First published in 1986, Smithers' mammals is an authoritative and popular guide to the mammals of Southern Africa. This revised and updated edition incorporates the latest information brought to light by molecular genetics, while remaining accessible to the layperson and handy in the field. Each entry includes an in-depth species description; notes on habitat, behaviour, diet and conservation status; accurate illustrations and spoor drawings; and a distribution map.

The title also details the whales, dolphins and seals seen along our coast.

This highly regarded field guide will appeal to general readers and wildlife enthusiasts, as well as to specialists in the field of mammals.

Watter slang is dit? is 'n maklike inleiding wat die beginner sal help om slange uit te ken.

Slange van die streek word volgens familietrekke, gemeenskaplike gedrag of voorkoms gegroepeer, en die leser word aangemoedig om die kenmerke van die groep te herken voordat op individuele spesies gefokus word.

Kassies met interessante feite vul die teks aan en treffende kleurfoto's illustreer die kenmerke van slange in elke groep. '

n Insiggewende inleiding dek die algemene gedrag en habitats van Suider-Afrika se slange en gee wenke oor waar en hoe om hulle op te spoor.

Die verskillende gifsoorte word bespreek, asook basiese noodhulpmaatreels vir die behandeling van slagoffers van slangbyt.

Sasol Eerste Veldgids tot Roofvoëls van Suider-Afrika bied ’n fassinerende blik op die voellewe van die streek. Met behulp van volkleur-foto’s en -verspreidingskaarte, asook maklik leesbare teks, sal die beginner en ontluikende natuurliefhebber die meer algemene roofvoels in Suider- Afrika kan identifiseer, kan vasstel waar hulle leef, en meer te wete kom oor hul unieke vreet- en broeigewoontes.

Updated to include changing garden exhibits, this interesting guide to Cape Town’s world-famous botanical garden traces the history and development of Kirstenbosch, from its establishment in 1913 to the spectacular showcase of indigenous flora it is today.

Prominent features of the garden are described, such as the protea, erica and restio gardens, the Dell, Conservatory and Camphor Avenue, as well as floral highlights of the four seasons. An updated layout map makes for easy navigating, and indicates walks and climbs that can be undertaken from the garden.

Colourful photographs portray the extraordinary beauty of the garden, both its spectacular flora and its setting against the backdrop of Table Mountain – and make this a worthy memento of a visit to Kirstenbosch.

In many parts of Africa a 'front line' has developed between humans and wild animals. People are daily and stressfully aware of their vulnerability, whether from predators that eat their stock, or from marauders that trash their crops: elephants, hippos, bushpigs, baboons, cane rats, dense sun-blocking swarms of locusts and quelea finches that can wipe out an entire season's crop and leave a community starving. And a startling number of people in Africa are killed by wildlife each year.

This reality is rarely conveyed to investors in wildlife conservation or to visitors to wildlife sanctuaries. But the battle lines are drawn between communities directly impacted by the remnant wildlife of an increasingly congested Africa, and the paymasters of a first-world population of voyeurs. Can all the players co-exist? This controversial exposé of the conflict between humans and wildlife lifts the lid on the battle for turf: the future of conservation will depend on the relationship established between wildlife authorities and those bearing the brunt along the front line.

Canned lion hunting sprang to the world’s attention with the 2015 launch of the documentary, Blood Lions. This movie blew the cover off a brutal industry that has burgeoned in the last decade or so, operating largely under the radar of public concern.

In Cuddle Me Kill Me, veteran wildlife campaigner Richard Peirce reveals horrifying facts about the industry. He tells:

• The true story of two male lions rescued from breeding farms
• The exploitation and misery of these apex predators when they are bred in captivity
• How young cubs are removed from their mothers mere hours after birth
• How they are first used for petting by an adoring (and paying) public
• Their subsequent use for ‘walking with lions’ tourism
• And how, in the final stage of exploitation, they are served up in fenced enclosure for execution by canned hunters – or simply shot by breeders for the value of their carcass, a prized product in the East

Well researched by Peirce with the help of an undercover agent, and illustrated with photos taken along the way, this is a disturbing and passionate plea to end commercial captive lion breeding and the repurposing of wildlife to cater for human greed.

Published for the first time in German, this is the first local field guide to cover all the commonly encountered plants and animals of the southern African region in one compact and easy-to-use volume.

More than 2 000 species (1 200 of them illustrated) are described in 11 categories - from lower invertebrates to insects and spiders; vertebrates, inlucing frogs, freshwater fishes, birds, reptiles, and mammals; and plants, from fungi and ferns to wild flowers, grasses and trees. Each category has been compiled by an expert in the field and is colour coded for easy reference.

