Wildlife in The Gambia
Palpopleura portia. Photo by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/billsboy/3265697307/}Bathawks{/link}
Despite there being plenty written about The Gambia’s rich birdlife (avifauna, if you will) there is surprisingly little in print about the country’s generally rich and diverse wildlife – all the myriad species that support such biodiversity – the things that generally go unseen or are upstaged by the glamour and dazzle of the bird population. Sure, you wont find big game in The Gambia but there’s so much other stuff to see. And best of all? It’s so damn accessible.
The basic science of it is this: The Gambia lies at the heart of a patchwork of different zones and habitats – from, ahem the forest-savanna of the moister Guinean zone to the drier majesty of the Sudanian woodlands. Add to this the fecundity of the river estuary and of course the drama of the celebrated coastline and you have a platform for one of the most biodiverse regions anywhere in the world. I’ve said it before, but the place positively hums with life (but don’t worry, not in your hotel room!).
All of which is to say we’ve been alerted by Dr. David Penney of a newly published book – The Field Guide to the Wildlife of The Gambia, which is really the first of its kind. So if you’re at all interested in such matters then the book is readily available to order from the Siri Scientific Press. The book looks well worth a read.
