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Costa Rican Natural History
This volume is a synthesis of existing knowledge about the flora and fauna of Costa Rica. The major portion of the book consists of detailed accounts of agricultural species, vegetation, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds, and insects.
"This is an extraordinary, virtually unique work. . . . The tremendous amount of original, previously unpublished, firsthand information is remarkable."—Peter H. Raven, Director, Missouri Botanical Garden
"An essential resource for anyone interested in tropical biology. . . . It can be used both as an encyclopedia—a source of facts on specific organisms—and as a source of ideas and generalizations about tropical ecology."—Alan P. Smith, Ecology
"This is an extraordinary, virtually unique work. . . . The tremendous amount of original, previously unpublished, firsthand information is remarkable."—Peter H. Raven, Director, Missouri Botanical Garden
"An essential resource for anyone interested in tropical biology. . . . It can be used both as an encyclopedia—a source of facts on specific organisms—and as a source of ideas and generalizations about tropical ecology."—Alan P. Smith, Ecology
- GenresReference
823 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
3-read-nonfiction
March 20, 2017This was the natural history reference I used before our kayak expedition to Costa Rica. It is an excellent, academic work that was the best available at the time. For the general eco travelor it may be too academic and would have benefited greatly from the presence of color photos. Still, it is full of amazing vignettes of obscure tropical plants and creatures, and I still page through to revisit my favorite animal memories of the jungle - perhaps a reverie on azteca army ants, the bushmaster, leaf-cutter ants, howler monkeys, mot-mots or the oropendola.
"Night-flying moths use a distant point of light as a reference in flying from one place to another. Normally such points are distant, the moon and stars, and by maintaining a somewhat constant angle to the light source, the moth gets where it wants to go. But if it chooses an artificial light that is close by, maintaining a constant angle to it will cause the moth to fly around it in an ever-tightening spiral until it arrives there. Finding itself in 'daylight', it then roosts."
"Night-flying moths use a distant point of light as a reference in flying from one place to another. Normally such points are distant, the moon and stars, and by maintaining a somewhat constant angle to the light source, the moth gets where it wants to go. But if it chooses an artificial light that is close by, maintaining a constant angle to it will cause the moth to fly around it in an ever-tightening spiral until it arrives there. Finding itself in 'daylight', it then roosts."
May 10, 2009
One of the books I read while researching Costa Rica: the Last Country the Gods Made.
I loved this book. It was an amazing reference written with academic thoroughness and a real love of nature.
I loved this book. It was an amazing reference written with academic thoroughness and a real love of nature.
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January 8, 2026Eleven-year-old me is shaking
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews