Customer Reviews

Birds, Mammals, and Reptiles of the Galapagos Islands: An Identification Guide, 2nd Edition

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Unless you are an advanced nature buff, birder, etc. this book should fulfill the need for travelers to recognize habitats and the land and air critters that inhabit them. Lavishly illustrated, good identification information, and even range maps- all very compact, and accurate. The information is next to the photo, so there's no paging back and forth- a good thing when you have a critter right in front of you. There's even a cross-referenced check-list by habitat! I'll definitely be taking this slender book with its strengthened, plasticized covers on my next trip to the "Islas Encantadas". You'll be glad you got this for your trip.

A friend bought me this ID guide to take with me on a week-long cruise of the islands. The trip was magical and defies description; this ID guide was very helpful to me. It discusses not only the specific animals but also the ecology of specific vegetation zones of each island and documents sightings of each species. Not strictly for the layperson, because it requires some familiarity with scientific terms. I shared this guide with the National Park guides on our trip and they praised it highly - so I bought them each a copy. How's that for an endorsment?

This book is, in the words of my 8-year-old son, "incredible"! The layout is very easy to understand, the photographic plates that show the various species in related groupings are marvelously well-done. The text is informative without being pedantic, and the plethora of full-color photographs and excellent illustrations make the book a joy to use. If you are going to the Galapagos, BUY THIS BOOK! Better yet, buy more than one, because you will wear it out so fast flipping pages and grabbing it out of your travelling companions' greedy hands. If you aren't going, but want to learn about the fauna of this unique archipelago, you will find no better resource.

Original review of 1st Edition, November 9, 2005

This is the Galápagos guide you want!

Andy Swash (photographer) and Rob Still (computer design wizard) have conspired to produce the handiest and most authoritative guide to the wildlife of these enchanted islands. They have pioneered the use of computer enhanced photographs, which combine the advantage of a photograph as an accurate record of an individual, with the artists ability to stress those features that are representative of the species. In one pocket-sized, 168 page, full-colour photographic guide you have all you need to identify almost all of the archipelago's wildlife including every living species of bird, mammal and reptile.

And since WILDGuides are a non-profit organisation which supports conservation throughout the world, you are helping ensure that the wildlife you enjoy today will still be there for others to enjoy tomorrow. Check out their other titles, all of which share the enhanced photography approach.

The prefect guide for the curious visitor and expert alike. Look no further!

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Comments on 2nd Edition, September 5, 2006

This second edition (white cover) differs from the first (blue cover - see review above) as follows:-

* it includes new species for the islands, such as Green Heron and Grey-headed Gull
* all range maps have been revised and updated
* the cetaceans section has been completely revamped
* a new section on "electronic media" is provided
* the species checklist has been brought right up-to-date

The guide remains the top recommendation for wildlife observation on the islands and WILDGuides are still a non-profit organisation with an impressive record of donations to conservation.

We bought this book as one of 5 guides to the Galapagos which we took with us on our trip in Oct 05. It was really excellent, so good in fact, that our wonderful naturalist guide asked if we could send him a copy. I just gave him ours and now I have to order it again for us! It's organized by type of animal and bird, which makes it easier for novices to experienced wildlife observers alike to identify animals and birds. It has a nice sturdy format also, which is good for taking along onto the islands.

I highly recommend this book!

This is a first-class field guide, with a fully comprehensive coverage of all creatures (including vagrants - even species with only single records) excellently organised, well illustrated and light and handy in size. Thoroughly recommended (the best I have yet found).

Brendan Jackson

This book is ideal for a trip to the Galapagos where you want to have some useful, well organized, compact information about the animals you will see.

The pages have clear organization and layout and the only thing lacking is significant information about the sea life.

I used this on a recent trip to galapagos, excellent guide, and very small so great for taking with me all the time

We just got back from an 8 day visit to the Galapagos and found this little book to be the perfect companion on hikes, bay tours, and just sitting around the hotel sighting herons, gulls, etc. Our local naturalists all said this was the book they used, so that seemed like a good recommendation. The overview descriptions, followed by plates of the different types of animals, were very helpful. 1 criticism - seemed like a lot of information on cetaceans which we certainly never saw. I would have appreciated a similar book on the plants of the area - Amazon should sell those as a package, if one exists.....

The computer enhanced illustrations for this book are incredibly clear and easy to identify. We used this in Galapagos and loved it. If it covered some of the plants as well it would be the only guide you'd need.