Nature Books

Plants and plant-derived products make up the bulk of what we eat and drink every day, and people often wonder where their favourite food or drink comes from. This scientifically accurate photographic guide provides quick and colourful answers.

"Food Plants of the World" is a comprehensive overview of the plants that provide us with food, beverages, spices and flavours. It is written in easy language but gives accurate scientific information on the plants and their uses. This expanded and revised second edition of the book includes:

• Descriptions of more than 400 food and flavour plants and their close relatives. For each plant, the following information is given: plant description, origin, history, cultivation, harvesting, properties and culinary uses.
• More than 1000 excellent full-colour photographs, showing the plants, flowers and actual plant parts that are used.
• Introductory chapters on each of the various categories of plant use; cereals, pulses (legumes), nuts and seeds, fruits, vegetables, culinary herbs, sugar plants, beverages, spices and flavourings.
• Interesting facts about the historical and contemporary uses of the various plant-derived products.
• A checklist of more than 900 of the most important and well-known food plants of the world, listed according to scientific name but giving the common names, family name, region of origin, main uses and plant parts used.

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.

The first guide to cover all known frogs, caecilians and salamanders of Africa.

"Field Guide to the Frogs & other Amphibians of Africa" is the first comprehensive guide to amphibian species on the African continent. This new guide details 815 species - 788 frogs, 23 caecilians and four salamanders. It includes an introduction that offers tips on handling and identifying amphibians, and an illustrated guide to each species group, which serves as a first step towards species ID. Species accounts describe physical features, distribution, habitat, biology, advertisement calls and conservation status of each amphibian, and are supported by colour photographs and up-to-date distribution maps.
Authoritative and pioneering, this guide will prove invaluable to nature lovers, conservationists, tour guides, students and scientists.

"Freshwater Life" - the first illustrated field guide of its kind for the wider southern African region - describes a vast range of aquatic plant and animal groups in a single volume. This ground-breaking publication encompasses diverse groups from the large and conspicuous vertebrates to the diverse microscopic taxa, facilitating identification and describing 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 significance of freshwater systems. This indispensable, easy-to-use guide will prove invaluable to outdoor enthusiasts, students and conservationists.

An essential guide, "Snakes and Snakebite in Southern Africa" describes all dangerous, and several harmless, snakes occurring in the region. It also describes the symptoms resulting from bites and gives practical advice on first-aid measures.
Now fully revised and expanded, this third edition includes nine additional species, over 250 new photographs, and the latest medical information.
Simple icons, distribution maps, succinct text and full-colour photographs make this a clear, practical and easy-to-use guide.

Chameleons are fascinating creatures: they evoke a strong response in people, be it delight and wonder or fear. "Chameleons of Southern Africa" explores this interesting group of lizards and discusses their unusual and intriguing characteristics.

The book presents and overview of all types of chameleons (of which there are up to 160 species), their history, geographic distribution (restricted mainly to Madagascar and Africa), reproduction, behaviour and their relationships to one another. And there's a comprehensive identification guide to all southern African species - some 25 have been identified to date - together with distribution maps and colourful photographs of their many features and guises.

For interested students, gardeners, naturalists and even just the curious, "Chameleons of Southern Africa" is an essential guide to these captivating lizards.

"Insektopedie" lê die betowering en ryke verskeidenheid van die wêreld van insekte bloot - van paring en broeigedrag, metamorfose en beweging tot sig, reuk, gehoor en hul anpassings by hitte en koue.
'n Hoofstuk oor superorganismes odnersoek die merkwaardige verskynsel van sosiale gemeenskappe; 'n ander een dek die kritieke rol wat dié diertjeis speel om die fyn balans van lewe op ons planeet in stand te hou.
Die boek sluit af met 'n 62-bladsy geïllustreerde gids wat die meeste insekordes en hul belangrikste families beskryf. Voorheen uitgegee as "Inseklopedie van Suider-Afrika" gepubliseer, maar die nuwe uitgawe is nou omvattend hersien en herontwerp, met die nuutste inligting, 'n uitgebreide ID-seksie en 'n paar honderd nuwe foto's.

Newly revised, "Frogs of Southern Africa: A Complete Guide" is 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 edition (with a slight name change) has been thoroughly updated to reflect taxonomic changes based on the most recent DNA studies, and includes 12 new species and over 130 new photographs. 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 large, full-colour images, keys to species and summary panels on 'Key ID points' and 'Distinctive characters'. Calls for most species can be assessed via QR codes in the book or downloaded from a dedicated website (www.frogbook.co.za). Spectrograms of the calls are also included in this book.
Written by respected authorities in the field, this new edition will be of benefit to all nature lovers, amateur 'froggers', students and professional scientists.

An easy-to-use identification guide to the whales, dolphins and seals found in southern African waters and the Southern Ocean. This handy book:
• Covers key identification features, behaviour, diet and distribution
• Includes best times and places to view more commonly seen species
• Explains breaching, spyhopping, lob-tailing, bow-riding, logging and other common behaviours
• Features detailed illustrations of diagnostic characteristics
• Includes the diving outlines, breathing 'blow' and tail shapes of common whales.

The only book to focus exclusively on southern Africa's seabirds.

