The Atlas of the World's Strangest Animals

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 full-colour artwork and detailed photographs, The Atlas of the World’s Strangest Animals presents an in-depth look at 50 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 to the intelligence of the Bottlenosed dolphin to the slow pace of the three-toed sloth. With chapters devoted to each of the continents and the world’s oceans, the book’s text describes the unusual characteristics of each animal and a map illustrates its geographical distribution. Four pages is given to each animal, with a ‘Key Facts’ box offering fascinating details on the animal’s vital statistics such as weight, length, height, as well as information on their typical diet and life span. Ranging from the World’s Oceans to the tropics and including egg-laying mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, cannibalistic insects and other invertebrates, The Atlas of the World’s Strangest Animals is a fascinating introduction to some of nature’s most curious beasts.