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No need to wait to get to a library or bookstore to identify new wildlife while traveling.simply reach for the wildlife guide. The Costa Rica Wildlife Guide by Waterford Press is an excellent resource for easy identification of most of the wildlife (birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals & butterflies)one might encounter while traveling in the Panama-Costa Rica area. It easily fits into a backpack, long pocket, or travel pouch for handy referral. And at the reasonable price offered through Amazon.com, these guides can be used in place of postcards for gifts to family and friends. Be certain to pack this guide if you're heading to the Panama-Costa-Rica area.
There are two seasons in Costa Rica: the wet season and the more wet season. Can't have it all in 6 pages. This guide, while useful, wicked water into the print and was wet inside my backpack. We saw and identified a number of species with this booklet, but there are also a lot more common species that aren't listed. If you want detail, buy an actual book. If you want convenience, buy this, but don't get it wet.
However it was WORTH EVERY PENNY when at one point we were hiking through the rainforest, it was hot and muggy and I used this little guide as a fan. The sales image of the item makes it appear to be a small book, so I was a little disappointed to find it was a 1 page fold out. It's sturdy construction made it perfect. However, it's laminated and sturdy, and we actually did use it to ID a few mammals (already had the bird ID book). As a guide it's far too brief for the $5.95 price tag. It was a life saver. Honestly, I was so glad I had ordered it.
When I bought this, I was expecting something a bit more substantial. It's much more convenient to use for quick identification than trying to whip out a big book on a hike. It is literally a small laminated pamphlet. However, I think it is useful to have (in addition to a more extensive field guide-type wildlife book). I also like that it's durable and laminated. I do plan to use this on my trip, but this would also be a good resource for kids to use also.
Pros: waterproof, highlights the most often seen wildlife, nice to have a basic guide to refer to, lightweightCons: Not comprehensive enough. We used this guide on our recent trip with an organized tour group to Costa Rica. We didn't want anything too heavy to carry and wanted something we could easily slip in a day pack. It is somewhat useful; we saw wildlife that wasn't included in the guide, but we saw a lot of wildlife that was included.
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