Emphasizes the disturbing consequences poaching and trafficking pose globally in terms of both biodiversity and public health

This guide will help ecotravellers find, identify, and learn about Southern Mexico's insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and plant and sea life.

In MexicoÕs southeastern frontier state of Quintana Roo, game animals and other creatures that depend on old-growth forest are disappearing in the face of habitat destruction and overhunting. Traditionally, the Yucatec Maya have regarded animals as fellow members of a wider society, and in their religion animals enjoy the status of spiritual beings. But in recent years, the breakdown of cultural restraints on hunting has spiraled so far out of control that almost everything edible within easy reach of a road has become fair game. This book combines the insights of an anthropologist with the hands-on experience of a Maya campesino with the aim of improving the management of Quintana RooÕs wild lands and animal resources. E. N. Anderson and Felix Medina Tzuc pool their knowledge to document Yucatec Maya understanding and use of animals and to address practical matters related to wider conservation issues. Although the Yucatec MayaÕs ethnobotany has been well documented, until now little has been recorded about their animal lore. Anderson and Medina Tzuc have compiled a wealth of information about traditional knowledge of animals in this corner of the Maya world. They have recorded most of the terms widely used for several hundred categories of animals in west central Quintana Roo, mapped them onto biological categories, and recorded basic information about wildlife management and uses. The book reflects a wealth of knowledge gathered from individuals regarded as experts on particular aspects of animal management, whether hunting, herding, or beekeeping. It also offers case studies of conservation successes and failures in various communities, pointing to the need for cooperation by the Mexican government and Maya people to save wildlife. Appendixes provide an extensive animal classification and a complete list of all birds identified in the area. Even though sustainable forestry has finally come to the Yucat‡n, sustainable game use is practiced by only a few communities.Animals and the Maya in Southeast Mexico is a complete ethnozoology for the region, offered in the hope that it will encourage the recognition of Quintana RooÕs forests and wildlife as no less deserving of protection than ancient Maya cities.

Mexico is the fourteenth largest country in the world and ranks fifth in biodiversity. Located in the transition zone between the temperate and tropical regions of North and South America, Mexico is an important migratory corridor for wildlife and also provides wintering habitat for several species of bats, monarch butterflies, and temperate North American nesting birds. Mexico faces several challenges to wildlife management and conservation efforts. While there is increased public education and acknowledgment of the valuable benefits wildlife provides, there is still much work to do to incentivize conservation efforts. Fortunately, there is growing recognition that Mexico’s wildlife resources can be a critical component in the rural economic development of the country. Bringing together an international team of wildlife experts across North America, Wildlife Ecology and Management in Mexico provides information on the status, distribution, ecological relationships, and habitat requirements and management of the most important game birds and mammals in Mexico. It also reviews current threats and challenges facing wildlife conservation as well as strategies for resolving these issues. This reference is a valuable tool for wildlife biologists, wildlife management professionals, and anyone interested in conserving Mexico’s wealth of natural resources. By laying out the challenges to conservation research, editors Raul Valdez and J. Alfonso Ortega-S. hope to encourage interdisciplinary communication and collaboration across borders.

"Intrepid conservation detective story." --Nature "A lucid, informed, and gripping account...a must-read." --Science "Passionate...a heartfelt and alarming tale." --Publishers Weekly "Gripping...a well-told and moving tale of environmentalism and conservation." --Kirkus "Compelling." --Library Journal In 2006, vaquita, a diminutive porpoise making its home in the Upper Gulf of California, inherited the dubious title of world's most endangered marine mammal. Vaquita have been in decline for decades, dying in illegal gillnets intended for a giant fish, totoaba. Author Brooke Bessesen takes us to the Upper Gulf region in search of answers to a heart-wrenching dilemma. When diplomatic efforts to save the porpoise failed, Bessesen followed a scientific team in a binational effort to capture remaining vaquita and breed them in captivity--the only hope for their survival. In this fast-paced, soul-searing tale, she learned that there are no easy answers when extinction is profitable.

The most comprehensive reference on Mexico's diverse mammalian fauna. Mammals of Mexico is the first reference book in English on the more than 500 types of mammal species found in the diverse Mexican habitats, which range from the Sonoran Desert to the Chiapas cloud forests. The authoritative species accounts are written by a Who’s Who of experts compiled by famed mammalogist and conservationist Gerardo Ceballos. Ten years in the making, Mammals of Mexico covers everything from obscure rodents to whales, bats, primates, and wolves. It is thoroughly illustrated with color photographs and meticulous artistic renderings, as well as range maps for each species. Introductory chapters discuss biogeography, conservation, and evolution. The final section of the book illustrates the skulls, jaws, and tracks of Mexico’s mammals. This unparalleled collection of scientific information on, and photographs of, Mexican wildlife belongs on the shelf of every mammalogist, in public and academic libraries, and in the hands of anyone curious about Mexico and its wildlife.