Costa Rican Natural History Summary and Reviews

Costa Rican Natural History

Costa Rican Natural History
List Price: $53.00
Our Price: $37.50
You Save: $15.50 (29%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $26.98 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


or

Book Summary Information

Editor: Daniel H. Janzen
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1983-09-15
ISBN: 0226393348
Number of pages: 823
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press

Book Reviews of Costa Rican Natural History

Book Review: Immensely useful compendium for the American tropics
Summary: 5 Stars

Janzen's book is over twenty years old but remains an encyclopaedia of tropical America. The 174 authors, all experts in their fields, have penned over 800 fascinating pages. The final product is a milestone, since much of the information presented was previously unpublished.

Introductory chapters cover the history of field biology in Costa Rica, biogeography, climate, geology and soils. The information presented is a thorough background for Costa Rica and provides a wealth of references for those who want to have more detail. These chapters are a useful aid to understanding the biology of any area in the northern Neotropics.

The bulk of the book comprises species accounts grouped systematically with an additional section on agriculture. At the start of each chapter, a well-written introduction gives an overview of the Costa Rican group in question and a taxonomic checklist for the country. However, the meat of the book is the species accounts themselves. Written by a large number of authors, they range from a brief few paragraphs to a couple of pages with two dozen references, depending on the amount of information available. Monochrome photographs illustrate the accounts.

Not surprisingly, Janzen's tome has found its way into universities, research stations and personal libraries throughout the American tropics. For the tropical naturalist who wants to know more than the identity of an animal or plant, this is the book to go for, especially for a trip to Costa Rica. Highly recommended.

History Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in A naturalist in Costa Rica
A Neotropical Companion ImageA Neotropical Companion
by John Kricher
Princeton University Press; Published: 1999-08-16; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.99
Price in other shops: $35.00
A Naturalist in Costa Rica ImageA Naturalist in Costa Rica
by Alexander, F. Skutch
University Press of Florida; Published: 1992-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $17.04
Price in other shops: $24.95
Field Guide to the Orchids of Costa Rica and Panama (Comstock Book) ImageField Guide to the Orchids of Costa Rica and Panama (Comstock Book)
by Robert L. Dressler
Cornell University Press; Published: 1993-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $33.15
Price in other shops: $42.95
A Field Guide to Plants of Costa Rica ImageA Field Guide to Plants of Costa Rica
by Margaret Gargiullo, Barbara Magnuson, Larry Kimball
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2008-03-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $23.08
Price in other shops: $39.50
Tropical Plants of Costa Rica: A Guide to Native and Exotic Flora ImageTropical Plants of Costa Rica: A Guide to Native and Exotic Flora
by Willow Zuchowski
Cornell University Press; Published: 2007-03-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $21.94
Price in other shops: $35.00
The Butterflies of Costa Rica and Their Natural History, Vol. II: Riodinidae ImageThe Butterflies of Costa Rica and Their Natural History, Vol. II: Riodinidae
by Philip J. DeVries
Princeton University Press; Published: 1997-03-17; Paperback; Book
Best price: $143.68
The Butterflies of Costa Rica and Their Natural History, Vol. I: Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae ImageThe Butterflies of Costa Rica and Their Natural History, Vol. I: Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae
by Philip J. Devries
Princeton University Press; Published: 1987-06-01; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops: $52.50
Serpientes de Costa Rica / Snakes of Costa Rica ImageSerpientes de Costa Rica / Snakes of Costa Rica
by Alejandro Solorzano
INBio; Published: 2005-01-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $60.00
Amphibians and Reptiles of La Selva, Costa Rica, and the Caribbean Slope: A Comprehensive Guide ImageAmphibians and Reptiles of La Selva, Costa Rica, and the Caribbean Slope: A Comprehensive Guide
by Craig Guyer, Maureen A. Donnelly
University of California Press; Published: 2004-12-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $14.75
Price in other shops: $24.95
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna between Two Continents, between Two Seas ImageThe Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna between Two Continents, between Two Seas
by Jay M. Savage
University Of Chicago Press; Published: 2005-12-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $35.34
Price in other shops: $51.00
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna between Two Continents, between Two Seas ImageThe Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna between Two Continents, between Two Seas
by Jay M. Savage
University Of Chicago Press; Published: 2005-12-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $45.90
Price in other shops: $51.00
Costa Rican Wildlife: An Introduction to Familiar Species (A Pocket Naturalist Guide) ImageCosta Rican Wildlife: An Introduction to Familiar Species (A Pocket Naturalist Guide)
by James Kavanagh
Waterford Press; Published: 2001-01-01; Pamphlet; Book
Best price: $2.74
Price in other shops: $5.95
Costa Rica Butterflies & Moths: An Introduction to Familiar Species (A Pocket Naturalist Guide) ImageCosta Rica Butterflies & Moths: An Introduction to Familiar Species (A Pocket Naturalist Guide)
by James Kavanagh
Waterford Press; Published: 2007-10-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $2.05
Price in other shops: $5.95
Travellers' Wildlife Guides Costa Rica ImageTravellers' Wildlife Guides Costa Rica
by Les Beletsky
Interlink Pub Group; Published: 2004-10-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.78
Price in other shops: $29.95
The Mammals of Costa Rica: A Natural History and Field Guide ImageThe Mammals of Costa Rica: A Natural History and Field Guide
by Mark Wainwright
Cornell University Press; Published: 2007-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $19.54
Price in other shops: $29.95
A Neotropical Companion ImageA Neotropical Companion
by John Kricher
Princeton University Press; Published: 1999-08-16; Paperback; Book
Best price: $21.94
Price in other shops: $35.00
A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica (Comstock Book) ImageA Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica (Comstock Book)
by F. Gary Stiles, Alexander F. Skutch
Cornell University Press; Published: 1990-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $24.65
Price in other shops: $39.95
The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide ImageThe Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide
by Richard Garrigues
Cornell University Press; Published: 2007-04-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.76
Price in other shops: $29.95
Tropical Plants of Costa Rica: A Guide to Native and Exotic Flora ImageTropical Plants of Costa Rica: A Guide to Native and Exotic Flora
by Willow Zuchowski
Cornell University Press; Published: 2007-03-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $21.94
Price in other shops: $35.00
Tropical Nature: Life and Death in the Rain Forests of Central and South America ImageTropical Nature: Life and Death in the Rain Forests of Central and South America
by Adrian Forsyth, Ken Miyata
Touchstone; Published: 1987-01-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.75
Price in other shops: $14.00