How does a mudskipper fish manage to “walk” on land? Why is the Hoatzin also known as ‘The Stinkbird’? And once the female Pipa toad has laid her eggs, where does she put them? The answers? The mudskipper can “walk” using its pectoral fins, the Hoatzin has a unique digestive system which gives the bird a manure-like odour, and the female Pipa Toad embeds its eggs on its back where they develop to adult stage. Illustrated throughout with outstanding colour photographs, Strange Animals presents the most unusual aspects of 100 of the most unusual species. The selection spans a broad spectrum of wildlife, from the tallest land living mammal, the giraffe, to the light, laughing chorus of Australian kookaburra birds, from the intelligence of the Bottlenose dolphin to octopuses that change colour when they dream to the slow pace of the three-toed sloth. Arranged geographically, the photographs are accompanied by fascinating captions, which explain the quirky characteristics of each entry. Including egg-laying mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, cannibalistic insects and other invertebrates, Strange Animals is a compelling introduction to some of nature’s most curious beasts.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Asia Tokay Gharial Japanese Macaque Mudskipper Proboscis Monkey Honeybadger Siamese Fighting Fish Tarsier Mekong ray Saiga Golden snub-nosed monkey Colugo Sturgeon Baikal seal Sloth bear Racoon dog Komodo dragon Slow loris Giant hornet Leaf insect Malayan tapir Africa Aardvark Madagascar chameleon (Brookesia) Giraffe Hoopoe Marabou stork Naked Mole Rat Fat tailed gecko Gaboon viper Tree pangolin Giraffe weevil Aye aye Lungfish Tomato frog Aardvark Okapi Springhare Gerenuk Spotted hyena Hammerhead bat Rain frog, Breviceps fuscus Armadillo girdled lizard Mandrill Australia Duck-billed Platypus Red Kangaroo Emu Koala Laughing Kookaburra Echidna Sugarglider Kakapo Tuatara Archerfish Wombat Tasmanian devil Frilled lizard Thorny devil Funnel web spider Peacock spider Turtle frog Frogmouth Dingo Honeypot ant Witchetty grub Weta Kea Kiwi North America American Bullfrog Beaver Red wolf Ghost bear Alligator gar Thorn bug Wolverine Peccary Star nosed mole Alligator snapping turtle Hellbender Ajolote Blue-footed booby Manatee Monarch butterfly Stinkpot (musk turtle) Rainbow snake Virginia opossum Gila monster Coati American White Pelican Central and South America Giant Otter Vampire bat Hoatzin Emperor Tamarin Pipa Pygmy Marmoset Red Howler Monkey Southern Tamandua Three-toed Sloth South American horned frogs Elephant beetle Axolotl Jaguarundi Capybara Pink fairy armadillo Piranha Marine iguana Pink river dolphin Roseate spoonbill Red lipped batfish Spectacled bear Vicuna Europe Iberian ribbed newt Cuckoo Death’s Head Hawkmoth Great Diving beetle Wels catfish Wisent (European bison) Slow worm Puffin Badger Common chameleon Alpine ibex Beluga sturgeon Oceans Narwhal Angler Fish Cleaner Wrasse Sea dragon Megamouth shark Dumbo octopus Blobfish Giant isopod barreleye fish Kiwa Sea spider Sea anemone Parrot fish Nudibranch Hagfish Mantis shrimp Christmas tree worm Stargazer Wobbegong Gulper eel Oarfish Coral Hammerhead shark