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

Pearson, David L.; Beletsky, Les

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0120848147 ISBN 13: 9780120848140

Publisher: Academic Press, 2000

Synopsis

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

About this title

From the Author

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 habitats in the countries through which they travel.

About the Author

David L. Pearson is a Research Professor in the Department of Biology at Arizona State University. His research is concentrated on ecological interactions among communities of species. He has studied habitats from desert grasslands and coral atolls to tropical rainforests and has written more than 75 scientific articles. Having conducted ecological research in Brazil, Peru and Ecuador intermittently during the past 30 years, he has become involved with environmental education and ecotourism in the region and is co-author of The New Key to Ecuador and the Galápagos, a tourist's guide to hotels, restaurants, and places of natural interest; of Ecuador and Its Galápagos Islands: The Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guide; and of Perú: The Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guide.

Les Beletsky is a professional wildlife biologist and university zoology teacher. Prior to taking up writing wildlife guides, he conducted many years of field research into the ecology and behavior of birds, publishing many scientific reports and writing two books. An avid ecotraveler, he has visited numerous sites in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia. He currently makes his home in Seattle, Washington.

About this edition

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0120848147
• ISBN 13: 9780120848140
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 485