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Quick ID Guide to the Carnivores of Africa
R100.00Of 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
R100.00A 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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Skullduggery – Quick ID Guide
R100.00In 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
R100.00Following 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
R100.00Another 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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Behaviour Briefs
R100.00The ultimate compact, quick ID guide to southern and East African animal behaviour, and the latest in the popular series of ‘quick guides’ to wildlife. This title:
• describes and explains the habits of the more commonly found mammals of southern and East Africa;
• matches concise text with action photographs that capture characteristic behaviour;
• serves as a companion volume to more detailed field guides;
• provides a quick reference and easy read for anyone interested in understanding wild animals and their sometimes baffling rituals.
