"Introduces the reader to a wealth of extraordinary life forms"-- P. [4] of cover.

Covers a wide variety of species of animals in the world, including mammals that fly, birds that laugh, fish that walk, and insects that consult over nesting options, to identify just a few of the amazing behaviors animals provide.

Animal Planet presents the ickiest, stickiest, blobbiest, and oddest animals in the world! Did you know that an archerfish can spit water up to 16 feet? Or that the giant weta is the world's largest and heaviest insect? Animal Planet's fascinating exploration of animal oddities introduces young animal lovers to some of the most astonishing, gorgeous, and obscure animals in the world-including some brand new discoveries! Packed with more than 200 vibrant photographs and fun facts about animals with unusual behaviors, strange appearances, and remarkable stats, this deluxe gift book is perfect for reluctant readers or anyone who loves totally gross and amazing animals. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of books in the Animal Bites series benefits the principal partners of R.O.A.R. (Reach Out. Act. Respond.), Animal Planet's initiative dedicated to improving the lives of animals in our communities and in the wild.

Illustrates how adaptations have changed animals' looks and actions and ultimately contribute to their survival.

The fascinating lives and puzzling demise of some of the largest animals on earth. Until a few thousand years ago, creatures that could have been from a sci-fi thriller—including gorilla-sized lemurs, 500-pound birds, and crocodiles that weighed a ton or more—roamed the earth. These great beasts, or “megafauna,” lived on every habitable continent and on many islands. With a handful of exceptions, all are now gone. What caused the disappearance of these prehistoric behemoths? No one event can be pinpointed as a specific cause, but several factors may have played a role. Paleomammalogist Ross D. E. MacPhee explores them all, examining the leading extinction theories, weighing the evidence, and presenting his own conclusions. He shows how theories of human overhunting and catastrophic climate change fail to account for critical features of these extinctions, and how new thinking is needed to elucidate these mysterious losses. Along the way, we learn how time is determined in earth history; how DNA is used to explain the genomics and phylogenetic history of megafauna—and how synthetic biology and genetic engineering may be able to reintroduce these giants of the past. Until then, gorgeous four-color illustrations by Peter Schouten re-create these megabeasts here in vivid detail.

Packed with awesome facts about some of the most amazing creatures on Earth.

The World’s Strangest Animals is illustrated throughout with outstanding full-page photographs and artworks for each animal. With easy-to-follow descriptions of each animal’s habitat and life cycle, as well as locator maps and factfile boxes, this book will appeal to any child interested in wildlife.

It seems as though some creatures have been put on this earth just to amaze us. From the harmless but hilarious to the truly frightening and deadly, the animals in this book are guaranteed to keep you enthralled, astonished and extremely amused.