The Mammals of Washtenaw County, Michigan: Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, No. 123
by Norman Asa Wood (b. 1857)
"The Mammals of Washtenaw County, Michigan" by Norman Asa Wood is a scientific publication written in the early 20th century. The book serves as a comprehensive study on the diverse mammalian species in Washtenaw County, Michigan, and provides valuable insights into their habitats and the environmental changes they underwent due to settlement and deforestation. The book surveys various mammal species, documenting their presence in different physiographic regions of Washtenaw County, such as the Interlobate Lake District, Clay Morainic Belt, and Lake Plain District. It highlights how early settlers' activities led to the decline of larger mammals like deer and wolves while enabling smaller species such as skunks and ground squirrels to thrive in altered landscapes. Wood draws from his extensive observations and accounts from local pioneers to detail myriad species, their habitats, and the ecological impacts of human encroachment. The structured catalog ultimately encapsulates a historical narrative of wildlife in a region marked by significant ecological transformation. (This is an automatically generated summary.)