Welcome to wild nature’s poop parade. Published in Belgium and the Netherlands and translated from Dutch, this work details some of the many ways animals make and make use of their excretions. Capped by Meij’s labeled display of representative pellets and piles, dozens of naturalistically rendered creatures pose with their splatters or splashes next to De Volder’s sometimes giddy commentary. The animals are grouped by habitat and practice—for instance, marine wildlife with “strange toilet rituals” or forest dwellers that use their waste to send a message to others. The author repeatedly notes that poop spreads and nourishes plant life and that some animals use droppings for food or defense as well as waste elimination—facts that may be familiar to animal lovers. But even budding scatologists may be gobsmacked to learn that kestrels can spot the ultraviolet emanations in mouse urine from above, that coral snakes can produce startling “bang farts” when threatened, or that lobsters entice prospective mates with aromatic “love pee.” Creatures aren’t always drawn to scale; still, there are nuggets aplenty of solid biology for readers attracted by the crowd-pleasing topic. An informative and entertaining info-dump.

– Kirkus Reviews