A comprehensive guide to the freshwater fishes of the Okavango Delta and Chobe River, this book offers background information on the diverse aquatic habitats of the region and on fish feeding, breeding and survival strategies. It also provides useful hints for anglers. The species entries describe each fish in detail, with key ID points and information on habits and occurrence. Each account is accompanied by a colour illustration or photograph. The book concludes with information on how best to utilise and conserve the fishes of the delta system and Chobe River.

This is the only such guide to fishes of the region and will be invaluable to local and visiting fishermen, naturalists, conservationists, as well as the many tourists who visit this spectacular African paradise.

A photographic masterpiece, this beautiful book is a fi tting tribute to the baobab – an extraordinary and majestic tree found principally in Madagascar, and peripherally in Africa and Australia.

The first section offers a short introduction to the classifi cation and general description of baobabs, details of their life history, biogeography, dispersal and their role in people’s lives. The second section comprises a guide to each of the eight baobab species, including a botanical description, details of their habitat, distribution and principal uses, accompanied by clear images and line drawings of the leaves, flowers, fruits and growth habit of each species.

Interesting text and lavish photographs throughout make this book irresistible for specialist botanists and lay enthusiasts alike, and it will have particular appeal for tourists too.

Comprehensively revised, expanded and updated, this compact guide makes the ideal travelling companion on trips to the wildlife areas and nature reserves of East Africa.

It features

- authoritative text describing key identification features;

- full-colour photographs illustrating a range of commonly encountered, rare and beautiful species;

- distribution maps showing the range of each species;

- thumbnail outlines of each family group, enabling quick identification.

Aloes are the flagship plants of Africa, vividly defining the landscapes in which they occur.

In garden settings, these stately succulent plants capture the allure of the African savanna and serve as excellent focus plants around which other indigenous plants can be successfully grouped.

Aloes in Southern Africa explores the character and biology of African aloes, describing their habits, characteristic features and distribution in nature. It also details 58 aloe and related species across several vegetation zones.

Aloe cultivation and propagation is discussed too, providing insight into optimum growing conditions, gardening styles and plants that flourish in different regions.

A feature on medicinal, cosmetic and culinary uses reveals the special properties of these intriguing plants. Whether you are starting a garden, redeveloping one or simply looking to expand your knowledge of these fascinating succulents, Aloes in Southern Africa will prove an invaluable guide.

’n Onontbeerlike gids vir die uitkenning van al die gevaarlike slange en algemene onskadelike slange in Suider-Afrika, sowel as belangrike en praktiese kitsinligting oor noodhulp ingeval van ’n slangbyt.

Eenvoudige ikone, verspreidingskaarte, bondige teks en talle volkleurfoto's help om slange wat algemeen in die streek voorkom maklik uit te ken. Simptome en behandeling van slangbyte word beskryf, wat die leser lewensbelangrike noodhulpinligting gee.

Slange en Slangbyt in Suider-Afrika is helder, prakties, maklik om te gebruik en van onskatbare waarde vir almal wat van die buitelewe hou.

Amateur and more seasoned tree-spotters will welcome this latest addition to the What's that? series. Accessible and straightforward, this title groups trees together into their broad families, based on the features that related species share. This allows readers to narrow down their choices to a few likely possibilities before tackling the detail of species identification.

The book offers: simple, authoritative text; side-bars with interesting additional information; multiple full-colour photographs, including of key diagnostic features, and an illustrated glossary of plant parts.

This helpful introduction should provide an invaluable entry point for anyone with an interest in the trees of the region.

This handy pocket guide presents the most fascinating and important rocks and minerals found in southern Africa. Accounts include diagnostic information, full-color photographs, concise descriptions, uses, and detailed information on where species occur.Physical characteristics of each mineral are summarized in tinted panels, and handy icons show other important information.

The rock section discusses how the three main rock types form. Pocket Guide: Rocks & Minerals of Southern Africa will be invaluable both to amateur geologists and budding collectors.

Minerals are the building blocks of rocks – they make up the solid Earth’s crust. Understanding Minerals & Crystals takes a close look at minerals, how they form, why they differ and how to go about identifying them.

It begins by examining the nature of atoms and the way they bind together to form minerals with distinctive crystal structures; and it discusses the nature and classification of these crystals, and includes a mineral identification key.

The second part of the book contains detailed descriptions of some 80 common and important minerals, including how they were named, their properties, ID pointers, uses and where in the world they are found. All are lavishly illustrated with full-colour photographs.

This book will be invaluable to those interested in any of the earth sciences, or in mineral/crystal collecting – from academics and students to general enthusiasts.

Sasol Eerste Veldgids tot Slange & Ander Reptiele van Suider-Afrika bied aan die jong leser 'n fassinerende blik op die reptiele van die streek. Met behulp van volkleur fotoÆs en verspreidings kaarte, asook maklik leesbare teks, sal die jong volwassene en ontluikende natuur liefhebber die algemene reptielspesies in Suider-Afrika kan identifiseer.

