Tayra

The tayra ("Eira barbara") is an omnivorous animal from the weasel family, native to the Americas. It is the only species in the genus Eira.
Tayras are also known as the "tolomuco" or "perico ligero" in Central America, "motete" in Honduras, "irara" in Brazil, "san hol" or "viejo de monte" in the Yucatan Peninsula, and high-woods dog (or historically "chien bois") in Trinidad. The genus name "Eira" is derived from the indigenous name of the animal in Bolivia and Peru, while "barbara" means "strange" or "foreign".
Description.
Tayras are long, slender animals with an appearance similar to that of weasels and martens. They range from in length, not including a 37- to 46-cm-long (15 to 18 in) bushy tail, and weigh . Males are larger, and slightly more muscular, than females. They have short, dark brown to black fur which is relatively uniform across the body, limbs, and tail, except for a yellow or orange spot on the chest. The fur on the head and neck is much paler, typically tan or greyish in colour. Albino or yellowish individuals are also known, and are not as rare among tayras as they are among other mustelids.
The feet have toes of unequal length with tips that form a strongly curved line when held together. The claws are short and curved, but strong, being adapted for climbing and running rather than digging. The pads of the feet are hairless, but are surrounded by stiff sensory hairs. The head has small, rounded ears, long whiskers, and black eyes with a blue-green shine. Like most other mustelids, tayras possess anal scent glands, but these are not particularly large, and their secretion is not as pungent as in other species, and is not used in self defence. The species have a unique throat patch that can be used for individual identification.
Range and habitat.
Tayras are found across most of South America east of the Andes, except for Uruguay, eastern Brazil, and all but the most northerly parts of Argentina. They are also found across the whole of Central America, in Mexico as far north as southern Veracruz, and on the island of Trinidad. They are generally found in only tropical and subtropical forests, although they may cross grasslands at night to move between forest patches, and they also inhabit cultivated plantations and croplands.
Subspecies.
At least seven subspecies are currently recognised:
Behaviour and diet.
Tayras are solitary diurnal animals, although occasionally active during the evening or at night. They are opportunistic omnivores, hunting rodents and other small mammals, as well as birds, lizards, and invertebrates, and climbing trees to get fruit and honey. They locate prey primarily by scent, having relatively poor eyesight, and actively chase it once located, rather than stalking or using ambush tactics.
They are expert climbers, using their long tails for balance. On the ground or on large horizontal tree limbs, they use a bounding gallop when moving at high speeds. They can also leap from treetop to treetop when pursued. They generally avoid water, but are capable of swimming across rivers when necessary.
They live in hollow trees, or burrows in the ground. Individual animals maintain relatively large home ranges, with areas up to having been recorded. They may travel at least in a single night.
An interesting instance of caching has been observed among tayras: a tayra will pick unripe green plantains, which are inedible, and leave them to ripen in a cache, coming back a few days later to consume the softened pulp.
Reproduction.
Tayras breed year-round, with the females entering estrus several times each year for 3 to 20 days at a time. Unlike some other mustelids, tayras do not exhibit embryonic diapause, and gestation lasts from 63 to 67 days. The female gives birth to one to three young, which she cares for alone.
The young are altricial, being born blind and with closed ears, but are already covered in a full coat of black fur; they weigh about at birth. Their eyes open at 35 to 47 days, and they leave the den shortly thereafter. They begin to take solid food around 70 days of age, and are fully weaned by 100 days. Hunting behaviour begins as early as three months, and the mother initially brings her young wounded or slow prey to practise on as they improve their killing technique. The young are fully grown around 6 months old, and leave their mother to establish their own territory by 10 months.
Conservation.
Wild tayra populations are slowly shrinking, especially in Mexico, due to habitat destruction for agricultural purposes. The species is listed as being of least concern.


Anolis biporcatus

Anolis biporcatus, also known as the neotropical green anole or giant green anole, is a species of anole. It is found in forests, both disturbed and undisturbed, in Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Venezuela. More southern populations, in southwestern Colombia and western Ecuador, were recognized as a separate species, "A. parvauritus", in 2017.
As suggested by its common names, the neotropical green or giant green anole is mostly green in color and relatively large, among the largest anoles in the mainland of the Americas. Males have a snout–vent length of about and the females, which grow slightly larger, about . In general, there is little sexual dimorphism in this species. The tail is roughly double the length of the snout-to-vent.


Megophrys longipes

Megophrys longipes is a species of frog in the family Megophryidae. It is also known as the Malacca spadefoot toad, red legged spine-eyed frog, red-legged horn frog, and slender-legged horned frog. It is found in the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand and Burma). Records from Cambodia and Vietnam are considered doubtful.
Description.
Male "Megophrys longipes" grow to snout-vent length of and females to . The body is relatively slender, as are the long hind legs. The tympanum is distinct. The dorsal skin is smooth but there are small warts on the flanks. The supratympanic fold is distinct and there are two pairs of delicate, oblique folds that converge posteriorly on the scapular region. The ventral surface is smooth. The dorsum is olive brown. There are oblique vertical dark bars on the sides of the head and a large triangular dark marking between the eyes. The limbs have dark cross-bars. The ventrum is pale reddish brown marbled and spotted with dark brown.
Habitat and conservation.
This species inhabits evergreen rainforests and montane moss forests. During the day they hide under rocks and logs, etc. The tadpoles live in streams.
"Xenophrys longipes" are uncommon even in prime habitat. They can be locally threatened by habitat loss (forest clearance).


Zagros Mountains mouse-like hamster

The Zagros Mountains mouse-like hamster ("Calomyscus bailwardi") is a relatively little-known rodent which was the first species of mouse-like hamster to be described. The species is distributed throughout much of southern Iran, particularly in the Zagros mountains. It is also known as the Iranian mouse-like hamster, though there are several species of mouse-like hamster found in different parts of Iran.
This is the largest species of mouse-like hamster. They are dark grey on top and white underneath. They are found in habitat ranging from barren rocky hillsides to wetter regions. They are known to feed on herbs and grass seed.
Graphodatsky et al. (2000) recovered three distinct karyotypes from different regions throughout the range of C. bailwardi (2n=37, FNa=44; 2n=52, FNa=56; 2n=50, FNa=50). This may suggest that further taxonomic revision is required. Vorontsov et al. (1979) emphasized how little is known about the species and that the current definition is based largely on distribution.
Many sources still refer to all members of "Calomyscus" as part of the species "Calomyscus bailwardi".


Niphargus sphagnicolus

Niphargus sphagnicolus is a species of crustacean in family Niphargidae. It is endemic to Slovenia.


Cyrtodactylus kazirangaensis

Cyrtodactylus kazirangaensis is a species of gecko endemic to India.


Southern yellow bat

The southern yellow bat ("Dasypterus ega") is a species of vesper bat that belongs to suborder microchiroptera (microbat) in the family Vespertilionidae. It is native to South, North and Central America, from the Rio Grande Valley of Texas in the United States to Argentina.
Description.
The southern yellow bat is a small bat covered with yellow fur as its name. Generally, females are larger than males. Forearm length of female averages 4% (1.83 mm) greater than that of males.
Ecology.
Range and habitat.
Southern yellow bats occur in the southwestern United States to northern Argentina and Uruguay, with the most austral record being Buenos Aires province, Argentina, at 40° S. They reside in wooded area such as forest, foliage, and palms. They occasionally occupy other sites that resemble large dead leaves, such as dried corn stalks and thatched roofing This species roosts in trees and vegetation. In Texas, their preferred roosting sites are the frond "skirts" of both wild and ornamental palm trees, such as "Sabal mexicana" and "Washingtonia robusta". These are collections of dead fronds against the trunk and provide a favored dark habitat for the bats. Palms are also home to insects, which the bats eat.
Diet.
The southern yellow bat is a nocturnal insectivore. They forage for one to two hours after sunset on small to medium-sized flying insects. They usually feed near their roost, and go no farther than necessary for water.
Behavior.
Reproduction.
"Lasiurus ega" copulates before the end of hibernation, but a female "L. ega" delays its ovulation and stores the sperm for 6 months and fertilizes it later. All reproductive organs involuted following mating in July (early winter) and remained inactive until the following April (autumn). Gestation is continued for 3-3.5 months, and young are born in late. This species is monoestrous.
Flight.
The southern yellow bat flies far out to sea and seasonally migrates southward from extreme northern portions of its range.
Migration.
In the northern hemisphere, males of "L. ega" become scarce between April and June, while females are present year-round, suggesting a migratory strategy. "L. ega" shows a tendency to migrate toward the Equator, as described for other species of the genus.
Southern yellow bats that migrate along coastlines take shortcuts over water. Many North American migrant bats can be found at a distance of several kilometers from their normal destination during fall and spring migrations, probably having been blown there by wind. Both records of "L. ega" in the Southern Hemisphere indicate movements at the end of summer and beginning of fall, supporting the theory that at least some animals migrate to avoid cold temperatures. With this second sighting, the probability that both records of this species over the South Atlantic were the result of wind has become less likely.


Aethes ferruginea

Aethes ferruginea is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It was described by Walsingham in 1900. It is endemic to Syria.


