Strange Survivors: How Organisms Attack and Defend in the Game of Life [Paperback]

Life is beautiful, ruthless, and very, very strange.

In the evolutionary arms race that has raged on since life began, organisms have developed an endless variety of survival strategies. From sharp claws to brute strength, camouflage to venomall these tools and abilities share one purpose: to keep their bearer alive long enough to reproduce, helping the species avoid extinction. Every living thing on this planet has developed a time-tested arsenal of weapons and defenses. Some of these weapons and defenses, however, are decidedly more unusual than others.

InStrange Survivors, biologist On? R. Pag?n takes us on a tour of the improbable, the ingenious, and the just plain bizarre ways that creatures fight for life.

Inside this funny, fascinating field guide to natures most colorful characters, youll meet killer snails, social bacteria, and an animal with toxic elbows. ButStrange Survivorsis more than a collection of curiositiesit is a love letter to science and an argument for the continuing relevance of this evolutionary battle as we face the threat of resistant bacteria and the need for novel medical therapies. Whether discussing blood-thinning bats and electric fish or pondering the power of cooperation, Pag?n reveals the surprising lessons found in some of lifes natural oddities and how the tactics they employ to live might aid our own survival.