Multispecies history is a recent historical development that promises to provide both a new perspective and a new methodology.Footnote1 It is deeply interdisciplinary, combining history with ecology, animal studies, anthropology, and other related fields. As a historical approach, multispecies history has significant strengths. It foregrounds the “entangled bank” of life forms in historical processes and opens up new ways of thinking about the past. Yet, the approach also raises important methodological questions. What is multispecies history? What are the possibilities and challenges? And how to do it well? This forum explores these issues. Through examples, the essays investigate different aspects and themes of multispecies history. The purpose is not to prove and conclude; rather, it is to probe, to reflect, and to offer insights and suggestions. In other words, this forum is more an octopus with many searching arms than an owl laden with purported wisdom or a chomping crocodile that entertains no objections.