Banded kukri snake

The common kukri snake or banded kukri, "Oligodon" arnensis, is a species of nonvenomous colubrid found in Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan and Nepal.
Description.
The nasal scale is divided; the portion of rostral seen from above is as long as its distance from the frontal or a little shorter; the suture between the internasals is usually nearly as long as that between the prefrontals. The frontal is as long as its distance from the end of the snout or a little shorter, and a little shorter than the parietals. The loreal, if distinct, is longer than it is deep, and frequently united with the prefrontal. It has one preocular and two postoculars; the temporals are 1+2; of its seven upper labials, the third and fourth enter the eye; its four lower labials are in contact with the anterior chin shields; the posterior chin shields are one-half to two-thirds the length of the anterior. Its scales are in 17 rows. The ventrals are angulated laterally, and number 170-202; the anal scale is divided; subcaudals are 41–59 in number.
The banded kukuri snake is pale brown or orange above, with well-defined black crossbands, which vary in number and in width according to individuals, and may be edged with white; an angular or transverse black band is found between the eyes, with another behind, with the apex on the frontal, and a third on the nape. Its lower surface is uniform yellowish, rarely spotted with brown, or with a brown posterior border to the ventrals.
Its total length is 24 inches, with a 3.5-inch tail.(female 640 mm, tail 100 mm).
It is found in India and Sri Lanka, northwards to Nepal and the Himalayas, where it has been recorded from an altitude of 4100 feet.


Whiskered bat

The whiskered bat ("Myotis mystacinus") is a small European bat with long fur. Although uncommon, "M. mystacinus" is often found around human habitation and around water; it is similar to Brandt's bat ("Myotis brandtii"), from which it was distinguished as a separate species only in 1970.
Overview.
The analysis of morphological, behavioural, and especially genetic characters have since identified further cryptic species of whiskered bats in the genus "Myotis", including "Myotis alcathoe" (described in 2001 from Europe). "Myotis aurascens" and "Myotis ikonnikovi" are other similar species. "Myotis hajastanicus" was also included in "M. mystacinus" until recently, but it was differentiated on the base of morphologic comparison.
Echolocation.
The frequencies used by "M. mystacinus" for echolocation are 34–102 kHz, have most energy at 53 kHz, and have an average duration of 3.0 ms.


Rhizotrogus camerosensis

Rhizotrogus camerosensis is a species of beetle in the Melolonthinae subfamily that is endemic to Spain.


Batrachyla fitzroya

Batrachyla fitzroya is a species of frog in the family Batrachylidae. It is endemic to Argentina and only known from its type locality, Isla Grande in Lake Menéndez, in the Los Alerces National Park, Chubut Province. The specific name "fitzroya" refers to "Fitzroya cupressoides", a prominent tree at the type locality.
Description.
The type series consists of three males and two females measuring in snout–vent length; the holotype, an adult male, measures . They eyes are inconspicuous. The tympanum is small, about half of the eye diameter. The snout is rounded in dorsal view and truncated in lateral view. The fingers and the toes are long; the fingers are free from webbing but the toes are basally webbed. The dorsum is brown with darker, diffuse blotches. There is a V-shaped inter-ocular band and concave supra-scapular bands. The limbs are cross-banded. The belly is unpigmented apart from some minute gray spots. Dorsal skin is smooth.
Habitat and conservation.
The type locality is a very humid temperate "Nothofagus"-dominated forest at above sea level. Breeding habitat is unknown but could be small temporary pools. The species is locally common within its restricted range. Isla Grande is a highly protected area and entirely with the limits of the Los Alerces National Park.


Collared falconet

The collared falconet ("Microhierax caerulescens") is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae.
It is found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, ranging across Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Its natural habitat is temperate forest, often on the edges of broadleaf forest.
It is 18 cm long. Rapid wingbeats are interspersed with long glides. When perched, it is described as being "rather shrikelike."
Taxonomy and systematics.
The first description by a European ornithologist was published by George Edwards in 1750, as "the little black and orange colour'd Indian hawk". It was from a specimen that had been collected in Bengal and sent to the king's physician, Dr Mead. In 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus used the illustration and description by Edwards to formally describe the species under the binomial name "Falco cærulescens" In 1760 the French naturalist Mathurin Jacques Brisson also used Edwards' publication to describe "". Although the white collar was not mentioned, the English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe believed that this was the collared falconet. Richard Bowdler Sharpe introduced the genus "Microhierax" in 1874, from the Greek meaning "tiny hawk".
Description.
The collared falconet is a very small falcon, shrike-like in shape, mainly pied and having bold white supercilia and collar, with relatively heavy double-toothed bill. It has shortish wings, a medium-length tail, strong half-feathered legs, and powerful feet. It perches conspicuously on top or edge of tree or bush, often on dead twig, frequently bobbing head and slowly moving tail up and down; wing-tips less than half down tail. Sexes are similar.
Distribution.
Mainland southeast Asia: Himalayan foothills of north India (northern Uttar Pradesh northwest to Kumaun, and Sikkim, Bengal, mainly northern Assam) and of Nepal and Bhutan, and from Burma (central and east, south to Tenasserim), Thailand (northwest and west, but not peninsular, also in strip east of central plains), Laos
(central and south), Cambodia (especially north), and Vietnam.
Habitat.
Open deciduous forest, clearings and edges in evergreen forest, abandoned hill cultivation with some trees; often near water. Mostly 200–800 m, fairly regularly
to 1,700 m.


