| |
| |
| Foreword | |
| |
| |
| Preface | |
| |
| |
| |
| Ecotourism: Travel for the Environmentally Concerned | |
| |
| |
| What Ecotourism Is and Why It's Important | |
| |
| |
| The History of Ecotourism | |
| |
| |
| How Ecotourism Helps; Ecotravel Ethics | |
| |
| |
| |
| Belize and Northern Guatemala: Ecotourism, Geography, Habitats, Parks, and Reserves | |
| |
| |
| A Brief Eco-history of Belize and Northern Guatemala | |
| |
| |
| Belize | |
| |
| |
| Guatemala | |
| |
| |
| Geography and Climate | |
| |
| |
| Belize | |
| |
| |
| Guatemala | |
| |
| |
| Habitats | |
| |
| |
| Tropical Forest: General Characteristics | |
| |
| |
| Forest Habitats and Common Vegetation | |
| |
| |
| Belize | |
| |
| |
| Guatemala | |
| |
| |
| Parks, Reserves, and Other Eco-sites: Brief Descriptions and Getting | |
| |
| |
| Around | |
| |
| |
| Belize | |
| |
| |
| Guatemala | |
| |
| |
| |
| Environmental Threats and Conservation | |
| |
| |
| Belize | |
| |
| |
| Major Threats and Conservation Record | |
| |
| |
| Conservation Programs and Ecotourism | |
| |
| |
| Northern Guatemala - Peten District | |
| |
| |
| History of the Peten | |
| |
| |
| Major Threats | |
| |
| |
| Conservation Programs and Ecotourism | |
| |
| |
| |
| How To Use This Book: Ecology and Natural History | |
| |
| |
| What Is Natural History? | |
| |
| |
| What Is Ecology and What Are Ecological Interactions? | |
| |
| |
| How To Use This Book | |
| |
| |
| Information Given in the Family Profiles | |
| |
| |
| Information Given in the Color Plate Sections | |
| |
| |
| |
| Amphibians | |
| |
| |
| General Characteristics and Natural History | |
| |
| |
| Seeing Amphibians in Belize and Guatemala | |
| |
| |
| Family Profiles | |
| |
| |
| |
| Salamanders | |
| |
| |
| |
| Toads | |
| |
| |
| |
| Rainfrogs | |
| |
| |
| |
| Treefrogs | |
| |
| |
| |
| Other Frogs | |
| |
| |
| Environmental Close-up 1: Frog Population Declines: Amphibian Armageddon or Alarmist Absurdity? | |
| |
| |
| |
| Reptiles | |
| |
| |
| General Characteristics and Natural History | |
| |
| |
| Seeing Reptiles in Belize and Guatemala | |
| |
| |
| Family Profiles | |
| |
| |
| |
| Crocodilians | |
| |
| |
| |
| Turtles | |
| |
| |
| |
| Colubrids: Your Regular, Everyday Snakes | |
| |
| |
| |
| Dangerous Snakes and Boas | |
| |
| |
| |
| Geckos | |
| |
| |
| |
| Iguanids | |
| |
| |
| |
| Skinks and Whiptails | |
| |
| |
| Environmental Close-up 2: Poisons and Potions in Snakes and Frogs | |
| |
| |
| |
| Birds | |
| |
| |
| Introduction | |
| |
| |
| General Characteristics of Birds | |
| |
| |
| Classification of Birds | |
| |
| |
| Features of Tropical Birds | |
| |
| |
| Seeing Birds in Belize and Guatemala | |
| |
| |
| Family Profiles | |
| |
| |
| |
| Seabirds | |
| |
| |
| |
| Waterbirds | |
| |
| |
| |
| Herons and Egrets | |
| |
| |
| |
| Marsh and Stream Birds | |
| |
| |
| |
| Ducks | |
| |
| |
| |
| Shorebirds | |
| |
| |
| |
| Currasows, Quail, and Turkey | |
| |
| |
| |
| Tinamous | |
| |
| |
| |
| Vultures | |
| |
| |
| |
| Raptors | |
| |
| |
| |
| Pigeons and Doves | |
| |
| |
| |
| Parrots | |
| |
| |
| |
| Cuckoos and Anis | |
| |
| |
| |
| Owls | |
| |
| |
| |
| Goatsuckers | |
| |
| |
| |
| Swifts and Swallows | |
| |
| |
| |
| Hummingbirds | |
| |
| |
| |
| Trogons | |
| |
| |
| |
| Jacamars and Puffbirds | |
| |
| |
| |
| Kingfishers | |
| |
| |
| |
| Motmots | |
| |
| |
| |
| Woodpeckers | |
| |
| |
| |
| Toucans | |
| |
| |
| |
| Woodcreepers | |
| |
| |
| |
| Antbirds | |
| |
| |
| |
| Manakins | |
| |
| |
| |
| Cotingas | |
| |
| |
| |
| American Flycatchers | |
| |
| |
| |
| Wrens | |
| |
| |
| |
| Thrushes and Mockingbirds | |
| |
| |
| |
| Jays | |
| |
| |
| |
| Warblers and other small, flitting birds | |
| |
| |
| |
| Blackbirds and Orioles | |
| |
| |
| |
| Tanagers | |
| |
| |
| |
| Sparrows and Grosbeaks | |
| |
| |
| Environmental Close-up 3: Coffee Crops and Conservation | |
| |
| |
| |
| Mammals | |
| |
| |
| Introduction | |
| |
| |
| General characteristics | |
| |
| |
| Classification of mammals | |
| |
| |
| Features of Tropical Mammals | |
| |
| |
| Seeing Mammals in Belize and Guatemala | |
| |
| |
| Family Profiles | |
| |
| |
| |
| Opossums | |
| |
| |
| |
| Bats | |
| |
| |
| |
| Primates | |
| |
| |
| |
| Anteaters and Armadillos | |
| |
| |
| |
| Rodents | |
| |
| |
| |
| Carnivores | |
| |
| |
| |
| Peccaries and Deer | |
| |
| |
| |
| Tapir | |
| |
| |
| |
| Marine Mammals | |
| |
| |
| Environmental Close-up 4: The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center | |
| |
| |
| |
| Marine Life | |
| |
| |
| The Barrier Reef Ecosystem | |
| |
| |
| Coral Reef Communities | |
| |
| |
| Coral Biology | |
| |
| |
| Common Reef Animals | |
| |
| |
| Mangrove Swamps | |
| |
| |
| Diving in Belize | |
| |
| |
| Identification Plates 1-104 | |
| |
| |
| Habitat Photos | |
| |
| |
| References | |
| |
| |
| WCS Conservation Work in Latin America | |
| |
| |
| WCS Membership Information Page | |
| |
| |
| Species Index | |
| |
| |
| General Index | |