City Libraries, City of Gold Coast

The modern bestiary, a curated collection of wondrous creatures, Joanna Bagniewska ; with illustrations by Jennifer N.R. Smith

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

The modern bestiary

bibliography

Joanna Bagniewska ; with illustrations by Jennifer N.R. Smith

a curated collection of wondrous creatures

From the familiar to the improbable, the gross to the endearing, The Modern Bestiary is a compendium of curious creatures. It includes both animals that have made headlines and those you've probably never heard of, such as skin-eating caecilians, harp sponges, or zombie worms - also known as bone-eating snot flowers. Arranged by elements (Earth, Water, Air), The Modern Bestiary contains well-known species told from new, unexpected angles (rats that drive cars; fish that communicate by passing wind), as well as stranger and lesser-known creatures, including carnivorous mice that howl at the moon, cross-dressing cuttlefish, and antechinuses - small marsupials that literally mate themselves to death. Finally, there are the 'aliens on Earth' - the incredible, the surreal, the magical - such as tardigrades, tongue-eating lice and immortal jellyfish, creatures so astonishing that they make unicorns look rather commonplace. Written by a zoologist with a flair for storytelling, this is a fascinating celebration of the animal kingdom

Earth -- Water -- Air