Field Guide to the Mammals of Southern Africa [Paperback]

Chris Stuart (Author), Tilde Stuart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2000

An excellent identification guide featuring brief individual accounts combined with high quality color illustrations of the 337 mammals found in Southern Africa including whales and dolphins. Accounts provide basic information on the appearance, distribution, habitat, behavior, food and reproduction of each species. Over 500 high quality color photos and paintings, b/w illustrations, and distribution maps.

Editorial Reviews

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. Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers." --ALA Choice, February 2008 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Husband and wife team, Chris and Tilde Stuart, are best known for their various mammal field guides, but also for numerous other titles they have written on the natural environment of Africa. They are founders of the African Carnivore Research Programme and the African-Arabian Wildlife Research Centre. They travel extensively and are involved in various research programs dealing with carnivores and other animals. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Ralph Curtis Publishing (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0883590476
• ISBN-13: 978-0883590478
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #475,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Husband and wife team, Chris & Mathilde Stuart, have been involved in wildlife research and book writing for 30 years. Mathilde was educated in Austria and Iran, her final degree a medical doctorate from the University of Innsbruck; Chris attended school in England and South Africa and graduated with an MSc in wildlife ecology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Our interests are wide and include photography, writing and travel; conservation and wildlife research; horses and music. We have published many scientific and popular articles. Between us we have visited, and spent time in, 50 countries, including Canada, USA, Australia and Zambia, with our time being split between our homes in South Africa and Canada.

We have had 18 books published, including several best selling field guides. we are currently developing a series of field guides that will combine facts about the wildlife and tracks and signs for many different countries and regions of the world, in both paper and electronic formats under the banner StuartOnNature.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Field Guide to the Mammals of Southern Africa, May 30, 2001

By 

Shawna A. Karpovich (Fairbanks, AK United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Field Guide to the Mammals of Southern Africa (Paperback)

This book is nicely organized. The animals are separated into their prospective families. This is especially helpful for the scientific minded reader. While on safari if I see an animal that is most likely a carnivore, I will know exactly where to look it up.

The pictures are very clear and the description focuses on the distinguishing characters of each species. The descriptions are very logical and easy to follow... i.e. the blaze on the nose of this antelope is continuous therefore, it is species A, where the blaze on the nose of the next antelope (which looks just like species A) is not continuous, therefore it is species B.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars photo identification made easy, October 17, 2007

By 

G. T. Taylor "birder" (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Field Guide to the Mammals of Southern Africa: Revised Edition (Field Guide To... (Struik Publishers)) (Paperback)

This is truly an excellent book,a joy to look at,packed with lots of information.However it is not really a book suitable to be taken in the field,the authors smaller book mammals of southern,central and eastern africa would be a better book to take into the field.The authors really know the animals and their passion for the subject comes out in their writing.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good source for species identification, February 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Chris and Tilde Stuart's Field Guide to the Mammals of Southern Africa (Hardcover)

The is book has become a diary for collecting plainsgame in Southern Africa. I have kept notes and records in this book to track animals I have collected and those remaining on my wish list.

Additionally I recommend this book for those who are on their first few trips to So. Africa for a hunting expedition or site-seeing holidays.