Ninety percent of the world’s megafauna (its larger creatures) have disappeared since humans migrated from Africa and fanned out across the rest of the world. Within a very short time the megafauna – mammoths, mastodons, woolly rhinoceros and the huge carnivores that preyed upon them were extinct. Only Africa seems to have escaped: not unscathed, but not entirely vanquished either.

This book:

• describes the history and extent of human impact on the worlds wildlife (marine included), good and bad;
• it examines, in particular, the status of wildlife in Africa – the world’s last great megafaunal sanctuary;
• and it questions whether Africa’s wildlife has reached its lowest ebb, and whether it is about to witness the turn of the tide?

The author sounds a note of cautious optimism: conservation initiatives have gained a new urgency in the 21st century, and governments in Africa and elsewhere are showing increasing resolve to tackle poaching. Vast transfrontier parks, many still in development, have the potential to provide a sustainable habitat for the continent’s megafauna.

If we can muster both local and international support, name and shame the rogue nations, and build a practical conservation model that does not conflict with human needs, then Africa’s wildlife can perhaps be saved.

A handy, all-in-one photographic field guide to the wildlife of South Africa, this guide covers the region's mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs and trees that are most likely to be seen. Concise accounts and distribution maps are included for each species.

A brief introduction discusses geology, climate, vegetation zones, wildlife hotspots, and tips on watching wildlife. This convenient presentation of South Africa’s most visible wildlife in a single volume will find favour with tourists and local enthusiasts alike.

• Handy, all-in-one guide to diverse groups of wildlife and trees
• Full-colour photographs of all species
• Distribution maps
• Tips to watching wildlife
• Very attractive price

Originally published in 1981, Living Shores was for many years the standard reference for marine science students but was also embraced by a popular market for its fascinating insights into marine and coastal habitats and the life they support. After a long absence, this classic has been revived and thoroughly reworked to incorporate the many dramatic changes that our oceans and coasts have undergone over the past few decades.

This book is the first of a two volume set, and examines the different marine ecosystems and how humankind interacts with them. It discusses the evolution of the sea and continents and looks at the ecology of coastal systems, including intertidal zones, beaches, dunes, estuaries, islands, kelp forests and reefs. The book unpacks the relationship between humans and the marine environment, and the consequences of harvesting and mining to meet our needs. It also addresses the impact of climate change, and highlights what can be done to protect our environment.

Richly supported by full-colour photography and numerous explanatory illustrations, diagrams and graphs, this book will prove invaluable to students and teachers but will also appeal to anyone with a fascination for nature and our marine world in particular.

Here’s another batch of David Muirhead’s unrespectable creatures, following his successful earlier volume of hilarious animal accounts (The Bedside Ark ). It offers a wealth of accurate information on each of the profiled creatures, while revealing their softer sides and the near-human frailties from which they suffer – and temptations for which they fall. Delightful, humorous pen-and-ink sketches accompany many of the stories.

Muirhead’s mix of humour, mythology, anecdotal tales and folklore builds quirky and captivating portraits of each animal, and makes for a lighthearted, funny – as well as illuminating – read.

This new anthology, offering something different from the standard collection of animal CVs, will appeal to anyone interested in humorous writing and the natural world, no matter their age (from teen to adult) or level of knowledge.

This guide profiles 101 garden birds likely to be found in gardens across southern Africa, informing readers about what to look and listen for, and where and when. It is also an inspirational guide to creating a bird-friendly garden that is also a reservoir of biodiversity, wherever you are in the region.

With an attractive layout and multiple colour images, it offers the following:

• Descriptions and photos of 101 garden birds
• How to get to know your local species, their feeding, breeding, calls and general behaviour
• How to design your garden to attract the widest range of birds and other wildlife
• The best plants and structures to provide food and shelter for birds
• Detailed lists of recommended trees, shrubs, climbers, aloes and grasses

Kirstenbosch is a name that resonates round the world as the home of a uniquely rich flora in a setting of unsurpassed beauty, and in 2013 Kirstenbosch celebrates its 100th anniversary. This centenary publication tells the story of its establishment, its setbacks and triumphs, its benefactors and heros. It outlines the Garden's scientific eminence – as the repository of knowledge on our prized flora – and details the many attractions that make it a favourite destination for Capetonians and visitors alike.

With a finely crafted text by acclaimed ecologist Brian Huntley, and lavishly illustrated with photographs and artworks that tell the history and reflect the beauty of the Garden, this will be a sought-after volume – a quality memento for visitors to Kirstenbosch and a keepsake for the many thousands of locals who flock there annually. Beautifully presented in a colourful dustjacket, this book will be a tasteful, all-occasions gift, and one to cherish.