About the Book
This field guide omits the smaller, seldom-seen mammals of the continent in favour of devoting more space to the larger and most commonly seen species. Each species is covered in detail, its physical appearance, food and habitat preferences, reproduction, and general behaviour described. Colour photographs illustrate and aid in the identification of these mammals, and in-text illustrations and symbols are used to highlight certain features, such as horn development (where relevant). A map showing the distribution of the species accompanies each account. Spoor is featured where appropriate. Colour-coding enables the user to quickly and easily locate the relevant group of mammals in the field, and the use of symbols to depict habitat, period of activity and endangered species renders this field guide truly user-friendly.
About the Author :
Chris Stuart is the author of a range of books on African mammals, wildlife and conservation, as well as numerous scientific papers and popular articles. Much of his time is spent traveling the world, searching for wild mammals and promoting their conservation. Chris holds an MSc from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He is the co-founder of African-Arabian Wildlife Research Centre.
Review :
"Chris & Tilde Stuart's FIELD GUIDE TO THE LARGER MAMMALS OF AFRICA is recommended as a take-along tote for destination-bound African explorers. Though it's slightly larger than pocket size, it will easily pack into a suitcase and its over 400 color photos accompany maps, animal track examples, descriptions and natural history - perfect for locating and identifying the big ones."--Midwest Book Review
"Extensively revised since the 3rd ed. (2001), this book by C. Stuart and T. Stuart (founders, African-Arabian Wildlife Research Centre) is the definitive photographic guide to the mammals of southern Africa. Standing in contrast to those regional guides that emphasize only Africa's larger mammals, it covers the rich diversity of small mammals: golden moles, sengis, hedgehogs and shrews, bats, hares and rabbits, and rodents. The introduction considers the major biotic zones, mammal identification, and conservation and management in southern Africa. Following are concise accounts of mammal families and subfamilies, color-coded to facilitate their location within the text. Especially useful are figures depicting the tail, facial conformation, and ear conformation of different bat groups. Identification is based on 470 excellent photographs emphasizing distinguishing features, along with 275 distribution maps. The 350 species accounts cover description, distribution, habitat, behavior, food, and reproduction. More than just a field guide, this concise reference nicely complements the comprehensive The Mammals of the Southern Africa Subregion, rev. by J. D. Skinner and C. T. Chimiimba (3rd ed., CH, Sept'06, 44-0035). Inclusion of the usually overlooked small mammals make this book a valuable addition to mammalian libraries. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers."-- (02/01/2008)
"Of the world's 4,000 to 4,500 mammal species, about 1,100 occur in Africa. In this updated and revised edition of Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Africa, authors Chris and Tilde Stuart concentrate on the more visible and easily distinguished larger mammal species, plus some of the more frequently seen smaller mammals. In all, over 400 color photographs, combined with concise, pertinent information highlighting the diagnostic features of each species, provide a comprehensive source of information on each mammal. The latest information has been incorporated and the distribution maps have been revised to reflect the most up-to-date habitat and distribution patterns for each species. A new feature is the inclusion of the mammals' skulls, grouped together at the back of the book. To aid the reader, color-coding and symbols indicating the habitat and activity period serve as a quick reference to the various mammal groups. IAN'S RECOMMENDATION: Anyone with an interest in the mammals of the region will find this Stuart guide useful."--Ian Paulsen "The Birdbooker Report "
"Southern Africa has a wealth of mammal species, a total of 337 -- all of which are covered in this fully revised comprehensive field guide. While the term 'African mammals' conjures up the more celebrated species of elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard and rhino, it is in fact the smaller animals -- shrews, genets, suricates and bats -- that comprise the bulk of the region's mammal species. And, often overlooked but included here too is the diversity of marine mammals -- seals, whales and dolphins -- that are found in our oceans. This new edition of Field Guide to Mammals of Southern Africa has been extensively revised to include the most recent research in line with new findings and new taxonomy. Up-to-date information, revised distribution maps and new images (where available) have been combined in a modern, full-color layout. Color-coding has been introduced according family groupings and spoor and size icons are included for quick reference with each mammal entry. Another new feature is the inclusion of skulls, grouped at the back of the book for easy comparison. In addition to detailed descriptions of each species, the text offers insight into key identification characters, typical behavior, preferred habitat, food choice and reproduction. IAN'S RECOMMENDATION: Anyone with an interest in the mammals of the region will find this Stuart guide useful."--Ian Paulsen "The Birdbooker Report "
