Series: The Lives of the Natural World

An engaging and beautifully illustrated introduction to some of the world's most interesting and charismatic marine creatures. Dive deep into the fascinating world of cephalopods—octopuses, squid, cuttlefish, and the mysterious nautilus—to discover the astonishing diversity of this unique group of intelligent invertebrates and their many roles in the marine ecosystem. Organised by marine habitat, this book features an extraordinary range...

A richly illustrated introduction to the incredible world of beetles. With some 400,000 species, beetles are among the largest and most successful groups of organisms on earth, making up one-fifth of all plant and animal species. No other animals exhibit such a dazzling range of size, form, and colour. Mostly small, sturdy, and compact, beetles are incredibly well-equipped to find...

A beautifully illustrated guide to the vibrant and richly diverse world of bees. The Lives of Bees provides a one-of-a-kind look at the life and natural history of bees. Blending stunning photographs and illustrations with illuminating profiles of selected species, this incisive guide takes readers inside the world of these marvellous insects, exploring their physiology, behaviour, ecology, evolution, and much...

There are more than fifteen thousand butterfly species in the world, fluttering through a wide variety of habitats. Bright and beautiful, butterflies also have fascinating life histories and play an important role in our planet's ecosystems. The Lives of Butterflies showcases the extraordinary range of colours and patterns of the world's butterflies while exploring their life histories, behaviour, habitats and...

A richly illustrated guide to lichens and their biology. Existing at the margins of life, lichens are the result of symbiotic relationships between fungi and photosynthesising partners in the form of algae or cyanobacteria. Comprising more than twenty thousand species, lichens are pioneers in diverse ecosystems, colonising virtually any surface and growing at almost any altitude. Found in rainforests, polar...

A richly illustrated look at the natural history of moths Moths are among the most underappreciated insects on the planet, yet they make up the majority of some 180,000 known species of Lepidoptera. Filled with striking images, The Lives of Moths looks at the remarkable world of these amazing and beautiful creatures. While butterflies may get more press than moths,...

The Lives of Seaweeds presents an inside look at the remarkable world of seaweeds and other algae. Coming in all colours, shapes, and sizes, from unicellular and bioluminescent algae to giant kelps, seaweeds and algae are omnipresent, forming the basis of most marine food webs. They are also the most numerous photosynthetic organisms on Earth and provide seventy percent of...

A richly illustrated introduction to the marvellous world of snakes. Descended from prehistoric lizards, snakes have been slithering across the earth for more than a hundred million years. There are some 4,100 species known to exist, and many are venomous, but many more are not. Snakes experience the world in unique ways, smelling the air with their tongues and relying...

A beautifully illustrated guide to the natural history and breathtaking diversity of spiders around the world. Spiders are dominant predators in virtually every terrestrial ecosystem on the planet. A marvel of evolution with species numbering in the tens of thousands, they have been walking the earth since before the dinosaurs. Spiders manipulate the silk strands of their webs to act...

A wonderfully illustrated guide to the natural history of the world's bats. Bats are the second-largest order of mammals and inhabit almost every corner of the globe, but these secretive creatures are often maligned and misunderstood. With more than 1,400 species worldwide, they are crucial contributors to ecosystems, controlling insect populations and fulfilling an essential role as pollinators. This one-of-a-kind...

A richly illustrated and comprehensive introduction to the world's sharks. Sharks are the top predators in many marine ecosystems. But tales of the killer instincts and fearsomely sharp senses of these hunters can obscure their full life histories. In fact, sharks are characterful, exhibit surprisingly complex behaviours, and lead secretive lives full of interest in every type of marine habitat....

A marvellously illustrated introductory guide to frogs and their natural history. Frogs are among the most diverse and adaptable animals on the planet, with a rich evolutionary history and a vitally important role in global ecosystems. With more than 7,700 species known to exist, they come in all shapes, sizes, and colours, and can be found in habitats ranging from...

A comprehensive and richly illustrated introduction to the world of viruses. As parasites that are often hundreds of times smaller than bacteria, viruses exist in and on everything, everywhere. Rapidly evolving, they are highly opportunistic and relentlessly efficient. While some viruses are obviously agents of disease, as the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded the world only too well, others can be...

A fascinating and richly illustrated exploration of the natural history of fungi We know fungi are important, for us as well as the environment. But how they live, and what they can do, remains mysterious and surprising. Filled with stunning photographs, The Lives of Fungi presents an inside look into their hidden and extraordinary world. The wonders of fungi are...