Book excerpt: A comprehensive and user-friendly photographic field guide covering more than 1,000 birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, and plants The Indian subcontinent is exceptionally rich in wildlife because of its wide variety of habitats and climates, ranging from the ocean to the Himalayas and from the Rajasthan desert to Mawsynram in Meghalaya, one of the wettest places on earth. This diversity supports a huge range of charismatic species, from the iconic Tiger to Clouded Leopards, crocodiles to King Cobras, hornbills to eagles. Covering these animals and many others, as well as trees and flowers, this color photographic field guide describes and illustrates more than 1,000 species from all over India, including the Andaman and Nicobar islands. The guide begins with an overview of India’s climate and geography, its wildlife habitats and how to enjoy them, and threats to wildlife. The main part of the book includes concise species descriptions of 770 birds, 114 mammals, 72 butterflies and other insects, 54 reptiles, and 54 plants, each accompanied by a photograph. The book concludes with a section on wildlife-watching in the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, which offer the best chance of seeing many of the species described. Describes and illustrates more than 1,000 species from all across India—including some 770 birds, 114 mammals, 72 butterflies and other insects, 54 reptiles, and 54 plants Features more than 1,000 color photographs Includes a guide to national parks and wildlife sanctuaries and the key species to be seen there