The Modern Bestiary

Starred review from July 11, 2022
Zoologist Bagniewska debuts with a brilliant tour of the animal kingdom’s oddities. Inspired by medieval bestiaries, or illustrated texts on creatures “containing natural history information (factual or otherwise), doused in didactic sauce with a strongly Christian flavour,” Bagniewska offers concise and witty descriptions of 100 critters. There are roundworms who “force ants into impersonating fruit,” a tarantula that “keeps frogs as pets,” jellyfish that defy death, peacock mantis shrimp with eyes that are “among the most complex in the animal kingdom,” foxes with ears so big they make up a third of their height, and butterflies that are “able to make crocodiles cry, only to drink their tears.” Bagniewska admirably moves beyond trivia and delivers insights into ecology and evolution (explaining, for instance, how mole salamanders, who form “a female-only species,” managed to survive, and how sea cucumbers evolved to protect themselves) and eschews simplistic conclusions: “Pretty much any such point can be proven or disproven if you dig into the animal kingdom deep enough,” she writes. Nature lovers will be eager to see what Bagniewska does next.

October 1, 2022
Bestiaries became popular in the Middle Ages and contained detailed descriptions and colorful illustrations of real or mythical animals. Usually, a Christian moral lesson was attached to each "beast." In The Modern Bestiary, Bagniewska focuses on 100 species arranged by their habitats: earth, water, and air. Entries cover two to three pages, and instead of a moral lesson, focus on interesting aspects of each species' behavioral ecology. The entries are quite funny and engaging, and readers will be fascinated by interesting features or ecological characteristics. For example, the aye-aye, an odd-looking type of lemur from Madagascar, uses its extra-long middle finger to tap on branches and tree trunks, listening for grubs with its large ears. Once it finds the larva, the primate chews through the bark with its sharp teeth and uses the same finger to extract the larva. Descriptions are supported by short bibliographies of primary sources. A small black-and-white illustration is provided for each entry. Overall, the intriguing accounts of these "beasts," many of which are uncommon species, are worth the price of admission.

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