The Ecotraveller's Wildlife Guide... | Buy

Brazil: Amazon and Pantanal has all the information you need to find, identify, and learn about Brazil's magnificent animal and plant life. The authors, professional biologists, selected illustrations of more than 500 of Brazil's most common insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and fish - the species you are most likely to see. In one easy-to-carry, entertainingly written, beautifully illustrated book, you will have: identifying and location information on the most frequently seen animals; up-to-date information on the ecology, behavior, and conservation of the animals; information on Brazil's habitats and on the most common plants you will encounter; brief descriptions of the most frequently visited parks and reserves in the Amazon and Pantanal regions.

David L. Pearson is a Research Professor in the Department of Biology at Arizona State University. His research is concentrated on ecological interactions among communities of species. He has studied habitats from desert grasslands and coral atolls to tropical rainforests and has written more than 75 scientific articles. Having conducted ecological research in Brazil, Peru and Ecuador intermittently during the past 30 years, he has become involved with environmental education and ecotourism in the region Les Beletsky is a professional wildlife biologist and university zoology teacher. Prior to taking up writing wildlife guides, he conducted many years of field research into the ecology and behavior of birds, along the way writing many scientific reports and several books

Foreword

ix

Preface

xiii

Ecotourism: Travel for the Environmentally Concerned

1

(7)

What Ecotourism is and Why It's Important

1

(1)

How Ecotourism Helps; Ecotravel Ethics

2

(2)

Brazil: Biodiversity and Ecotourism

4

(2)

Brazil: Environmental Problems and Changing Attitudes

6

(2)

Geography and Habitats

8

(25)

Geography and Climate

8

(3)

Vegetation Patterns

11

(3)

Tree Shape and Forest Layering

11

(2)

Large-leaved Understory Plants

13

(1)

Tree Bases and Roots

13

(1)

Climbers and Vines

13

(1)

Epiphytes

14

(1)

Palms

14

(1)

Major Ecosystems and Habitats; Common Plants

14

(16)

Amazonian Forest

15

(12)

Varzea and Oxbow Lakes

27

(1)

Pantanal

28

(2)

Mangrove and Coastal Vegetation

30

(1)

Pastures, Farms, and Plantations

30

(1)

Environmental Close-up 1: Why is Farming so Difficult in the Tropics?

30

(3)

Parks and Reserves: Brief Descriptions

33

(6)

Northeastern Amazon (NEA) and Coastal Mangrove Forest (CMF)

34

(1)

Northwestern Amazon (NWA)

35

(1)

Southern Amazon (SAM)

35

(1)

Pntanal (PAN)

36

(1)

Environmental Close-up 2: Blackwater Rivers and Whitewater Rivers: Water Colors in the Amazon and Pantanal

37

(2)

Environmental Threats and Conservation

39

(12)

Environmental Threats

39

(6)

Amazon

39

(4)

Pantanal

43

(2)

Conservation

45

(6)

Extractive Reserves

46

(1)

Sustainable Agriculture

47

(1)

Ecotourism

48

(3)

How to Use This Book: Ecology and Natural History

51

(9)

What is Natural History?

51

(1)

What is Ecology and What Are Ecological Interactions?

51

(2)

How to Use This Book

53

(7)

Information in the Family Profiles

53

(4)

Information in the Color Plate Sections

57

(3)

Insects and Other Arthropods

60

(19)

Introduction

60

(2)

General Characteristics and Classification of Arthropods

62

(1)

Features of Tropical Arthropods

62

(1)

Seeing Arthropods in Brazil

63

(1)

Order and Family Profiles

64

(15)

Dragonflies and Damselflies

64

(1)

Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Cockroaches

65

(1)

Termites

66

(1)

Cicadas and Relatives

67

(1)

Antlions

68

(1)

Beetles

68

(3)

Butterflies and Moths

71

(3)

Flies

74

(1)

Ants, Wasps, and Bees

74

(3)

Spiders

77

(1)

Crustaceans

78

(1)