Sambar deer

The sambar ("Rusa unicolor") is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent, South China, and Southeast Asia that is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2008. Populations have declined substantially due to severe hunting, local insurgency, and industrial exploitation of habitat.
The name "sambar" is also sometimes used to refer to the Philippine deer, called the "Philippine sambar" and the Javan rusa, called the "Sunda sambar".
Description.
The appearance and the size of the sambar vary widely across its range, which has led to considerable taxonomic confusion in the past; over 40 different scientific synonyms have been used for the species. In general, they attain a height of at the shoulder and may weigh as much as , though more typically . Head and body length varies from , with a tail. Individuals belonging to western subspecies tend to be larger than those from the east, and females are smaller than males. Among all living cervid species, only the moose and the elk can attain larger sizes.
The large, rugged antlers are typically rusine, the brow tines being simple and the beams forked at the tip, so they have only three tines. The antlers are typically up to long in fully adult individuals. As with most deer, only the males have antlers.
The shaggy coat can be from yellowish brown to dark grey in colour, and while it is usually uniform in colour, some subspecies have chestnut marks on the rump and underparts. Sambar also have a small but dense mane, which tends to be more prominent in males. The tail is relatively long for deer, and is generally black above with a whitish underside.
Adult males and pregnant or lactating females possess an unusual hairless, blood-red spot located about halfway down the underside of their throats. This sometimes oozes a white liquid, and is apparently glandular in nature.
Distribution and habitat.
The sambar is distributed in much of South Asia as far north as the south-facing slopes of the Himalayas in Nepal and India, in mainland Southeast Asia including Burma, Thailand, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia (Sumatra and Borneo), Taiwan, and South China, including Hainan. In the Himalayan foothills, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and eastern Taiwan, it ranges up to . It inhabits tropical dry forests, tropical seasonal forests, subtropical mixed forests with stands of conifers and montane grasslands, broadleaved deciduous and broadleaved evergreen trees, to tropical rainforests, and seldom moves far from water sources.
The sambar prefers the dense cover of deciduous shrubs and grasses, although the exact nature of this varies enormously with the environment because of its wide Asian range. Home range sizes are probably equally variable, but have been recorded as for males and for females in India.
Ecology and behaviour.
Sambar are nocturnal or crepuscular. The males live alone for much of the year, and the females live in small herds of up to 16 individuals. Indeed, in some areas, the average herd consists of only three or four individuals, typically consisting of an adult female, her most recent young, and perhaps a subordinate, immature female. This is an unusual pattern for deer, which more commonly live in larger groups. They often congregate near water, and are good swimmers. Like most deer, sambar are generally quiet, although all adults can scream or make short, high-pitched sounds when alarmed. However, they more commonly communicate by scent marking and foot stamping.
Sambar feed on a wide variety of vegetation, including grasses, foliage, browse, fruit, and water plants, depending on the local habitat. They also consume a great variety of shrubs and trees.
Sambar have been seen congregating in large herds in protected areas such as national parks and reserves in India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. In Taiwan, sambar along with sika deer, have been raised on farms for their antlers, which they drop annually in April to May and are highly prized for use as knife handles and as grips for handguns.
Stags wallow and dig their antlers in urine-soaked soil, and then rub against tree trunks. Sambar are capable of remarkable bipedalism for a deer species, and stags stand and mark tree branches above them with their antlers. A stag also marks himself by spraying urine on his own face with a highly mobile penis. Despite their lack of antlers, female sambar readily defend their young from most predators, which is relatively unusual among deer. When confronted by pack-hunting dholes or feral domestic dogs, a sambar lowers its head with an erect mane and lashes at the dogs. Sambar prefer to attack predators in shallow water. Several sambar may form a defensive formation, touching rumps and vocalising loudly at the dogs. When sensing danger, a sambar stamps its feet and makes a ringing call known as "pooking" or "belling".
They are the favourite prey of tigers and Asiatic lions. In India, the sambar can comprise up to nearly 60% of the prey selected by the Bengal tiger. Anecdotally, the tiger is said to even mimic the call of the sambar to deceive it while hunting. They also can be taken by crocodiles, mostly the sympatric mugger crocodiles and saltwater crocodiles. Leopards and dholes largely prey on only young or sickly deer, though they can attack healthy adults as well.
Reproduction.
Though they mate and reproduce year-round, sambar calving peaks seasonally. Oestrus lasts around 18 days. The male establishes a territory from which he attracts nearby females, but he does not establish a harem. The male stomps the ground, creating a bare patch, and often wallows in the mud, perhaps to accentuate the colour of his hair, which is typically darker than that of females. While they have been heard to make a loud, coarse bellow, rutting stags are generally not vocal. Large, dominant stags defend nonexclusive territories surrounded by several smaller males, with which they have bonded and formed alliances through sparring. When sparring with rival males, sambar lock antlers and push, like other deer, but uniquely, they also sometimes stand on their hind legs and clash downward into each other in a manner similar to species of goat-antelope. Females also fight on their hind legs and use their fore legs to hit each other in the head.
Courtship is based more on tending bonds rather than males vocally advertising themselves. Females move widely among breeding territories seeking males to court. When mounting, males do not clasp females. The front legs of the male hang loosely and intromission takes the form of a "copulatory jump".
Gestation probably lasts around 8 months, although some studies suggest it may be slightly longer. Normally, only one calf is born at a time, although twins have been reported in up to 2% of births. Initially weighing , the calves are usually not spotted, although some subspecies have light spots which disappear not long after birth. The young begin to take solid food at 5 to 14 days, and begin to ruminate after one month. Sambar have lived up to 28 years in captivity, although they rarely survive more than 12 years in the wild.
Taxonomy and evolution.
Genetic analysis shows that the closest living relative of the sambar is probably the Javan rusa of Indonesia. This is supported by reports that sambar can still interbreed to produce fertile hybrids with this species.
Fossil sambar are known from the early Pleistocene, although they are very similar in form to early deer species from the Pliocene, with less of a resemblance to more modern cervines. The species probably arose in the tropical reaches of southern Asia, and later spread across its current range. "Epirusa" and "Eucladoceros" have both been proposed as possible ancestors of the living species and its closest relatives.
Subspecies.
The subspecies of the sambar in India and Sri Lanka are the largest of the genus, with the largest antlers both in size and in body proportions. The South China sambar of Southern China and mainland Southeast Asia is probably second in terms of size, with slightly smaller antlers than the Indian sambar. The Sumatran sambar that inhabits the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra and the Bornean sambar seem to have the smallest antlers in proportion to their body size. The Formosan sambar is the smallest subspecies, with antler-body proportions more similar to the South China sambar.
Currently, seven subspecies of sambar are recognised, although many others have been proposed.
As an introduced species.
Sambar have been introduced to various parts of the world, including Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
Australia.
In Australia, hunting sambar is a popular sport. Australian hunting fraternities prize large sambar trophies. Excessive numbers of sambar affect native plants, threatening some species with extinction.
Sambar were introduced into Victoria at Mount Sugarloaf in the 1860s, in what is now Kinglake National Park, and at Harewood Estate near Tooradin. They quickly adapted to the Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp and thereafter spread into the high country, where in 2017, numbers were estimated at between 750,000 and one million animals. Later releases were at Ercildoune Estate near Ballarat, Wilsons Promontory, and French Island in Western Port. Another release occurred on the Cobourg Peninsula in the Northern Territory. They are now found throughout Australia's northern and eastern coasts, in the states of Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, the Northern Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory.
In Victoria, sambar have been listed as a threat to biodiversity under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 because they reduce the number of native plant species. The animals feed on some rare and endangered plants. More than 60 plant species have been identified as directly or indirectly threatened by sambar within Victoria.
Adult male sambar can significantly damage plants, removing most branches on some shrubs and sometimes girdling trees by thrashing their antlers on shrubs and sapling trees. They also feed on seedlings, fruit, or seeds of many plants. They leave territorial marks to advertise their territory.
The spread of sambar has been steady in both New South Wales and Victoria, with animals being seen on many southern Victorian beaches since 1980, and as far east as Western Port and the outer suburbs of Melbourne.
Considerable debate exists about how they should be managed. Conservation groups believe their environmental effect outweighs their social value. Hunting organisations disagree and want to preserve sambar populations for future generations. Sambar are protected wildlife game species in Victoria and New South Wales, and a game licence is required to hunt them. In Victoria, recent provisions have been made for landowners to control problem deer without having to obtain a Game Licence or Authority to Control Wildlife permit. This allows a landowner or other authorised persons to remove problem deer within private property at any time and with no bag limits. They are declared a pest species in all other Australian states and territories and can be hunted at any time with no bag limits. Environmental and conservation groups want them declared a feral species in all states, due to their exploding populations and the harm to biodiversity and native species.
In 2008/2009, hunters removed 35,000 sambar from public land in Victoria, many from national parks. This is a small fraction of the 40% of individuals in a sambar population that need to be removed to stop population growth.
New Zealand.
In New Zealand, sambar roam the coast and gullies in Horowhenua District, Manawatu District, Rangitikei, and Whanganui. Until recently, they were protected, but the Department of Conservation has now removed hunting regulations surrounding them, allowing them now to be hunted year round.
United States.
Sambar were introduced onto St. Vincent Island, Florida, in 1908 and increased to about 50 individuals by the 1950s. White-tailed deer also live on St. Vincent Island; however, they inhabit the highlands while the sambar mostly live in the lowlands and marshes. To ensure that the sambar population does not disrupt the native white-tails, hunting permits have been issued since 1987 to regulate the population. Each year, about 130 permits are offered for the three-day hunt. This maintains a sambar population of 70–100 individuals. They do not herd, but occur in groups of four or five animals, possible family groups. Little is known about the sambar in Florida.


Silver-eared mesia

The silver-eared mesia ("Leiothrix argentauris") is a species of bird from South East Asia.
Taxonomy and distribution.
The species was once placed in the large Old World babbler family Timaliidae, but that family has recently been split with this species being placed with the laughingthrushes in the new family Leiothrichidae.
The species is sometimes placed in its own genus "Mesia", or in the genus "Leiothrix" with the red-billed leiothrix. There are seven described subspecies, with considerable variation in plumage between them. Further research is needed to establish if this represents a single species or not.
The subspecies and their distributions are:
The species is generally resident although it has been reported as a winter migrant to Nameri National Park in Assam, India, which implies that the species may be an altitudinal migrant. The species has been introduced to Hong Kong from captive stock derived from caged birds.
Diet.
The diet of the silver-eared mesia is dominated by insects and their larvae, as well as fruit and to a lesser extent seeds. A study of the diet of feral birds in Hong Kong found that 87% of the faecal samples studied had the remains on insects in them, and 97% had the remains of fruit. The species will often associate in large groups of up to thirty individuals while foraging, and even forms groups during the breeding season. They will also join large flocks of other species in the forest, known as waves, which include other species of babblers. They generally feed closer to the ground, but may go as high as 5 metres up into the canopy.
Breeding.
The silver-eared mesia is a seasonal breeder, with the season lasting from November to August, although the season starts later, in April, in the northern part of its range. Both the male and female are involved in building the nest, a deep cup of bamboo and other dead leaves lined with rootlets and fern fibres. The nest takes about four days to construct and is placed near ground level or up to 2m up in a bush. Underlying its relationship with the red-billed leiothrix the nest is said to be indistinguishable from the one of that species.
The eggs of silver-eared mesia are white with light but rich madder-brown spots. Between two and five eggs are laid in a typical clutch, with four being the typical number in India but two or three more common in Malaysia. Both parents incubate the eggs, with (at least in captivity) the female incubating the eggs during the night. The eggs are incubated for 13 to 14 days after the laying of the first egg. Both parents feed the chicks, which fledge after 12 days, and parental care lasts for a further 22 days after fledging.


Bolivian red howler

The Bolivian red howler ("Alouatta sara") is a species of howler monkey, a type of New World monkey, endemic to Bolivia. It can be found in rain forests, including riverine and seasonally flooded forests.
Range.
The Bolivian red howler is a part of the Atelidae; Atelidae are a subfamily of New World monkey, which includes the various spider and woolly monkeys. They are covered in reddish orange hair. The red howler are found only in neotropical South America in places like Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Perú, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. They extend from northwest Colombia east and south to the Amazon River in eastern Brazil. They can be largely found in tropical forests, as well as in riverine and seasonally swamped woodlands and in forests above 1000 meters (3280 feet) above sea level, humid and dry forest high terra firma. They stay in the high altitudes.
Body Type.
The adult Bolivian red howler has a well-built body that is capable of attaining a maximum body length. Red howler monkeys have a muscular, prehensile tail that enables them to grasp branches or even swing from them. The males are about 20.6 -22.4 inches in height and weigh about 13-17 lbs. The females are a bit smaller at only about 18.4- 19.6 inches and 10-14 lbs.in weight. Their arms and legs are long. The howler hands are strong and dexterous. They feed mostly on leaves and they also enjoy nuts, seeds, fruit, and flowers.
Mating.
Female red howler pursues a male howler by showing her tongue. If the male isn't interested, she moves on to another male. Mating occurs throughout the year. After the pregnancy period, which is six months, the female generally gives birth to one offspring at a time. Twins are very rare. Females usually first give birth when they reach five years, which is two years before males begin to mate. Newborns are born with fur and must hang onto their mother's belly. When baby howlers reach one month they can now hang from their mothers with their tails and can eventually ride on her back when they reach one year. Adults female red howlers in the troop, especially those without an infant, are very fond of other females babies and will cuddle and play with them. The male howlers, on the other hand, are very affectionate to youngsters but only to their own.
Behavior.
The red howlers live in groups with one to three males, and two to seven females. Males living in bachelor groups attempt to gain control of the female group by fighting the lead male. The male red howler wakes up early in the morning and wakes the forest up with their loud howls that can be heard up to 2 miles. They howl again at night, before they go to sleep, and the calls are answered by males from other red howler groups, to let them know their location so that their territories do not overlap. Red howlers do not like rain, so they howl in protest to the rain while hunched over in the trees. They stay high up in the trees away from jaguars and throw sticks and branches at them. When a troop is invading, males come to take over the female group from the current male or males; they kill all the infants and mate with the females to produce their own offspring. The females try to protect their infants, but being smaller, they usually fail to do so.
Additional Facts.
The Red Howler lifespan is 20 years, and their predator is jaguars. They have about six species of red howler in Central and South America, and they sleep for 15 hours per day. They have the loudest call of any new world animal. They are proficient swimmers even though they spend most of their time in the tree. Baby howlers nurse for 18 to 24 months.


