Description

Book Synopsis

*A New York Times Editor's Choice pick
*Shortlisted for the 2022 Pacific Northwest Book Awards

A beloved natural historian explores how climate change is driving evolution  

In Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid, biologist Thor Hanson tells the remarkable story of how plants and animals are responding to climate change: adjusting, evolving, and sometimes dying out. Anole lizards have grown larger toe pads, to grip more tightly in frequent hurricanes. Warm waters cause the development of Humboldt squid to alter so dramatically that fishermen mistake them for different species. Brown pelicans move north, and long-spined sea urchins south, to find cooler homes. And when coral reefs sicken, they leave no territory worth fighting for, so aggressive butterfly fish transform instantly into pacifists. 

A story of hope, resilience, and risk, Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid is natural history for readers of Bernd Heinrich, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and David Haskell. It is also a reminder of how unpredictable climate change is as it interacts with the messy lattice of life.

Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid: The Fraught

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    A Hardback by Thor Hanson

    £21.25

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    RRP £25.00 – you save £3.75 (15%)

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Wed 23 Sep 2026.

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      Book details

      Publisher Basic Books
      Published 28 September 2021
      ISBN-13 9781541672420
      978-1541672420
      ISBN-10 1541672429
      Also in:
      Climate change Ecological science, the Biosphere Evolution / Evolutionary biology

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      *A New York Times Editor's Choice pick
      *Shortlisted for the 2022 Pacific       Northwest Book Awards

      A beloved natural historian explores how climate change is driving evolution  

      In Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid, biologist Thor Hanson tells the remarkable story of how plants and animals are responding to climate change: adjusting, evolving, and sometimes dying out. Anole lizards have grown larger toe pads, to grip more tightly in frequent hurricanes. Warm waters cause the development of Humboldt squid to alter so dramatically that fishermen mistake them for different species. Brown pelicans move north, and long-spined sea urchins south, to find cooler homes. And when coral reefs sicken, they leave no territory worth fighting for, so aggressive butterfly fish transform instantly into pacifists. 

      A story of hope, resilience, and risk, Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid is natural history for readers of Bernd Heinrich, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and David Haskell. It is also a reminder of how unpredictable climate change is as it interacts with the messy lattice of life.

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