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We did end up buying a similar guide for butterflies of Costa Rica during our trip. I originally got this thinking it would be a novelty for my daughter on our trip. I would recommend this for children (and grown-ups) looking for something compact, sturdy and waterproof. I do wish we had purchased something about the plants/trees as well, though with the amount of plant life that might end up not being so portable.This was a great way for my daughter to "study" up on the wildlife and enjoy verifying what she saw. However, she really enjoyed having this with her whenever we went on hikes in order to identify anything we saw. The fact that it combined a variety of wildlife into one compact guide was a bonus.
And at the reasonable price offered through Amazon.com, these guides can be used in place of postcards for gifts to family and friends. No need to wait to get to a library or bookstore to identify new wildlife while traveling.simply reach for the wildlife guide. Be certain to pack this guide if you're heading to the Panama-Costa-Rica area. 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.
Can't have it all in 6 pages. There are two seasons in Costa Rica: the wet season and the more wet season. If you want convenience, buy this, but don't get it wet. If you want detail, buy an actual book. 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.
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. It was a life saver. 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. Honestly, I was so glad I had ordered it. 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's much more convenient to use for quick identification than trying to whip out a big book on a hike. When I bought this, I was expecting something a bit more substantial. I do plan to use this on my trip, but this would also be a good resource for kids to use also. I also like that it's durable and laminated. 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).
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