A Naturalist's Guide to the TropicsEvery year hundreds of thousands of travelers head for the Tropics to thrill to the raucous call of a howler monkey booming across the emerald cathedral of a rainforest, or to marvel at a brightly colored clown fish gliding fearlessly among the stinging tentacles of a sea anemone on a coral reef. Ranging from South and Central America to Africa, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and the Caribbean, A Naturalist's Guide to the Tropics provides engaging overviews of the geology, climate, soils, plants, animals, and major ecosystems of the Tropics. The book is beautifully illustrated throughout with color plates, photographs, and drawings. Whether you're a first-time visitor or a veteran of many trips, this convenient guidebook can help you plan your vacation and serve as a knowledgeable companion to answer the many questions that may arise during the course of your journey. Why are tropical birds and fishes so colorful? What is an atoll, and how do they form? Why are tropical soils red and sterile, while rainforests are lush and green? Why does Madagascar have lemurs but not monkeys? Special features of the book include chapters on the conservation status of the Tropics and how to prepare with "caution without obsession" for tropical dangers such as infectious diseases and charging rhinoceroses. The first comprehensive introduction to the natural history of the Tropics worldwide, A Naturalist's Guide to the Tropics has been completely revised and updated by the author and the translator to reflect the most current information available. * first field guide in English to cover all the world's tropics, not just specific regions or countries * more than 350 illustrations, many in color * sturdy flexibound cover and compact size ideal for travelers * boxes in text define scientific terms or explore side topics in more detail, such as "What Is Biodiversity?" and "Why Is Tropical Fauna So Colorful?" * discusses tropical dangers and precautions to cope with them, such as vaccinations to obtain and foods to avoid |
Contents
TROPICAL GEOGRAPHY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY | 1 |
Text Boxes and Tables | 4 |
The History of the Tapir | 10 |
THE CLIMATE | 17 |
Climates within the Tropics | 19 |
Sun and Pelting Rains 20 Seasonal Winds | 25 |
Climates of Some Tropical Nations | 26 |
THE FLORA | 33 |
Pollinators and Dispersers | 147 |
CORAL REEFS | 151 |
Enormous Edifices Constructed by the Sea | 159 |
Different Colors for Different Functions | 166 |
The Trumpetfish | 173 |
Sea Turtles | 183 |
SAVANNAS | 185 |
Getting to Know the Camp Visitors | 197 |
Savannas | 34 |
What is Biodiversity? | 40 |
Top Ten Countries for Diversity in Higher Plants | 46 |
Bananas | 53 |
THE FAUNA | 55 |
Prosimians Monkeys and Apes | 61 |
Why Is Tropical Fauna So Colorful? | 67 |
LeafCutting Ants | 73 |
Biodiversity in the Democratic Republic of Congo | 79 |
Tropical Saurians Lizards Tropical Mammals 84 | 84 |
MANGROVES | 91 |
Seeds That Are Adapted to Water Mud and Tides | 98 |
The Horseshoe Crab | 108 |
FORESTS | 113 |
Countries Having the Most Extensive Rainforests | 117 |
Epiphytes on the Three Continents | 127 |
Jungle Cicadas | 133 |
Predatory Ants | 140 |
Hunting Techniques of the Large Carnivores of the Savanna | 203 |
DESERTS | 213 |
The Ancient Sahara | 217 |
African Deserts and Their Dunes | 223 |
Sand and Obstacles | 231 |
THE TROPICS IN PERIL | 235 |
Some Local and Global Negative Effects of Tropical | 236 |
Endangered Corals | 244 |
Nations with the Highest Rates of Deforestation | 251 |
The Menace of Introduced Species | 258 |
Some Daily Rules for Helping to Protect the Tropics | 264 |
TROPICAL DANGERS AND PRECAUTIONS | 267 |
Vaccinations Not to Forget | 270 |
Precautions against Shark Attacks | 279 |
Intimidatory Rituals of Sharks | 286 |
293 | |
303 | |
Common terms and phrases
abundance acacia acres adaptations Africa African savannas algae alimentary Amazonia anemone animals ants areas Asian Australia biodiversity birds Borneo Brazil canopy Central America Central and South characteristic climate coast colonies colors continents coral reefs crabs crocodile crustaceans dangerous deforestation desert different species distributed diversity dunes ecological endemic environments epiphytes equatorial example extremely fauna fish flowers flying forms fruits genera genus Guinea habitats heat herbivores host humidity Indo-Pacific Indonesia insects islands larvae latitudes leaves living Madagascar Malaysia mammals mangrove mangrove forest marsupial million years ago monkeys monsoons mountains natural number of species nutrients Ocean palms parrots plants poisonous pollinators polyps predators prey principal prosimians rainfall rainforests rains regions rivers roots sand savannas season shark soil South America Southeast Asia southern surface temperate temperature termites terrestrial tides trees tropical forests tropical moist forests trunks typical various vegetation wildlife winds zones