16 October 2024

Mammals of New Guinea Field Guide

Can anyone recommend a good Field Guide for the Mammals of New Guinea?

The most recent one I have found is by Tim Flannery with Cornell Press published in 1995.

They are quite rare and expensive. Is there another more recent book?

Thanks,

Ted Gatlin

Post Views: 503

Post author

Ted Gatlin
I am a wildlife photographer and naturalist guide. I have worked as a wildlife guide in Yellowstone and Alaska, and currently work as a photographer on expedition cruise ships in the Arctic and Antarctic. Website – www.tedgatlin.com
Post Views: 503

4 Comments

  • 17 October 2024
    Murray Lord

    I’m not aware of any subsequent books. This one is a large hardback – not really a field guide. Handbook of Mammals of the World is probably the only more recent source for most species

    1
  • 18 October 2024
    CarlosBocos

    Try the “mammals of the South West Pacific” published in 2023. Doesn’t cover NG comprehensively but it does help

    • 26 June 2025
      Bray

      If you’re only interested in the mammals of the main island of New Guinea, then “The Mammals of South West Pacific” is not the book for you, I’m sad to report.

      I’ve just received my copy this morning and am sorely disappointed. Both the publisher and the authors could have made it clear that the book does not cover mainland New Guinea species (unless they’re also found on the offshore island) – but the omission of mainland New Guinea is never explicitly mentioned:
      “Deciding a cut-off point to the west of New Guinea was particularly challenging”
      “We settled on a delineation that included only those islands to the west of New Guinea that were connected to the mainland during the Last Glacial Maximum”

      That’s the closest we get. Having read this in the free online preview, and based my purchase on the assumption that it meant New Guinea was included, I’m now feeling quite ripped-off.

      If you’re interested in the mammals of Aru, Misool, Waigeo, Salawati, Baik, Yapen, etc, then yes, this book will be useful to you. If the species you’re interested in are found only on the mainland, and not on these islands, then it’s not in the book.

Leave a Reply