Exploding Animals

A wasp lays its eggs under a caterpillar's skin so that its young can eat the caterpillar's guts as they grow. A young head louse makes its home on a human hair and feasts on human blood. Frogs use their eyeballs to help swallow their food. From small worms that live in a dog's nose mucus to exploding ants to regurgitating mother gulls, this book tells of the unusual ways animals find food, shelter, and safety in the natural world. If animals all ate the same things and lived in the same places, it would be impossible for all of them to survive. So they specialize. Some animals eat the bits that others leave behind, such as skin and mucus. They find all kinds of unusual places to shelter, including the cracks and holes in another creature's skin or its internal organs. They use their own bodies to protect themselves from predators by imitating unsavory items such as bird droppings and even by blowing up. These habits that may seem disgusting to us are wonderful adaptations that make it possible for a great variety of creatures to live and thrive on Earth. Read about them and marvel at the amazing ways animals adapt to the natural world.

Enter the hilarious world of Sam Quigley, the strange-fact-obsessed owner of two stick insects called Twiggy and Wiggy in Exploding Beetles and Inflatable Fish. Sam really likes interesting facts, the kind that will make you shout "Wow! I never knew that". Things like: - Woodlice don't wee – instead a smelly gas comes wafting out of their shells - There is a fish with a stomach so stretchy it can swallow things twice as big as itself - Bombardier beetles can explode like toxic water pistols! Written by Tracey Turner, this STEM-focused book is packed with incredible facts and stats about the world’s weirdest animals. With a narrative that will have readers hooked, plus cool cartoon-style illustrations by Andrew Wightman, it’s a perfect book for fact fans, animal lovers and reluctant readers alike.

What do animals do when they're under attack? Some run. Some hide. But did you know that some animals defend themselves from predators by fighting back? The animals in this book defend themselves in some pretty amazing ways—including methods that use slime, blood, or poison! There's a lizard that can shoot blood from its eyes and an ant that explodes for the good of the colony. Read this book to learn more about these amazing animals and the ways they defend themselves!

Did you know that horned lizards can shoot blood from their eyes? Discover other mind-blowing facts about animals!

"A uniquely entertaining book: edifying scholarship, diverting social history."—Elaine Kendall, Los Angeles Times "[The book] captures the spirit of convivial storytelling and even encourages the activity. . . . Many readers . . . will be gratified to know that Brunvand intends to continue this series of relaxed, unofficial excursions into popular legends. Admirers of curiosa and the psychology of crowds cannot afford to miss them." —Kirkus Reviews