Astonishing Animals: Extraordinary Creatures and the Fantastic Worlds They Inhabit

Science News, Dec 4, 2004

ASTONISHING ANIMALS: Extraordinary creatures and the Fantastic Worlds They Inhabit

TIM FLANNERY AND PETER SCHOUTEN

Flannery and Schouten look beyond the typical zoo animals with which we are most familiar in order to profile more-unusual and lesser-known creatures. There is the King of Saxony bird of paradise--a bird whose brow plumes are twice the size of its body, giving it the image of having willowy horns that seem more appropriate on an antelope. The feathered tree viper sounds like something out of a fairy tale. Although it's not really covered with feathers, its pointy scales have a wispy look and are quite functional for scaling slippery surfaces. This oversize book provides detailed color illustrations of 97 amazing creatures, including birds, mammals, reptiles, and fish. Short overviews give background information about each animal's natural history and in some cases speculation on how and why the animal developed such an odd physical appearance. Atl Mnthly Pr, 2004, 200 p., color illus., hardcover, $29.95.