Atelognathus reverberii

Atelognathus reverberii is a species of frog in the family Batrachylidae.
It is endemic to Argentina.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, temperate grassland, freshwater marshes, and intermittent freshwater marshes. It is threatened by habitat loss.


Gamasomorpha taprobanica

Gamasomorpha taprobanica, is a species of spider of the genus "Gamasomorpha". It is endemic to Sri Lanka.


Nymphargus ocellatus

Nymphargus ocellatus (common name: spotted Cochran frog) is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is endemic to the Amazonian slopes of Andes in Peru.
Its natural habitats are tropical moist montane forests (cloud forests); larvae develop in streams. It is threatened by habitat loss.


Yunnan keelback

The Yunnan keelback ("Hebius parallelum") is a species of natricine snake which is endemic to Asia.
Geographic range.
It is found in India, primarily in the Indian states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim. It is also found in southern China (Yunnan province), Myanmar, Nepal, Tibet, and Vietnam.
Description.
Dorsally, it is brown with two parallel yellowish, black-edged stripes on the body and tail. The ventrals and subcaudals are uniform yellow, or with a black dot on each side. There is a black streak from the eye to the corner of the mouth, and the labials are yellow.
It may have one, two, or three preocular scales, and has three postoculars. There are seven or eight upper labials (usually eight), with the third, fourth, and fifth entering the eye. The temporals may be 1 + 1, 1 + 2, or 2 + 2.
Strongly keeled dorsal scales arranged in 19 rows at midbody. Ventrals 163-175; anal plate divided; subcaudals 73–95, also divided.
Adults may attain 56 cm (22 inches) in total length with a tail of 14 cm (5½ inches).


Chronoxenus walshi

Chronoxenus walshi is a species of ant of the genus "Chronoxenus". It was described by Forel in 1895, and was formerly a part of the genus "Iridomyrmex". They are endemic to Bangladesh, India and China.


Muscocyclops therasiae


Zaitunia akhanii

Zaitunia akhanii is a species of the araneomorph spider family Filistatidae (crevice weaver spiders).
Distribution.
This species is endemic to Tehran Province, Iran.
Description.
The female holotype measured 5.2 mm.
Etymology.
This species was named after Iranian botanist Hossein Akhani.


Gujarat gecko

The Gujarat gecko ("Hemidactylus gujaratensis") is a species of gecko. It is endemic to India.


Formicoxenus quebecensis

Formicoxenus quebecensis is a species of ant in the genus "Formicoxenus". It is endemic to Canada.


