About this item
A quirky collection of Earth's most compelling animals who give mythical creatures a run for their moneyThe Modern Bestiary: A Curated Collection of Wondrous Wildlife mirrors the medieval tradition of an encyclopedia of incredible beasts, only this charming book with ornamental illustrations features 100 real animals who are stranger than fiction. Organized by the elements Earth, Water, and Air, the book introduces both unfamiliar creatures, like deep-sea harp sponges who catch prey in their barbs and digest them whole, as well as ones that have made headlines, such as cicadas who emerge from the ground in noisy broods every thirteen or seventeen years. Step right up and meet these delightful, unbelievable, and deliciously horrific animals, including: The endearing:same-sex albatross mothers who raise chicks togethertarantulas who keep frogs as petszebra finches who sing to their eggs to warn them of hot weatherThe ruthless:flukes who manipulate their host into getting eaten by a final hosthorned lizards who squirt blood through their eyes to distract predatorssouthern grasshopper mice who harness scorpion venom as a painkiller And the just plain weird:antechinuses who mate themselves to deathpearlfish who live, fight, and mate in sea cucumber buttsimmortal jellyfish who reverse their aging process when stressed Funny, entertaining, and illuminating, The Modern Bestiary is a book for anyone who wants to become more familiar with the natural world and all its astounding creatures.
About the Author
Dr Joanna Bagniewska is a zoologist and science communicator. She completed her undergraduate degree at Jacobs University Bremen and Rice University in Houston, and obtained her MSc and doctorate from the University of Oxford's zoology department. After a stint at a start-up company, where she trained bees to detect illegal substances, Joanna went on to lecture at Nottingham Trent University and the University of Reading. Her academic interests include conservation biology, behavioural ecology and the intersection of technology and zoology. Joanna has worked on a range of species, ranging from wombats and wallabies to mole-rats and jackals. She currently splits her time between two roles: senior lecturer in environmental sciences at Brunel University London, and communications and public engagement officer at the University of Oxford's Department of Paediatrics. The Modern Bestiary is her first book.
