Tropical Mexico: The Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guide (A Volume in the Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guides Series) (Ecotravellers Wildlife Guide: Tropical Mexico) (Paperback)

by Les Beletsky (Author) "In many remote corners of the world, local people and sometimes entire villages are presently engaged in activities that even a few years ago might..." (more)
Key Phrases: elevation wet forests, middle elevation forests, elevation open areas, Wildlife Guide, New World, South America (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From The Washington Post
"Moving from the urban to the wild, a new breed of guidebooks focuses on flora and fauna (and not in the way Harold Gatty did). The Ecotraveller's Wildlife Guides grew out of its nature-loving author's frustration that 'I could not locate a single book to take along on a trip that would help me identify all the types of animals that really interested me.' So Beletsky wrote one that did. Combining natural history -lore, habits, best places to spot each creature- with pointers on specific sites and background on the state of conservation in the region today."

Review
"...attractive color photographs of various natural habitats in Costa Rica will send many North Americans looking for airline tickets, especially in midwinter. ...very useful to first-time visitors to Costa Rica, both casual tourists and scientists contemplating serious research." -- K.D.W. in Copeia, 1999

"...it is the treatment of frogs and snakes that makes these volumes worth taking along." -- Winging It, June 1999

"...this convenient field guide-sized book is absolutely packed with information for the visitor. This book provides excellent background and field information for a trip to Costa Rica and is strongly recommended." -- Steve Gantlett in Birding World, 1998

"Erudite, informative, and readable...the kind of guide than an ecotourist to the area really needs." -- Adrian Barnett in New Scientist, July 1999

"The illustrations are superb, the text simple and direct ('Jaguar - you will know it when you see it'). If you go, take this book." -- Birds, Summer 1999

"There are so many bad guides on the market trying to do what this book does so simply and so well. ...few are written with the same authority and attention to detail that wildlife biologist and zoology lecturer Les Beletsky has brought to bear in this volume. It could be the best (money) you spend all trip." -- Nick Baker in BBC Wildlife, 1999

"These are books I would certainly want to read before a visit." -- Gordon Hamlett in Birdwatching, 1999

"This book is exactly what you want to be reading on a plane headed for Costa Rica for the first time." -- The Condor, (1999

"This is the perfect field book for the general tourist who has an interest in exploring tropical environs." -- William R. Teska in Science Books And Films, June 1999

Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guides have been hailed an "excellent series" by Birding World and an "inspired new concept in the field-guide genre" by Birding magazine. -- Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Academic Press; 1 edition (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0120848120
• ISBN-13: 978-0120848126
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,110,347 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #49 in	Books > Travel > Latin America > Mexico > Yucatan Peninsula
  #50 in	Books > Travel > Latin America > Mexico > Cancun & Cozumel

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Inaccurate and misleading, June 6, 2003

By	Victor J. Burgett "Tropical Bird Enthusiast" (Bellingham, Wa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I can appreciate the author's intent - to create a more comprehensive guide to the wildlife of a region that is sorely lacking in accesible information. It is a pioneering effort, and I am grateful that such guides are being attempted. But after reviewing the bird plates I became quite upset - this guide will lead to many misidentifications due to innacurate portrayals and information, as well as omissions. While I can understand the impossibility of covering all the living species in a large and diverse region, it would be nice if the ones chosen were depicted accurately, and reference was made to similar species occuring within other parts of the covered range. For just one example, plate 45 shows four species of Motmot as being the ame size and shape, when the Tody Motmot is HALF the size (and a very different shape) of the others. While this is indicated (in small print), anyone relying on the pictures could easily become confused. Beletsky list Howell's excellent "Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America" in his references, but he clearly should have been paying more attention! As to omissions, if an abbreviated list is desired in the interest of keeping this book accesible for the more casual enthusiast, it would have been far better to at least focus on the species most likely to be encountered. While some rarely seen species are included, many quite visible and common birds are left out! And how could Beletsky leave out the Boat-billed Heron? Not only is this species an icon amongst Mexican birds, but it is a favorite species for boat tour operators on both coasts to find for visitors! After seeing what the bird plates are like, how could I ever feel positive about identifying other wildlife using this book?
On the positive side, I will reiterate that I am glad that such books are being written. There is often no information available (in practical form) on tropical reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, etc. But I hope guides like this will get a whole lot better! Skimping on information for portability is not the answer. Accuracy should be far more important. In Beletsky's favor are the habitat photos, and coverage of ecotourism and conservation issues.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very beautiful and helpful, February 11, 2006

By	John E. Farmer "reader, Christian believer, p... (Blue Ridge Summit, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book has disucssions and beautiful color illustrations of not just birds, but frogs, snakes, fish, mammals and even some plants. There are discussions of different ecosystmes and what one might expect to encounter in each of them. There are notes on local bird lore. I took this on a guided boat tour run by one of the local people. It was extremely helpful to have the names of the birds in English AND Spanish, as the other people in the boat spoke only Spanish and the guide used mostly Spanish. The book is written from the standpoint of the Eco-Tourist. The author discusses some of the important conservation efforts in progress to preserve these beautiful and unique ecosystems.
Of course the book is not exhaustive, but fortunate is the traveller who sees all the species discussed here. In addition the book is actually quite readable and while in Yucatan, this was the guide that I frequently picked to review what I had seen or what I might be seeing on my next excursion. There are many different habitats in this part of Mexico, each with its own inhabitants. The book contains a wealth of information presented in an entertaining manner. I checked in several local bookstores, and could find nothing comperable, in English or Spanish. Although it may not satisfy the ardent birder, the book helps one feel at home when he is encountering so many new species.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, April 8, 2000

By	Ron Mader "Planeta.com Founder" (Mexico) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Simply, a terrific wildlife guide and the best of its kind for Mexico. Chapters provided detailed information (with photos!) of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals found in southern Mexico. Recommeneded for any serious student of biology or dedicated eco traveler.