Blue runner

The blue runner ("Caranx crysos"), also known as the bluestripe jack, Egyptian scad, hardtail jack or hardnose, is a common species of moderately large marine fish classified in the jack family, Carangidae. The blue runner is distributed across the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Brazil to Canada in the western Atlantic and from Angola to Great Britain including the Mediterranean in the east Atlantic. The blue runner is distinguished from similar species by several morphological features, including the extent of the upper jaw, gill raker count and lateral line scale counts. The blue runner is known to reach a maximum length of 70 cm and 5.05 kg in weight, but is much more common below 35 cm. The species inhabits both inshore and offshore environments, predominantly over reefs, however it is known to congregate around large, man-made, offshore structures such as oil platforms. Juveniles tend to inhabit shallower reef and lagoon waters, before moving to deeper waters as adults.
The blue runner is a schooling, predatory fish, predominantly taking fish in inshore environments, as well as various crustaceans and other invertebrates. Fish living offshore feed nearly exclusively on zooplankton. The species reaches sexual maturity at between 225 and 280 mm across its range, with spawning occurring offshore year round, although this peaks during the warmer months. Larvae and juveniles live pelagically, often under sargassum mats or jellyfish until they move inshore. The blue runner is of high importance to fisheries, with an annual catch of between 6000 and 7000 tonnes taken from the Americas in the last five years. The species is also a light tackle gamefish, taking baits, lures, and flies; but is often used as bait itself, being a mediocre table fish. There has been some suggestion that the eastern Pacific species "Caranx caballus", the green jack, may be conspecific with "C. crysos", although this currently remains unresolved.
Taxonomy and naming.
The blue runner is classified within the genus "Caranx", one of a number of groups known as the jacks or trevallies. "Caranx" itself is part of the larger jack and horse mackerel family Carangidae, part of the order Carangiformes.
The species was first scientifically described by the American ichthyologist Samuel L. Mitchill in 1815, based on a specimen taken from the waters of New York Bay, USA which was designated to be the holotype. He named the species "Scomber crysos" and suggested a common name of 'yellow mackerel', with the specific epithet reflecting this, meaning "gold" in Greek. The taxon has been variably placed in either "Caranx", "Carangoides" or "Paratractus", but is now considered valid as "Caranx crysos". The species has been independently redescribed three times, first as "Caranx fusus", which is still incorrectly used by some authors (occasionally as "Carangoides fusus"), and later as "Caranx pisquetus" and "Trachurus squamosus". These names are considered invalid junior synonyms under ICZN rules. The species has many common names, with the most common being 'blue runner'. Other less commonly used names include 'bluestripe jack', 'Egyptian scad', 'hardtail jack', 'hardnose', 'white back cavalli', 'yellow tail cavalli', as well as a variety of broad names such as 'mackerel', 'runner' and 'crevalle'.
There have been suggestions that the blue runner may be conspecific with the eastern Pacific species "Caranx caballus" (green jack), although no specific studies have been undertaken to examine this relationship. Both species were included in a recent genetic analysis of the entire family Carangidae, with results showing both species are very closely related, although the authors did not comment on genetic distance between the two.
Description.
The blue runner is moderately large in size, growing to a maximum confirmed length of 70 cm and 5.05 kg in mass, but is more common at lengths less than 35 cm. The blue runner is morphologically similar to a number of other carangids, having an elongated, moderately compressed body with dorsal and ventral profiles of approximately equal convexity and a slightly pointed snout. The posterior section of the eye is covered by a moderately well developed adipose eyelid, and the posterior extremity of the jaw is vertically under the center of the eye. The dorsal fin is in two parts, the first consisting of 8 spines and the second of 1 spine followed by 22 to 25 soft rays. The anal fin consists of 2 anteriorly detached spines followed by 1 spine and 19 to 21 soft rays. The pectoral fins become more falcate with age, having 21 to 23 rays, and are slightly longer than the head. The lateral line has a pronounced but short anterior arch, with the curved section intersecting the straight section below the spine of the second dorsal fin. The straight section contains 0 to 7 scales followed by 46 to 56 very strong scutes, with bilateral keels present on the caudal peduncle. There are a total of 86 to 98 scales and scutes over the entire lateral line. The chest is completely scaled. The upper jaw contains an irregular series of outer canines with an inner band of small, regularly spaced teeth, while the lower jaw contains a single band of small teeth. The species has 35 to 42 gill rakers in total; 10 to 14 on the upper limb and 25 to 28 on the lower limb, with this the only feature that differs between "C. crysos" and "C. caballus". There are 25 vertebrae present.
The blue runner's colour varies from bluish green to olive green dorsally, becoming silvery grey to brassy below. Juveniles often have 7 dark vertical bands on their body. Fin colour also varies, with all fins ranging from to dusky or hyaline to olive green. The species also has a dusky spot which may not be distinct on the upper operculum.
Distribution.
The blue runner is extensively distributed throughout the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean, ranging widely along both the eastern American coastline and the western African and European coastlines. In the western Atlantic, the species southernmost record comes from Maceio, Brazil, with the species ranging north along the Central American coastline, and throughout the Caribbean and the numerous archipelagos throughout. From the Gulf of Mexico its distribution extends north along the U.S. coast and as far north as Nova Scotia in Canada, also taking in several north-west Atlantic islands. The blue runner is also present on several central Atlantic islands, making its distribution Atlantic-wide.
In the eastern Atlantic the southernmost record is from Angola, with the blue runner distributed extensively along the west African coast up to Morocco and into the Mediterranean Sea. The blue runner is found throughout the Mediterranean, having been recorded from nearly all the countries on its shores. The species is rarely found north of Portugal in the north east Atlantic, although records do exist of isolated catches from Madeira Island and Galicia, Spain. The furthest north it has been reported is southern Great Britain, where two specimens were taken in 1992 and 1993. There has been a trend of having this and other tropical species found further north more often, with publications indicating the blue runner has recently established stable populations in the Canary Islands, where it had been rarely sighted. Some authors have attributed this northward migration to rising sea surface temperatures, possibly the result of climate change.
Habitat.
The blue runner is primarily an inshore fish throughout most of its range, however it is known to live on reefs in water depths greater than 100 m. Throughout much of its Central American range, it is quite rare inshore, instead more commonly sighted on the outer reefs. The blue runner is primarily a semi-pelagic fish, inhabiting both inshore reefs and the outer shelf edges, sill reefs and upper slopes of the deep reef. Those individuals on shallower reefs often move between reef patches over large sand expanses. Juvenile fish are also known to inhabit the shallow waters of inshore lagoons, taking refuge around mangroves or in seagrass amongst coral reef patches. Fishermen have also taken the species in the Mississippi delta, indicating it can tolerate lower salinities in almost estuarine environments.
Blue runner are easily attracted to any large underwater or floating device, either natural or man made. Several studies have shown the species congregates around floating buoy-like fish aggregating devices (FADs), both in shallower waters, as well as in extremely deep (2500 m) waters, indicating the species may move around pelagically. In these situations, blue runner always form small aggregations at the water surface, while other larger species tend to congregate slightly deeper. A number of investigations around oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico have found blue runner congregate in large numbers around these in the warmer months, where they modify their feeding behavior to take advantage of the structure. Purpose built artificial reefs and marine aquaculture cage structures are also known to attract the species, with the former having the added benefit of dispersing wayward food scraps.
Biology.
The blue runner normally moves either in small schools or as solitary individuals, although large aggregations of up to 10,000 individuals are known in unusual circumstances. Throughout some parts of its range, it is one of the most abundant species; for example statistics from Santa Catarina Island indicate it is the third most abundant species. The biology, particularly reproductive and growth biology has been quite extensively studied in the blue runner due to this high abundance in the Atlantic, and its importance to fisheries and the ecology of its environment.
Diet and feeding.
The blue runner is a fast-swimming predator which primarily takes small benthic fishes as prey in inshore waters. Studies on the species diet on both side of the Atlantic have shown similar results. A Puerto Rican study found the species supplements its fish dominated diet with crabs, shrimps, copepods and other small crustaceans. More detailed research in Cape Verde found as well as fish, blue runner take shrimp, prawns, lobsters, jellyfish and other small invertebrates. The diet of juveniles is more zooplankton dominated, with young fish predominantly taking cyclopoid and calanoid copepods, and gradually moving to a more fish based diet. Adult blue runner living offshore or aggregating around oil and gas platforms tend to have less fish in their diet, foraging extensively on larger zooplankton during the summer months, with larval decapods and stomatopods, hyperiid amphipods, pteropods, and larval and juvenile fishes also taken.
Studies around these platforms has found blue runner feed with equal intensity during both day and night, with larger prey such as fish taken preferentially at night, with smaller crustaceans taken during the day. Blue runner are one of a number of carangids known to forage in small schools alongside actively feeding spinner dolphins ("Stenella longirostris"), taking advantage of any scraps of food left by the feeding mammals, or any organisms displaced while they forage. The species is also known to eat the dolphins excrement. As well as being important predators, they are also important prey to many larger species including fishes, birds and dolphins.
Reproduction and growth.
The blue runner reaches sexual maturity at slightly different lengths throughout its range, with all such studies occurring in the west Atlantic. Research in northwest Florida found a length at maturity of 267 mm, a study in Louisiana showed the species reaches sexual maturity at 247–267 mm in females and 225 mm in males, and in Jamaica lengths of 260 mm for males and 280 for females were estimated. Spawning appears to occur offshore year round, although several peaks in spawning activity have been found in different areas through the species range. Peak spawning season in the Gulf of Mexico occurs from June to August, with a secondary peak in spawning during October in northwest Florida. Elsewhere, peaks in larval abundance indicate spawning in the warmer summer months between January and August. Each female releases between 41,000 and 1,546,000 eggs on average, with larger fish producing more eggs. Both the eggs and larvae are pelagic.
The blue runner's larval stage has been extensively described, with distinguishing features including a slightly shallower body than other larval "Caranx", and a heavily pigmented head and body. During this early juvenile stage, there are several dark vertical bars clearly present on the side. Larvae and small juveniles remain offshore, living either at depths of around 10 to 20 m, or congregating around floating objects, particularly Sargassum mats and large jellyfish. As the fish grow, they often move to more inshore lagoons and reefs, before slowly making their way to deeper outer reefs at the onset of sexual maturity. Absolute growth rates are not well known, but the species has all the adult characteristics by a length of 59.3 mm. In all cases studied, there are more females in the adult population than males, with female to male ratios ranging from 1.15F:1M to 1.91F:1M. Annual mortality rates for the population in the Gulf of Mexico range from 0.41 to 0.53. The oldest known individual was 11 years old based on otolith rings.
Relationship to humans.
The blue runner is a highly important species to commercial fisheries throughout parts of its range. Due to its abundance, it may be one of the primary species in a fishery. The availability of fisheries statistics for the species is variable throughout its range, with the Americas having separate statistics kept for the species, while in Africa and Europe it is lumped in with other carangids in statistics. In the Americas, recent catch data suggests an increased amount of the species is being taken (or reported), with the 2006 and 2007 catch averaging between 6000 and 7000 tonnes, while during the 1980s and 1990s, there was rarely an annual catch greater than 1000 tonnes. Research on the fisheries of local regions has shown how important the fish is to certain fisheries. Artisanal fisheries in Santa Catarina Island have shown blue runner to be third most important and abundant species, making up 5.6% of landings, or 4.38 tonnes. Even subsistence fisheries at the edge of its range in Brazil show a catch of 388 kg in two years from beach seines. Throughout its range the blue runner is commercially taken by haul seines, lampara nets, purse seines, gill nets, and hook and line methods. The fish is sold at market either fresh, dried, smoked or as fishmeal, oil or bait.
Blue runner is also of high importance to recreational fisheries, with anglers often taking the species both for food and to use as bait. The blue runner has a reputation as an excellent gamefish on light tackle, taking both fish baits, as well a variety of lures including hard-bodied bibbed lures, spoons, metal jigs and soft plastic jigs. The species is also a target for light tackle saltwater fly fishermen, and can push 6-weight fly tackle to its limits. The IGFA world record for Blue Runner stands at 5.05 kg (11 lbs 2 oz) caught off Dauphin Island by Stacey Moiren in 1997, previous records have also come from the eastern North Atlantic. The blue runner is used extensively as live bait for larger fish, including billfish, cobia and amberjack. It is considered a fairly low-quality table fish, and larger specimens are known to carry the ciguatera toxin in their flesh, with several cases reported from the Virgin Islands.


Platyptilia davisi

Platyptilia davisi is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. It is known from Chile.
The wingspan is about 22 mm. Adults are on wing in January.


Orculella exaggerata

Orculella exaggerata is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Orculidae.
Geographic distribution.
"O. exaggerata" is endemic to Greece, where it occurs on the islands of Kasos, Karpathos and Saria in the south Aegean Sea.


Goa (antelope)

The goa ("Procapra picticaudata"), also known as the Tibetan gazelle, is a species of antelope that inhabits the Tibetan plateau.
Description.
The goa is a relatively small antelope, with slender and graceful bodies. Both males and females stand tall at the shoulder, measure in head-body length and weigh . Males have long, tapering, ridged horns, reaching lengths of . The horns are positioned close together on the forehead, and rise more or less vertically until they suddenly diverge towards the tips. Females have no horns, and neither sex has distinct facial markings.
The goa is grayish brown over most of its body, with its summer coat being noticeably greyer in colour than its winter one. It has a short, black-tipped tail in the center of its heart-shaped white rump patches. Its fur lacks an undercoat, consisting of long guard hairs only, and is notably thicker in winter. It appears to have excellent senses, including keen eyesight and hearing. Its thin and long legs enhance its running skills, which are required to escape from predators.
Distribution and habitat.
The goa is native to the Tibetan plateau, and is widespread throughout the region, inhabiting terrain between in elevation. It is almost restricted to the Chinese provinces of Gansu, Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai, and Sichuan, with tiny populations in the Ladakh and Sikkim regions of India. No distinct subspecies of goa have been reported.
Alpine meadow and high elevation steppe are the primary habitats of the goa. It is scattered widely across its range, being present in numerous small herds spread wide apart; estimates of population density vary from 2.8 individuals per sq km to less than 0.1, depending on the local environment.
Behaviour and ecology.
Unlike some other ungulates, goas do not form large herds, and are typically found in small family groups. Although they occasionally gather into larger aggregations, most goa groups contain no more than 10 individuals, and many are solitary. They have been noted to give short cries and calls to alert the herd on approach of a predator or other perceived threat.
Goas feed on a range of local vegetation, primarily forbs and legumes, supplemented by relatively small amounts of grasses and sedges. Their main local predators are the Himalayan wolf and the snow leopard.
Reproduction.
For much of the year, the sexes remain separate, with the females grazing in higher altitude terrain than the males. The females descend from their high pastures around September, prior to the mating season in December. During the rut, the males are largely solitary, scent marking their territories and sometimes butting or wrestling rival males with their horns.
Gestation lasts around six months, with the single young being born between July and August. The infants remain hidden with their mother for the first two weeks of life, before rejoining the herd. The age of sexual maturity in goas is unknown, but is probably around 18 months. Goas have lived for up to five years and seven months in captivity.
Conservation status.
Although goa populations have declined over recent years, they do not inhabit regions of high human population over most of their range, and do not significantly compete with local livestock. Because of their small size, they are not popular targets for hunting, and they are classified as a class II protected species in China. The primary threats to the goa in China are loss of habitat, due to encroachment on their natural ranges by pastoralists and the expansion of agriculture in the western provinces.
In Ladakh, they live at high altitudes (4,750-5,050 m or 15,580-16,570 ft), but prefer relatively flat areas with an affinity for warmer, south-facing slopes. They coexist with domestic yaks and kiang, but are competitive with domestic goats and sheep and avoid herders and their dogs. The population in Ladakh, less than 100 individuals, continues to decline. Within Ladakh, its distribution was spread as far west as the Tsokar Basin in the beginning of the 20th century, but today is confined to the Hanle Valley and the neighbouring areas, such as Chumur. Presently gazelles are suffering not only from poor pasture conditions, but also from problems associated with small populations such as lack of genetic diversity in the population, which makes them less resistant to diseases.
Goa populations in both Ladakh and Tibet seem to be declining precipitously and are threatened with extinction, at least in some regions. Within India, a small population of gazelle also exists in northern Sikkim, right at the border between India and Chinese-controlled territory, thus apparently moving back and forth between them.


