Geodorcus sororum

Geodorcus sororum is a large flightless species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. It was discovered in 1973 by Mr. A. Wright on an expedition to Middle Sister Island/Te Awanui, one of The Sisters Islands/Rangitatahi which are part of the Chatham Islands in New Zealand. This holotype specimen is held in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection. It was first described by Beverley Holloway in 2007. The name "sororum" is translated from Latin to mean "belonging to the sisters".
Description and taxonomy.
This beetle ranges in length (including mandibles) from 18.0 to 28.5 mm (males) and from 19.4 to 24 mm (females). It has a glossy exoskeleton which ranges in colour from reddish-black to black. Like "Geodorcus servandus", its elytra are not distinctly ribbed. This is a feature that distinguishes "G. sororum" from "G. capito" which is also found in the Chatham Islands. They demonstrate sexual dimorphism with an overall size difference and obvious differences in mandible shape and size. The two species of "Geodorcus" beetle on the Chatham Islands share a common ancestor. Mitochondrial DNA analysis shows that "G. capito" and "G. sororum" are more closely related than either is to the other "Geodorcus" species found on mainland New Zealand. Individuals of "G. sororum" are very closely related to each other and have low genetic diversity.
Distribution.
This species has only been observed on Middle Sister Island, which is located 19 km north-west of Chatham Island. Collections of the beetle have been made from near sea level to 40 m. This island is a breeding ground for large seabirds including northern royal albatross and Buller's albatross.
Habitat.
Middle Sister Island has sparse vegetation consisting mainly of coastal herbs and ice plant. Other "Geodorcus" species are associated with rotten logs, but this habitat is absent from the treeless Sisters Islands, which are two pyramidical rocks about 100 feet high, covered with scanty bushes, and frequented by countless numbers of sea-birds.
Diet.
"Geodorcus" beetle larvae tend to feed on decaying wood or the fungi involved in decomposition. "Geodorcus sororum" larvae must consume an alternative, as the plant communities on Middle Sister Island consist only of small shrubs and herbs. The adult beetles must also consume an alternative food source to the other members of this genus, considering the absence of woody vegetation on this small island. The presence of a humus-rich soil should allow this species to complete its life cycle.
Conservation.
Like all "Geodorcus" species, "G. sororum" is absolutely protected under Schedule 7 of The 1953 Wildlife Act, making it an offense to collect or harm a specimen. It has a conservation status as nationally critical due to its small population on Middle Sister Island and presence in only one location. The Sisters Islands are currently rodent free. They are visited by birdwatchers and the introduction of rodents would be catastrophic for this species.


Ophisops jerdonii

Ophisops jerdonii, commonly known as Jerdon's cabrita, Jerdon's snake-eye, or Punjab snake-eyed lacerta, is a species of lacertid lizard, which is distributed in east Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
Etymology.
The specific name, "jerdonii", is in honor of British biologist Thomas C. Jerdon.
Description.
Head moderate, feebly depressed. Upper head-shields rugose, keeled and striated; nostril lateral, pierced between 3 or 4 shields, viz. an anterior, or an upper and a lower anterior nasal and two superposed postnasals ; a large frontonasal; frequently one or two small azygos shields between the pair of prefrontals; four supraoculars, first and fourth small, the two principal separated from the supraciliaries by a series of granules; occipital small, sometimes a little broader than the interparietal, with which it forms a suture; subocular bordering the lip, between the fourth and fifth (or third and fourth) upper labials; temporal scales small, keeled; one or two large subtemporal shields border the parietals externally; tympanic shield small or indistinct. No gular fold extending from ear to ear; collar quite indistinct. Dorsal scales large, strongly keeled, much imbricate, scarcely larger on the back than on the sides; 28 to 35 scales round the middle of the body (ventrals included). A large postero-median preanal plate. The hind limb reaches the shoulder or halfway between the latter and the ear in the male, not to axilla in the female; 7 to 11 femoral pores on each side. Tail once and a half to twice as long as head and body; caudal scales about as large as dorsals. Coppery-brown above, with two pale golden lateral streaks bordered with black, the upper extending from the supraciliaries to the tail, the lower from the upper lip to the groin; frequently a series of large black spots between the two lateral streaks; lower surfaces yellowish white.
From snout to vent ; tail .
Central India (Saugor, Mhow), N.W. Provinces (Agra), Punjab, Sind, Madras Presidency (Bellary).


Triplophysa brahui

Triplophysa brahui is a species of stone loach in the genus "Triplophysa". It is found in Baluchistan, Pakistan and in the Helmand River watershed in Afghanistan.


Alphinellus gibbicollis

Alphinellus gibbicollis is a species of longhorn beetles of the subfamily Lamiinae. It was described by Bates in 1881, and is known from Guatemala.


Acanthurus bariene

Acanthurus bariene is a tropical fish also commonly known as the bariene surgeonfish, black-spot surgeonfish, or eye-spot surgeonfish. It was first named by René Primevère Lesson in 1831.


Homoeocera georginas

Homoeocera georginas is a moth of the subfamily Arctiinae. It is known only for a restricted area in Guatemala, on the Pacific slope, at high altitude.
The length of the forewings is 18–20 mm. The biology of this species is unknown.
Etymology.
The name is a reference to the type locality: Fuentes Georginas, a popular spot with hot springs high in the mountains on the Pacific slope.


Archonias

Archonias is a monotypic genus of butterflies in the family Pieridae. Archonias brassolis, the cattleheart white, is its sole species. It is found from Central America, south through most of South America.
The wingspan is 56–65 mm for "A. b. rubrosparsa" and 31–34 mm for "A. b. approximata".
Although "Archonias brassolis" is a member of the whites family, it is primarily black, with red hindwing patches and white forewing patches. It is geographically variable, with some forms being remarkable mimics of various "Parides" swallowtails, while others strongly resemble "Heliconius". It is likely that these butterflies are themselves unpalatable and thus Müllerian mimics.
The larvae feed on "Loranthaceae" species and are gregarious. Adults of "A. b. approximata" have been recorded feeding on the nectar of "Eupatorium" species.
Subspecies.
There is also one undescribed subspecies from Colombia.


Callimedusa duellmani

Callimedusa duellmani is a species of frog in the family Phyllomedusidae. It is endemic to Peru and is only known from its type locality near Balzapata, upper Chiriaco River, in the Department of Amazonas. The specific name "duellmani" honors , an American herpetologist. Common name purple and orange leaf frog (also spelled purple-and-orange leaf frog) has been proposed for it.
Description.
The type series consists of two adult males measuring in snout–vent length. The snout is short and acutely rounded in dorsal view, sloping when viewed laterally. The tympanum is distinct. The fingers have discs of moderate size but no webbing. The toes have discs that are slightly longer than the finger ones; webbing is absent. Dorsal coloration is green. The concealed surfaces of the limbs are deep orange with purple markings. The throat and belly are orange, with purple between white granules that are prominent on the throat. The iris is silvery gray with greenish cast; the palpebrum has light white reticulation.
Gosner stage 37 tadpole measures in total length; the body length is .
Habitat and conservation.
"Callimedusa duellmani" is known from cloud forest at elevations of above sea level. The type series was collected at night on vegetation overhanging a water-filled ditch along a road. The males were calling at the time of the capture. Eggs clutches were found in vegetation about one meter above the ditch, and tadpoles in the ditch.
Potential threat to this poorly known species is agricultural activity in the area of the type locality. It is not known if it occurs in any protected areas.


Ash-colored cuckoo

The ash-colored cuckoo ("Coccycua cinerea") is an American bird species of the cuckoo family (Cuculidae).
It was formerly placed in the genus "Coccyzus" or "Micrococcyx". Following the discovery that it belongs to a distinct lineage around the little cuckoo, the genus "Coccycua" has been reinstated for these.
Its range extends from northern and central Argentina to Uruguay and São Paulo (state) ; its wintering range extend northwards towards Amazonas. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.


