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.

Mammals come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes, from tiny bats and mice to massive elephants and whales. This title introduces a cross-section of southern African mammals - 58 animals illustrated in full colour, along with easy text and visual clues as to the animals' size, their tracks and what they eat.

This pocket-sized photographic guide to the birds of East Africa features 296 birds likely to be spotted in the region.

- Colourful photographs illustrate diagnostic features and plumage differences between male and female or breeding and non-breeding birds.

- Comparative photographs help differentiate between confusing species.

- Important distinguishing characteristics are highlighted in the text.

- Distribution maps and Swahili common names for all species are included.

- Introduction features a labelled bird diagram, habitat map, glossary and useful advice to birdwatchers.

An invaluable guide for visitors to national parks and the many areas in East Africa that are rich in birdlife.

More than 1 000 mammal species occur in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. These creatures vary in size from the massive elephant to the tiniest bats, shrews and mice. A Photographic Guide to Mammals of Southern, Central and East Africa was compiled with a view to easing identification of many of the larger and more conspicuous mammals in the region, as well as some of the smaller and more unusual ones.

This compact, easy-to-use guide features:

- 152 of the region's mammal species

- key identification features showing how to differentiate between similar species

- distribution maps and a list of major parks and reserves indicating where species are likely to be seen

- quick reference key on inside cover

- thumbnail silhouettes of each family group for quick identification

This new revised edition is an ideal pocket-sized travelling companion for nature lovers and visitors to nature reserves and wildlife areas.

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.

Identify bird calls with this handy guide and CD, which together feature 500 distinctive southern African species. The CD gives the best-known song or call of each species; the book provides clear and accessible text, with a brief account for each species, including a description of the song, associated behaviour, similar-sounding species, the bird’s favoured habitat type, and a distribution map.

The introduction describes interesting aspects of bird vocalisations, the differences between true songbirds and non-songbirds and why calls often change with the seasons and time of day. Delve into the endlessly fascinating language of birds with this concise guide and CD.

Sasol First Field Guide to Wildlife of Southern Africa provides fascinating insight into the richly diverse wild life of the region - the more commonly seen spiders, scorpions, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. With the help of full-colour photographs and distribution maps, and easy-to-read text, the young adult and budding naturalist will be able to identify the more common animal species found in southern Africa, discover where they live, and learn about their unique feeding and breeding habits.

New in Struik Nature’s Pocket Guide series, this book covers an astonishing 500 southern African birds yet is small enough to fit in your pocket.

It is loaded with information that makes for quick and easy bird identification:

• Colour photographs show each bird, giving both male and female images where there's a difference.
• Concise text pinpoints key identification features.
• Distribution maps locate each species in the region.
• Calendar bars show the months when the birds are more likely to be seen.
• Bird size and breeding months are indicated.
• For use at home or when travelling to new climes, this handy pocket guide will be an indispensable companion.

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.

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.

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.

This is an all-in-one travellers' guide to the Serengeti National Park – the vast, iconic reserve in the heart of East Africa. The book offers detailed maps, travel information and a photographic field guide in a single, handy volume.

The scope of this guide is rich and encompassing: after a general introduction to the Serengeti, it discusses the history and people of the region; the landscape, geology and soils; tourist information, including recommended routes, best season, safaris offered and booking details; and it describes the important places to see. Detailed maps indicate tourist routes and what to look out for.

The field guide section includes zsubstantial check lists and colour photos of the vegetation (trees, flowers, grasses), mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds one is likely to see. It includes info on the habits and behaviours of the animals described.

Packed with interesting facts, maps and images, and with a comprehensive index for easy reference, this is an essential guide for visitors and tourists to the Serengeti National Park.

Sasol First Field Guide to Snakes & Other Reptiles of Southern Africa provides fascinating insight into the reptiles of the region.

Through full-colour photographs and distribution maps, and easy-to-read text, the beginner and budding naturalist will be able to identify the more common species found in southern Africa, discover where they live, and learn about their unique feeding and nesting habits.

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.

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.

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.

The Reef Guide documents some 800 reef fishes and invertebrates found along the east and south coasts of southern Africa.

Following on the success of Dennis King’s earlier two titles, this impressive new guide features 578 species of fish and includes sections on anemones, starfish, snails, crabs and shrimps.

Full-colour photographs and descriptive text for each species, along with useful and interesting information, make for easy identification. While focusing on southern Africa, the book is also applicable to the entire east coast of Africa, as well as the islands of the western Indian Ocean – Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunion, Madagascar, the Comoros and the Maldives.

Indispensable for divers, snorkelers and rock-pool enthusiasts, as well as fishermen and marine aquarists.

A remarkable variety of animals and plants can be found in the wilderness region surrounding the Okavango Delta. This photographic guide covers more than 470 of the area’s most conspicuous and interesting mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, fishes, invertebrates, trees and aquatic plants.

An informative introduction describes the area’s geology, climate, habitats and the key roles played by some animals, such as termites and elephants. The species accounts feature concise text describing the species’ appearance, size, habits, habitat and status, with full-colour photographs to facilitate identification.

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

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.

Frogs & Frogging in South Africa offers amateur froggers an accessible and practical introduction to frog identification.

This edition of the highly popular guide has been expertly revised and fully updated to reflect the latest advances in taxonomy and nomenclature.

It offers: all of the species in Africa south of latitude 22 °S; a section on frog biology and behaviour; how to photograph frogs and record their calls; how to attract frogs to your garden, and ideas for projects such as building a pond; the range of frog species to be found in different environmental niches; maps and colourful photographs with the updated accounts; a new key to the identification of tadpole genera; a CD with all 115 frog calls, which offer one of the best ways to find.

The Kruger National Park, one of the largest and best-known conservation areas in the world, supports a remarkable diversity of birds. This attractive and handy field guide lists more than 500 species that have been recorded here, and provides full-colour photographs, detailed distribution maps and succinct information on 400 of these – all the species that a visitor is likely to encounter in the park.

An informative introduction describes the park’s underlying geology, vegetation types, climate and rainfall, and how these dictate bird distributions within the area.

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.

Here is an all-in-one travellers' guide to one of the most extraordinary and beautiful places on Earth. It offers detailed maps, travel information and a photographic field guide in a single, handy volume. The travel guide section offers a regional map and 12 detailed satellite maps of all tourist areas; info on how to get around, where to stay, road conditions, climate and best season to visit; and background info on the history, people, topography, geology and archaeology. The field guide section includes check lists and over 500 photos of the plants, animals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects one is likely to see; info on the nutritional value and medicinal uses of plants; habitat preferences of large mammals, and interesting animal and bird behaviour. A comprehensive index for easy reference rounds off this essential guide for visitors and tourists to East Africa.