Doctors by Nature: How Ants, Apes, and Other Animals Heal Themselves

From chimpanzees swallowing medicinal leaves to ants disinfecting infected nestmates and birds lining their nests with parasite-repelling plants, animals have evolved remarkable ways of preventing and treating disease. Drawing on decades of research in evolutionary biology and animal behavior, Jaap de Roode reveals that the roots of medicine extend far beyond human civilization.
Combining cutting-edge science with vivid stories from the natural world, de Roode explores how creatures as diverse as monarch butterflies, honeybees, caterpillars, and elephants diagnose illness, self-medicate, and protect their communities from infection. These discoveries are transforming our understanding of evolution and may even inspire new approaches to human medicine.
Engaging and scientifically rigorous, Doctors by Nature offers a fascinating exploration of the healing strategies that have evolved across the animal kingdom and demonstrates that nature itself may be one of humanity's greatest medical teachers.