Book excerpt: Invertebrates of Southern Africa and their Tracks & Signs covers a never-before-explored aspect of Southern African nature and is an essential new addition to the library of every nature lover. It was researched and written over the last four and a half years to open a door to a little known micro-world that exists all around us. Invertebrates - which include commonly seen creatures such as butterflies, spiders, beetles, worms and scorpions - are everywhere. The signs of their day-to-day activities are all around us if we know where to look. The life cycles and behaviours of many animals are discussed, with a special focus on interactions between mammals and invertebrates - a fascinating subject in itself. While working on this book, Lee Gutteridge spent many hours in the field with expert entomologists and arachnologists, many of whom commented that; even though they had spent a lifetime in the field, this experience, of invertebrate tracking, had changed the way that they see the invertebrate world. With funding received from the Oppenheimer family, 250 copies will be donated to indigenous trackers, whose knowledge Lee appreciates and respects.