The Nature Magpie

A collection of anecdotes, facts, figures, folklore and literature, The Nature Magpie is a veritable treasure trove of humanity's thoughts and feelings about nature. With acclaimed nature writer Daniel Allen as your guide, join naturalists, novelists and poets as they explore the most isolated parts of the planet, choose your side - pineapple or durian - in the great 'king of fruits' debate and discover which plants can be used to predict the weather. Meet the roadkill connoisseurs, learn to dance the Hippopotamus Polka, find out the likelihood of sharing your name with a hurricane - and much more.

Dr Daniel Allen is a British author making a name for himself in the world of animal/nature writing. His first book, Otter, was published in Reaktion Books' Animal series in September 2010. Virginia McKenna OBE described the book as 'the most brilliant mix of facts ancient and modern about the otter species'. A second title, Squirrel, will be published as part of the series in 2013. Daniel is also a columnist for Small Furry Pets and Practical Reptile Keeping magazines.