Crested honey buzzard

The crested honey buzzard ("Pernis ptilorhynchus") is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles, and harriers. This species is also known as the Oriental honey buzzard.
Description.
Despite its name, this species is not related to "Buteo" buzzards, and is taxonomically closer to the kites.
It appears long-necked with a small head (resembling that of a pigeon), and soars on flat wings. The head lacks a strong superciliary ridge, giving it a facial appearance very unlike a raptor. It has a long tail and a short head crest. It is brown above, but not as dark as European honey buzzard, and paler below. A dark throat stripe is present. Unusually for a large bird of prey, the sexes can be distinguished. The male has a blue-grey head, while the female's head is brown. She is slightly larger and darker than the male. The male has a black tail with a white band.
It breeds in Asia from central Siberia east to Japan. It is a summer migrant to Siberia, wintering in tropical Southeast Asia. Elsewhere, it is more-or-less resident. It is a specialist feeder, living mainly on the larvae of social bees and wasps, and eating bits of comb and honey; it takes other small insect prey such as cicadas.
The crested honey buzzard breeds in woodland, and is inconspicuous except in the spring, when the mating display includes wing-clapping. The display of roller-coasting in flight and fluttering wings at the peak of the ascent are characteristic of the genus "Pernis".
It is larger and longer-winged than its western counterpart, the European honey buzzard, "Pernis apivorus".
Mimicry.
The similarity in plumage between juvenile crested honey buzzards and the "Nisaetus" hawk-eagles may have arisen as a partial protection against predation by larger raptors. The eagles have stronger bills and talons, and are likely to be less vulnerable than the "Pernis" species. Similar mimicry is shown by the juveniles of the European honey buzzard, which resembles the common buzzard. Although the northern goshawk is capable of killing both species, it is likely to be more cautious about attacking the better protected "Buteo" species.
The effects of wind and climate change on migratory route.
Crested buzzards that migrate from breeding areas in Japan to wintering areas in Southeast Asia fly over the East China Sea. This 700-km nonstop flight over water is possible because during autumn, winds over the sea blow in the same direction as the birds' direction of flight (i.e. wind support). As climate change affects wind conditions worldwide, the wind support over the East China Sea could be reduced.
Subspecies.
"Pernis ptilorhynchus" includes the following subspecies:


Microlophus thoracicus

Microlophus thoracicus, the Tschudi's Pacific iguana, is a species of lava lizard endemic to Peru.


Whipper (budgerigar)

Whipper is a budgerigar from Winton, Southland District, New Zealand. Its unusual appearance, long curly plumage, and vocalisations, which were caused by a genetic mutation made it famous in its home country.
After being placed with, and rejected by its mother, its owner took personal care of Whipper. This early separation from its own species may have resulted in its unique vocal sounds, and later reintroduction to other budgerigars caused normal calls to be more evident.
Mutation.
Whipper's vet declared him as a mutant. Bird mutations are well documented and can cause health problems.
Mutation is common within the species, caused by "budgerigar colour genetics". However, Whipper's unique mutation is long curly feathers, short flightless wings and apparent blindness. It is suspected that the mutation, which is known to budgerigar breeders as the "feather duster budgerigar" mutation, caused unrestricted feather growth, resulting in the budgerigar's dishevelled appearance.


Iranocichla hormuzensis

Iranocichla hormuzensis also known as the Iranian Cichlid is a species of mouthbrooding fish from the cichlid family. It is restricted to freshwater and brackish habitats in the drainage of the Mehran River in southern Iran above the Straits of Hormuz. It was formerly regarded as the only species in its genus, but another species, "I. persa" was described in 2016. These are the only cichlids native to Iran and among the few cichlids in Asia.
"I. hormuzensis" attains a standard length of about and a total length of about . It has a stout body. Young exhibit a silver-green coloration with no fin pigmentation. The adult is mostly black with silver speckles on the body and barring on the dorsal fin. Unlike "I. persa", the breast and head of nuptial male "I. hormuzensis" is blackish (not orange). Although it has not been rated by the IUCN, some authorities believe it is highly threatened.


Altiphylax stoliczkai

Altiphylax stoliczkai, also known commonly as the frontier bow-fingered gecko, the Baltistan gecko, and the Karakorum gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to South Asia.
Etymology.
The specific name, "stoliczkai", is in honor of Moravian zoologist Ferdinand Stoliczka.
Geographic range.
"A. stoliczkai" is found in India (Kashmir, Karoo/Dras, Ladakh) and western China.
The type locality given by Steindachner is ""bei Karoo, nördlich von Dras, Kashmir" ".
Habitat.
The preferred natural habitats of "A. stoliczkai" are desert, grassland, and rocky areas, at altitudes of .
Reproduction.
"A. stoliczkai" is oviparous.
Taxonomy.
Most authorities, most recently et al. 2013, now consider Böhme's mountain gecko to be a subspecies of this species ("A. s. boehmei)".


Choeradodis columbica

Choeradodis columbica, or Columbian shield mantis, is a species of praying mantis native to Colombia.


Colaxes horton

Colaxes horton is a species of spider of the genus "Colaxes". It is endemic to Sri Lanka. The species was first found from Horton Plains, hence its specific name.


Eburia bonairensis

Eburia bonairensis is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae, that is endemic to Suriname.


List of mammals of Poland

This list shows the IUCN Red List status of the 112 mammal species occurring in Poland which have been recorded in historic times. Of these, two are endangered, three are vulnerable, and five are near threatened. Three of the species listed for Poland are nationally extinct.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' status as published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:
Order: Rodentia (rodents).
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40% of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing.
Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs).
The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). Though they can resemble rodents, and were classified as a superfamily in that order until the early twentieth century, they have since been considered a separate order. They differ from rodents in a number of physical characteristics, such as having four incisors in the upper jaw rather than two.
Order: Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures).
The order Erinaceomorpha contains a single family, Erinaceidae, which comprise the hedgehogs and gymnures. The hedgehogs are easily recognised by their spines while gymnures look more like large rats.
Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons).
The "shrew-forms" are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice while the moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
Order: Chiroptera (bats).
The bats' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammals.
Order: Cetacea (whales).
The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped nearly hairless body, protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater.
Order: Carnivora (carnivorans).
There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates).
The even-toed ungulates are ungulates whose weight is borne about equally by the third and fourth toes, rather than mostly or entirely by the third as in perissodactyls. There are about 220 artiodactyl species, including many that are of great economic importance to humans.


Mexican free-tailed bat

The Mexican free-tailed bat or Brazilian free-tailed bat ("Tadarida brasiliensis") is a medium-sized bat native to the Americas, regarded as one of the most abundant mammals in North America. Its proclivity towards roosting in huge numbers at relatively few locations makes it vulnerable to habitat destruction in spite of its abundance. It has been claimed to have the fastest horizontal speed (as opposed to stoop diving speed) of any animal, reaching top ground speeds over ; its actual air speed has not been measured. The Texas Legislature designated the Mexican free-tailed bat the state mammal (flying) in 1995.
Taxonomy.
The Mexican free-tailed bat was described as a new species in 1824 by French zoologist Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. Geoffroy placed it in the now-defunct genus "Nyctinomus" with a binomial name of "Nyctinomus brasiliensis".
The holotype had been collected in Brazil.
Molecular sequence data indicate "T. brasiliensis"'s closest relatives are the sister species "Sauromys petrophilus" of South Africa and "Tadarida aegyptiaca" of Africa and South Asia. These three species form a clade believed to be about 6.5 million years old.
Physical description.
Mexican free-tailed bats are typically in length and weigh around with females tending to be slightly heavier than males by 1-2 grams for increased fat storage to use during gestation and nursing.
Their tails are almost half their total length and stretch beyond the uropatagium, giving them the name "free-tailed" bats. Their ears are wide, rounded, and large compared to their heads, nearly meeting at the front of the face, but distinctly not joined at the midline and projecting anterodorsally from just before the muzzle to the back of the head. They use their large ears to help them find prey using echolocation. "T. brasiliensis" is distinguished among North American" Tadarida" bats in possessing deep wrinkles on the upper lip and in having a Z-shaped upper third molar, which is used for grinding insects. These individuals possess canines which are larger in males than in females. The wings are elongated and narrow with pointed tips, making them well-equipped for quick, straight flight patterns. Their fur color ranges from dark brown to gray. The Mexican free-tailed bat's large feet have distinct long, white bristles.
The dental formula of "Tadarida brasiliensis" is .
Range and ecology.
The Mexican free-tailed bat ranges from the southern half of the continental United States through most of Mexico, and through most of Central America into South America. Their range in South America is less understood where they live in the eastern Brazilian highlands and coast, the northeastern Andes, the coast of Peru and northern Chile, and the center of Argentina. They are absent in much of the Amazon rainforest. They are also found in the Caribbean, and are native to all of the Greater Antilles and 11 of the Lesser Antilles. The largest known colony is found at Bracken Cave, north of San Antonio, Texas, with nearly 20 million bats; the bats from this colony congregate in huge numbers at altitudes between , and even as high as .
Habitat.
Mexican free-tailed bats roost primarily in caves. However, they also roost in buildings of any type as long as they have access to openings and dark recesses in ceilings or walls. The bats can make roosting sites of buildings regardless of "age, height, architecture, construction materials, occupancy by humans and compass orientation". Caves, though, need to have enough wall and ceiling space to fit millions of bats. Before buildings, free-tailed bats in the Southeastern United States probably roosted in the hollows of trees such as red mangrove, black mangrove, white mangrove, and cypress. However, most bats in Florida seem to prefer buildings and other man-made structures over natural roosts. Caves in Florida tend to be occupied mostly by the southeastern myotis. Caves in Florida tend to have pools of water on the floor and the free-tailed bats do not need as much relative humidity as the southeastern myotis.
Migration.
Mexican free-tailed bats in southeastern Nevada, southwestern Utah, western Arizona, and southeastern California come together to migrate southwest to southern California and Baja California. Bats in southeastern Utah, southwestern Colorado, western New Mexico, and eastern Arizona travel through the western edge of the Sierra Madre Oriental into Jalisco, Sinaloa, and Sonora. Some bats that summer in Kansas, Oklahoma, eastern New Mexico, and Texas migrate southward to South Texas and Mexico. Some bat populations in other areas of North America do not migrate, but are residents and may make seasonal changes in roost sites. While this migration is extremely extensive, a way must exist for these bats to continuously congregate in the same roosts every year. "T. brasiliensis" bats have copious numbers of sebaceous glands covering their entire bodies. These glands leave a trace of a lasting scent to which other bats are sensitive. This odor is crucial to marking habitual roosts.
In Austin, Texas, a colony of Mexican free-tailed bats summers (they winter in Mexico) under the Congress Avenue Bridge 10 blocks south of the Texas State Capitol. It is the largest urban colony in North America, with an estimated 1,500,000 bats. Each night they eat of insects. Each year, they attract 100,000 tourists who come to watch them. In Houston, Texas, a colony is living under the Waugh Street Bridge over Buffalo Bayou. It is the home to 250,000 bats and also attracts viewers. The Mexican free-tailed bat is the official flying mammal of the state of Texas.
Bats ranging eastward from East Texas do not migrate, but local shifts in roost usage often occur seasonally. Also, a regional population that ranges from Oregon to California, has a year-round residence.
Diet.
Mexican free-tailed bats are primarily insectivores. They hunt their prey using echolocation. The bats eat moths, beetles, dragonflies, flies, true bugs, wasps, and ants. They usually catch flying prey in flight. Large numbers of Mexican free-tailed bats fly hundreds of meters above the ground in Texas to feed on migrating insects. The consumption of insects by these bats can be quite significant.
The onset of evening emergence from caves and the end of returns at dawn tend to correlate with sunset and sunrise, respectively, with dawn returns ending increasingly later in correlation to sunrise throughout the summer season. Reproductive females tended to emerge earlier in the evening and return later at dawn to gather the extra nutrients they require for reproduction and offspring care. "T. brasiliensis" bats spend around 60% of their active time foraging while aerial, mostly hunting at heights of . Individuals will fly in one night to reach foraging areas. The loose, wrinkled skin around the mouth is thought to aid in expanding the mouth during flight to catch insects. "T. brasiliensis" requires free water sources to maintain water balance: individuals from the arid environment of New Mexico tend to have thicker renal tissue layers compared to "T. brasiliensis" from the less arid California, revealing that urine concentrating abilities and water use varies geographically with aridity.
Health and mortality.
One individual bat was recorded to have lived 8 years, based on dentition. Predators of the bat include large birds such as red-tailed hawk, American kestrels, great horned owls, barn owls, and Mississippi kites. Mammal predators include Virginia opossums, striped skunks, and raccoons. Snakes such as eastern coachwhips and eastern coral snakes may also prey on them, but at a lesser extent. Certain types of beetles prey on neonate and juvenile bats that have fallen to the ground. This species seems to have a low incidence of rabies, at least in the United States. They do, however, contain certain pesticides.
White-nose syndrome (WNS) caused by infection by the fungus "P. destructans" has increased in prevalence since 2006, mostly affecting species of bats that roost underground such as the little brown bat. The fungus, now suspected to have spread from accidental transportation by human cave workers, is thought to cause frequent arousals during bat hibernation, causing an individual to use fat stores much more quickly and die of starvation before the end of winter. WNS can affect "T. brasiliensis", but has yet to be greatly introduced to their habitat due to their preference for more arid caves. WNS has low prevalence in the subtropical and tropical regions where "T. brasiliensis" resides.
Behavior.
Mexican free-tailed bats are nocturnal foragers and begin feeding after dusk. They travel 50 km in a quick, direct flight pattern to feed. This species flies the highest among bats, at altitudes around 3300 m. Bats appear to be most active in late morning and afternoon between June and September. Free-tailed bats are more active in warm weather.
The species has been measured at a ground speed of , measured by an aircraft tracking device. The measurement methodology did not simultaneously record wind speed and ground speed, so the observations could have been affected by strong local gusts, and the bat's maximum air speed remains uncertain.
Guano and ammonia.
Among bats that roost in great, concentrated numbers, "T." "brasiliensis" roosts produce large quantities of urine and guano; from 22 to 99 metric tons per cave and over 18,700 metric tons are produced annually. The concentrated waste generates high levels of toxic ammonia in the air of a cave. "T. brasiliensis" individuals have genetic adaptation for withstanding or countering these high levels of ammonia. The bats’ content of CO2 and protein in respiratory mucus and CO2 dissolved in blood plasma increase with increasing levels of dissolved ammonia, providing the bats with a buffer against pH change. This allows the bats to filter out a large majority of inhaled ammonia before it reaches toxic levels in the blood. "T. brasiliensis" bats are thought to swarm in spiraling motions within caves to ventilate ammonia and renew the air.
Echolocation.
Mexican free-tailed bats use echolocation for navigation and detecting prey. Traveling calls are of a brief but constant frequency. However, they switch modulated frequency calls between 40 and 75 kHz if they detect something. Typically, the frequency range of their echolocation is between 49 and 70 kHz, but can be between 25 and 40 kHz if something crosses their path while in flight.
On 6 November 2014, Aaron Corcoran, a biologist at Wake Forest University, North Carolina, reported online in "Science" that his team and he had detected Mexican free-tailed bats emitting ultrasonic vocalizations that had the effect of jamming the echolocation calls of a rival bat species hunting moths. The ‘jamming’ call led to an increased chance of the rival missing its prey, which the Mexican free-tailed bat was then able to eat itself. Earlier researchers had discovered some 15 types of social calls made by Mexican free-tailed bats and reported that they could adjust their calls to avoid interfering with others in range of their calls.
Mating and reproduction.
During the breeding season, females aggregate into maternity roosts. The size of these roosts depends on the environment, with caves having the larger roosts. Mating can occur in an aggressive or passive form. In the aggressive form, the male controls the female's movements, keeping her away from the other bats in the roost. He also tends to vocalize when mating. During passive copulation, the males simply flies to a female in her roost and quietly mounts her with no resistance. This species is a promiscuous breeder and both sexes copulate with multiple partners. Females become sexually mature at about 9 months, while males take even longer, at two years. Females enter estrus once a year, which typically lasts five weeks in the spring. The gestation period of the bat lasts 11–12 weeks, with only one young being born. A number of pups are left in "creches", while their mothers roost elsewhere. The female uses vocalizations and scent to identify her pup. The mother imprints her scent on the young early on. However, young try to steal a suckle from any female that passes through the cluster. A mother will nurse her young daily, and by 4–7 weeks old they are full grown, fully weaned, and independent.
Conservation.
Though abundant and widespread, some local populations have prompted protection and conservation efforts. For instance, during the spring and summer, one of the largest Mexican free-tailed bat populations inhabits Cueva de la Boca, a cave near Monterrey, Mexico. In 2006, the Mexican environmental conservation NGO, Pronatura Noreste, purchased the property. Because of a reduction of more than 95% of the original 20 million bat population, as a result of vandalism, pollution, and uncontrolled tourism, the organization decided to buy the property to place it under conservation. Other species of high ecological value that inhabit the cavern are also being protected. The bat is considered a species of special concern in California as a result of declining populations.
Similarly, Bat Conservation International bought Bracken Cave from private ownership in 1992. BCI planned to revert any land changes that were a result of farming or ranching in order to conserve the biodiversity and wildlife there. Preserving the land around Bracken Cave was important, as it is home to the world's largest bat colony, and any human encroachment would be detrimental to their population. BCI also protects the land from artificial light pollution, which can distress the bats.


Allobates picachos

Allobates picachos is a species of frog in the family Aromobatidae. It is endemic to Colombia where it is only known from its type locality in the Parque Nacional Cordillera los Picachos, Cordillera Oriental of Caquetá Department.
Its natural habitat is premontane humid forest where it lives on the forest floor.


Salamandra atra aurorae

Salamandra atra aurorae is a subspecies of the alpine salamander "Salamandra atra" found in south-eastern Italian Prealps. It is often called the golden alpine salamander.
Morphology.
"Salamandra atra aurorae" is very similar in body shape to all other subspecies of "S. atra", also in all major characters that often distinguish different species of "Salamandra": outline of the head, position of the vomerine teeth, proportions of body parts and limbs, arrangement of glandular bulges and pores on the skin, and shape and length of the tail.
However, the body surface is not entirely and uniformly black as in most other populations of 'S. atra'. Conversely, the dorsal side of "S. atra aurorae" is broadly covered with yellow blotches and brown spots, which are broader and often coalescent on the head and the trunk, they are usually present also on the arms, the thighs and the tail, whereas they are rare on the flanks and the ventral sides. Blotches are invariantly present in all individuals, but highly variable in extent (covering from slightly more than half of the dorsal surface to almost the entire dorsal surface) and in dominant hue (from pale yellow to marbled brown). The colour pattern is highly variable between individuals, without any obvious difference neither between sexes nor between sites. It is established at birth and it usually changes only slightly with growth. However, relatively rapid and extended changes from yellow to brown have been occasionally observed in captive individuals.
Newly born individuals are about 50 mm long and less than 1 g, whereas adults may reach 134 mm in males and 139 mm in females, and 14 g in pregnant females.
The sexual dimorphism is very slight, but it has not been investigated adequately. Like in other subspecies of "S. atra", the cloacal region is usually swollen in the adult males.
Distribution.
"Salamandra atra aurorae" lives only in the northern part of the Sette Comuni plateau, in the Venetian Prealps, NE Italy. The actual distribution is known only incompletely, because the animals are very elusive and therefore hard to detect, and adequate investigations have not been carried out. As to 2016, all documented or reliable records cluster in 12 areas, more than 0.7 km far from each other and approximately aligned West to East from Val Postesina to Monte Fossetta. However, it is unknown whether the populations detected in these areas are actually separated or instead connected through suitable intermediate areas. The estimated "area of occupancy" of "S. atra aurorae" is 26 km2.
Habitat.
Areas inhabited by "S. atra aurorae" are in the range 1200–1800 m and include both moderately inclined slopes and narrow valleys facing south. The substrate is rocky, calcareous and karstic. Most sites are covered with forest stands with Beech, Silver Fir and Norway Spruce, with variable abundance of leaf litter, dead wood on the ground, and patches of grass and moss. Only a few records are from shrubby meadows.
In the area of the Bosco del Dosso, "S. atra aurorae" inhabits only the inner parts of the forest, where old-growth stands of Silver Fir with Beech are apparently more suitable than thicker stands dominated by Norway Spruce. Among adults, habitat requirements are similar between males and females.
Life cycle.
The life cycle of "S. atra aurorae" has been investigated only in part, but is probably similar to that documented for "S. atra atra".
The embryonic and larval development are completed in the uteri of the mother and take at least two years. The juvenile is born after completing metamorphosis, even though it may retain small residuals of gills for a period. Usually two juveniles are born together by a pregnant female.
Behaviour.
Individuals overwinter underground, most probably at some depth in the soil, where they remain inactive for at least 6 months. Since late April to mid October, instead, they still spend most part of the time resting in the soil, however often in the most upper level, sometimes concealed under occasional shelters (e.g., stones emerging from the ground, dead wood or pieces of barks on the surface). During this period, they exit and move on the surface only when the surface is wet and the air is very humid, especially after intense rains following dry periods, independently from the daily cycle of light. At difference from other "S. atra", "S. atra aurorae" does not exit regularly every day around dawn. Adult males are apparently more prone to epigean activity than females and juveniles.
While juveniles disperse during the yearly season, adults are sedentary and remain within their home range also between years. Different shelters are used by a single individual within its home range, which is a few tens of square metres on average, without any obvious differences between males and females. Individual home ranges are partially overlapping, also between individuals of the same sex. The population density has been estimated up to hundreds of individuals per hectare.
Threats, conservation status, management.
All forests inhabited by "S. atra aurorae" are exploited for wood since centuries. However, modern practices commonly employed in wood harvesting include the use of heavy machines moving on the ground during the season of activity of the animals. In addition to causing direct mortality, they compact the soil and remove the ground vegetation along broad stripes. As a consequence, the microhabitat conditions become locally unsuitable for "S. atra aurorae".
This is a critical point when considering the management of wood harvesting following the Storm Vaia, which has hit north-eastern Italy in the autumn 2018 damaging the woods where this salamander lives.
Concerns have also been raised, especially in the past, for the negative impacts of the illegal and uncontrolled collection of specimens, primarily for pet trade, and for the alteration of the local microclimate as a consequence of the capture of water springs for human use.
According to regional assessments following IUCN criteria, "S. atra aurorae" has been categorized as Vulnerable (VU) under criterion D2, because the “extent of occurrence” was estimated <20 km2. Instead, within the global assessment of the species "S. atra", evaluators proposed to rank the subspecies "S. atra aurorae" as Critically endangered (CR), under criterion B1ab (iii), because it was considered comprising a single local population and the habitat quality was judged as declining.
The range of distribution of "S. atra aurorae" is mainly in the Veneto Region, specifically in the Province of Vicenza, but a part is in the Province of Trento.
"Salamandra atra aurorae" is listed in the Annex II (originally under the name 'Salamandra salamandra aurorae') and Annex IV (under the name 'Salamandra aurorae') of the EU Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC. As a consequence, killing, handling and disturbing these animals or altering their habitat are not allowed. Scientific surveys may be carried on only after obtaining a specific permit by the Italian "Ministero dell'ambiente e della tutela del territorio e del mare". Most of the known range is included in the Natura 2000 site IT3220036 “Altopiano dei Sette Comuni”.
Public awareness of the uniqueness of "S. atra aurorae" has recently grown in the human communities of the Altopiano dei Sette Comuni. The animal is depicted in the logo of the local natural history museum “Museo Naturalistico Didattico Patrizio Rigoni" and in the logo of the local ice hockey team “Asiago Newts Hockey”.
Taxonomy.
"Salamandra atra aurorae" had remained unknown to scientists up to 1978, when a specimen kept in a cage in a local temporary exhibition was noticed by a couple of biologists. The discovery was published for the first time in 1981. The taxonomic description and denomination appeared in the following year, first within an abstract for a congress and then in a detailed article. The subspecific name refers to Aurora, wife of the author of the description. For nomenclatural purposes, the type locality was designated as the “Bosco del Dosso, near Vaio di Pian del Morto, between val Remaloch and Val Rotta” and the holotype has been deposited in the Zoological Museum La Specola in Florence. Since the original description, "S. atra aurorae" has been almost universally distinguished at the subspecies rank, but it has been sometimes raised to the species rank.
The taxonomic distinction of "S. atra aurorae" is corroborated by both phenotypic and genetic differences from all other populations of the "S. atra": all specimens of "S. atra aurorae" have yellow blotches covering more than half of the dorsal surface, whereas the specimens of all other subspecies are either uniformly black or at most only sparsely spotted; additionally, genetic data suggests that "S. atra aurorae" represents a distinct lineage within "S. atra". Mating between "S. atra aurorae" and "S. atra" "atra" has been observed under captive conditions, producing viable and fertile juveniles with narrower yellow patches.


Oreichthys cosuatis

Oreichthys cosuatis is a small (~3.2"/8 cm TL) cyprinid fish found in India and Bangladesh.In India it is found along the ganga and brahmaputra river drainage in the states of West bengal
and odisha It is also reported from Thailand and Myanmar.
They are strictly freshwater, and are found in ditches, ponds, streams and canals.
In an aquarium, they are generally peaceful, and tend not to bother other fishes, even those much smaller than they are although they are susceptible to be bullied by larger more boisterous fish. They prefer cooler water (76 °F/24.4 °C at most, although higher temps are tolerated in the short term providing oxygen levels do not drop). Gentle water flow is preferred and be sure to use a soft substrate as this fish has sensitive bristles which is uses whilst foraging.
"Oreichthys cosuatis" is found in the Ganges and Brahmaputra river systems in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. This fish favours slow flowing areas of rivers with dense vegetation and clear water.
This fish reaches around 40mm with the male growing slightly larger than the females, slightly more colourful and they have an extended dorsal fin


Mycalesis lepcha

Mycalesis" ("annamitica") "lepcha, the Lepcha bushbrown, is a satyrine butterfly found in Asia. It is not resolved whether it is best considered a distinct species, or included in "Mycalesis annamitica". It was formerly included in "Mycalesis malsara".
Description.
Wet-season form. Upperside very dark Vandyke brown; cilia whitish brown; the discal transverse white bar on the underside of the wings showing through very clearly, more distinctly on the forewing than on the hindwing; followed on both wings by two or three dark pale-ringed, generally non-pupilled ocelli, and subterminal and terminal pale slender lines. Underside: ground colour darker, the discal white bar and terminal slender line as on the upperside, but the former clear and well-defined inwardly, diffuse outwardly; forewing with four, hindwing with seven white-centred, fulvous-ringed, black ocelli; the rows of ocelli bordered on both sides by narrow crescentic pale purpurescent (purplish) marks forming somewhat irregular lines; subterminal line similar, lunular. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen brown; club of the antennae ochraceous, marked with black on the inner side. Male sex-mark in form 2.
Dry-season form. Upperside similar but paler; the ocelli, especially on the hindwing, obscure or absent; the transverse white discal band on the wings seen by transmission from the underside narrow and very obscure. Underside: basal areas of wings up to the discal white band dark brown in the male, ochraceous brown in the female; the discal white band very narrow and ochraceous white; the terminal margins beyond purpurescent; ocelli minute; both forewings and hindwings irrorated with short, transverse, brown striae.


Maiestas acuminatus

Maiestas acuminatus (formerly "Recilia acuminatus") is a species of leafhopper from Cicadellidae family that is endemic to India. It was formerly placed within "Recilia", but a 2009 revision moved it to "Maiestas".


Synanceia

Synanceia is a genus of fish of the family Synanceiidae, the stonefish, whose members are venomous, dangerous, and even fatal to humans. They are the most venomous fish known. They are found in the coastal regions of the Indo-Pacific.
Taxonomy.
The type species of the genus is "Synanceia verrucosa", which includes the species "Synanceia horrida" that Linnaeus described as "Scorpaena". The misspelling Synanceja is regarded as a synonym for this genus.
Species.
The following is a list of species in the genus:
Habitat and characteristics.
Synanceia are primarily marine, though some species are known to live in rivers. Its species have potent neurotoxins secreted from glands at the base of their needle-like dorsal fin spines which stick up when disturbed or threatened. The vernacular name of the species, the stonefish, derives from its grey and mottled camouflage similar to the color of a stone. Swimmers may not notice them and inadvertently step on them, triggering a sting. When the stonefish is disturbed, it may inject an amount of venom proportional to the amount of pressure applied to it.
A study published in 2018 reports that stonefish also have the ability to extend a sharp, specialized spine known as a "lachrymal saber" as an additional defense mechanism.
The venom of Synanceia is potent and can result in cellular deterioration of the afflicted organism due to toxins that target cellular membranes. The venom can also lower white blood cell count and lead to infection of the area even after appropriate treatment of the wound.
Treatment of envenomation.
Stonefish stings are extremely painful and potentially lethal. The two most recommended treatments are the application of heat to the affected area, and antivenom. Hot water (at a temperature no higher than ) applied to the injured area has been found to denature stonefish venom, and causes minimal discomfort to the victim. Antivenom is used in more extreme cases. Vinegar is found on some Australian beaches as it is said to lessen the pain.
Stonefish stings in Australia.
The stonefish is one of the most venomous fish in the world and stings can cause death if not treated. Most stonefish stings occur as a result of stepping on the creature which forces venom into the foot, while it is less common for the fish to sting when it is picked up. Stonefish stings can occur on the beach, not just in the water, since stonefish can survive out of the water for up to 24 hours. They are not easily seen as they look similar to rocks or coral. Stonefish antivenom is the second-most administered in Australia.
Some Indigenous Australians have corroborees which involve re-enacting the death of someone who trod on the fish. The Aboriginal people of Northern Australia and the Great Barrier Reef have ways of preparing the fish for eating to avoid poisoning.
After stonefish envenomation the amount of anti-venom given depends on the number of puncture wounds from the stonefish spines.
Number of incidents.
There were 25 cases of the use of antivenom for stonefish reported to Commonwealth Serum Laboratories for a one-year period between July 1989 and June 1990, with most from Queensland and four from the Northern Territory. There were 14 calls to the Queensland Poisons Information System in 2008 regarding stonefish poison.
As food.
Synanceia is edible to humans if properly prepared. The protein-based venom quickly breaks down when heated, and raw stonefish served as part of sashimi is rendered harmless simply by removing the dorsal fins which are the main source of venom. The fish are considered a delicacy in many parts of Asia, including south Japan, south Fujian, Guangdong in China, and Hong Kong. In the Hokkien-speaking area, they are considered delicacies and good for health. The meat of Synanceia is white, dense and sweet, and the skin is also edible. They are usually cooked with ginger into a clear soup, and sometimes served raw as sashimi.


List of mammals of China

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in China. There are 495 mammal species in China, of which thirteen are critically endangered, twenty-four are endangered, forty-seven are vulnerable, and seven are near threatened. One of the species listed for China can no longer be found in the wild.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:
Some species were assessed using an earlier set of criteria. Species assessed using this system have the following instead of near threatened and least concern categories:
Order: Sirenia (manatees and dugongs).
Sirenia is an order of fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that inhabit rivers, estuaries, coastal marine waters, swamps, and marine wetlands. All four species are endangered.
Order: Proboscidea (elephants).
The elephants comprise three living species and are the largest living land animals.
Order: Scandentia (treeshrews).
The treeshrews are small mammals native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Although called treeshrews, they are not true shrews and are not all arboreal.
Order: Primates.
The order Primates contains humans and their closest relatives: lemurs, lorisoids, monkeys, and apes.
Order: Rodentia (rodents).
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40% of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to .
Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs).
The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). Though they can resemble rodents, and were classified as a superfamily in that order until the early 20th century, they have since been considered a separate order. They differ from rodents in a number of physical characteristics, such as having four incisors in the upper jaw rather than two.
Order: Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures).
The order Erinaceomorpha contains a single family, Erinaceidae, which comprise the hedgehogs and gymnures. The hedgehogs are easily recognised by their spines while gymnures look more like large rats.
Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons).
The "shrew-forms" are insectivorous mammals. Shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice, while moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
Order: Chiroptera (bats).
The bats' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammals.
Order: Pholidota (pangolins).
The order Pholidota comprises the eight species of pangolin. Pangolins are anteaters and have the powerful claws, elongated snout and long tongue seen in the other unrelated anteater species.
Order: Cetacea (whales).
The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped nearly hairless body, protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater.
Order: Carnivora (carnivorans).
Carnivorans include over 260 species, the majority of which primarily eat meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
Order: Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates).
The odd-toed ungulates are browsing and grazing mammals. They are usually large to very large, and have relatively simple stomachs and a large middle toe.
Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates).
The even-toed ungulates are ungulates whose weight is borne about equally by the third and fourth toes, rather than mostly or entirely by the third as in perissodactyls. There are about 220 artiodactyl species, including many that are of great economic importance to humans.


Maiestas bengalensis

Maiestas bengalensis is a species of bug from the Cicadellidae family that is endemic to India. It was formerly placed within "Recilia", but a 2009 revision moved it to "Maiestas".


List of non-marine molluscs of Hong Kong

The non-marine mollusks of Hong Kong are a part of the molluscan fauna of Hong Kong. A number of species of non-marine mollusks are found in the wild in Hong Kong.
Freshwater gastropods.
Thiaridae
See also.
Lists of molluscs of surrounding countries:


Compsoptesis

Compsoptesis is a genus of flies in the family Tachinidae.


Rarotonga monarch

The Rarotonga monarch ("Pomarea dimidiata"), also known as the Rarotonga flycatcher or kakerori, is a species of bird in the monarch flycatcher family Monarchidae. It is endemic to the Cook Islands.
Taxonomy and systematics.
The Rarotonga monarch was originally described in the genus "Monarcha". Alternate names include Cook Island flycatcher, Cook Islands monarch, and Rarotonga monarch-flycatcher.
Description.
The Rarotonga monarch is a most unusual bird in a number of ways, including being the only bird known to undergo sequential changes in plumage as it grows. The initial plumage of orange to orange-grey changes to pure grey when maturity is reached after four years.
Behaviour and ecology.
Owing to its tropical oceanic island location, the Rarotonga monarch is exceptionally long-lived for a bird with a mass of only , having an adult survival of between 85 and 89 percent, a life expectancy of seven to nine years, and a maximum lifespan of around 24 years. These figures are comparable to large Australian passerines like the superb lyrebird or satin bowerbird and more than ten times the life expectancies of similar sized Holarctic songbirds.
Breeding.
The extraordinary longevity of these birds may explain the evolution of helpers at the nest in a family where this feature is otherwise completely absent. Males can breed at one year, but do not do so in practice until they are four years old.
Threats.
Since the introduction of the black rat and feral cat, adult mortality has more than doubled; a change sufficient to reduce what was previously a highly numerous bird to one of the most endangered birds in the world by the middle 1980s, when the Rarotonga monarch was listed as one of the highest conservation priorities among all Pacific Island birds. The annual pre-breeding removal of rats (starting in the late 1980s) from its principal breeding area on the south coast of Rarotonga (at the Takitumu Conservation Area) by staff and volunteers has made breeding significantly more successful: around two thirds of pairs assisted by a few helpers can now rear the normal clutch of two eggs, whereas in the 1980s breeding attempts had a success rate as low as eleven percent. Despite the growth in population, a major tropical cyclone could destroy this population growth with extreme swiftness, so that conservation work is still very important.
Status.
The Rarotonga monarch was limited to Rarotonga until a second population was established on Atiu Island in 2001. The population is now assessed at over 500 birds.


Trochulus hispidus

Trochulus hispidus, previously known as Trichia hispida, common name, the "hairy snail", is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies.
Distribution.
This species occurs in a number of European countries and islands including:
Western Europe:
Northern Europe:
Central Europe:
Southern Europe:
Eastern Europe:
Description.
The 3-6 x 5-11 mm shell has 5-6 moderately convex whorls which are rounded or very slightly keeled at the periphery. The aperture has a thin white lip inside. The umbilicus is open and usually wide at 1/8-1/4 of shell diameter. In colour the shell is brown to cream, sometimes with a light band at the periphery. The periostracum is irregularly striated, and densely covered with short (0.2-0.3 mm), curved hairs. These hairs usually remain in the umbilicus if worn away from the rest of the shell. Lost hairs leave pronounced scars.
The animal is brownish grey with a darker anterior part.
Anatomy.
This species of snail creates and uses love darts before mating. The love dart of this species is thorn-shaped.
Shepeleva (2014) studied eyes of "Trochulus hispidus".
Ecology.
The size of the egg is 1.5 mm.
A hairy snail was found in the plumage of a great tit ("Parus major") wintering in southwestern Poland in 2010. This passerine was the smallest bird species reported to carry a gastropod.


List of birds of Hong Kong

This is a list of the bird species recorded in Hong Kong. The avifauna of Hong Kong include a total of 578 species, of which have been 8 introduced by humans.
This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the Hong Kong Bird List published by Hong Kong Bird Watching Society. Supplemental updates follow "The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World", 2019 edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for Hong Kong.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fall into any of these categories.
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl.
Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.
Pheasants, grouse, and allies.
Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.
Grebes.
Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.
Pigeons and doves.
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Cuckoos.
Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites.
Nightjars.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.
Swifts.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Rails, gallinules, and coots.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.
Cranes.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae
Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".
Thick-knees.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae
The thick-knees, also known as dikkops or stone-curlews, consist of species within the family Burhinidae, and are found throughout the tropical and temperate parts of the world.
Stilts and avocets.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.
Oystercatchers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are a group of waders; they form the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, Haematopus.
Plovers and lapwings.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.
Painted-snipes.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Rostratulidae
Painted-snipes are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly coloured.
Jacanas.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Jacanidae
The jacanas are a group of tropical waders in the family Jacanidae. They are found throughout the tropics. They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.
Sandpipers and allies.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
Buttonquail.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Turnicidae
The buttonquail are small, drab, running birds which resemble the true quails. The female is the brighter of the sexes and initiates courtship. The male incubates the eggs and tends the young.
Pratincoles and coursers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae
Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings and long, pointed bills which curve downwards.
Skuas and jaegers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.
Auks, murres and puffins.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Alcidae
Alcids are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits, however they are not related to the penguins and differ in being able to fly. Auks live on the open sea, only deliberately coming ashore to nest.
Gulls, terns, and skimmers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years.
Tropicbirds.
Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: Phaethontidae
Tropicbirds are a family, Phaethontidae, of tropical pelagic seabirds now classified in their own order Phaethontiformes. Their relationship to other living birds is unclear, and they appear to have no close relatives. They have predominantly white plumage with elongated tail feathers and small feeble legs and feet.
Loons.
Order: GaviiformesFamily: Gaviidae
Loons, known as divers in Europe, are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Europe. They are the size of a large duck or small goose, which they somewhat resemble when swimming, but to which they are completely unrelated.
Shearwaters and petrels.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.
Storks.
Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with long, stout bills. Storks are mute, but bill-clattering is an important mode of communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory.
Frigatebirds.
Order: SuiformesFamily: Fregatidae
Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black-and-white or completely black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have coloured inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.
Boobies and gannets.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae
The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.
Cormorants and shags.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white and a few being colourful.
Pelicans.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes.
Herons, egrets, and bitterns.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae
The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills.
Ibises and spoonbills.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae
Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.
Osprey.
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae
The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.
Hawks, eagles, and kites.
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae
Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons and keen eyesight.
Barn-owls.
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Tytonidae
Barn owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons.
Owls.
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae
The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.
Hoopoes.
Order: BucerotiformesFamily: Upupidae
Hoopoes have black, white and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head.
Kingfishers.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails.
Bee-eaters.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Meropidae
The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.
Rollers.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Coraciidae
Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not.
Asian barbets.
Order: PiciformesFamily: Megalaimidae
The Asian barbets are plump birds, with short necks and large heads. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills. Most species are brightly coloured.
Woodpeckers.
Order: PiciformesFamily: Picidae
Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.
Falcons and caracaras.
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.
Cockatoos.
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Cacatuidae
The cockatoos share many features with other parrots including the characteristic curved beak shape and a zygodactyl foot, with two forward toes and two backwards toes. They differ, however in a number of characteristics, including the often spectacular movable headcrest.
Old world parrots.
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittaculidae
Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. In size they range from to in length. Old World parrots are found from Africa east across south and southeast Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand.
Pittas.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pittidae
Pittas are medium-sized by passerine standards and are stocky, with fairly long, strong legs, short tails and stout bills. Many are brightly coloured. They spend the majority of their time on wet forest floors, eating snails, insects and similar invertebrates.
Cuckooshrikes.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Campephagidae
The cuckooshrikes are small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are predominantly greyish with white and black, although some species are brightly coloured.
Vireos, shrike-babblers, and erpornis.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Vireonidae
Most of the members of this family are found in the New World. However, the shrike-babblers and erpornis, which only slightly resemble the "true" vireos and greenlets, are found in South East Asia.
Old World orioles.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Oriolidae
The Old World orioles are colourful passerine birds. They are not related to the New World orioles.
Woodswallows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Artamidae
Woodswallows are soft-plumaged, somber-coloured passerine birds. There is a single genus, "Artamus". The woodswallows are either treated as a subfamily, Artaminae, in an expanded family Artamidae, which includes the butcherbirds and Australian magpie, or as the only genus in that family.
Vangas, helmetshrikes, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Vangidae
The family Vangidae is highly variable, though most members of it resemble true shrikes to some degree.
Drongos.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Dicruridae
The drongos are mostly black or dark grey in colour, sometimes with metallic tints. They have long forked tails, and some Asian species have elaborate tail decorations. They have short legs and sit very upright when perched, like a shrike. They flycatch or take prey from the ground.
Monarch flycatchers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Monarchidae
The monarch flycatchers are small to medium-sized insectivorous passerines which hunt by flycatching.
Shrikes.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Laniidae
Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey.
Crows, jays, and magpies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Corvidae
The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.
Fairy flycatchers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Stenostiridae
Most of the species of this small family are found in Africa, though a few inhabit tropical Asia. They are not closely related to other birds called "flycatchers".
Tits, chickadees and titmice.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Paridae
The Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects.
Penduline-tits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Remizidae
The penduline tits are a group of small passerine birds related to the true tits. They are insectivores.
Larks.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Alaudidae
Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.
Cisticolas and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cisticolidae
The Cisticolidae are warblers found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are generally very small birds of drab brown or grey appearance found in open country such as grassland or scrub.
Reed warblers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Acrocephalidae
The members of this family are usually rather large for "warblers". Most are rather plain olivaceous brown above with much yellow to beige below. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds, or tall grass. The family occurs mostly in southern to western Eurasia and surroundings, but it also ranges far into the Pacific, with some species in Africa.
Grassbirds and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Locustellidae
Locustellidae are a family of small insectivorous songbirds found mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. They are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed, and tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over.
Cupwings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pnoepygidae
The members of this small family are found in mountainous parts of South and South East Asia.
Swallows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hirundinidae
The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.
Bulbuls.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pycnonotidae
Bulbuls are medium-sized songbirds. Some are colourful with yellow, red or orange vents, cheeks, throats or supercilia, but most are drab, with uniform olive-brown to black plumage. Some species have distinct crests.
Leaf warblers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Phylloscopidae
Leaf warblers are a family of small insectivorous birds found mostly in Eurasia and ranging into Wallacea and Africa. The species are of various sizes, often green-plumaged above and yellow below, or more subdued with greyish-green to greyish-brown colours.
Bush warblers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Scotocercidae
The members of this family are found throughout Africa, Asia, and Polynesia. Their taxonomy is in flux, and some authorities place some genera in other families.
Long-tailed tits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Aegithalidae
Long-tailed tits are a group of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They make woven bag nests in trees. Most eat a mixed diet which includes insects.
Sylviid warblers, parrotbills, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sylviidae
The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. They mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent, Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs.
White-eyes, yuhinas, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Zosteropidae
The white-eyes are small and mostly undistinguished, their plumage above being generally some dull colour like greenish-olive, but some species have a white or bright yellow throat, breast or lower parts, and several have buff flanks. As their name suggests, many species have a white ring around each eye.
Tree-babblers, scimitar-babblers, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Timaliidae
The babblers, or timaliids, are somewhat diverse in size and colouration, but are characterised by soft fluffy plumage.
Ground babblers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pellorneidae
These small to medium-sized songbirds have soft fluffy plumage but are otherwise rather diverse. Members of the genus "Illadopsis" are found in forests, but some other genera are birds of scrublands.
Laughingthrushes and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Leiothrichidae
The members of this family are diverse in size and colouration, though those of genus "Turdoides" tend to be brown or greyish. The family is found in Africa, India, and southeast Asia.
Nuthatches.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sittidae
Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails and powerful bills and feet.
Starlings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.
Thrushes and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae
The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.
Old World flycatchers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae
Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.
Waxwings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Bombycillidae
The waxwings are a group of birds with soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. In the Bohemian and cedar waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax and give the group its name. These are arboreal birds of northern forests. They live on insects in summer and berries in winter.
Flowerpeckers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Dicaeidae
The flowerpeckers are very small, stout, often brightly coloured birds, with short tails, short thick curved bills and tubular tongues.
Sunbirds and spiderhunters.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Nectariniidae
The sunbirds and spiderhunters are very small passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed.
Leafbirds.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Chloropseidae
The leafbirds are small, bulbul-like birds. The males are brightly plumaged, usually in greens and yellows.
Weavers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Ploceidae
The weavers are small passerine birds related to the finches. They are seed-eating birds with rounded conical bills. The males of many species are brightly coloured, usually in red or yellow and black, some species show variation in colour only in the breeding season.
Waxbills and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Estrildidae
The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colours and patterns.
Old World sparrows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae
Sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.
Wagtails and pipits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Motacillidae
Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. They are slender, ground feeding insectivores of open country.
Finches, euphonias, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Fringillidae
Finches are seed-eating passerine birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well.
Old World buntings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Emberizidae
The emberizids are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with distinctively shaped bills. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns.


Yellowish flycatcher

The yellowish flycatcher ("Empidonax flavescens") is a small passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. It breeds in highlands from southeastern Mexico south to western Panama.
Description.
The yellowish flycatcher is long and weighs . Its upper parts are olive-green and the underparts are yellow with an ochre tint to the breast. The wings are blackish with two buff wing bars. It has a white eye ring broadening into a small triangle behind the eye. Sexes are similar, but young birds are browner above and paler yellow below. The call is a thin ' and the dawn song is a rapid repeated '.
This species needs to be distinguished from migratory "Empidonax" species, since several species, including willow, alder and Acadian flycatchers pass through in the autumn. It has a more prominent eye ring than any migrant species, and despite that species’ name, is yellower below than yellow-bellied flycatcher.
Distribution and habitat.
This species is found in cool mountain forest, especially at the edges, in clearings, along roadsides and near streams, and in second growth and bushy pastures. It breeds from to nearly altitude.
Behaviour and ecology.
The deep cup nest is made of plant fibre and mosses, and placed high in a crevice in a tree trunk or earth bank. Nests are often in moss near streams. The typical clutch is two or three white eggs, marked with pale rufous speckles. Incubation by the female is 14–15 days to hatching, with another 17 days to fledging. They accept the eggs of brood parasites, and are therefore occasionally hosts of the bronzed cowbird. Yellowish flycatchers are active birds, usually seen alone when not breeding.
They eat insects, spiders and some small berries. Nestlings are fed exclusively insects, especially spiders. The prey is gleaned from the foliage, taken in flight in short sallies, or sometimes picked from the ground.


Caenorhabditis doughertyi

Caenorhabditis doughertyi is a species of nematodes in the genus "Caenorhabditis". Prior to 2014, it was referred to as "C. sp. 10"
JU1333 wild isolate was collected from rotting cacao fruits in Kerala, India in 2007.
The specific epithet is a tribute to Ellsworth Dougherty who was first studied the nematode worm "Caenorhabditis elegans" in the laboratory with Victor Nigon in the 1940s.
This species groups with "C. brenneri" in the 'Elegans' supergroup in phylogenetic studies.


Coleophora guttiferella

Coleophora guttiferella is a moth of the family Coleophoridae. It is found in Libya.


Mexithauma quadripaludium

Mexithauma quadripaludium is a species of freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Hydrobiidae.
Distribution.
This species is endemic to Cuatro Ciénegas valley, in the Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico.
Ecology.
Predators of "Mexithauma quadripaludium" include the cichlid fish "Herichthys minckleyi".


Sankuchemys

Sankuchemys is an extinct genus of side-necked turtle whose fossils had been found in the Intertrappean Formation of India during the late Cretaceous period. It was first named by Eugene S. Gaffney, Ashok Sahni, Herman Schleich, Swarn Deep Singh, and Rahul Srivastava in 2003, and contains the species "Sankuchemys sethnai".


Oreolalax popei

Oreolalax popei (Pope's lazy toad or Baoxing toothed toad) is a species of amphibian in the family Megophryidae. It is endemic to China where it is found in southern Gansu, southern Shaanxi, and central and northeastern Sichuan provinces.
Its natural habitats are temperate forests, subtropical moist lowland forests, moist montane forests, and rivers.
It is threatened by habitat loss.
Male "Oreolalax chuanbeiensis" grow to about in snout-vent length and females to about . Tadpoles are in length.


Catoptria corsicellus

Catoptria corsicellus is a species of moth in the family Crambidae described by Philogène Auguste Joseph Duponchel in 1836. It is found on Corsica and Sardinia.


Persiophis

Persiophis is a genus of snake in the family Colubridae that contains the sole species Persiophis fahimii. It is commonly known as Fahimi’s ground snake.
It is found in Iran.


Plectrohyla guatemalensis

Plectrohyla guatemalensis, also known as the Guatemala spikethumb frog, is a species of frog in the family Hylidae. It occurs in the highlands of the Sierra Madre from southeastern Chiapas, Mexico, and eastward through the central and southwestern highlands of Guatemala to northwestern El Salvador as well as the Sierra de Nombre de Dios in north-central Honduras. It might be a composite of more than one species.
Description.
Males measure and females in snout–vent length. The body is moderately robust. The head is slightly wider than long and as wide as the body; the snout is short. The eyes are large. The heavy supra-tympanic fold covers the upper third of the tympanum. The dorsal coloration varies from dark green (with or without reddish brown spots) to reddish brown (with or without dark brown spots and green flecks). The prepollex (the "spikethumb") in males is massive and bifid.
Habitat and conservation.
"Plectrohyla guatemalensis" occurs in cloud forests and premontane and lower montane forests at elevations of above sea level. It is associated with cascading mountain streams, its breeding habitat. At daytime, specimens have been collected in the axils of bromeliads and in crevices along stream banks. At night, they have been found on limbs overhanging streams and on boulders in streams.
The species used to be relatively common in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, but is now relatively common in Honduras only. It has not been recorded in Mexico since 1944, despite surveys. Its decline in recent years is likely caused by chytridiomycosis, but also habitat loss is a major threat. It occurs in several protected areas.


Ichthyophis sendenyu

Ichthyophis sendenyu, the Sendenyu striped ichthyophis, is a species of caecilian found in India. This species of "Ichthyophis" possesses broad and solid lateral yellow stripes from about the level
of the posterior of its disc to its eye level on the upper jaw, while arched yellow stripes extend to its nares. Its length does not exceed . Its head is U-shaped and short. Scales are present in anteriormost grooves, with five to eight rows placed posteriorly on its dorsum. It is named after Sendenyu village, Nagaland, where the species was first found.
Description.
This species counts with 112 vertebrae. The head, nuchal region and trunk are dorsoventrally compressed, with its body's maximal girth being near the midbody. Its tail is upturned towards the tip. The animal's head is short, with a length of about . Its eyes are closer to the top of its head than to its lip, and are surrounded by an asymmetric whitish ring; its eye diameter approximates 0.8mm (its lens being larger than its naris). Its nares are slightly posterior to level of the anterior margin of its mouth. Its teeth are very slender and recurved, while its tongue is strongly plicate posteriorly. Its choanae are wide, the distance between them being about three times their
greatest width.
It possesses seventeen denticulations around its vent. While in preservation, the animal is a dark brown colour, its venter being a paler tinge of grey. Bright yellow lateral stripes (with a varying width of between ) extend from about the fourth last annulus to about the eye level on the lower jaw. It presents a wide gap at the mandible's tip, giving a darker area between its throat's stripes a "mushroom" shape. In life, its dorsum is uniformly bright orange/brown, with a venter that is a pale lilac-grey, while its lateral stripe is bright yellow.
Distribution.
This species has only been observed in its type locality, in Nagaland, India.


Microgecko laki

The Laki dwarf gecko ("Microgecko laki") is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is endemic to Iran.


Hunan softshell turtle

The Hunan softshell turtle ("Pelodiscus axenaria") is a species of turtle in the family Trionychidae, the softshells. It is endemic to China, where it occurs in Hunan Province. It is found in Taoyuan, Pingjiang, Rucheng, Lingling, and Shaoyang counties of Hunan province (Zhou, Zhang & Fang, 1991).
References.
Bibliography


Cyrtodactylus himalayicus

Cyrtodactylus himalayicus, also known as the Himalaya bent-toed gecko, is a species of gecko endemic to India. It is sometimes considered conspecific with the Khasi Hills bent-toed gecko.


Cyrtopodion hormozganum

Cyrtopodion hormozganum is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Iran.
Geographic range.
"C. hormozganum" is found in Hormozgan Province, Iran.


Oxyothespis tricolor

Oxyothespis tricolor is a species of praying mantis in the family Toxoderidae.


Metallic starling

The metallic starling ("Aplonis metallica"), also known as the shining starling, is a bird in the starling family native to the Moluccas, New Guinea, Queensland and the Solomon Islands.
Description.
The adult has brilliant red eyes, a long forked tail and green-glossed black plumage. Immatures are pale below with dark streaks.
Behaviour.
They are very social and flocks of them build messy suspended globular nests in tall rain forest trees where they breed, possibly only during the wet season (north-west monsoon, October–March) (observed at Kokopo, East New Britain Province, 2016). They are not fearful of humans and their activity on the ground below, being well separated from them by altitude, but a loud noise will see them fly out in a tight formation, circle, then return to their nests. Their movement is very fast. During the early part of the 20th century, a flock (or flocks) were seen to migrate during August to Dunk Island in far north Queensland, where they mate, preparing messy globular nests for their young which hang from tall trees. There they remain until April, whereupon they make their return journey to New Guinea. They are also seen in other areas of Queensland including Kuranda in the Atherton Tablelands, and Mossman Gorge.


Cottus hispaniolensis

Cottus hispaniolensis is a species of fish in the family Cottidae. It is found in France and Spain. It inhabits the Garonne river drainage. It reaches a maximum length of 10.5 cm. It prefers streams with clear, cool, moderate to swift water and stone substrate.


Ashy-throated parrotbill

The ashy-throated parrotbill, ("Sinosuthora alphonsiana"), is a parrotbill. In old sources, it may be called Alphonse's crow-tit; though superficially resembling a tit it is not a member of the Paridae. The native range of this species extends from south-west China to northern Vietnam, and it might have become naturalised in one area in Italy.
Description and systematics.
This is a medium-sized tawny-coloured parrotbill with the large bill typical of these birds. The specific epithet commemorates the French ornithologist Alphonse Milne-Edwards.
Formerly placed in a distinct parrotbill family Paradoxornithidae or with the Old World babblers in the Timaliidae or the tits and chickadees in the Paridae, they are now included with the typical warblers ("Sylvia") in the Sylviidae.
They might be less close to the great parrotbill ("Conostoma oemodium") – which was also in the "Paradoxornithidae" – than to "Chrysomma", or to the fulvettas ("Fulvetta") which were often included in the wastebin genus "Alcippe". Another relative might be the wrentit ("Chamaea fasciata"), the only known American member of the Sylviidae in the modern circumscription. The former two, and occasionally also the wrentit, were traditionally considered Old World babblers.
Together with the other lineages of parrotbills, these and the golden-breasted fulvetta ("Lioparus chrysotis") and species in the genus Rhopophilus form an Asian counterpart to the westward radiation of the typical warblers. Rather than two genera – "Paradoxornis" and the monotypic "Conostoma" – the parrotbills are better considered several independent lineages which show pronounced convergent evolution, due to adaptation to reedbed habitat and a more granivorous diet than their skulking warbler-like ancestor. In this case, the ashy-throated parrotbill would probably be assigned to genus "Sinoparadoxornis".
Possible naturalisation in Italy.
A population of parrotbills was first discovered in northern Italy in 1995, at the "Riserva naturale Palude Brabbia" (Brabbia Swamp Nature Reserve), between Cazzago Brabbia on Lago di Varese and Varano Borghi on Lago di Comabbio. In March 1998, 21 individuals were captured and photographed, and provisionally identified as ashy-throated parrotbills. It is not entirely clear, however, whether the birds are indeed "S. alphonsiana", its close relative the "S. webbiana" (vinous-throated parrotbill), both species, or even hybrids between them (as are known from their natural range). While they do not seem to be brown-winged parrotbills ("S. brunnea", another close relative), certain identification to species may be impossible without analysis of both nDNA and mtDNA sequence data.
The population is believed to originate from birds escaping from a nearby bird-trader. By 1999, the number of birds in the swamp had grown to at least a hundred individuals; in December 1998, the parrotbills were also observed in two localities on the Lago di Varese. By the early 21st century, the birds are well-established as resident breeders. They are the only self-sustaining parrotbill population found in Europe, as it was discovered that the bearded reedling ("Panurus biarmicus") – long believed to be an aberrant parrotbill – is actually a distinct lineage with no known relatives among the Passerida.
Ecology.
Contrary to their western Eurasian relatives (the typical warblers), these East Asian birds are small omnivores adapted to living in reed beds. In its native range, the ashy-throated parrotbill inhabits bamboo stands and areas with tall grasses. The parrotbills in Brabbia Swamp Nature Reserve inhabit common reed ("Phragmites australis") beds and drier land overgrown with meadowsweet ("Filipendula ulmaria"), grey willow ("Salix cinerea") and giant goldenrod ("Solidago gigantea").
It feeds on arthropods, seeds and buds; in winter, the Italian birds seem to sustain themselves on insects that hibernate in reed stalks. As in its relatives in (sub)genus "Sinoparadoxornis", its eggs are small by parrotbill standards, whitish- to light-blue and unspotted.
This bird will disappear if wetlands are drained, but its range is considerable and much of its habitat is remote and little accessed. It is thus considered a Species of Least Concern by the IUCN.