Ecuador and Its Galápagos Islands: The Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guide (Ecotravellers Wildlife Guides)

Ecuador and Its Galápagos Islands: The Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guide (Ecotravellers Wildlife Guides)

Ecotravellers to Ecuador want to experience tropical forests and other stunning habitats and catch glimpses of exotic wildlife, such as toucans and parrots, monkeys and anteaters, frogs and toads, and crocodiles and snakes. On the Galápagos Islands, curious visitors want to see with their own eyes the exotic, unique, and tame wildlife that stimulated Charles Darwin to formulate the theory of evolution. This book provides the information you need to find, identify, and learn about Ecuador's magnificent animal and plant life. The authors, professional biologists, selected for color illustrations more than 500 of Ecuador's most common insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals--the species you are most likely to see. In one easy-to-carry, entertainingly written, beautifully illustrated book, you will have as constant companion on your journey, information on identification, behavior, habitats, common plants, and parks and reserves in the region. Key Features * Includes identifying and location information on the most frequently spotted animals * Up-to-date information on the ecology, behavior, and conservation of these animals * Information on Ecuador's habitats and on the most common plants you will encounter * Brief descriptions of the region's most frequently visited parks and reserves "...these books would be my first choice as an introduction to the natural environments of these beautiful parts of the world. For those who enjoy well-illustrated field guides, these volumes are a visual treat." --COPEIA (2001) "Having recently returned from a wonderful trip to both areas, the arrival of this book just prior to departure could not have been better timed. Chapters deal with essential topics such as the geography, habitats, climate, parks and nature reserves. This is clearly a well researched and easily read book and a very welcome addition to this relatively new series." --David Clugston, for SCOTTISH BIRD NEWS (December 2000) "They neatly fill a niche in the travel market, concentrating on the species most likely to be seen, but also covering a wide range of taxa. ...indispensable to all travellers interested in the natural world." --BTO NEWS "I have just returned from those Enchanted Isles and found Beletsky's guide omnipresent, dog-eared and tightly clutched in the sea-salted hands of many a visitor. I am surprised that the Sea Lions and Blue Footed Boobies did not have their own copies! This guide is a truly indispensible accessory for those fortunate enough to have visited those Islands of wonder and enchantment. It is also a great whetter of one's appetite! Other books have their strengths, but when push comes to shove, or in this case just going around..., one wants a thorough compliment to one's naturalist (to make all those notations when one gets back home, of course) and also a look into what is to come. Accurate and beautifully illustrated." --A Reader at AMAZON.COM Even though I'm a professional wildlife biologist, I've always found it difficult while travelling to identify animals I'm not familiar with and to get good, on-site information about them, unless I'm with an expert guide or willing to lug around several heavy books (a bird book, a mammal book, etc.). I've produced the Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guides to help solve this problem. The books in the series are aimed at travellers with an interest in animals, at people for whom some of the best moments of any trip to places like southern Mexico are unexpected encounters with birds and mammals, reptiles and amphibians, fish and other marine organisms. You will find in these books information on (1) common animals likely to be seen, (2) those that are commonly pointed out by tour-guides and tourist literature, (3) some threatened ones that are, for example, subjects of conservation attention, and (4) some that are of special ecological significance. The books, endorsed by the Wildlife Conservation Society, are real field guides, with extensive color artwork produced by some of the world's top wildlife artists. To give you an idea of the "depth" of coverage, the Tropical Mexico book (which covers the Yucatan Peninsula, Cancun region, Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Tabasco states) includes detailed information and color illustrations on 104 plates of about 250 bird species, 55 mammals, 95 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 150 coral reef fish and other marine organisms - the book truly covers most of the animals you might encounter in this large region. Additionally, initial chapters in each book introduce the country or region, its habitats and climate, its common trees and other plants, and describe conservation projects and ecotourism there, as well as major eco-attractions (national parks, nature reserves, etc.). My hopes are that these books will be put to good use in the field by ecotravellers, will make trips more enjoyable, and will assist in conservation in a small way by helping to educate people about the wildlife and habit