The first unified guide to the mammals of Australia and New Guinea, covering both native and introduced species. Building on Ronald Strahan's original Dictionary of Australian Mammals (1981), this edition includes every species and genus, with a guide to pronunciation, the derivation and meaning of each name's components, and the citation identifying its earliest valid description.

The book also includes biographical notes on fifty-one zoologists who have named Australian and New Guinean mammals over the past three centuries, an account of the principles and practices of zoological nomenclature, a comprehensive bibliography, and an index of common names. It's an invaluable reference for mammal researchers and students, and for anyone with an interest in natural history.

One flag: the opening line called this a guide to "Australia and Melanesia," but the rest of the text (and the title itself) refers specifically to New Guinea, so I've matched that throughout for consistency. Let me know if Melanesia was meant more broadly.

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