Sinibrama melrosei

Sinibrama melrosei is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus "Sinibrama". It is found in southern China (Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Hainan), Vietnam, and Laos. It inhabits rivers.


Twite

The twite ("Linaria flavirostris") is a small brown passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.
It is similar in size and shape to a linnet, at long. It lacks the red head patch and breast shown by the linnet and the redpolls. It is brown streaked with black above, and a pink rump. The underparts are buff to whitish, streaked with brown. The conical bill is yellow in winter and grey in summer. The call is a distinctive "twit", from which its name derives, and the song contains fast trills and twitters. Twites can form large flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes mixed with other finches on coasts and salt marshes. They feed mainly on seeds.
The twite breeds in northern Europe and across the Palearctic to Siberia and China. Treeless moorland is favoured for breeding. It builds its nest in a bush, laying 5–6 light blue eggs. It is partially resident, but many birds migrate further south, or move to the coasts. It has declined sharply in parts of its range, notably in Ireland.
In the UK, the twite is the subject of several research projects in the Pennines, the Scottish Highlands and the North Wales and Lancashire coastlines. Records show that the birds to the east of the Pennine hills move to the southeast coast in winter and those to the west winter between Lancashire and the Hebrides. The Welsh population winters almost exclusively in Flintshire. Ringing data has revealed that Twite breeding in different parts of Britain use different non‐breeding areas, and that non-breeding areas of British Twite do not overlap with non-breeding areas of continental Twite.
Taxonomy.
In 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus included the twite in the 10th edition of his "Systema Naturae" under the binomial name "Fringilla flavirostris". The genus name "linaria" is the Latin for a linen-weaver, from "linum", "flax" and "flavirostris" means "yellow-billed". The twite and the closely related linnets were at one time placed in the genus "Carduelis" but were moved to a separate genus "Linaria" based on a phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences.
There are 10 recognised subspecies:


Paludinella vitrea

Paludinella vitrea is a species of minute salt marsh snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Assimineidae. This species is endemic to Palau.


Mabellina

Mabellina is a genus of jumping spiders only found in Panama. It contains only one species, Mabellina prescotti.


Nymphargus bejaranoi

Nymphargus bejaranoi is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is endemic to the eastern slopes of the Bolivian Andes in the Cochabamba, Chuquisaca, La Paz, and Santa Cruz departments. The specific name "bejaranoi" honors Gastón Bejarano, a Bolivian zoologist and Director of Forestry and National Parks, Ministry of Agriculture. Common name Bolivian Cochran frog has been coined for this species.
Description.
Adult males measure and adult females about in snout–vent length, the latter being based on the holotype of "Centrolenella flavidigitata", later identified as the first female of "Nymphargus bejaranoi". The snout is short and truncate or rounded in dorsal view and truncate or sloping in lateral profile. The eyes are moderately large. The tympanum is distinct but its upper part is concealed by the supra-tympanic fold. The fingers have broad discs and some webbing between the last two fingers. The toes are about one-half webbed and have discs that are slightly smaller than those on the fingers. Males in reproductive state have the dorsum covered by spicules. The dorsum is dark green; the spicules appear off-white in living specimens.
Habitat and conservation.
"Nymphargus bejaranoi" live in wet montane forest, including cloud forest and Yungas forest, at elevations of above sea level. It is an arboreal species found in vegetation close to streams and small waterfalls. It was formerly a common species, has massively decline as its habitat has become threatened by agricultural development and pollution as well as the development of roads. Its range includes several national parks.
Being ranked as "endangered" on the IUCN Red List, it is now incredibly rare. After a sighting in 2002, it was not seen for over 18 years. It was rediscovered in 2020 in Carrasco National Park during a mission to rescue reptiles and amphibians whose habitat would be threatened by a planned hydroelectric project. Three frogs were taken to an amphibian conservation center for the purpose of captive breeding.


Spotted seal

The spotted seal ("Phoca largha"), also known as the larga seal or largha seal, is a member of the family Phocidae, and is considered a "true seal". It inhabits ice floes and waters of the north Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas. It is primarily found along the continental shelf of the Beaufort, Chukchi, Bering and Okhotsk Seas and south to the northern Yellow Sea and it migrates south as far as northern Huanghai and the western Sea of Japan. It is also found in Alaska from the southeastern Bristol Bay to Demarcation Point during the ice-free seasons of summer and autumn when spotted seals mate and have pups. Smaller numbers are found in the Beaufort Sea. It is sometimes mistaken for the harbor seal to which it is closely related and spotted seals and harbor seals often mingle together in areas where their habitats overlap.
The reduction in arctic ice floes due to global warming led to concerns that the spotted seal was threatened with extinction. Studies were conducted on its population numbers, with the conclusion, as of October 15, 2009, that the spotted seal population in Alaskan waters is not currently to be listed as endangered by NOAA.
Etymology.
The scientific name originated in the Greek word for seal, "phoce", and "larga", the term used by the Siberian Tungus people for this seal. The English common name is comes from this seal's characteristic dark, irregularly shaped spots. Alaskan Eskimo names include "issuriq" (Central Alaskan Yup'ik language), "gazigyaq" in St. Lawrence Island Yupik, and "qasigiaq" in Inupiaq.
Description.
The spotted seal is of the family, Phocidae, or "true seals". Compared to other true seals, they are intermediate in size, with mature adults of both sexes generally weighing between 180 and 240 pounds (81 to 109 kg) and measuring 4.59 to 6.89 ft (1.5 to 2.1 meters), roughly the same size as a harbor seal or ribbon seal. The head of a spotted seal is round, with a narrow snout resembling that of a dog.
The spotted seal has a relatively small body and short flippers extending behind the body that provide thrust, while the small flippers in front act as rudders. The dense fur varies in color from silver to gray and white and is characterized by dark, irregular spots against the lighter background and covering the entire body. Males and females differ little in size or shape. In places where their habitat overlaps with that of the harbor seal, they can be confused with them, as in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Like harbor seals, spotted seals have 34 teeth.
Distribution and habitat.
Spotted seals are inhabitants of arctic or sub-arctic waters, often in the outer areas of ice floes during the breeding season. They tend not to live within dense drift ice. In the summer months they live in the open ocean or on nearby shores.
Spotted seals are separated into three populations. The Bering Sea population includes approximately 100,000 in the western Bering Sea near Kamchatka, in the Gulf of Anadyr in Russia, and in the eastern Bering Sea in Alaskan waters (the only population in the US). A second population of about 100,000 seals breeds in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk. A third population of about 3,300 seals is to the south in Liaodong Bay, China and Peter the Great Bay, Russia. There is also a smaller population of 300 grey spotted seals living in waters off Baekryeong Island located far north of the west coast of South Korea.In order to prevent the squabble from being fought by water-bombing rocks on Baengnyeong Island, the Hani Sea Water Leopard Artificial Rest Area has been set up.
Behavior and reproduction.
Spotted seals are relatively shy and are difficult for humans to approach. They can be solitary in general but are gregarious and form large groups during pupping and molting seasons when they haul out on ice floes or, lacking ice, on land. The numerically largest groups in Alaska are at Kasegaluk Lagoon in the Chukchi Sea, near Cape Espenburg in Kotzebue Sound, and in Kuskokwim Bay on sandbars and shoals, where several thousand may collect.
Sexual maturity is attained around the age of four. January to mid-April is the breeding season. Pup births peak in mid-March. Spotted seals are believed annually monogamous, and during breeding season, they form "families" made up of a male, female, and their pup, born after a 10-month gestation period. Average birth size is 3 ft (1 m) and 26 lbs. Pups are weaned six weeks later. The maximum lifespan of the spotted seal is 35 years with few living beyond 25.
Spotted seals dive to depths up to 1,000 ft (300 m) while feeding on a variety of ocean prey. Juveniles eat primarily krill and small crustaceans while adults eat a variety of fish including herring, arctic cod, pollock, and capelin. They do not seem to vocalize a lot, although not much is known about their vocalizations. They appear to vocalize more while in molting groups. When approached in these groups, they make various sounds such as growls, barks, moans, and roars.
Based on satellite tracking conducted on Yellow Sea population, it was revealed that seals migrate more than 3,300 km.
Conservation status.
On March 28, 2008, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) initiated a status review under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to determine if listing this ice seal species under the ESA was warranted. After an 18-month review of the status of the spotted seal, NOAA announced on October 15, 2009 that two of the three spotted seal populations, together numbering 200,000 seals in or adjacent to Alaska, are not in danger of becoming extinct, nor are they likely to become so in the "foreseeable future", even though global warming has caused a loss in arctic ice mass. The announcement stated: "We do not predict the expected fluctuations in sea ice will affect them enough to warrant listing at this time."
In South Korea, spotted seals have been designated Natural Monument No. 331 and second-class endangered species. This is because the seals from South Korea travel to Dalian, China to breed every year where several thousands are harvested for their genitals and sealskin to be sold on the black market for Chinese medicine. An environmental activist group "Green Korea United" is currently working closely with local Chinese government to stop the seals from being poached by Chinese fishermen.


