The Modern Bestiary cover art

The Modern Bestiary

A Curated Collection of Wondrous Creatures

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The Modern Bestiary

By: Joanna Bagniewska
Narrated by: Sarah Agha
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About this listen

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 unexpected new 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.

©2022 Joanna Bagniewska (P)2022 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
Animals Biological Sciences Outdoors & Nature Science Royalty Zombie

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Most relevant
You cannot fail to find some surprising facts here. Who knew there was a Vampire Finch? Not me. However the episodic nature of the book means that it does not make a very satisfying sustained listening experience.

Fun to dip into

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