The Gambia Blog

Field Guide to Wildlife of The Gambia

First of all, thanks to David Penney for sending us a copy of his new book Field Guide to Wildlife of The Gambia. We’re obviously huge advocates of the wildlife in The Gambia – to us, along with the weather and the people, it’s one of the main reasons for going. The Gambia does genuinely teem with life and there is a good deal more than just the (admittedly spectacular) bird life. Aside from the excellent bird guides, such as Clive Barlow and Tim Wacher’s Birds of the Gambia, up until now, however, there has been very little official written about the flora and fauna of The Gambia – step forward Dr David Penney, renowned zoologist and visiting research fellow at the University of Manchester.

The book is thorough without being exhaustive – and in reality a definitive guide to the areas flora and fauna would be such a monumental project as to escape the bounds of a handy sized book such as this. What the book does though is ably introduce the reader to the various species of flowers and animals you might see on a stay in The Gambia. And what the book does very well is to appeal to all kinds of reader – from the prospective tourist with a passing interest in the country to those who might be interested in a more rigorous examination of what they might see picking through the lush tropical landscape of The Gambia.

A Plumeria, Kotu The Gambia. Photo by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattisj/}mattisj{/link}

So what do you get from the book in practical terms? Well, there is an introduction which covers why The Gambia is a such a biodiverse region – including a detailed look at the various eco-zones and habitats you’ll find within the country. The body of the book is a series of plates,  showing a cross section of the various species you might see whilst in the country. This ranges from flowering plants to fungi via reptiles and amphibians to some of the country’s astonishing butterflies to mantids, earwigs, spinners and beyond! Some of the pictures may not be for the faint-hearted but the book is never less than engaging and ultimately a vary intriguing offering. The book concludes with short sections on biodiversity and conservation issues and additional resources for those wanting to seek further information.

A monarch butterfly, The Gambia. Photo by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattisj/}mattisj{/link}

Overall, I think David Penney’s book is an invaluable new resource for anyone interested in The Gambia. And like all great guides and wildlife handbooks, it makes you want to return to the source – to hunt out all that fierce burning life and see it for yourself once more.

You can buy Dr Penney’s book direct from the publishers: Siri Scientific Press