Book excerpt: A thrilling face-to-face encounter with the intimate lives, elaborate displays and extraordinary behaviour of animals in the wild Internationally renowned zoologist and TV presenter, Charlotte Uhlenbroek, brings the animal kingdom to vivid life in the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Animal Life. Illustrated with astonishing wildlife photography and action sequences, every aspect of animal life and behaviour is explored and explained - from courtship rituals and birth to hunting and death. Mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates - thousands of all kinds are featured as well as explanations on how the animal kingdom is organised and how animals' bodies function. Plus, critical conservation issues are also explored. From the fleeting life of a mayfly to the ten-year courtship of the manakin, the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Animal Life lays bare the animal kingdom in all its awe-inspiring glory and detail.