Fully revised, the new edition of Steve Woodhall’s lavishly illustrated Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa features all of South Africa’s 671 butterfly species. This popular field guide now includes 8 new species, two new African Plain Tiger subspecies and incorporates the most recent taxonomic changes based on DNA studies.

As with the first edition, the photography is exceptional and 70% of the images in the book are new. An invaluable aid to identification, they show male and female forms (where they differ) and upper- and undersides (where possible). The species accounts have been comprehensively updated and expanded, covering identification, habits, flight periods, broods, typical habitat, distribution and larval food sources. A helpful introductory section with over 100 images, including 55 early stages images compared to 32 in the first edition discusses butterfly biology, taxonomy, classification, anatomy and behaviour.

Other features include:

• Colour-coded sections at subfamily level for ease of use
• A quick reference to butterfly groups on the inside front
• Updated distribution maps for all species entries

Anyone with an interest in the natural world, from lepidopterists and entomologists (both amateur and professional) to students, gardeners and tourists, will appreciate this beautiful and invaluable guide.

This First Field Guide to Animal Tracks of Southern Africa will help those with an interest in interpreting animal tracks to indentify the animals that have passed through an area.

Full-colour photographs and easy-to-read text will enable the beginner and budding naturalist to decipher the more common tracks encountered in southern Africa, learn about the unique features of each spoor and discover more about the animals that leave the spoor.

Al lank ’n gewilde hulpbron, die nuwe, opgedateerde Oorsiglys van Voëls in Suider-Afrika is nou beskikbaar. Dit bevat ’n lys van al die voëls wat in die streek te sien is, en bied ’n eenvoudige metode om aan te dui waar en wanneer jy hulle waargeneem het.

In gerieflike sakformaat bied dit:

• Kruisverwysings na die nuwe Sasol Voëls van Suider-Afrika (vyfde uitgawe)
• Ses kolumme vir veelvuldige waarnemings op ses verskillende plekke
• Jongste name van alle Suider-Afrikaanse voëls
• Endemiese en bedreigingstatus

Sal verwelkom word deur die streek se voëlkykers wat hulle waarnemings in Afrikaans wil nasien en opteken.

Southern African Mammals Made Simple enables users to distinguish between commonly confused mammals by applying the breakthrough methodology that made Southern African LBJs Made Simple so hugely popular.

The simple three-step system allows for quick and certain identification of mammals in the field. For each species featured, the book gives:

- range maps

- full-colour illustrations and photographs

- key identification pointers, and

- concise text describing height, weight, habits and habitat.

All of southern Africa’s most common and distinctive mammals are included, but the particular value of this book lies in separating the more challenging species, such as antelope, mongooses, genets, primates and many more. It will appeal to both local and foreign visitors to our game parks.

A new addition to this successful series and a companion volume to My First Book of Southern African Seashore Life, this book focuses on creatures that are found within the sea environment, away from the shore: fi shes; squid; sharks; rays; whales and dolphins; turtles; seabirds, and other creatures found off-shore. It follows the series model, with an illustrated introduction giving context to the subject, and then each page featuring:

•  a vivid, full-colour illustration
•  simple, informative text in English, Afrikaans, Xhosa and Zulu
•  visual clues about the creatures’ diet, size, habits and distribution round our coast

Southern Africa is home to a diverse reptile fauna of more than 600 species. Of these, nearly 70% are endemic to the region, being found nowhere else. This compact guide features 276 of the more colourful and conspicuous species, as well as those unique to or endangered in the region. This up-to-date guide makes an ideal travelling companion on trips to the wildlife areas of southern Africa.

It features:

- authoritative text describing key identification features and symbols depicting endangered and venomous species;

- full-colour photographs of the featured species;

- distribution maps showing the range of each species;

- thumbnail outlines of each family group, enabling quick identification

Following the success of the earlier Scatalog – Quick ID guide to southern African animal droppings, here’s another quick and quirky identification guide, this time to tracks of the region’s most commonly found mammals, but also includes tracks of reptiles, rodents, birds and insects.

A simple key on the inside front cover directs users to any of 11 categories, such as ‘cloven hooves’, ‘paws’ or 'tramline-like trails'. Nearly 100 animals or closely related groups of animals are depicted; for each, there’s

- a silhouette of front and back feet and a colour photograph of the track

- the average measurements for each track

- a short description of the track

- information about the circumstances and likely habitat

Concise and to-the-point, this pocket-sized reference will prove indispensible in the field, no matter the experience of the user.

Meet 36 of southern Africa’s most common and interesting snakes in this lively and engaging kids’ guide. Discover the intriguing habits of snakes – where they live, how they hunt, what dangers they face, and how they protect themselves, all richly supported by more than 250 captivating photographs. A detailed introduction to many aspects of snake behaviour opens up the fascinating world of these widely misunderstood reptiles.

