What do you think?
Rate this book
Life in the Undergrowth
An insect disguises itself as a flower or leaf. A spider lassoes its prey. A beetle persuades a bee to care for its young. This beautifully illustrated book by veteran naturalist Sir David Attenborough offers a rare glimpse into the secret life of invertebrates, the world's tiniest--and most fascinating--creatures.
Small by virtue of their lack of backbones, this group of living things plays a surprisingly large role in the evolutionary cycle. These diverse creatures (more than one million species are believed to exist) roamed the earth before us and will still be here when we have gone. They are the pollinators, cleaners, and recyclers of life on earth. Without them, we would not last long.
Attenborough has studied and enjoyed these diminutive beings since he was a schoolboy in the Leicestershire countryside of England. Life in the Undergrowth , part of his innovative series on natural history topics, looks at invertebrates the world their arrival on land and mastery of every habitat, and their fantastic variety of hunting, mating, and highly organized social behaviors.
Adults are prejudiced against insects--handicapped by their ignorance and fears and limited by their size and vision. Children, who are closer to insects in size, notice and enjoy the tiny creatures.
In this companion book to the Animal Planet television program, Attenborough shares his childlike curiosity for invertebrates, taking us down wormholes and into insect homes for an up-close-and-personal look at their habitats. As the biblical book of Proverbs "Go to the ant, thou consider her ways and be wise." David Attenborough does go. It is worth going with him.
Small by virtue of their lack of backbones, this group of living things plays a surprisingly large role in the evolutionary cycle. These diverse creatures (more than one million species are believed to exist) roamed the earth before us and will still be here when we have gone. They are the pollinators, cleaners, and recyclers of life on earth. Without them, we would not last long.
Attenborough has studied and enjoyed these diminutive beings since he was a schoolboy in the Leicestershire countryside of England. Life in the Undergrowth , part of his innovative series on natural history topics, looks at invertebrates the world their arrival on land and mastery of every habitat, and their fantastic variety of hunting, mating, and highly organized social behaviors.
Adults are prejudiced against insects--handicapped by their ignorance and fears and limited by their size and vision. Children, who are closer to insects in size, notice and enjoy the tiny creatures.
In this companion book to the Animal Planet television program, Attenborough shares his childlike curiosity for invertebrates, taking us down wormholes and into insect homes for an up-close-and-personal look at their habitats. As the biblical book of Proverbs "Go to the ant, thou consider her ways and be wise." David Attenborough does go. It is worth going with him.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 2005
9 people are currently reading
1091 people want to read
About the author
David Attenborough
182 books2,830 followersSir David Frederick Attenborough is a naturalist and broadcaster, who is most well-known for writing and presenting the nine "Life" series, produced in conjunction with BBC's Natural History Unit. The series includes Life on Earth (1979), The Living Planet (1984), The Trials of Life (1990), Life in the Freezer (about Antarctica; 1993), The Private Life of Plants (1995), The Life of Birds (1998), The Life of Mammals (2002), Life in the Undergrowth (2005) and Life in Cold Blood (2008).
He is the younger brother of director and actor Richard Attenborough.
Photo credit: Wildscreen's photograph of David Attenborough at ARKive's launch in Bristol, England © May 2003
He is the younger brother of director and actor Richard Attenborough.
Photo credit: Wildscreen's photograph of David Attenborough at ARKive's launch in Bristol, England © May 2003
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 30, 2008
Attenborough is so amazing. I wish he was my rich uncle or something. This book is so interesting. You never really think about the mating habits of earthworms until you read a book like this. A life without this book is a sad, empty, bugless life. Read this book!
January 26, 2026
Yet another totally fascinating Attenborough book! There was almost too much information....I may have to reread it to absorb more of the astonishing facts! The photography also deserves a mention as there were amazing pictures on every page.
December 20, 2016
I wasn't aware I knew so many things about invertebrates. Otherwise, the book was good, with a wide range of species addressed (scorpions, worms, dragonflies, spiders, butterflies, cicadas, crickets, bees, ants...). I especially enjoyed learning things about scorpions, cicadas and bees, some of their behaviors were well depicted, as their life cycle. The book was well illustrated, with almost a nice photo every other page. The lack of scientific names was a little annoying, I can understand it's not really useful for people, but I prefer to have the scientific and common names to avoid confusion between two species.
September 18, 2021
I love with how this book managed to put togther such a variety of insects and aspects of their behaviour, life, evolution and adaptation into a coherent narrative that flowed so easily
Read
November 2, 2015This book is about the lives of insects in damp and wet places.
March 9, 2022
Could't agree more:
Insects disguising themselves as flowers or leaves. A spider that lassoes its prey. A beetle that persuades a bee to care for its young. Small is beautiful. And astonishingly varied - far over a million species - and important.
Kept small by lack of backbones, invertebrates were here before us, will still be there when we have gone. They are the pollinaters, cleaners and recyclers of life on earth. With their help, we have evolved. Without them, we would not last long.
Yet people are prejudiced, by ignorance, fear, or just difference of size and difficulties of seeing. Closer to them, children notice and enjoy tiny creatures where adults may too easily reach for an insecticide.
David Attenborough - one of the most effective and best-liked teachers of our time - has studied and enjoyed nature since a schoolboy in the Leicestershire countryside 70 years ago. His new BBC television series, which this book accompanies and expands, is a look at these small lives the world over: their arrival on land and mastery of every habitat, their fantastic variety of hunting, mating and highly organised social behaviour.
