From the goliath tigerfish to the Asian hornet to the wolverine—here’s a visual treasure trove of the scariest and most dangerous animals on the planet

Make way for the world’s weirdest, most wonderful creatures—from the author of the forthcoming A Curious Collection of Dangerous Creatures Publisher’s Note: A Curious Collection of Peculiar Creatures was previously published in Australia as The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals. What’s your favorite animal—a majestic lion, a graceful horse? Those are great choices, but have you considered the fangtooth moray eel? It has two rows of icicle-shaped teeth! And the monkey slug caterpillar is ready to cuddle . . . just look out for the stingers all over its body (and its six limbs that technically aren’t legs)! It’s true, these animals are a little different—but their unusual features often give them incredible superpowers. Take the nearly blind star-nosed mole: Its pink, flower-shaped nose can detect the microscopic texture of everything it touches, and it does this at warp speed—up to 12 objects per second! What’s more, many of these weird, wonderful creatures need our help: They’re endangered, and we can’t afford to ignore their well-being any longer. It’s time to find a peculiar creature to love! Why not the blobfish?

Discover more than 60 of the world's most dangerous animals and the facts behind their bad reputations, including the highly venomous Brazilian wandering spider and the truly terrifying Tasmanian Devil. The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals is a fascinating compendium of the strange and the dangerous of the animal kingdom. Did you know that African buffaloes have good memories and have been known to attack people who have hurt them in the past? And that piranha fish can smell a single drop of blood in 200 litres of water? Have you heard of the carnivorous caterpillars of Hawaii? But don't panic - these animals are not actually out to get us! They have simply evolved some amazing features to protect themselves from predators, including us humans. With detailed illustrations to pore over, curious children (and the adults in their lives) will love discovering the facts behind the bad reputations of these truly fascinating creatures. From the talented author and illustrator of The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of 'Ugly' Animals, Sami Bayly.

SHORTLISTED CBCA BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2022 - EVE POWNALL AWARD Come along for another fresh take on the animal kingdom from bestselling author and illustrator, Sami Bayly. Discover 60 of the most peculiar pairs in nature and learn how plant and animal species rely on each other for their survival. Whether it be a rare tick living in the fur of a pygmy possum, a stick insect feasting and hiding out amongst the Melaleuca or a handfish laying its eggs on a sea squirt, incredible natural relationships deserve to be explored and celebrated. Investigating all types of relationships, from symbiotic to parasitic, this is an eye-opening guide to the natural world. Many species steer clear of those who are different, but the animals and plants in this book have evolved to form relationships with some of the most unlikely partners, and they couldn't live without them. This gorgeous hardcover book is illustrated in exquisite detail by award-winning author and illustrator, Sami Bayly. The perfect companion to The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals and The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals.

What makes some animals dangerous? Which animals are the fastest? And biggest? How do they hunt? Why are people more dangerous to animals than animals are to people? Find out all the answers in this book, and more, with photographs, step-by-step illustrations, simple text and links to websites with video clips and activities.

Explore 12 species that you hope you'll never come across, from sharks, snakes, jellyfish, bears, tigers and mosquitoes.

Sanger Rainsford is a big-game hunter, who finds himself washed up on an island owned by the eccentric General Zaroff. Zaroff, a big-game hunter himself, has heard of Rainsford’s abilities with a gun and organises a hunt. However, they’re not after animals – they’re after people. When he protests, Rainsford the hunter becomes Rainsford the hunted. Sharing similarities with "The Hunger Games", starring Jennifer Lawrence, this is the story that created the template for pitting man against man. Born in New York, Richard Connell (1893 – 1949) went on to become an acclaimed author, screenwriter, and journalist. He is best remembered for the gripping novel "The Most Dangerous Game" and for receiving an Oscar nomination for the screenplay "Meet John Doe".