Wildlife of the Galápagos
Julian Fitter, Daniel Fitter, & David Hosking

Paper | 2002 | $19.95
256 pp. | 4 1/2 x 7 1/2 | 400 color illus.

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The Galápagos is a truly special place. Unlike the rest of the world's archipelagoes, it still has 95 percent of its prehuman quota of species. Wildlife of the Galápagos is the most superbly illustrated and comprehensive identification guide ever to the natural splendor of these incomparable islands--islands today threatened by alien species and diseases that have diminished but not destroyed what so enchanted Darwin on his arrival there in 1835. Covering over 200 commonly seen birds, mammals, reptiles, invertebrates, and plants, it reveals the archipelago's striking beauty through more than 400 color photographs, maps, and drawings and well-written, informative text.

While the Galápagos Giant Tortoise, the Galápagos Sea Lion, and the Flightless Cormorant are recognized the world over, these thirty-three islands--in the Pacific over 600 miles from mainland Ecuador--are home to many more unique but less famous species. Here, reptiles well outnumber mammals, for they were much better at drifting far from a continent the archipelago was never connected with; the largest native land mammals are rice rats. The islands' sixty resident bird species include the only penguin to breed entirely in the tropics and to inhabit the Northern Hemisphere.

There is a section offering tips on photography in the Equatorial sunlight, and maps of visitors' sites as well as information on the archipelago's history, climate, geology, and conservation. Wildlife of the Galápagos is the perfect companion for anyone who wants to know what so delighted Darwin.

• Covers over 200 commonly seen species including birds, mammals, reptiles, invertebrates, plants, and coastal and marine life
• Illustrated with over 400 color photographs, maps, and drawings; includes maps of visitors' sites
• Written by wildlife experts with extensive knowledge of the area
• Includes information on the history, climate, geology, and conservation of the islands
• The most complete identification guide to the wildlife of the Galápagos

Review:

"[Today] you'll find more than a dozen recent field guides to the wildlife of this most famous of archipelagos. But of the general guides, Wildlife of the Galápagos is by far the most complete and convenient. Well-organized, nicely illustrated and clearly written, it manages the delicate balance between breadth and depth, while covering all major groups of both land and marine animals and plants."--Adrian Barnett, New Scientist

Table of Contents:

Foreward 4
The Authors 5
Acknowledgements 6
Conservation Plea 7
Introduction 8
National Park Rules 12
A Travellers' Guide to Safari Photography 14
Key to Species' Status 22
Birds 23
Reptiles 82
Aquatic Mammals 100
Land Mammals 112
Invertebrates 114
Plants 134
Geology and Vulcanology 200
History 206
Ocean Currents and Climate--El Niño 212
Conservation 216
Notes for the Visitor 221
Visitor Sites 222
Bibliography 247
Glossary 249
Index 250

Another Princeton book by David Hosking:

• Wildlife of East Africa.

Series:

• Princeton Illustrated Checklists

Subject Areas:

• Birds and Natural History
• Biological Sciences

VISIT OUR BIRDS & NATURAL HISTORY WEBSITE

Paper: For sale only in the United States, Canada, and the Philippines

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Paper: $19.95 ISBN13: 978-0-691-10295-5

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File created: 9/3/2008

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