published in 1973, was the first student textbook on marsupials. In this completely re-written edition, he brings a lifetime's experience and masterly insights into the lives of these fascinating mammals.
CONTENTS:
What makes a marsupial?
Reproduction and development.
Opossums of America: cousins from a distant time.
Carnivorous marsupials: bright-eyed killers of the night.
Bandicoots: fast-living opportunists.
Pygmy possums and sugar gliders.
Life in the Trees: Koala, Greater Glider and Possums.
Wombats: vegetarians of the underworld.
Kangaroos: consummate herbivores.
Marsupials and people.