"Science journalist [Lewis] Smith ... begins with reports on invasive species that read like warped fairy tales on the theme of unintended consequences. When humans bring cats to Macquarie Island, they very nearly devour entire bird species, so the cats are killed, but then the rabbits multiply unchecked and eat all the vegetation. Smith showcases less harrowing studies of animal adaptation, including that of the fence lizard that grew longer legs and learned to twitch to fend off invasive red ants. Scientists have also found species thought extinct to be thriving; species new to humankind, among them a bright pink, poisonous millipede; and new evidence of long-vanished creatures, including an eight-foot-long sea scorpion. Whether the subject is dire (bats, trees, and corals are dying due to global warming) or fascinating (why female cheetahs are intrepidly promiscuous), Smith writes with equanimity, making for an intriguing, instructive, and up-to-date book of discoveries."—Booklist