Rundu

Hi,
Can anyone suggest a good compact Field guide book with good pictures and a brief description of Mammals & Birds that encounter in Bots/Nam please?
Thank you very much.

spassvogel

We LOVE "tracks and tracking" as a handy guide but also appreciate Norman Estes "Safari companion".

SV

Celia

I second "The Safari Companion". (I think the author is Richard, not Norman, Estes, though). It has tons of information about the behavior of each species, in addition to info on what they are, how they move, and habitat. It covers only mammals, not birds.

Celia

spassvogel

Celia,

how wonderful to have you here! Of course you are right! I have not the slightest clue how NORMAN came to my mind..........

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw...mp;x=0&y=0

SV

Rundu

Hi,
I had a quick look at it but I am afraid it is not the kind of book I want. I am looking for a small book with Glossy pictures! Thanks very much for the replies.

spassvogel

Trachs and Tracking is a small but with pix and information on habitats and whereabouts.

When you arrive go to Exclusive Books (in almost every mall and/or upmarket neighborhood) or do internet shopping (can be delivered to SA hotel for pick up on arrival as well)
:

http://www.exclusivebooks.com/


SV

rsnyder

Rundu, a book we have enjoyed is the National Audubon Socienty "Field Guide to African Wildlife" . Our copy is the 1995 printing and at the time of our purchase sold for $22.95 at a local bookstore (maybe Barnes and Noble). About 8 x 4" with soft cover and covers some 200 mammals, 300 birds, 25 reptiles and insects and 50 habitats. Over 570 glossy photos are there. Has commentary on wildlife descriptions, habitat, breeding, and range. Certainly not the behavior oriented book mentioned earier but a great one for covering the wildlife one might see on typical safari in Africa. Definitely for birds as an example, we use another id book but even then, this one does well for most of the birds we saw in East Africa.

rsnyder

Rundu, forgive my spelling and incorrect date in previous post. The Field Guide to African Wildlife authoried by Alden, Estes, Schlitter and McBride is published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc in New York and in Canda by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto. Our copy is the August, 2001 printing. The ISBN is 0-679-43234-5.

Treepol

Treepol,

I too have the National Audubon <i> Field guide to African wildlife</i>. It weighs 700 grams and fits in a large pocket for small plane flights with strict weight limits.

The book contains most commonly found animals and birds and has a good range of glossy photos to help with identification.

http://www.amazon.com/National-Audub...038&amp;sr=1-1

Cheers,


Pol

amycyma

Rundu
while i can understand that you might not want the weight of the Estes book with you, I am in the midst of reading for my first safari in May to Botswana, and i find the book fascinating. it gives some wonderful insights to the behavior of the animals, how they rear their young, how they hunt, or are hunted. i think it is worth its weight. as you are no doubt going with a guide who will tell you what you animal you are seeing, but if you have read the book before hand, you will understand possibly WHY yo are seeing them and what they are doing ( thou of course a good guide will also tell you that, but for me, i am presuming that if i have read the info before hand, i can process it better, when i see the animal engaged in a particular behavior).
not to be overly long winded in this post, i just read the section on Hyenas. and found it fascinating that Spotted hyenas at birth will kill off same sex siblings, and given the location of where they are whelped, the mother is unable to prevent this.
anyway, as i said the information in this book, (for which i thank fellow fodrites for calling to my attention) is worth its weight. but whatever, enjoy your trip.
amy

Rundu

Hi All
Thanks very much taking time to reply. I have looked at all of your suggestions and few other guide books and I am going to order a paperback copy of &quot;Wildlife of East Africa (Princeton Illustrated Checklists) by Martin B. Withers, David Hosking&quot;
Thanks