SANTA CRUZ >> A finch that feasts on the blood of other birds, a frog that can withstand frigid temperatures by freezing itself solid, a flying snake, a dolphin with teeth that can bite through turtle shells … these are some of the characters readers will come across in Cara Giaimo and Joshua Foer’s newest book, but it is not a fantasy novel. It is an encyclopedia of hundreds of very real animals and plants in rainforests, deserts and islands throughout the world.

“Atlas Obscura: Wild Life: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Living Wonders” is a collection of hundreds of short articles and photographs of many different odd and unique flora and fauna across all seven continents. Much like previous Atlas Obscura books like “Atlas Obscura” and “Gastro Obscura,” which highlight less conventional tourist sites and restaurants throughout the globe, “Wild Life” is essentially a guidebook for the most curious travelers, focusing on real-life fantastic creatures and where to find them. Giaimo will be showcasing the book and those critters that really put the “wild” in “wildlife” in a special event at the London Nelson Community Center Oct. 22.

Giaimo has been fascinated by the natural world for as long as she can recall.

“My earliest memories are of exploring tide pools on the beach in Massachusetts where I was born, or going on walks through the woods with my dad,” she said. “I’ve always just found it really fascinating that there are so many different species in existence that approach the problems of life in so many different ways, and have come up with so many solutions over the course of evolutionary history.”

To Giaimo, these real-life animals and plants are just as fascinating, if not more so, than fictional creations or speculative wonders.

“People look for aliens in space, but we’re actually surrounded by these amazing aliens every day that we can learn from and can help us see the world in a different way,” she said.

After completing her graduate degree in science writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2015, Giaimo joined the staff of Atlas Obscura, a travel and exploration company founded by Foer and Dylan Thuras. For the next three years, she wrote articles on quirky topics like jars of pickles mysteriously being placed along a highway in Missouri or a Kansas farmer arranging his cows to form the word “Hi” in a way that could be viewed from space, to scientific articles on the recovery of Puerto Rico’s parrot population and the discovery of dolphins on the Potomac River. She has continued to write freelance articles for publications like the New York Times and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Giaimo said the book was inspired by Atlas Obscura’s mission of helping people find curiosities throughout the world but applying it to the natural world.

“I personally get a lot of that in my life from thinking about plants and animals and species that surround us on the planet, so I was excited to get the opportunity to take that lens of curiosity and wonder and apply it to the natural world,” she said.

Giaimo was approached to write the book in 2020 and completed it three years later, writing freelance articles in between. The book features more than 100 contributing writers, as Giaimo put out a call for people to pitch different articles on unique animals, which generated pitches from all over the world. Giaimo went through the pitches and her own list of ideas and mapped out each chapter.

“(I was) trying to get a diversity of different kinds of species and also geographic diversity and things that were interesting for different reasons, like some maybe had different anatomical features, some had interesting behaviors, others might have had a really interesting evolutionary history, trying to get a real mix for each chapter,” she said.

Readers will instantly recognize certain “odd” animals like the platypus, giant anteater and lemming, but there is still an abundance of mind-blowing creatures and plants that will be new to many. Among these unique critters are the southern grasshopper mouse, rodents that are resistant to venom, can fend off scorpions and let out shrill howls; Japanese rhinoceros beetles, insects who engage in combat and have beautiful singing voices; and Scottish wildcats, felines in the Scottish Highlands that resemble domestic tabbies but should never be petted.

It is not just animals that are featured but also an array of plants. These include strangler figs, seeds grown in rainforests that send snakelike roots down a tree’s trunk and into the soil, forming large holes in the trunk; saguaro cacti, which can form unique crests that resemble the heads of broccoli; and dragon’s blood trees, which have branches that look similar to roots.

Giaimo said trying to pick a most fascinating plant or animal was like trying to pick a favorite child, but singled out the globe skimmer dragonfly as particularly interesting to learn about. These insects are commonly found in the Maldives and have the longest migration relative to body size.

“These dragonflies are going the most lengths of their own body in order to travel from island to island and go through their life cycle,” she said.

The book also features interviews with people from around the world, ranging from a designer of artificial reefs made out of garbage and other disused materials, to Yvette Buigues, who mediates conflicts between humans and birds in Oakland.

“We really wanted to include first-person human voices in the book as much as we could,” said Giaimo. “There are a number of interviews with different experts, not only scientists and researchers, but people who have different kinds of relationships with the species in question.”

Giaimo likes the way the book is laid out. She said it does not have to be read cover to cover, and readers can still have a fun experience just flipping through it and reading random entries.

“It’s to open to any random page and be delighted and surprised, no matter what page you land on,” she said. “In that way, it’s kind of like the world.”

At the Nelson Center, Giaimo will be in conversation with Emily Simpson, a content strategist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. They will talk about the book and share highlights with an emphasis on California wildlife. The event will be presented by Bookshop Santa Cruz and Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks.

Giaimo hopes the book, like Atlas Obscura itself, will stoke wonder and curiosity.

“Those are the first feelings on the road to hopefully a sense of connection and appreciation and respect for the natural world that will inspire people to think about how we can all share this planet slightly better,” she said. “Right now, humans have a lot of say over the planet’s future. We make a lot of decisions that affect the species around us, and I think we could be doing a better job for them and for ourselves.”

The event is 7-8 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Nelson Center, 301 Center St. The event will feature two ticket pages, both of which come with a copy of the book: a single-ticket package for $49 and a double-ticket package for $54. For more information, go to BookshopSantaCruz.com.