Peru: Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guide(Ecotravellers Wildlife Guides)

From the world-famous Machu Picchu Incan ruins high in the Andes Mountains to Lake Titicaca in southern Peru and to the Iquitos area of Amazonian northeastern Peru, ecotravellers want to experience tropical forests and other stunning habitats and catch glimpses of exotic wildlife: toucans and parrots, monkeys and anteaters, frogs and toads, crocodiles and snakes. This book is all the information you need to find, identify, and learn about Peru's magnificent animal and plant life. The authors, professional biologists, selected color illustrations of more than 500 of Peru'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 a constant companion on your journey. Peru's biodiversity is considered to be among the greatest on Earth. In southeastern Peru, on the east slope of the Andes and descending into the Amazonian lowlands, biodiversity has been studied extensively during the past 20 years. More than 300,000 people visit Peru each year, and the number of ecotourists who visit specifically for bird watching, etc., is steadily rising due to the abundant offering of wildlife that Peru has to offer.

Table of Contents:
Foreword. Preface. Ecotourism: Travel for the Environmentally Concerned. Perú: Geography and Habitats. Parks and Reserves: Brief Description. How to Use This Book: Ecology and Natural History. Amphibians. Reptiles. Birds. Mammals. Insects and Other Anthropods. References and Additional Reading. Habitat Photos. Identification Plates. WCS Conservation Work in Latin America. WCS Membership Information. Species Index. General Index.

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.

Review :
"...this is a serious handbook for dedicated wildlife enthusiasts. The series concept is to help travellers identify and learn about the animals and plants they are most likely to see. The Peru guide is exceedingly comprehensive, includes current conservation information and is delightfully illustrated." —-AUDUBON (April 2001)