This work, a compilation of all known information on parasites diseases of the wild mammals of Florida, is significant because it is one of the few studies in which such data are arranged by host rather than by disease agent. Florida's rich mammalian fauna is made up of 96 species, 85 of them native and 11 that have been introduced into or have expanded their ranges into the state. The book contains information on the disease agents, natural elements, chemical contaminants, and environmental conditions that either can or do influence the health and diseases of 61 native and 8 nonnative species, including such endangered mammals as the Florida panther and the manatee. The work also deals with the public health considerations of diseases transmitted between humans and domesticated animals. Though some of the information comes from published literature, a significant portion of it was culled from personal files, notes, and reports of numerous individuals and organizations. A major reference work, ""Parasites and Diseases"" should be an essential resource for mammalogists, population ecologists, veterinarians, epidemiologists, entomologists, parasitologists, microbiologists, pathologists, wildlife biologists, and all others who make management or conservation decisions about Florida's fragile environment.
