Conant, R.: A Field Guide to Reptiles an Amphibians: Eastern and Central North America, Houghton-Mifflin, Boston, 1991. A standard herpetological field guide used by many field biologists.

Droser, M., R. Fortey, and X. Li: "The Ordovician Radiation," American Scientist, March/April 1996, pages 122–31. Changes in world climates played a pivotal role in biological diversification.

Gill, F. B.: Ornithology, W. H. Freeman, New York, 1990. Excellent overall account of the structure, biology and other features of the birds.

Hanken, J.: "Development and Evolution in Amphibians," American Scientist, vol. 77, 1989, pages 336–43. The evolution of morphological diversity in amphibians has been achieved by modifications in development.

Hildebrand, M., D. M. Bramble, K. F. Liem, and D. B. Wake: Functional Vertebrate Morphology, Belknap Press, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1985. Balanced account of vertebrate morphology, presented in an evolutionary context.

Norman, D.: Prehistoric Life: The Rise of the Vertebrates, Macmillan, New York, 1994. A very readable account of the history of terrestrial vertebrates.

Radinsky, L. B.: The Evolution of Vertebrate Design, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1987. A discussion limited to the evolutionary history of the vertebrates, particularly vertebrate anatomy, supplemented with fossil evidence.

Rismiller, P.D. and R.S. Seymour: "The Echidna," Scientific American, February 1991, pages 96–103. The secrets of the natural history and reproductive behavior of this spiny mammal from Australia and New Guinea are now being explored.

Tuttle, M. D.: America’s Neighborhood Bats, University of Texas Press, Austin, 1988. An engaging account of how to understand and learn to live with bats, abundant but seldom-seen mammals.

Tuttle, R.: "Apes of the World," American Scientist, vol. 78, March 1990, pages 115–25. A survey of our closest living relatives reveals rich prospects for further study and an urgent need for conservation.

Wilson, D. E. and D. M. Reeder: Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D. C., 1993. A good guide to the mammals.