Hyloxalus patitae

Hyloxalus patitae is a species of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Peru where it is only known from its type locality near Comunidad Nativa de Davis, Cordillera El Sira, Pasco Region. It might occur in the El Sira Communal Reserve.
Its natural habitats are humid rainforests, especially alongside small streams and near waterfalls. It is potentially threatened by logging in the lower parts of the Cordillera El Sira.


Liolaemus lemniscatus

Liolaemus lemniscatus (wreath tree iguana or elegant tree iguana) is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae.
It is found in Argentina and Chile.


Inchoatia megdova

Inchoatia megdova is a species of air-breathing land snail, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Clausiliidae, the door snails.
Description.
The shell is horny brown, weakly striated. The cervix is more prominently striated. The shell has 11–13 whorls with white suture. The cervix is with weak basal keel. The dorsal keel is very weak if present. The aperture is not detached. The parietalis and columellaris is prominent, lunula dorsolateral, basalis very short. There is no platal callus and no frontal upper palatalis. Subcolumellaris is visible in a perpendicular view. Clausilium plate is usually with edge at the outer margin.
The width of the shell is 3.7–4.5 mm. The height of the shell is 18–23 mm.
"Inchoatia megdova" differs from "Inchoatia haussknechti" in the presence of a short basalis, absence of a sulcalis, clausilium plate with edge at the outer margin. "Carinigera pharsalica" has a less slender shell, the cervical keels are weaker, the suture is even less papillated, a dorsal lunula and no frontal upper palatalis, the outer edge of the clausilium is weaker.
In "Inchoatia megdova" the shells are broader than 3.0 mm, i.e. larger than in "Inchoatia haussknechti", sharp riblets are lacking even on the initial teleoconch whorls, and there is a prominent plica basalis, which is obsolete or lacking completely in "Inchoatia haussknechti".
Distribution.
"Inchoatia megdova" is distributed in limestone areas in southern Epirus. The range of this species is very disjunct.
Subspecies.
According to Gittenberger & Uit de Weerd (2009), the species "Inchoatia megdova" includes 4 subspecies:
"Inchoatia megdova tavropodensis" is found c. 10 km as the crow flies from "Inchoatia haussknechti alticola", but both taxa are quite different ecologically, occurring at very different altitudes. The population with "Inchoatia megdova bruggeni" was found only 7 km from the type locality of "Inchoatia haussknechti hiltrudae". In this case, both taxa are found at relatively low altitudes, so that "Inchoatia haussknechti" cannot be considered a high alpine species versus a lowland "Inchoatia megdova".
Inchoatia megdova megdova.
Synonyms include:
Diagnosis: The teleoconch is with rather inconspicuous sutural papillae. The parietal side of the apertural border is not or somewhat protruding. It is without upper palatal plica. The lamella subcolumellaris is not or hardly visible in frontal view.
Range: The type locality is Thessaly, Karditsa: Morfovouni, 1.25 km S of Mesenikolas. Other known locality is: West Greece, Aetolia-Acarnania: 2 km south of Ditiki Frangista, 600 m alt. This subspecies has been reported from the two localities, that are 40 km apart and situated in geographically quite different regions, whereas "Inchoatia megdova tavropodensis" is reported from only a few km distant of the southern record for "Inchoatia megdova megdova". Also after a renewed investigation, based on newly collected material, the surprising observation by Hausdorf (1987) with regard to the distribution of "Inchoatia megdova megdova", was confirmed by Gittenberger & Uit de Weerd (2009).
Inchoatia megdova bruggeni.
The specific name "bruggeni" is in honour of Dutch malacologist Adolph Cornelis van Bruggen.
Diagnosis: The teleoconch is with conspicuous sutural papillae. Parietal side of the apertural border is not protruding. The clausilial apparatus is with a prominent but short plica basalis, a prominent white palatal knob, and a lamella subcolumellaris that is visible in frontal view.
Shell description: The shell is sinistral, with a very slender spire, with nearly straight sides. The shell has 11–12¾ whorls. The uppermost whorls are moderately convex and separated by an indented suture, the lower ones increasingly more flattened and separated by an increasingly more shallow suture. The shell is yellowish brown, with a white sutural line and many prominent white papillae along the adapical border of the whorls. On the upper half of the shell, the papillae may be vaguely lengthened in the regular shell colour by striae that reach at most about the periphery of the shell; only the final quarter of the [body whorl] with irregular radial riblets. Cervical part of the body whorl is with a rounded basal keel, separated by an indentation from a rather prominent dorsal hump.
Apertural lip is thickened by a whitish callus, broadly reflected, continuous but not protruding at the parietal side. Clausilial apparatus with a prominent lamella parietalis, reaching about ⅛ whorl into the aperture, where it ends next to the most frontal part of the lamella spiralis, which extends for about ½ whorl inside. The lamella columellaris is clearly protruding into the aperture and reaching slightly further than the lamella spiralis inside. The lamella subcolumellaris is prominent, slightly curved and clearly visible in frontal view. Plica principalis is prominent, reaching less far inside than the lamella spiralis, but clearly further than the upper palatal plica, thickened in front where it is connected with a (very) conspicuous white knob, which is shortly lengthened inside, without coming close to the lunella. Lunella situated dorsolaterally; the short posterior part of the upper palatal plica is about as long as the short but relatively conspicuous plica basalis. Clausilial blade is simple, without notches.
The width of the shell is 3.6–4.0 mm. The height of the shell is 16.2–20.3 mm.
Range: The type locality is Greece, Thessaly, Trikala: 7.5 km WNW of Pyli, 8.5 km S of Elati along road to Ag. Prokopios, 675 m alt. This subspecies is known from the type locality only.
Inchoatia megdova palatalifera.
Synonyms include:
Diagnosis: The teleoconch is with rather inconspicuous sutural papillae. The parietal side of the apertural border is protruding. The upper palatal plica is prominent. Lamella subcolumellaris is clearly visible in frontal view.
Range: The type locality is "Triklonon 5.5 km Richtung Chalkiopuli"; Greece, West Greece, Aetolia-Acarnania: Triklono, 5.5 km to Chalkiopouli. This subspecies is only known from the type locality.
Inchoatia megdova tavropodensis.
Synonyms include:
Diagnosis: Teleoconch is with conspicuous sutural papillae. The parietal side of the apertural border is not or slightly protruding. The upper palatal plica is prominent. Lamella subcolumellaris is not or hardly visible in frontal view.
According to Nordsieck (2007) this taxon is “.. clearly more similar to "Carinigera semilaevis" than to "Carinigera megdova"; its occurrence is nearer to the type locality of "Carinigera semilaevis" than to that of "Carinigera megdova".” The obvious similarity should have been specified to take this view into consideration. The location of type localities cannot be accepted as indicative, especially not since according to Hausdorf (1987: 174). According to Gittenberger & Uit de Weerd (2009), the closest congeneric population belongs to "Inchoatia megdova megdova".
Range: The type locality is "am Fluß Tavropos, Kalkfelsen bei der Brücke, 26 km von Karpenision, etwa 340 m ü.M.". Gittenberger & Uit de Weerd (2009) have found this subspecies at Evrytania, Greece: 11.5 km WNW of Karpenisi (road to Agrinio), 370 m alt. Most probably this is also the type locality so this subspecies is only known from the type locality.
References.
This article incorporates CC-BY-3.0 text from reference and public domain text from the reference.


Giant spiny skink

The giant spiny skink or Poncelet's helmet skink ("Tribolonotus ponceleti") is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Solomon Islands.
Etymology.
The specific name, "ponceleti", is in honor of the Rev. Jean-Baptiste Poncelet (1884-1958), French missionary and naturalist.
Habitat.
The preferred habitat of "T. ponceleti" is forest at altitudes of .
Behavior.
Unlike most skinks, "T. ponceleti" has the ability to vocalize.
Reproduction.
"T. ponceleti" is oviparous.


