Product Description

This is a lightweight and portable guide, partly adapted from the popular and highly acclaimed A Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa by the same authors. Covering the most prominent 150 reptiles and 80 amphibians found in the region (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi), with concise text, photograph and map for each, this is a convenient and attractive pocket guide for a diverse and often conspicuous and attractive group of animals.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #220991 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-16
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Review
"Portable, user-friendly and relatively inexpensive, Pocket Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of East Africa is an indispensable field companion for anyone who may be interested in learning more about East Africa's herpetofauna." SWARA (April-June 2006) " this invaluable book will doubtless also spawn exciting new discoveries." SWARA (April-June 2006) "For anyone with a general interest in wildlife, a comprehensible, portable, and fairly comprehensive field guide is a must. This pocket guide fulfils these criteria." Scottish Bird News (September 2006)

About the Author
The authors are all herpetologists with a particular interest in the reptiles of East Africa. Together, they wrote A Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa (A&C Black) and individually have written many key papers on the reptiles and amphibians of the region.

Customer Reviews

slimy things
It's a very compact book and deals (inevitably) with only a fraction of the species you may encounter but, as a straightforward field guide it is brief and clear without dumbing down the information it presents. A more academic guide might use drawings rather than photos but the pictures in this generally give a good impression of the animals in their typical environment.

One small quibble is that it shows some inconsistency in its quantifying of the venom threat in the snakes. It is not always clear whether a snake is not venomous at all or merely not particularly harmful. As far as I can tell, all those that are seriously dangerous are clearly indicated, though.

Hop off on safari
There are few books available on the reptiles of East Africa, and even fewer on the amphibians. This one manages to combine both and includes probably all the species that a visitor to the region could hope to encounter, plus a lot more beside. The reptile part of the book is a condensed version of the lead author's earlier hardback book on the subject, but even with amphibians included is small and light enough to be carried on safari.