Joseph Merritt

John F. Merritt is director of Powdermill Nature Reserve, the biological field station of The Carnegie Museum of Natural History. A physiological ecologist specializing in adaptations of small mammals to cold, he has published numerous technical and popular articles on mammals, and edited the comprehensive book Winter Ecology of Small Mammals published in 1984 by The Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Guide to the Mammals of Pennsylvania

From the tiny shrew to the black bear, Pennsylvania’s hills and valleys teem with sixty-three species of wild mammals. Written in lively prose, the Guide to the Mammals of Pennsylvania introduces readers to Pennsylvania’s environment and the characteristics of these disparate local animals. Each entry includes a short list of data, a Pennsylvania range map, a North American range map, and a narrative of the physical, ecological, and behavioral characteristics of the species. Photographs of each species in its natural habitat and drawings of animal tracks are especially useful for identification, and a glossary and bibliography provide definitions and references for the serious reader. Guide to the Mammals of Pennsylvania provides students, scholars, and nature lovers alike with a ready reference to help them distinguish between a deer mouse and a white-footed mouse, to identify raccoon tracks, and to learn about Pennsylvania’s myriad wild inhabitants.