Handbook of the Mammals of the World

I lifted the following from the Mammalwatching weblog, for anyone with good photos of rodents (HMW uses captive photos as well as wild ones, but I gather wild ones are preferred).

Dear Photographer,

We are writing to inform you that the Handbook of the Mammals of the World series is well underway. So much so that we have already published four volumes – 1 (Carnivores), 2 (Hoofed Mammals), 3 (Primates) and 4 (Sea Mammals) – and Volume 5, Monotremes and Marsupials is already printed. At present, we are working on Volume 6, Rodents and Lagomorphs, for which we are looking for photographic material for possible publication. The families included are the following:

Ochotonidae (Pikas), Leporidae (Hares and Rabbits), Castoridae (Beavers), Heteromyidae (Pocket Mice, Kangaroo Rats and Kangaroo Mice), Geomyidae (Pocket Gophers), Anomaluridae (Anomalures or Scaly-tailed Squirrels), Pedetidae (Springhares), Ctenodactylidae (Gundis), Diatomydae (Kha-nyou or Laotian Rock Rat), Hystricidae (Old World Porcupines), Thryonomyidae (Cane Rats), Petromuridae (Dassie Rat), Heterocephalidae (Naked Mole-rat), Bathyergidae (African Mole-rat or Blesmols), Cuniculidae (Pacas), Caviidae (Capybara, Mara, Guinea Pig, Cavies, and relatives), Dasyproctidae (Agoutis and Acouchis), Chinchillidae (Chinchillas and Viscachas), Dinomyidae (Pacarana), Abrocomidae (Chinchilla Rats and Inca Rats), Ctenomyidae (Tuco-tucos), Octodontidae (Viscacha Rats, Degus, Rock Rats and Coruro), Echimyidae (South American Spiny Rats, Coypus and Hutias), Aplodontiidae (Mountain Beaver), Sciuridae (Tree, Flying and Ground Squirrels, Chipmunks, Prairie Dogs and Marmots), Gliridae (Dormouses), Sminthidae (Birch Mice), Zapodidae (Jumping Mice), Dipodidae (Jerboas and relatives), Platacanthomyidae (Oriental Dormice), Spalacidae (Muroid Mole-rats), Calomyscidae (Brush-tailed Mice), Nesomyidae (Pouched Rats and Climbing Mice), Cricetidae (True Hamsters, Voles, Lemmings and New World Rats and Mice), Muridae (Mice and Rats).

Please send any photos you wish to be considered for publication in these volumes as soon as possible, and by 31 August 2015 at the latest. We would like to remind you that wherever possible we prefer photos in which aspects of behaviour such as breeding, predating, feeding, locomotion, etc. are illustrated. Although those photos which have clearly been taken in the wild stand a better chance of being selected, we are aware that we might also have to include portraits and pictures of species in captivity. You might also like to note that we offer the same fee as on previous volumes for the non-exclusive, one-time use of each image published in either of the volumes.

All photographic material should be sent to the following address:

José Luis Copete
Lynx Edicions
Montseny, 8
08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona
Spain

Regarding the submission of the digital photographs, please send them on a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM for PC. We kindly request you to label each of the photograph files including the scientific name of the species shown together with the locality of the photo and the initial of your first name and your surname. For example:

Sciurus vulgaris London UK John Smith 1.jpeg

Preferably send original files (jpeg/tif, or raw/nef) in high quality resolution (the original, high-resolution, uncropped file), at 300 dpi to be published at 20 cm wide.
DO NOT SEND SCANNED SLIDES as we prefer to receive original slides rather than scanned files, since the resulting file is usually not of as high quality as the original photo.

Should you send us your photos by courier, in order to avoid being charged high customs duties, we would kindly ask you to please clearly write the following on the parcel and delivery note: “Sample slides for scientific use. Of no commercial value. To be returned to sender”. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.

In the case of sendings of few pictures, or not too many, it’s fine to be sent by email, Dropbox or WeTransfer, provided they are labeled clearly to avoid misidentifications of the species.

Do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions about any of this.
We look forward to hearing from you soon, and of course, to receiving your photos for Volume 6 of HMW!

With best wishes,
José Luis Copete
_________________________________________________________________

José Luis Copete
Handbook of the Birds of the World-Alive
Handbook of the Mammals of the World

Lynx Edicions
Montseny, 8
E-08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.

Phone: +34-93 594 77 10
Fax: +34-93 592 09 69
[email protected]
Home | Lynx Edicions

 

A copy of volume 5 has arrived at the library for the Northumberland Society of Natural History, and I had a flick through it yesterday.

A lot of interesting information and discussion of taxonomy - but the segment which really caught my eye was the argument put forward that greater credibility and research should be directed towards the possibility that a "Marsupial Lion" taxon survived in Queensland and the Northern Territory until the late 19th century or even the early 20th century - though it is certainly extinct now even if this survival did take place.

 

I am not 100% certain of my opinion on this matter - the taxa placed within Osphranter seem close enough in appearance and morphology to those placed within Macropus to be retained within the latter; however I definitely think that Macropus is traditionally over-lumped as far as the smaller taxa go, and that as such the resurrection of Notamacropus within HMW5 *is* warranted.

Therefore, the issue is really whether or not Osphranter must be split in order for Macropus to remain monophyletic after Notamacropus is removed. Would not be surprised if Wallabia is involved in the overall cladogram too, considering how akin to the members of Notamacropus the Swamp Wallaby is.