"Guide to Seabirds of Southern Africa" describes the 142 seabird species that occur around the southern African coastline and adjacent Southern Ocean. This second edition covers nine new species recorded since the first edition was published, and adds many new images, with full-page treatments for most species. This authoritative, lavishly illustrated and detailed book offers:
• The latest information, gathered and collated by the region's foremost seabird specialist
• Clear ID pointers plus information on biology, behaviour and conservation status
• Multiple photographs of each bird
• Distribution maps
• An expanded introduction that covers seabird origins, moult, feeding, breeding, conservation, and how best to watch and photograph these iconic birds
• A new section on flying fish and flying squid

An essential guide for birdwatchers and nature lovers who spend time at sea.

Gansbaai, a fishing village on the southern coast of Africa, had earned the name Shark Town. Thanks to nearby Seal Island - a breeding ground for the Cape fur seal - Great White sharks were attracted to the coastal waters in pursuit of their favoured prey. Local entrepreneurs, themselves drawn to the majestic apex predators, had set up and developed a lucrative cage-diving industry, with visitors from around the world flocking in to witness, close-up, the guaranteed display of mighty Great White sharks. Business was booming, and the town was alive with services and spin-offs that benefitted the local population.
Then, one day, the sharks disappeared. The stream of tourists thinned, then stopped. Boats remained on land, and the bonanza threatened to dry up. What could be the cause of the shark exodus? In this account of the real-life drama, Richard Peirce explores the events of those fraught months, unravels the possible reasons - and comes to some startling conclusions.

Increasingly popular with nature lovers and tourists alike, the West Coast is South Africa's most enigmatic coastline - a place of wild seas, windswept beaches, expansive coastal plains and warm, hospitable people. The author begins his journey at Melkbosstrand near Cape Town and ends in the far north where the Orange River drains into the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way he explores the coast's history, its seaside towns and villages, fauna and flora, agriculture, the romance of past mining days, and the eccentricities of its inhabitants.

The book is divided into four sections. Among its features are:
• spectacular floral riches of the West Coast and Namaqualand
• the discovery of 5-million-year-old faunal fossils in the West Coast Fossil Park
• Eve's footprints, early human activity at Elands Bay, and the preservation of San history at !Khwa ttu
• Langebaan Lagoon and offshore islands in Saldanha Bay
• national parks, nature reserves, wetlands and estuaries and their attendant wildlife
• bustling wine farms, famous eateries and cultural attractions, among them Pieter-Dirk Uys's Evita se Perron
• colourful tales of West Coast families
• the allure of the Diamond Coast.

The magic and mystery of the West Coast captured here promise to stir curiosity and awaken the wanderlust of all readers.

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 group of fishes, 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, with notes and images in the margins that provide an interesting and revealing commentary on Smith's text. An introductory chapter sets the scene for the drama about to unfold; and concluding chapters discuss further discoveries of coelacanths and the cast of characters involved, as well as the significance of the coelacanth, its anomalous characteristics and the extraordinary impact it has had internationally in the fields of both natural and cultural history.
With a Foreword by the Smith's son William, himself a well-known educational TV personality in South Africa, this book brings the coelacanth story right up to date. In particular, Bruton stresses the significance of the coelacanth as a symbol for marine conservation.

"Insectopedia" uncovers the fascinating and infinitely varied world of insects - from mating and breeding, metamorphosis and movement to sight, smell, hearing and their adaptations to heat and cold.
A chapter on superorganisms probes the curious phenomenon of social communities among insects; another covers the critical role that these creatures play in maintaining the fragile balance of life on our planet.
The book concludes with a 62-page illustrated guide, describing most insect orders and their main families. Previously published as "Insectlopedia of Southern Africa", this fully revised and redesigned edition includes up-to-date information throughout, an expanded ID section, and several hundred new photographs.

Ken voëls maklik uit!

"Newman se Voëls volgens Kleur" bied 'n vinnige en maklike manier om Suider-Afrika se mees algemene voëls op grond van eerste indruk uit te ken. Om identifikasie verder te vergemaklik bevat hierdie handige, ryklik geïllustreerde gidsboek, nou in sy vierde uitgawe, ook foto's om die illustrasies aan te vul. Dit is opgedateer om die jongste naamveranderings te weerspieël, en sluit ook voëlname in verskeie plaaslike tale in. Voëls word volgens die kleur van hul verekleed, sowel as hul grootte, in afsonderlike afdelings gegroepeer sodat die boek maklik gebruik kan word. 'n Insiggewende inleiding verskaf praktiese wenke om voëls uti te ken en sluit ook inligting oor voëlanatomie en -klassifikasie in, asook leiding vir die aspirant-voëlkyker.

Bird identification made simple.

"Newman's Birds by Colour" offers a quick and easy way to identify southern Africa's most common birds based on first impression. Now in its fourth edition, this handy illustrated guide includes photographs, in addition to the illustrations, to further aid identification. This book has been updated to reflect the latest name changes, and now includes bird names in several local languages. Birds are grouped in distinct sections according to the colour of their plumage, as well as their size, making the book easy to navigate. An informative introduction provides practical tips for identifying birds, and includes information on bird anatomy and classification, and guidance on what you need to go birding.