Animals: A Research Guide
Animals come in all shapes and sizes and live in many different habitats. The resources listed
below will help you find information about where animals live, how they reproduce and take care
of their young, and their migration and interaction with other animals and humans. The terms and
phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the
library’s catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.
Reference Books
Animal: Definitive Visual Guide to the World’s Wildlife edited by Don E. Wilson and David Burnie.
New York and Washington, DC: Dorling Kindersley, Smithsonian Institution, 2001. ISBN:
0789477645.
Includes profiles and images from top 70 biologists of over 2,000 species represented in the
book.
Encyclopedia of the World’s Zoos edited by Catharine E. Bell. 3 vols. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn,
2001. ISBN: 1579581749.
History and background of more than 150 of the world’s major zoos, types of animals housed,
concepts and issues of animal care and keeping, facility design, and professional organizations.
Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Animal Welfare edited by Marc Berkoff and Carron Meaney.
Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998. ISBN: 0313299773.
Essays cover issues, controversies, significant historical figures, and ideologies related to the
treatment of animals. Includes a directory of organizations.
Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia, 2nd ed. edited by Bernhard Grzimek. 17 vols. Detroit: Gale
Group, 2003. ISBN: 0787653624.
Standard reference work covers both biological and behavioral instincts. Vol. 1: Lower Animals;
vol. 2: Insects; vol. 3: Mollusks and Echinoderms; vol. 4: Fishes I; vol. 5: Fishes II/Amphibians;
vol. 6: Reptiles; vols. 7–9: Birds I–III; vols. 10–13: Mammals I–IV.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Wildlife edited by Mary C. Pearl. 15 vols. Lakeville, CT: Grey
Castle Press, 1991. ISBN: 1559050527.
Includes informative reading and the full-color illustrations of wildlife. Arranged by class, with
mammals (vols. 1–5), birds (vols. 6–8), reptiles and amphibians (vol. 9), fishes (vol. 10), and
invertebrate classes (vols. 11–15).
The Kingfisher Illustrated Nature Encyclopedia by David Burnie. New York: Kingfisher, 2004.
ISBN: 0753455765.
An illustrated guide to the world’s many groups of plants and animals.
Reader’s Digest North American Wildlife edited by Susan J. Wernert. Pleasantville, NY: Reader’s
Digest Association, 1982. ISBN: 0895771020.
Magazines
National Wildlife. Washington, DC: National Wildlife Federation. 1963– . Bimonthly. ISSN:
00280402.
Covers topics like conservation, natural history, outdoor life and wildlife. Includes dazzling
photography.
Ranger Rick. Vienna, VA: National Wildlife Federation. 1983– . Monthly. ISSN: 07386656.
Wildlife magazine for ages 7 and up.
Web Sites
2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
www.redlist.org
Allows searching of comprehensive database of threatened species.
ENature.com
www.eNature.com
Sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, this Web site includes searchable filed guides that
allows you to find wildlife by zip code, regional bird guide, and wildlife sighting journal.
Species in Parks: Flora and Fauna Database
http://ice.ucdavis.edu/nps/
A database of vascular plants and vertebrate animals residing in U.S. national parks.
Associations and Organizations
The American Zoo and Aquarium Association
www.aza.org
Nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of
conservation, education, science, and recreation.
National Wildlife Federation
www.nwf.org
Official Web Site of the National Wildlife Federation.
National Zoo
http://nationalzoo.si.edu
Information about the animals who live at the zoo and their habitat.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
www.fws.gov
Official Web Site of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Subject Headings
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animals adaptation
animals anecdotes
animals habitations
animals (name of country)
animals and civilization
animals as carriers of disease
zoo animals
zoology