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Self-Harming Parrots and Exploading Toads
David Haviland

Self-Harming Parrots and Exploading Toads

Animals are truly inspiring creatures. Take, for example, the male Emperor Penguin, a model of devoted fatherhood, who spends his winter in the frozen Antartic balancing a single, precious egg on the top of his feet. Or perhaps contemplate the romantic male hammerhead bird, who builds a series of enormous and elaborate nests for his partner, for no apparent reason other than to strengthen the pair’s emotional bond.

However, the truth is that most creatures are not such paragons of virtue. To redress this imbalance, Self-Harming Parrots and Exploding Toads will look at some of Mother Nature’s less noble qualities, and answer such vile questions as:

* Which bird kills its enemies by vomiting on them?
* Why do vultures defecate on themselves?
* Why is it so hard to poison rats?
* And what happens at a dung beetle wedding?

It is the must-have collection of disgusting trivia, packed with fascinating facts about the animal kingdom, for anyone who lacks a proper sense of reverence for nature’s wonders!

Published in the US as Why Dogs Poop

Book Details:

  • Author: David Haviland
  • Published Year: 2010
  • Rights Sold
    • US: Penguin
    • UK: Piatkus
    • Poland: Wydawnictwo
    • Indonesia: Mizan
    • China: Shanghai Joint Publishing Company
    • Turkey: Kitap Kurdu Yayincilik

David Haviland

David Haviland is a writer, editor, and ghostwriter, with a number of bestselling books to his name, which have been sold to publishers all over the world and widely serialised.David has written a number of books of amusing trivia and popular science. The most recent, How To Remove A Brain (Summersdale, 2012), is a collection of fascinating stories and anecdotes concerning the history of medicine and health. This book was previously published by Penguin in the US as Why You Should Store Your Farts in a Jar.David's next book is a myth-busting guide to history, revealing the truth behind many...
More about David Haviland

Book Reviews

  • "...hilarious, and sometimes stomach-turning, vignettes... the reader will emerge an expert on animal trivia, able to regale their friends with stories about stoats that hypnotise their prey and fulmars that use vomit as a weapon. A perfect book for inquisitive types who are short on time or attention span.  "
    New Scientist
  • "[This book] not only answers many of the questions you’ve often wondered about but dozens you never thought or wanted to ask. The entire animal kingdom is examined as the authors address such probing topics as which mammal — apart from humans — engages in kidnapping and pointless murder, can animals die from having too much sex, how do gas companies employ vultures, and which creature eats with its eyes, all served up in a snappy narrative that is quirky, fun, and informative. From the trivia buff to the curious lover of animals, this is perfect summer reading."
    Tucson Citizen
  • "Deliciously disgusting stories delight the young reader… There are many interesting details included in this book which is essentially a study of animal behavior. Children and young adults will be amused, fascinated, and/or disgusted by some of the questions and the answers. A good book to pick up and browse through while it tickles your ears with its word play."
    Sacramento Book Review
  • "Heck, exploding toads? I'm there. Even though it was published for the adult market, [Self-Harming Parrots and Exploding Toads] is EXACTLY the sort of book that my fifth-grade self would have loved. And my sixth-grade self. And, really, every version of me…"
    GuysLitWire blog
  • "Indeed, animals do the darnedest things and, in this vastly entertaining book, Gould and Haviland uncover a universe of strange, hilarious, and quite often disgusting animal habits, ailments, and practices… [Self-Harming Parrots and Exploding Toads] is sure to delight any fan of the obscure and/or grotesque."
    BookHounds blog
  • "Gould and Haviland delight and disgust readers with their random findings of common and not-so-common animals and their gross behaviors. Guaranteed to entertain and surprise you, [the book] is a fun, educational and eye-opening read. From farting snakes to stomach ejecting toads, there's something for everybody."
    BookFetish.org