Galapagos (Smithsonian Natural History Series) - Hardcover

John Kricher

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1588340414 ISBN 13: 9781588340412

Publisher: Smithsonian, 2002

Synopsis

The Galįpagos Islands are a paradise for birders, botanists, geologists, and snorkelers, with many islands still devoid of human habitation. As they lie more than 600 miles west of South America and were never connected to the mainland, almost all plant and animal life arrived here by chance. As Charles Darwin discovered, the evolution of plants and animals is more visible here than anywhere else on Earth. John Kricher, a renowned ecologist and Galįpagos ecotour guide, presents a detailed natural history of this spectacular archipelago. He looks at the amazing diversity of life found here, from flamingos to penguins, and explains the fascinating geology of these remote islands. Throughout his narrative, Kricher weaves the intriguing history of evolutionary biology that is intimately connected with the islands, and describes Darwin's adventures and observations while he was visiting the islands in 1835. Indeed, Kricher takes his chapter titles from comments scattered throughout Darwin's account of his expedition around the world, The Voyage of the Beagle. Kricher closes his book by assessing the conservation efforts and challenges to preserve the Galįpagos. Also included is an island-by-island guide explaining exactly what you will find on the various islands. For both the ecotraveler and the nature enthusiast, Galįpagos is essential reading.

About this title

About the Author:

John Kricher, a professor of biology at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, has led ecotours to many places around the world including the Galįpagos Islands, coastal New England, the Pacific Northwest, Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, Trinidad, and Ecuador. His most recent book is A Neotropical Companion (1999).

About this edition

• Publisher: Smithsonian
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 1588340414
• ISBN 13: 9781588340412
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256