Of all Africa's wildlife, none has captured the imagination more than those species that have come over the years to be known as the big five. Whether the biggest, the most beautiful, the fiercest or most formidable, these animals are the ones that have the power to remind us of our insignificance in the face of the true kings of the savannas. This is a truly magnificent record of Africa's Big Five.

More than a century ago elephants in the eastern Cape were systematically hunted - until only 16 were left . Today there are 650 elephants in the Addo Elephant National Park, the densest concentration of wild elephants anywhere on the planet. While elephants are undoubtedly still the park's top drawcard, the past four decades have seen the emphasis shift from protecting a single species to conserving five biomes and the wild animals that occupy them. Today, Addo can boast the Big Seven: elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino, as well as great white shark and southern right whale.

Like Shaping Kruger, its successful predecessor, Shaping Addo expertly delves into the history of the park, detailing the positive impact that changing conservation practices have had on its development. Drawing on decades of groundbreaking research, the author provides fascinating insight into the lives and habits of the animals (both terrestrial and marine), examining individual species, the relationship between them, and the carefully crafted management strategies required to ensure the survival of all species.

Shaping Addo is an engrossing account of how a seemingly insignificant sanctuary was transformed into an astonishingly successful mega-park, and the most ecologically diverse protected space in South Africa.

When the famous South African fish scientist Professor JLB Smith published Old Fourlegs - The Story of the Coelacanth in 1956 he created an international sensation. After all, this 400-million-year-old fish, known only from fossil remains, was thought to have become extinct around 66 million years ago! JLB Smith’s dramatic account of the discovery of the first and second coelacanths in 1938 and 1952 turned him into a cult figure and put South African science on the world map. His book was eventually published in six English editions and translated into nine foreign languages.

Mike Bruton’s The Annotated Old Fourlegs includes a facsimile reprint of the original book, to which he has added notes and images in the margins that provide an interesting and revealing commentary on Smith’s text, as well as new introductory and explanatory chapters that bring the coelacanth story up to date.

This photographic guide to the wildlife of East Africa is an accessible introduction to the region’s more conspicuous and interesting mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, insects, flowers and trees. A colour photograph accompanies each account, which describes the species’ appearance, size, and habits, and gives information on their conservation status, habitat and the best viewing localities.

This book is an invaluable guide for visitors to national parks and other wildlife-rich places in East Africa and is a handy size for travel.

This is a collection of 101 jaw-dropping stories, as told by the very people who experienced them – first-hand accounts of sightings, scrapes and encounters in one of Africa’s greatest National Parks. It details hair-raising experiences from the Kruger Park’s roads, camps, picnic sites and walking trails, such as:

- An enraged elephant flips a car onto its roof

- A lioness prises open a terrified couple’s car door

- A fleeing impala leaps through an open car window

- A hyaena snatches a baby from a tent

- A tourist takes a bath in a croc-infested dam ...

A bedside book, a travel companion, a dip-into, read-anywhere compilation of joyful encounters laced with terrible warnings. Wherever you are, this book will transport you directly into the bush.

This compact field guide to the identification of Southern African mammals based on their spoor, droppings and skulls has been accepted as the standard work on the subject.

This edition offers up-to-date information on identification through signs. This edition provides new illustrations for a number of species. It also features illustrations of skulls for all of the carnivores.

The 8-page section of comparative spoor is still a feature, updated with the most recent information available. It includes distribution maps (88 in all) and full-colour photographs (some 150) of each species within its habitat.

Sasol First Field Guide to Birds of Prey of Southern Africa provides fascinating insight into the birdlife of the region. With the help of full-colour photo graphs and distribution maps, and easy-to-read text, the young adult and budding naturalist will be able to identify the more common birds of prey in southern Africa, discover where they live, and learn about their unique feeding and nesting habits.

This photographic field guide to southern African birds comprises the biggest and most comprehensive collection of photographs of the region's birds in one volume.

It describes and illustrates all 958 bird species found in southern Africa, and an additional 17 species recorded from the Southern Ocean and associated islands, and Antarctica. Over 2 500 images show age and sex plumage variations, perched and in-flight birds, and colour morphs where relevant. authors.

Colour-coded distribution maps give resident and migratory status, and bird density. Annual seasonality bars show at a glance when species are present and when they breed. A-Z directory provides quick guide to locating groups. Group introductions provide additional clues to identification.

This comprehensive guide follows traditional species sequence. It brings a new dimension to bird identification in southern Africa and will prove indispensable in the field.

Ook in Afrikaans beskikbaar as Volledige Fotografiese Gids: Voëls Van Suider-Afrika.

The first guide ever to document and explore the diverse parks and reserves of Africa’s ‘middle belt’, it covers Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.

The region contains prized spots such as the world-famous landscapes of the Namib and Kalahari deserts, Okavango Delta, Victoria Falls and Lake Malawi, and some of Africa’s best-known conservation areas, including Etosha, Chobe, Mana Pools, Hwange, Kafue and Nyika.

Written by two prominent conservationists, the book is organised by country, and includes:

• Detailed descriptions of the history, geology, climate, vegetation and wildlife of some 50 conservation areas
• Annotated park maps, indicating places of interest and best sites to view key species
• Text panels featuring each park’s highlights, facilities and activities, wildlife facts, and important alerts
• A concise photographic gallery of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and trees, for quick identification of commonly seen species

A must-have guide to the parks and reserves of a region renowned for spectacular landscapes, fauna and flora.

Pangolins have long been sustainably harvested by local communities for their meat and scales, but today the burgeoning trade in these mammals has reached crisis point. Eight pangolin species occur worldwide, four in Asia and four in Africa, and all face extinction if current rates of hunting and trading continue unabated.

Now the spotlight is on the world’s most trafficked mammal. Scientists have identified pangolins as the likely source of the coronavirus infection that has brought the world to its knees. This multi-trillion dollar disaster makes pangolins the most expensive meals ever eaten.

In this timely exposé, Richard Peirce unpacks the horrors and dangers of the trade in this enigmatic, little-known mammal. He explains the links between wildlife and Covid-19, and details China’s response to the pandemic.

He also tells the story of a particular pangolin poached in Zimbabwe and brought to South Africa to be traded. Readers accompany an agent of the African Pangolin Working Group, assisted by the local police, on an actual sting operation to rescue the animal and capture the traffickers. And they follow the subsequent progress of the rescued pangolin, from near death to rehabilitation and release into the wild.

Frogs of Southern Africa: A Complete Guide remains the most authoritative and comprehensive treatment of the frogs of the region ever produced, covering all aspects of frog and tadpole biology and behaviour.

This new edition (with a slight name change) has been thoroughly updated to reflect taxonomic changes based on the most recent research and DNA studies, and includes 12 new species and more than 130 new images. All 169 southern African frog species, and their tadpole stages, are fully described, along with their conservation status, calls, habitat and habits. Identification is made easy with the aid of over 1000 large, full-colour images, keys to species and summary panels on ‘Key ID points’ and ‘Distinctive characters’.

Calls for most species can be accessed instantly via QR codes in the book or downloaded from a dedicated website. Spectrograms of the calls are also included in the book.

Written by respected authorities in the field, this timely updated edition will be of benefit to all nature lovers, amateur ‘froggers’, students and professional scientists.

This long-standing, trusted field guide to the wildlife of southern Africa has been comprehensively updated and now includes distribution maps. It describes over 2,000 plants and animals, each accompanied by accurate illustrations in full colour. This book has been a trusted field companion for many years. Comprehensively updated, it now features range maps for most groups. The chapters are colour-coded for easy reference, and diagnostic features appear in bold type within the descriptions. Each chapter is written by a leading expert in the field.

Elephants have long been targeted by humans: not only are they killed for their ivory, but their extraordinary strength, intelligence and charisma have seen some of them captured, chained and effectively jailed for life.

Bully and Induna are two African elephants, both orphaned in organised culling operations and destined for lives in captivity. Growing up far apart and quite differently, Bully (a former animal film star) and the less fortunate Induna were both driven to react to their circumstances – Induna even killed one of his carers. Their individual situations reached a point where both were considered to be dangerous animals and were under threat of being put down.

This is the true story of their lives. Conservationist Richard Peirce presents their individual narratives and the twists and turns of their fortunes: the exploitation of these majestic but sensitive animals, how they each came to be trapped in unsuitable ‘employment’ and shunted about from one venue to the next, before finding one another – free at last – on a farm in southern Africa.

Giant Steps is a gripping story, full of drama, danger, sadness and ultimate rescue.

Fully revised, Birds of Africa south of the Sahara provides unrivalled coverage of African birds in a single volume, and is the first book to describe and illustrate all of the birds found in Africa south of the Sahara Desert (the Afrotropic Region), including Socotra, Pemba and islands in the Gulf of Guinea.

Despite its exceptional coverage, this guide is compact enough to use in the field, and follows the standard field guide format, with texts and range maps appearing opposite the colour plates.

Freshwater life – the first illustrated field guide of its kind for the wider southern African region – describes a vast range of plant and animal groups in a single volume.

A ground-breaking concept that encompasses diverse groups from the large and conspicuous vertebrates to the diverse microscopic taxa, the book facilitates identifi cation and describes the ecology of more than 1,000 freshwater organisms.

Species have been selected on the basis of how likely they are to be encountered, and each account is accompanied by photographs and a distribution map. A comprehensive introduction details the ecology and signifi cance of freshwater systems. This indispensible, easy-to-use guide will prove invaluable to outdoor enthusiasts, students and conservationists.

With this lively guide, young adventurers will discover the many treasures along southern Africa’s shores, learn all about the strange and beautiful creatures they can expect to see at the beach and where to find them, then try the fascinating activities and make their own first-hand discoveries.

A companion volume to the popular Exploring Fynbos, this lively book is loaded with:

• interesting topics in accessible text

• interactive activities

• ‘did you know’ boxes

• ‘things to do’ panels