The Hidden Powers of Animals

The Hidden Powers of Animals examines the remarkable abilities and behaviour of creatures ranging from insects and amphibians to birds, mammals and marine life. Karl P. N. Shuker considers how animals sense, communicate, navigate and survive, covering compound eyes, ultrasonic hearing, electromagnetic sensitivity, migration, sleep and defence.

Examples include bats locating prey through echolocation, dolphins displaying complex behaviour, animals apparently treating ailments with plants, and mustelids performing the so-called dance of death before attacking prey. Other chapters address animal emotions, social organisation and the possibility of thought or intentional communication. Illustrated throughout, the book presents these reports as zoological questions, drawing attention to capabilities that remain surprising even when observed in familiar species.