Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid: The Fraught Fascinating Biology of Climate Change in Bloomington, MN

*A
New York Times
Editor's Choice pick
*Shortlisted for the 2022 Pacific
Northwest Book Awards
A beloved natural historian explores how climate change is driving evolution
In
Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid
, biologist Thor Hanson tells the remarkable story of how plants and animals are responding to climate change: adjusting, evolving, and sometimes dying out. Anole lizards have grown larger toe pads, to grip more tightly in frequent hurricanes. Warm waters have caused the development of Humboldt squid to alter so dramatically that fishermen mistake them for different species. Brown pelicans have moved north, and long-spined sea urchins south, to find cooler homes. And when coral reefs sicken, they leave no territory worth fighting for, so aggressive butterfly fish transform instantly into pacifists.
A story of hope, resilience, and risk,
is natural history for readers of Bernd Heinrich, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and David Haskell. It is also a reminder of how unpredictable climate change is as it interacts with the messy lattice of life.