Donald F. Hoffmeister's authoritative guide provides a detailed profile of all the state's mammals, past and present -- from the elephant-sized mastodons that roamed the region during the Ice Age and the black bears and bobcats that early Illinois settlers encountered, to the plethora of creatures that now live on the state's prairies, woodlands, and hills.

Outlining how human activities such as hunting and farming have altered the state's terrain and affected numerous species, Hoffmeister discusses which species have been wiped out, which are endangered or threatened, which no longer live...