Insects disguising themselves as flowers or leaves. A spider that lassoes its prey. A beetle that persuades a bee to care for its young. Small is beautiful. And astonishingly varied - far over a million species - and important.
Kept small by lack of backbones, invertebrates were here before us, will still be there when we have gone. They are the pollinaters, cleaners and recyclers of life on earth. With their help, we have evolved. Without them, we would not last long.
Yet people are prejudiced, by ignorance, fear, or just difference of size and difficulties of seeing. Closer to them, children notice and enjoy tiny creatures where adults may too easily reach for an insecticide.
David Attenborough - one of the most effective and best-liked teachers of our time - has studied and enjoyed nature since a schoolboy in the Leicestershire countryside 70 years ago. His new BBC television series, which this book accompanies and expands, is a look at these small lives the world over: their arrival on land and mastery of every habitat, their fantastic variety of hunting, mating and highly organised social behaviour.
March 27, 2025
I have been watching the accompanying series while reading along with the corresponding chapters of this book and it was been such a wonderful, enlightening, educational experience. Sir David never fails to make the natural world anything less than astounding and engaging and I found myself frequently in awe and wonderment of these animals of the undergrowth.
January 27, 2023
As always another fantastic book by Sir David Attenborough. It is filled with incredible facts that you won’t forget. It really is interesting to learn about the smaller creatures of the world that are hidden just below our feet.
April 2, 2025
Interesting and well researched 📖 with many stunning photographs, this is a 📖 about (mostly) insects. Even though I had a physical copy, I could hear David Attenborough’s voice in my head as I was reading.
2025 reading challenge -a 📖 set primarily in nature
2025 reading challenge -a 📖 set primarily in nature
February 18, 2018
Amazingly detailed writing with just as amazingly detailed photographic illustrations.
April 13, 2021
Favorite moments:
(1) Trapdoor spiders
(2) Leaf-cutter ants + fungus gardens
(3) Aphid-herding ants
(4) Alcon blue butterfly
(5) Acacia ant houses
(1) Trapdoor spiders
(2) Leaf-cutter ants + fungus gardens
(3) Aphid-herding ants
(4) Alcon blue butterfly
(5) Acacia ant houses
February 26, 2026
The only reason i finished this is cause of mr rowland. To the library i say!
October 30, 2023
Wow. Just wow. David is a very clever man, his word arrangement is amazing, I’m not particularly interested in insects and I was hooked the whole way through. Definitely worth a read.
March 24, 2016
This is my favorite nonfiction book. Life in the undergrowth is a great book by David Attenborough . He really adds the feel of a story to his book. He starts out with the simplest insects and gradually works his way up to the more complicated bugs like spiders. Which really makes you want to continue reading like any fiction book would with its climax. But unlike many fiction books, this Book is also very informational. It tells people a lot about all kinds of different insects and arachnids while keeping to the storyline. Most informational books are either very bland with little thought to the continuity of the book or they weave around the main topic and don't tell up what you want to know. But Attenborough really makes a well flowing book that is also very informational. It is also very thought provoking. It will really make you think about the world of bugs in a new light. The section on complex colonies will make anyone wonder why we haven't noticed these amazing insects for what they are and have just disregarded them as stupid and annoying. This book really goes into detail and was really wonderful and exciting to read. The people who really like and find the world of bugs fascinating should read Life in the undergrowth. It is a great informational book that probably could teach you something while being fun to read.
August 16, 2014
This is another book which has been sitting waiting too long on my shelves.
David Attenborough's genius for communication about the natural world is well known and here he churns it out again... I fear I am in danger of becoming blasé. I could hear his voice as I read (even though I don't think I have seen the associated TV series) The format of the book was a little odd and didn't leave the right amount of margin which made it harder to read.
I've watched a good many programmes about slugs, bugs, beetles, ants... but I still enjoyed this and learned new things and admired the photos... although I wonder whether the honeypot ants survived being sucked?
David Attenborough's genius for communication about the natural world is well known and here he churns it out again... I fear I am in danger of becoming blasé. I could hear his voice as I read (even though I don't think I have seen the associated TV series) The format of the book was a little odd and didn't leave the right amount of margin which made it harder to read.
I've watched a good many programmes about slugs, bugs, beetles, ants... but I still enjoyed this and learned new things and admired the photos... although I wonder whether the honeypot ants survived being sucked?
October 28, 2008
brilliant and beautiful. Full of amazing information. I actually feel sorry for creationists, at least the ones that are unwilling to see how amazing a principle evolution is, and what an amazing world it has wrought
July 19, 2011
A very nice compendium of arthropod dramas, arranged in a nice fashion (by evolutionary lineage and ecological similarities both, at different points), told in Attenborough's peerless authorial voice.
December 28, 2007
Easy read. Adds insight to a world seldom noticed or enjoyed by most adults. Presented in a fun, non-technical format Great photography.
June 26, 2008
Beautiful pictures to accompany this amazing documentary series. Attenborough is a great writer, as well as an outstanding presenter.
March 18, 2009
A beautiful and fascinating book. But I'm biased, I love spiders and scorpions and snakes and all of that undergrowth nonsense.
June 10, 2010
Another superb book by Mr A!
September 2, 2014
Life in the Undergrowth by David Attenborough (Princeton University Press 2006)(592.0). David Attenborough turns his attention to the life of insects. My rating: 7/10, finished 2007.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews