Madagascar Wildlife, 2nd: A Visitor's Guide [Paperback]

Hilary Bradt (Author), Derek Schuurman (Author), Nick Garbutt (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bradt Guides | Publication Date: July 1, 2001

A celebration in full colour of Madagascar's wildlife. Key parks and reserves, features on evolution, camouflage, wildlife at night, conservation, wildlife watching and photography.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Informative and reader-friendly¿the photographs are of outstanding quality" African Wildlife

From the Back Cover

Madagascar Wildlife is a celebration of the unique fauna of this remarkable island. Written by tour leaders for visitors and natural history enthusiasts alike, it features lively descriptions of the animals and their behavior, alongside concise information on where best to see them. As a practical guide, it is readable and user-friendly; as a souvenir it's unbeatable. Highlighted are over 200 color photographs, many new to this edition; 250 species, including new scientific discoveries; national parks and reserves brought right up to date; information on ecology and conservation; and photographic tips. (5 1/4 X 8 1/2, 144 pages, color photos, illustrations)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides; 2nd edition (July 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841620297
• ISBN-13: 978-1841620299
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,520,193 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > Travel > Africa > Madagascar & Comoros
  • #32 in Books > History > Africa > Madagascar

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm sorry to see this book is out of print!, December 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Madagascar Wildlife (Paperback)

I have had this book for about 4 years now, and I can't believe it's out of print! I have a deep interest and love for the wildlife of Madagascar, and have not been able to find many books that show the diverse life of this endangered island. To no longer have this book is a shame - if you are looking for a beautifully photographed book that chronicles Madagascars wildlife, don't give up on trying to find this book - it's a true gem.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific!, August 1, 2004

By 

Jehanne d'Arc "lapucelle" (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Madagascar Wildlife, 2nd: A Visitor's Guide (Paperback)

Took this book along with me to Madagascar & was very glad I did. I was able to identify many lemur species I came upon throughout the country from the beautiful, close-up photographs in this book. The descriptive of each species is written in layman's terminology along with scientific names for the more biologically erudite. This really is a terrific book.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful but Very Basic Overview!, May 31, 2007

By 

Laszlo Wagner (Hungary) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Madagascar Wildlife, 2nd: A Visitor's Guide (Paperback)

This book is certainly very pretty, with excellent photographs.
It is also thin and light-weight, and does cover a little bit of everything: habitats, recommended sites to visit, mammals, birds, reptiles and insects.
As such, it is an inspiring read, and probably the best single-volume book to carry for those who only have a superficial interest in Madagadcar's unique wildlife.

However, for more serious naturalists the information it offers is far too limited. Even mammals, the best detailed group, are only discussed down to genus level, neither mentioning nor illustrating all or even most species. Birds receive a token coverage of 10 pages, and reptiles fare little better.
Even the descriptions of nature reserves can be found in the more recent, excellent and complete field guides like the Mammals of Madagascar: A Complete Guide which actually tells you where to spot every single species separately, and the similarly brilliant Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands which not only covers all the birds of Madagascar, but those of neighbouring islands too, along with recommended birdwatching sites. Fans of herpetofauna should try and get hold of A Field Guide to the Amphibians & Reptiles of Madagascar.
If you buy any of the above field guides, you will find this book a waste of money - I did.