As Belize is one of the most exhaustively studied tropical countries in the world, there are innumerable references that span every conceivable niche of flora, fauna, and geology. They come in massive, coffee-table sizes with color plates, as well as in pocket-size field guides: Tarantulas of Belize, Hummingbirds of Belize, Orchids of Belize, and so on. Following are a few titles that make up the tip of the iceberg for this category.

Arvigo, Rosita, and Michael Balick (foreword by Mickey Hart). Rainforest Remedies: 100 Healing Herbs of Belize. Wisconsin: Lotus Press, 1998.

Beletsky, Les. Belize and Northern Guatemala: The Ecotravellers’ Wildlife Guide. San Diego, California: Academic Press, 1999. One of the best reasonably-sized general nature guides to the area, with abundant color plates for all types of fauna.

Chalif, Edward L. and Roger Tory Peterson. Peterson Field Guide to Mexican Birds. Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1999. This is one of the best birder bibles for this region.

Dunn, Jon L. and Jonathan Alderfer. National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America. National Geographic, 2006. A gorgeous field guide worth lugging to the jungle.

Jones, H. Lee, and Dana Gardner (illustrator). Birds of Belize. Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd, 2004. This is the long-awaited, much-acclaimed bible of Belize birding (say that three times fast); it’s a big book (445 pages, 56 color plates, 28 figures, 234 maps), prompting some birders I met to cut out all the plates and travel with those only.

Sayers, Brendan, and Brett Adams. Guide to the Orchids of Belize. Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize: Cubola Productions, 2009. This is an excellent field guide to the many orchids found throughout Belize.

MacKinnon, Barbara. 100 Common Birds of the Yucatán Peninsula. Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico: Amigos de Sian Ka’an, 1989.

Stevens, Katie. Jungle Walk: Birds and Beasts of Belize, Central America. Belize: Angelus Press, 1991. Order through International Expeditions, tel. 800/633-4734.