Belize & Northern Guatemala (Travellers' Wildlife Guides) [Paperback]

Les D. Beletsky (Author), David Dennis (Illustrator), David Beadle (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Travellers' Wildlife Guides | Publication Date: April 2010

Most travellers to Belize and Guatemala want to experience lush tropical forests and catch glimpses of exotic wildlife. This guide provides all the information you need to find, identify, and learn about the region's magnificent animal life. Beletsky selected approximately 500 of the animals you are most likely to see, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Also pictured are some of the highly endangered species of the area. You will want to have this easy-to-carry, entertaining, and beautifully illustrated book as a constant companion on your journey.

Key Features
* Illustrates the most commonly spotted animals and provides information on their identification, location, and conservation
* Provides extensive, up-to-date information on animals' ecology and behavior
* Covers Belize's famous coral reef and the animals seen by divers and snorkelers
* Presents the habitats of Belize and northern Guatemala and the most common plants visitors encounter
* Describes the region's most frequently visited parks and reserves

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

As ecotourism booms, it's only natural that eco-themed guidebooks would boom alongside it. The Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guides series, endorsed by the Wildlife Conservation Society and researched by professional biologists, is one of the more credible brands in the swelling ecotravel ranks. The series provides an encyclopedic introduction to Central America's flora and fauna, as well as a friendly primer on the principles of ecotourism. These rich ecological contexts are accompanied by hundreds of pictures and photographs. Miraculously, the guides deliver solid science without growing stilted or boring--as evinced by sections with such titles as "Avian Mating Systems and Birds That Cheat" and "Frugivory: Animals That Eat Fruit and the Trees That Want Them To." The one element that's in surprisingly short supply is ecologically sound travel tips, from general do's and don'ts to a list of ecologically responsible tour operators and other eco-friendly establishments in Belize. This is mildly discouraging--learning how to travel responsibly is as important as knowing what you're going to see. But given the relative paucity of travel literature on Belize, the guide proves a valuable resource for anyone curious about the natural wonders of this increasingly popular destination. --Andrew Nieland --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"...an easy reading resource that creates excitement for the country before leaving on the trip and a better appreciation of the diversity of wildlife when there. I am not aware of any other book that fills such a niche for this geographical region. ...This is an outstanding book that can and will be used constantly by novice and veteran alike. Even the most experienced birder will learn much from it, and its abundance of new illustrations will be of enormous value in expanding the scope of field identification."
-Clive E. Goodwin for THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST (2001)
"...this is a very good book. Ecotourism is increasingly becoming the lifeblood of rural areas in this region. This book will do an enormous amount to enhance the holidays of ecotourists visiting Belize and Guatemala, and indirectly contribute to conserving the forests and animals that it describes."
-H. Charles J. Godfray in TREE (September 1999)
"If, like many, you have trouble distinguishing a Tropical Kingsnake from a Coral Snake, or a Woolly False Vampire Bat from a Common Vampire Bat, [the price of this book] will set you on the right path."
-Reshma Prakash in THE EARTH TIMES (May 1999)
"Erudite, informative, and readable, this sensibly indexed, well-printed and sturdily bound book (it'll stand a few rough weeks in a rucksack) is the kind of guide than an ecotourist to the area really needs. No one should consider visiting the natural treasures of Belize and Guatemala without it."
-Adrian Barnett in NEW SCIENTIST (July 1999)
"Local expert opinion (including officials in conservation and tourism) was impressed. As a natural history primer, the book sets the standard. If you go to Belize in a group, make sure you have at least one copy to donate to the dedicated but low-paid wardens or guides but read it cover-to-cover beforehand!"
-Mike Blair in BTO NEWS (May/June 1999)
"...designed for the traveler who has an all-round interest in natural history but doesn't want to be weighed down by half-a-dozen field guides. ...These are books I would certainly want to read before a visit..."
-Gordon Hamlett in BIRDWATCHING (May 1999) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 477 pages
• Publisher: Interlink Books (April 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566565685
• ISBN-13: 978-1566565684
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #498,272 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > History > Americas > Central America > Belize
  • #66 in Books > History > Americas > Central America > Guatemala

More About the Author

Les Beletsky is a professional wildlife biologist and former university biology teacher. Prior to taking up full-time writing, he conducted many years of field research into the ecology and behavior of birds, publishing many scientific reports and two technical books on birds. An avid global birder and ecotraveler, he has visited numerous sites in the Americas, Africa, Asia and in the Australian region. He currently makes his home in Seattle, Washington.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, April 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Belize and Northern Guatemala: The Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guide (Ecotravellers Wildlife Guides) (Paperback)

From Planeta journal:

An impressive first edition, not as much a tourist's guidebook as a naturalist's handbook. Color illustrations document native birds, mammals and reptiles. The author provides a brief eco-history of the region as well as background on environmental threats and conservation. Excellent!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent overall guide of wildlife in Belize, June 14, 2010

By 

mdgirl76 (Maryland) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Belize & Northern Guatemala (Travellers' Wildlife Guides) (Paperback)

I debated between this book and the "Birds of Belize" field guide for my recent trip to Belize. I went with this one since I thought it would be nice to have a guide for wildlife other than birds and I was glad I chose this one. I used it quite a bit and was able to identify a lot of the wildlife I saw. I used it mostly for birds but I also used it to identify reptiles and some mammals.

The cons: It's a heavy book. About half of the book is text - an ecological background. I didn't read it and I'm sure there is interesting info in it but not what I want in a field guide. Either remove this portion of text and have the book lighter/smaller or replace it with more plates. The plates itself aren't the easiest to follow. The organization could be better. It would also have been good to have more clues on distinguishing features of the animals, especially when you are dealing with similar looking birds. A good bird guide will give you seasonal information. Also, there is no indication of size on any of the animals, which would be extremely useful.

That said, the pictures are good and for the most part, I was easily able to identify the wildlife I saw with a few flips through the book.
Overall, this book is a good purchase for the amateur wildlife enthusiast and it will enhance your experience while travelling through Belize.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars heavy but worthwhile, July 4, 2011

By 

kitti reynolds (Asheville, NC USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Belize & Northern Guatemala (Travellers' Wildlife Guides) (Paperback)

I haven't been to Belize yet, but this book is really whetting my appetite. It seems to cover the most common wildlife, and has large, colorful pictures. Beletsky includes general information about the orders and families, plus detailed information about particular birds, snakes, etc. which a traveler is likely to see. The book is packed with fascinating details on natural history, and where one is likely to see a particular animal. I will strongly recommend this book to the students I take to Belize this winter.