Chris & Mathilde Stuart have published a range of authoritative, best-selling field guides, mobile apps, and other titles on African mammals, wildlife and conservation, as well as numerous scientific papers and popular articles. Mathilde holds a doctorate in medicine from the University of Innsbruck; Chris holds an MSc from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. They can be found online at: www.stuartonnature.com
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Stuarts’ Field Guide to National Parks & Game Reserves – Namibia | Botswana | Zimbabwe | Zambia | Malawi
The first guide ever to document and explore the diverse parks and reserves of Africa’s ‘middle belt’, it covers Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi. The region contains prized spots such as the world-famous landscapes of the Namib and Kalahari deserts, Okavango Delta, Victoria Falls and Lake Malawi, and some of Africa’s best-known conservation areas, including Etosha, Chobe, Mana Pools, Hwange, Kafue and Nyika.
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Quick ID Guide to the Carnivores of Africa
Of all the animal groups, none looms larger in the imagination than the carnivores. Adapted for hunting and killing other animals, they represent the most powerful predators on Earth. This compact guide covers both the mighty and ferocious – big cats, wolves, foxes and hyaenas – and a variety of smaller but equally formidable hunters – otters, polecats, weasels, mongooses and civets.
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Quick ID Guide to Primates of Africa
A new addition to the successful ‘Quick ID guide’ series, Primates is a succinct survey of the features and habits of our closest relatives. Divided into the three main primate groups – great apes, typical monkeys and prosimians (including the bushbabies) – this easy-to-use guide rovides pertinent facts, annotated photographs and up-to-date distribution maps to help readers accurately identify the most commonly seen and charismatic primates in the field.
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Marine Mammals: A guide to the whales, dolphins and seals of Southern Africa and the Southern Ocean
The is easy-to-use identification guide to the whales, dolphins and seals found in Southern African waters and the Southern Ocean is compact yet comprehensive. Close to 50 species occur in the region: from the demonstrative Humpback Whale and Dusky Dolphin to the striking Leopard Seal and massive Blue Whale.
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Skullduggery – Quick ID Guide
In this short but informative guide, trusted authors Chris and Mathilde Stuart turn mammal ID on its head – literally. The identification of mammal skulls is the subject of this latest addition to the quirky ‘Quick Guide’ series, and covers the most common skulls readers are likely to encounter in the wild – from easily recognisable species such as elephant, hippo, rhino, baboons, antelope, whales and dolphins, to the more challenging family groups: dogs, cats, hyaenas, equids, pigs, civets and genets, mongooses, rats and mice, bats, sengis, shrews, moles, hares and rabbits, hyrax, and squirrels.
Each entry features:
Close-up photographs showing the entire skull, teeth and, where available, upper and lower jaws
Pointers to diagnostic features
Average measurement for skull length
Short description highlighting main features of each skull and tooth structure
Dental formula for teeth in upper and lower jaws
A brief introduction, with labelled photographs, covers anatomy as well as dentition; and a quick-reference photographic key to the main animal groups appears on the inside front cover.An ideal companion to mammal field guides, this book will be appeal to rangers, safari guides and all nature lovers wanting to deepen their understanding of life in the bush.
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Flying Mammals – Quick ID Guide to Bats
Following the success of earlier ‘Quick Guide’ books, this slim little volume tackles one of the few groups of mammals that can fly. Divided into large fruit bats and smaller insecteating bats, this ultimate quick identification guide covers Africa’s 12 bat families. An informative introduction touches on evolution, flight, echolocation and reproduction, demystifying an animal that is all too often misunderstood. The text describes the facial characteristics and wing shapes common to each family and points out features that can help to distinguish between them. But it is the photographs and annotated line drawings that are most useful for identification. They include bats in flight and roosting sites, and close-ups of facial structures and wings that highlight key diagnostic attributes. An added extra is a photographic section showing the skulls of a variety bats.
This is a valuable guide for anyone with an interest in wildlife and its less common members.
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Avian Architects Quick ID Guide
Another title in the ‘Quick Guide’ series, this compact little book is a handy identification guide to the surprising variety of nests built by southern African birds. Covering multiple species, it is arranged according to nest type – ground, woven, stick, cup, mud-pellet and domed, as well as nests in tree holes, on water, on cliffs and in scrapes on the ground. It is packed with photographs and illustrations showing the ingenuity of the designs, the birds that built them, and the eggs that are laid in them. In pithy fashion, the text – matched to the photographs – describes:
nesting site and nest structure
building materials used to construct outer and inner layers
nesting habits of the architects
clutch sizeA simple key to nest types on the inside front cover directs readers to the relevant section in the book.
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Field Guide to Tracks & Signs – East Africa NE
Originally published in 1994, A Field Guide to Tracks and Signs of Southern and East African Wildlife quickly became the standard reference to the subject in the region, reprinting many times. This new edition provides the most detailed coverage of tracks, droppings, bird pellets, nests and shelters and feeding signs, not only for mammals, but also for birds, reptiles, insects and other invertebrates. Greatly expanded, this extensive update now features: full colour throughout.
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Stuarts’ Field Guide to National Parks & Game Reserves of East Africa
East Africa is known for its diverse landscapes – expansive savannas, lakes, and towering mountains – but also for its numerous protected areas: its parks and reserves that are the domain of the continent’s most spectacular wildlife. These areas play a vital role in protecting both the environment and the animals it supports, and annually play host to thousands of visitors who come to experience wild Africa.
This guide to the parks and reserves of East Africa provides a valuable overview of some 58 protected areas across East Africa. The book is divided into the four East African countries Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda – and, for each park, provides essential background on geology and landscape, climate, vegetation and wildlife, capturing the essence of what each area offers. It also covers the brief history of each park.
Other features include:
Numerous colour photographs of animal and plant life.
Detailed park maps, indicating places of interest and best sites to view key species.
Text panels with highlights, facilities and activities, wildlife facts, and important alerts.
A photographic gallery of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and trees, for quick identification of common species.This must-have guide to the region’s protected areas will prove indispensable to local and international visitors to the region and to all nature enthusiasts.