Invented by Animals: Meet the creatures who inspired our everyday technology (Designed by Nature)

78 Pages·2021·31.299 MB·English

by  Christiane Dorion

To all budding scientists
and inventors of tomorrow – C.D.
To my Beloved Mom, B. – G.H.
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Invented by Animals © 2021 Quarto Publishing plc. Text © 2021 Christiane Dorion
Illustrations © 2021 Gosia Herba
First Published in 2021 Wide Eyed Editions, an imprint of The Quarto Group.
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401, USA.
T [phone] F [phone] www.QuartoKnows.com
The right of Christiane Dorion to be identified as the author and Gosia Herba to be
identified as the illustrator of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copy-
right, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 (United Kingdom).
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electrical, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher or
a licence permitting restricted copying.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978-0-7112-6067-2
eISBN 978-0-7112-6066-5
The illustrations were created digitally 
set in Caffeine, Pacifico and Museo
Published by Georgia Amson-Bradshaw
Designed by Myrto Dimitrakoulia
Commissioned and edited by Lucy Brownridge
Production by Dawn Cameron
Manufactured in Guanghou, China EB 012021
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Christiane Dorion Gosia Herba
•
INVENTED
by ANIMALS
MMEEEETT TTHHEE CCRREEAATTUURREESS WWHHOO IINNSSPPIIRREEDD
OOUURR EEVVEERRYYDDAAYY TTEECCHHNNOOLLOOGGYY
WIDE EYED EDITIONS
contents
8-9
introduction

10-11 —
master of disguise
Mimic octopus

12-13 —
COLOr WITH STRUCTURE
Blue morpho butterfly
14-15 —
SLEEK SWIMMER
Shark
16-17
master builders

18-19 —
Super-zoom vision
Eagle

20-21 —
Running upside down
Gecko

22-23 —
A terrific tail
Seahorse

24-25 —
Expert paper maker
Paper wasp

26-27 —
A formidable grip
Tree frog
28-29 —
origami wings
Earwig
30-31 —
Self-repairing teeth
Jumbo squid

32-33 —
Web designer
Spider

34-35
The art of flying

36-37 —
Fog catcher
Namib beetle

38-39 —
Bumpy flippers
Humpback whale
40-41 —
waterproof coat
Penguin
42-43 —
Suntrap fur coat
Polar bear
44-45 —
Diving without a splash
Kingfisher
46-47 —
controlled flight
Dragonfly

48-49 —
lead drummer
Woodpecker
50-51 —
Slithering champion
Snake

52-53 —
Low-energy swimming
Jellyfish

54-55 —
Avoiding collision
Locust

56-57
robot world
58-59 —
tunneling
Shipworm

60-61 —
SECRET LANGUAGE
Dolphin

62-63 —
Sonar
Bat
64-65
mighty recyclers

66-67 —
prickly quills
Porcupine

68-69 —
gooey slime
Slug

70-71 —
Blood-sucking needle
Mosquito

72-73 —
A sticky situation
Dog and burrs

74-75
Animal innovation lab

76-77
index
8
Dear reader,
Did you know that one of the fastest trains in the world was made quieter
and even speedier with the help of the kingfisher? Or that termites helped to
design houses that stay cool in hot weather? And that an octopus might hold
the recipe for an invisibility cloak?
In this book, you will meet some of the superstar animal inventors who are
inspiring humans to develop amazing inventions and solve tricky problems.
When it comes to living in tune with nature, we are the real pros and can
certainly teach humans a thing or two! We build smart structures, produce
incredible substances, and have shapes that allow us to move smoothly
through air, water, and on land. We use materials over and over again without
creating any waste. After all, we’ve survived and thrived on the planet for
millions of years so we know what works and what doesn’t. No wonder humans
often come to us for a helping hand!
Discover some of the brilliant ideas that mimic our tried and tested designs,
structures, and superpowers. From sticking to wet surfaces to saving energy,
capturing water from the air to running upside down.
You’ll never look at bats, dung beetles, jellyfish,
and lots of other animals the same way again.
Yours sincerely,
9
10
Mimic octopus
master of disguise
I live in tropical seas and spend
much of my time in shallow sandy waters
where there are very few places to hide. As you
can see, I don’t have a shell or sharp spines to
defend myself. When I swim in the open sea
looking for food, my soft, boneless body makes
me a tasty morsel for sharks, barracudas, and
other hungry creatures.
So, how do I survive...?