For the animals and plants of the Arizona desert, every day is about staying alive. But it’s all the other stuff—desire, fidelity, hope, envy, grief, betrayal—that bridges the gap between science and fiction and highlights the interconnectedness of the human and natural worlds.A wealthy Gila monster suffers from halitosis. A young peccary chooses a side in war. A rattlesnake upends the historic enmity between serpent and man. A subterranean termite princess comes home. Two mothers, a dove and a woodpecker, are confronted by an unthinkable crime. A rogue saguaro cactus learns to listen. A jilted roadrunner moonlights at a hummingbird sex resort. These and dozens more characters run, hop, slither, and fly through captivating storylines and natural history-style illustrations. Equal parts biology, fantasy, tragicomedy, and conservation, The Neotenic Queen is a collection of stunning revelations.Contains mature content.