A carefully curated collection of some of the world’s most weird and wonderful animals, in a modern version of a medieval bestiary.

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.

Published in September 2022 by Wildfire (UK) and Smithsonian Books (US).

"Everyone who loves wildlife - especially fantastically weird and cringingly gross wildlife - should read this masterful book."

― Mark Carwardine, author/presenter of Last Chance to See

"If you love animals, especially ones with unsavoury habits, this book is for you. Entries are crafted with affection, cast-iron scholarship and an unyielding dedication to exposing as much hilarious weirdness as the animal kingdom can offer. And that, it appears, is rather a lot. This is a book to adore."

― Tom Moorhouse, author of Elegy for a River

"This modern bestiary is a magnificent miscellany that will amuse and amaze. From butterflies that make crocodiles cry and penis-fencing slugs to fish that live inside sea cucumbers' bottoms - the natural world is stranger than you could ever imagine."

― George McGavin, entomologist, author and TV presenter

"The Modern Bestiary provides a fascinating, accessible and humorous insight into the wonders of the natural world. Packed with incredible facts and jaw-dropping insights into wildlife ecology, anatomy and behaviour, it is a genuine delight."

― Amy Dickman, director of Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit

"An illuminating compendium of some weird and wonderful creatures."

― Observer

"Addictive ... The Modern Bestiary offers excitement on a grand scale."

― Times Literary Supplement