A Book of Rather Strange Animals is a fascinating natural history book that aims to highlight the wonders of evolution and the extraordinary diversity of life on Earth. Included are 100 of the weirdest species from around the world such as the tongue-eating louse, blobfish and bone-eating snot flower! Each animal comes with a photo or illustration, along with detailed notes about its appearance and lifestyle.

I had the idea of writing the book after the success of my Twitter account @StrangeAnimaIs, where I post photos and facts of unusual creatures. I created this account in 2013, and starting with just a handful of followers, it gradually developed into one of the most popular nature accounts on Twitter. The book expands on the Twitter account, providing fascinating descriptions of different animals' behaviours and characteristics that are impossible to fit into 140 characters.

I wanted my book to raise awareness for conservation issues and lesser-known endangered animals, and this is a strong theme throughout the book. Everyone knows about the plight of the tiger, or the giant panda, but who knows about the endangered purple frog, or the golden snub-nosed monkey? Who is aware that the saiga antelope is on the verge of extinction? This book hopes to bring light upon the perils faced by unfamiliar and obscure creatures, so that we can protect them for future generations. For every sale, I will be giving a small donation to the WWF. 

 A Book of Rather Strange Animals is available to purchase via Amazon or Waterstones, in paperback, hardback or eBook formats.