Amphibians

79

(18)

Introduction

79

(1)

General Characteristics and Classification of Amphibians

80

(2)

Seeing Amphibians in Brazil

82

(1)

Family Profiles

82

(13)

Toads

82

(2)

Rainfrogs

84

(3)

Treefrogs

87

(3)

Poison-dart Frogs

90

(3)

Other Frogs

93

(2)

Environmental Close-up 3: Frog Population Declines

95

(2)

Reptiles

97

(24)

Introduction

97

(1)

General Characteristics and Classification of Reptiles

98

(2)

Seeing Reptiles in Brazil

100

(1)

Family Profiles

100

(17)

Crocodilians

100

(3)

Turtles

103

(2)

Colubrids: Your Regular, Everyday Snakes

105

(3)

Dangerous Snakes and Boas

108

(3)

Amphisbaenians

111

(1)

Geckos

112

(1)

Iguanas and Relatives

113

(2)

Other Lizards: Teids, Microteids, and Skinks

115

(2)

Environmental Close-up 4: Endemism and High Species Diversity: Why Brazil?

117

(4)

Birds

121

(80)

Introduction

122

(1)

General Characteristics and Classification of Birds

123

(1)

Features of Tropical Birds

124

(1)

Seeing Birds in Brazil

125

(2)

Family Profiles

127

(69)

Pelicans, Cormorants, and Anhingas

127

(1)

Terns

128

(1)

Herons and Egrets

129

(3)

Marsh and Stream Birds

132

(3)

Ducks

135

(1)

Shorebirds

136

(2)

Tinamous and Rhea

138

(2)

Guans and Trumpeter

140

(2)

Vultures

142

(1)

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

143

(3)

Falcons and Osprey

146

(2)

Pigeons and Doves

148

(1)

Parrots

149

(3)

Cuckoos and Anis

152

(2)

Owls

154

(2)

Nightjars and Potoos

156

(1)

Swifts and Swallows

157

(2)

Hummingbirds

159

(4)

Trogons

163

(1)

Kingfishers

164

(2)

Jacamars and Puffbirds

166

(1)

Motmots

167

(1)

Barbets and Toucans

168

(2)

Woodpeckers

170

(2)

Woodcreepers

172

(1)

Ovenbirds

173

(1)

Antbirds

174

(1)

Manakins

175

(2)

Cotingas

177

(2)

American Flycatchers

179

(2)

Jays

181

(2)

Wrens and Gnatcatchers

183

(2)

Thrushes and Mockingbirds

185

(1)

Wood Warblers and Vireos

186

(2)

Conebills and Honeycreepers

188

(1)

Tanagers

189

(3)

American Orioles and Blackbirds

192

(2)

Sparrows and Finches

194

(2)

Environmental Close-up 5: Frugivory: Animals That Eat Fruit and the Trees That Want Them To

196

(5)

Mammals

201

(38)

Introduction

201

(1)

General Characteristics and Classification of Mammals

202

(1)

Features of Tropical Mammals

203

(1)

Seeing Mammals in Brazil

204

(1)

Family Profiles

205

(32)

Opossums

205

(2)

Anteaters, Sloths, and Armadillos

207

(3)

Bats

210

(6)

Primates

216

(6)

Carnivores

222

(5)

Peccaries and Deer

227

(2)

Rodents and Rabbit

229

(4)

Manatee and Tapirs

233

(2)

Dolphins

235

(2)

Environmental Close-up 6: Of Kingfishers and Competition: Big Bills and Little Bills and How They Got That Way

237

(2)

Freshwater Fish of the Amazon

239

(7)

Introduction

239

(1)

Catfish and Characins

240

(2)

Knifefish

242

(1)

Cichlids

242

(1)

Habitats and Niches

242

(3)

Conservation

245

(1)

References and Additional Reading

246

(3)

Habitat Photos

249

(12)

Identification Plates

261

(208)

WCS Conservation Work in Latin America

469

(10)

Species Index

479

(13)

General Index

492

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