For those with access to U S books, I recommend one in particular (no, it is
not a picture book, it has black and white silhouette-type illustrations and text that give you the behavioral clues you need to quickly and easily identify many African mamals.) Better yet, to understand the many behaviors you will observe. For example, you know it's a rhino with her young - but which one? Quick! If you know in which species the mom rhino precedes or follows her young, even a quick glance and you know. Or, that rhinos keep middens...)
No, I am not sure anything explains why warthogs love chocolate... but "Bwana Diki" is one of the world's foremost mammologist, and this book is seasy for the layperson to understand and enjoy. IMO, far better than a pictrue field guide, though one of these is a nice adjunct. (Before the companion was published, Lady JDiver, I and my then-young nephew and nieces spent some time camping in Tanzania with "Bwana Diki" - the book is almost like having him there explaining it all.)
In Africa, you can usually get much more than you paid for this book at home - or make a very valuable gift to your guide or camp. And in South Africa, you will find a plethora of very good books on trails, spoor, fauna, flora you can not even imagine in the USA, so be sure to "book" some time in a bookshop.
(And if you don't think much of "jerky"
you must be sure to try some
biltong - perhaps ostrich. It's like comparing a beat up Ford Pinto to a Lexus. Lekker! er, Yummy!)
The Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, and Primates (Paperback)
by Richard D. Estes, Daniel Otte (Illustrator)
Paperback: 458 pages
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing Company; Rev Expand edition (December 1, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN: 1890132446
Product Dimensions: 9.0 x 6.0 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds.
Uh, there used to be a lighter field-guide version of this, if I recall, but it may be 'way out of print. One review of this book is:
[The Safari Companion] will foster a deeper appreciation of Africa's wildlife by teaching people on safari to be better observers and to understand how animals interact with each other and with their environment. This book is more than a field guide; it is a valuable tool for conservation.
-Kathryn S. fuller, President, World Wildlife Fund (USA)
For those insatiable people who want to now more:
The Behavior Guide to African Mammals: Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, Primates (Paperback)
by Richard D. Estes, Daniel Otte and Edward O. Wilson
Paperback: 640 pages
Publisher: University of California Press; 20th Anniversary Edition edition (March 28, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0520272978
ISBN-13: 978-0520272972
Product Dimensions: 1.3 x 6.3 x 9.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)