Bizarre, Serious, Jocular

Janaki Lenin captures the animal (and human) world in all its mystique and charm.

- Rajat Ghai

JANKI LENIN describes her experiences of living with veteran herpetologist, Romulus Whitaker, in this sequel My husband and other animals 2: The wildlife adventure continues. Through these 81 stories, we not only learn about unknown facets about mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians and fish, but also about what it is to be human. Each story is peppered with astute observations, logical inquiry and deduction, light-hearted humour, serious insights and most of all, overarching curiosity about the world around us and the secrets that it seemingly hides.

For instance, did you know that palm civets are crazy about toddy and coffee? Or that humans can “unlearn” their fear of snakes. One of the names of the King Cobra is the Hamadryad, Greek for “nymph of the woods”, given to it by Danish scientist Theodore Edward Cantor for its extraordinary physical beauty. Donkeys can give humans rabid bites. Bull crocodiles are caring fathers. As are male tigers and leopards, contrary to conventional wisdom. Crocodilians can climb well, with the mugger or the marsh crocodile of the Subcontinent leadi