Introduction

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A Curious Collection of Peculiar Creatures is a celebration of the beauty in the, well, less conventionally beautiful animals of our planet. While painting these sixty animals in scientific detail, I came to reject our contemporary standards of appearance, finding them unfair and, really, missing the point. Regarding these animals’ more otherworldly attributes, the ones some may call “unseemly”—such as the giant anteater’s astonishingly long snout, or the blobfish’s general blobbiness—I’d like to make the case for celebrating them as “ingenious,” even “refined”; they almost always play a key role, exquisitely adapted over many years, for survival.

It’s long overdue for these weird and wonderful species to have their turn to shine: Their survival—and ours—may depend on it. That’s because, in spite of all their miraculous abilities, they’re no match for humans’ capacity for destruction. Through my research, I realized how many were endangered—and how, without them, our amazing and diverse ecosystems would cease to function.

I hope that by the end of this book, you will find your perception of beauty challenged and learn something new to tell your family and friends—and, most importantly, find a peculiar creature to love.