Atlas Obscura: Wild Life

From the bestselling authors of Atlas Obscura and Gastro Obscura comes a nature book like no other—a dazzling, over-the-top collection of the world’s most extraordinary wild species that takes you to all seven continents and beyond. It’s more than a field guide–it’s an adventure. * National Bestseller * Named a Best New Book by BookRiot, New York Post and more * Named a Best Wild Elephant Gift Under $30 by Taste of Home. 

From the curious minds of Atlas Obscura, authors of #1 New York Times bestselling Atlas Obscura and Gastro Obscura, comes an unputdownable celebration of the world’s living wonders.

• Learn how dung beetles navigate by the stars, and trees communicate through their roots.
• Meet one of the strongest animals in the world: the puny peacock mantis shrimp.
• Pay your respects to a 44,000 year old shrub, float along flying rivers, and explore a garbage dump overseen by endangered storks.
• Examine old examples of bird song notation written on sheet music.
• Also, first person interviews: hear from a honey hunter and his avian partners, a scientist working to find the world’s only ocean-dwelling insects, and an offshore radio DJ who is at the heart of the local fishing community.

Featuring over 500 extraordinary plants, animals, and natural phenomena, with illustrations and photos on every page, the book takes readers around the globe—from Antarctic deserts to lush jungles, and into the deepest fathoms of the ocean and the hearts of our densest cities. Teeming with detail and wildly entertaining, Wild Life reinvigorates our sense of wonder, awe and amazement about the incredible creatures we share our planet with.

• “I loved this book. A mind-blowing guide to nature's most enchanting and unexpected characters, every page is full of wit and wonder.”
  Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of An Immense World
• “It makes me want to run upstairs, pack a bag, and bolt away to some far-flung corner of this astounding planet. Because now I know there are immortal jellyfish out there, and skink mansions and peacock spiders, and I know where and how to see them! So if I can just manage to stop compulsively reading every single page here, I’ll be on my way.” 
  Mary Roach, bestselling author of Stiff and Packing for Mars
• "Almost as jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring as the planet itself -- and more portable."
  BJ Novak, bestselling author, actor, and comedian
• “Perpetually fascinating and endlessly curious, the latest release from armchair travel encyclopedia Atlas Obscura shifts its focus from places to life itself.”
  San Francisco Chronicle
• “The perfect tome to get lost in on a rainy day. You’ll learn about over 500 plant and animal species from all seven continents in one visually stunning package.”
  Taste of Home
• “A guidebook for the most curious travelers, focusing on real-life fantastic creatures and where to find them.”
  Santa Cruz Sentinel
• “A monumental tour through the world’s most interesting organisms, with heaping piles of facts, stories, photographs and illustrations. . . . Along with facts about more than 500 organ[1]isms, the book also includes Q&As with such people as a grass weaver, a walrus watcher and ‘a crow-human conflict mediator,’ suggesting that our own lives can be almost as wild as those of these incredible creatures.”
  BookPage
• “This book is packed with fascinating facts and tales that’ll make you see the natural world in a whole new way. It’s like a travel guide for animal lovers, taking you to far-off destinations and uncovering nature’s most extraordinary secrets. Perfect for curious minds, adventure seekers, or anyone who loves learning about the wild wonders of our planet.”
  Darien Living
• “I keep opening it to random pages and finding myself filled with wonder.”
  The Revelator
• I was the kind of child who devoured thick books of weird and fascinating facts: Guinness Book of World Records, Pirateology, that kind of thing. Naturally, anything Atlas Obscura publishes is an automatic read for adult me. Their latest guide is focused on unusual plant and animal life found across the globe and through the millennia. Immersing myself in the entries and their vivid accompanying illustrations has given me a renewed sense of awe for the world we live in—not only for its beauty but its strangeness, too.
  Book Riot