Dusky-tailed antbird

The dusky-tailed antbird ("Drymophila malura") is an insectivorous bird in the antbird family Thamnophilidae.
It is found in southeast Brazil, southern Paraguay, and northeast Argentina (Misiones Province).
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.
The dusky-tailed antbird was described by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1825 and given the binomial name "Myiothera malura". It is now placed in the genus "Drymophila" which was introduced by the English naturalist William Swainson in 1824.
The specific epithet "malura " is from the Ancient Greek "malos" "soft" or "weak".


Cameron Highlands white-bellied rat

The Cameron Highlands white-bellied rat ("Niviventer cameroni"), also known as the Cameron Highlands niviventer, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It has only been found in the mountain forests of the Cameron Highlands on the Malay Peninsula at an altitude of .


Epigomphus maya

Epigomphus maya is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. It is endemic to Belize. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.


Podarcis levendis

Podarcis levendis is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is endemic to Greece.


Parnassius actius

Parnassius actius, also known as the scarce red apollo, is a high-altitude butterfly found in Central Asia. It is a member of the snow Apollo genus ("Parnassius") of the swallowtail family (Papilionidae).
Range.
Found in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, north-eastern Afghanistan, Indus Valley (Pakistan) and (Jammu and Kashmir) and south-western China, including Xinjiang.
Description.
Note: The wing pattern in "Parnassius" species is inconsistent and the very many subspecies and forms make identification problematic and uncertain. Structural characters derived from the genitalia, wing venation, sphragis and foretibial epiphysis are more, but not entirely reliable. The description given here is a guide only. For an identification key see P.R. Ackery (1975).
"P. actius" can be recognized by the more elongate and a little more pointed forewing. Ground colour usually pure white, more rarely slightly yellowish; vitreous margin of forewing narrow, as a rule not reaching the posterior angle, or the edge itself posteriorly narrowly white: submarginal spots feebly developed; in male usually only the anterior costal spot centred with red, in female both spots. The male, besides, somewhat duller, hindmarginal spot of forewing sometimes also marked with red, the submarginal markings more strongly developed. Hindwing grey at the base in both sexes, only in rare exceptional cases with a red basal spot above.
Status.
It is a rare butterfly and declining due to changes in its habitat and is thus considered to be vulnerable. More information is needed on this species.


Blue-fronted robin

The blue-fronted robin ("Cinclidium frontale") is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Cinclidium. It is found in Bhutan, China, Northeast India, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and possibly Nepal. Its natural habitat is temperate forests.


Callistocythere elegans

Callistocythere elegans is a species of ostracods. It is from the Gulf of Naples, Italy.


Melinaea ludovica

Melinaea ludovica is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae found in South America.


Ashy woodswallow

The ashy woodswallow ("Artamus fuscus") sometimes also called the ashy swallow-shrike is a woodswallow which is found in south Asia. Like other woodswallows, it has a short curve bill and a short square tail and long wings. It is usually seen perched in groups, high on powerlines, tall bare trees and most often in areas with a predominance of tall palm trees.
Description.
This stocky woodswallow has an ashy grey upperparts with a darker head and a narrow pale band on the rump. The underside is pinkish grey and the short slaty black tail is tipped in white. The finch-like bill is silvery. In flight the long wing looks very broad at the base giving it a very triangular outline. The first primary is very short. The legs are short and the birds usually perch on high vantage points from which they make aerial sallies. There are no geographic variations in plumage and no subspecies have been designated.
Males and females are indistinguishable in the field, however an old report suggests that the sexes differ in the colour of the inside of the mouth. Young birds appear barred on the underside.
Habitat and distribution.
Woodswallows are found in a range of habitats from the plains to about 2000 m, over cultivated areas, in forest clearings and often in areas with tall palm trees. The species is widely distributed across Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia and China. They are absent in the very arid regions of western India. They have been recorded on the island of Maldives.
Behaviour and ecology.
Ashy woodswallows are usually seen in small groups. Several birds may sit huddled side-by-side on the bare branches of a tall tree, sometimes preening each other. They also perch on high vantage points such as powerlines and pylons. From their perches, they make aerial sallies, flapping and gliding to capture insects in the air. Insects may be caught in the beak, transferred and held in their feet, torn up with their bill and swallowed without returning to the perch. They may also return to the perch with prey to feed and will sometimes sit on the ground and have been known to visit bird baths. Although mainly feeding on insects, they may take nectar from flowers of trees such as "Erythrina". They have been recorded feeding on toxic butterflies of the family Danaiidae such as "Euploea core" which are avoided by other birds.
The breeding season in India is March to June, the nest is a shallow cup placed at some height such as at the base of the frond of a tall palm or a hollow atop a street lighting post. The usual clutch consists of 2–3 greenish white eggs with brown spots. Both parents take part in nest building, incubation and feeding the young. They will mob larger birds such as crows and birds of prey that approach too close to the nesting birds. The song consists of a varied combination of wheezy notes that may include imitations of the calls of other birds. The usual call is shrill nasal "chewk".
They make seasonal movements, possibly in response to rainfall.
The woodswallows, Artamidae, are among the few perching birds that have special feathers called powder down that break up into fine dust that is spread by the birds onto their body when preening. Powder down is also found in the egrets. Members of the family have a brush-tipped tongue. They also have some of the thoracic vertebrae fused into a structure called the notarium.
A species of ectoparasitic birdlouse, "Menacanthus elbeli", and a mite that lives inside the feather quill have been described from hosts of this species. Other organisms associated with the species include endoparasitic trematodes "Plagiorchis dactylopharynx", "Papillatrema echinata" and "Stomylotrema travassosi".


Gastrotheca stictopleura

Gastrotheca stictopleura is a species of frog in the family Hemiphractidae. It is endemic to Peru and known from the southern end of the Cordillera Azul in Huánuco, Pasco, and southern Junín Regions at elevations of asl.
Its natural habitat is cloud forest, but it can also occur in disturbed forest and pastures with trees. It is threatened by habitat loss caused by agriculture, logging and human settlement.


Dolichopodomintho

Dolcihopodomintho is a genus of flies in the family Tachinidae.


Longitarsus ibericus

Longitarsus ibericus is a species of beetle in the subfamily Galerucinae that is endemic to Spain.


Eresus robustus

Eresus robustus is a spider species found in Spain.


Vesperus jertensis

Vesperus jertensis is a species of brown coloured beetle in the family Vesperidae that is endemic to Spain.


Ctenosaura nolascensis

Ctenosaura nolascensis or the Nolasco spiny-tailed iguana is a species of iguana native to Mexico. It is endemic to one island, the Isla San Pedro Nolasco.


Eupithecia actrix

Eupithecia actrix is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is found in central China (Shaanxi).
The wingspan is about . The fore- and hindwings are pale brownish grey.


Gracixalus jinxiuensis

Gracixalus jinxiuensis, commonly known as the Jinxiu bubble-nest frog or Jinxiu small treefrog, is a species of shrub frog from northern Vietnam and southern China (southeastern Yunnan, northeastern Guangxi and southern Hunan). "Jinxiu" in its names refers to the Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County, where its type locality lies. This species in known from forests, montane forests, secondary growth, forest edges, and from near streams.
Cryptic species.
"Gracixalus jinxiuensis", as currently defined, may in fact include more than one species. Furthermore, it is possible that some records refer to other, established "Gracixalus" species. For instance, "Gracixalus quyeti" from Quảng Bình Province was formerly assigned to "Gracixalus jinxiuensis".
Morphology.
The male snout–vent length is and the female is .


Golden-rumped euphonia

The golden-rumped euphonia ("Euphonia cyanocephala") is a species of bird in the family Fringillidae, formerly placed in the Thraupidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, and heavily degraded former forest.


Bothriechis supraciliaris

Bothriechis supraciliaris, the blotched palm-pit viper, is a species of venomous snake in the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Costa Rica.
Description.
"Bothriechis supraciliaris" is usually in total length (including tail), but can reach . Its body colour varies. It can be either bluish-green, reddish-brown, or reddish-maroon, but usually it is bright-green or moss-green. The body is circular, ovoid and rhomboid in cross-section, with irregular dorsal blotches, that sometimes form crossbands. The belly is light. There are 21-23 dorsal scales rows at midbody. The head carries dark stripes and prominent scales that are located above the eyes. The only sexual dimorphism noted is that females of the species tend to be longer and thicker than males.
Geographic range.
The geographic range of "B. supraciliaris" is limited to mountains near San Isidro del General, San Jose Province, Costa Rica.
Taxonomy.
"Bothriechis supraciliaris" was formerly considered a subspecies of "B. schlegelii", the eyelash palm-pitviper.


Semperdon xyleborus

Semperdon xyleborus is a species of small, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Charopidae. This species is endemic to Palau.


Coleophora achilleae

Coleophora achilleae is a moth of the family Coleophoridae that is endemic to Greece.
The larvae feed on "Achillea umbellata". They mine the leaves of their host plant. They create a smooth, trivalved, tubular silken case of about with a mouth angle of about 20°. It is off-white to light brown in color. The oldest part of the case is warty and includes parts of the plant epidermis.


Parasarpa dudu

Parasarpa dudu, the white commodore, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in tropical and subtropical Asia.


Katha nankunshanica

Katha nankunshanica is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is found in Guangdong, China.
The length of the forewings is about . The forewings are greyish-yellow and the hindwings are pure yellow.


Xylocopa caerulea

Xylocopa caerulea, the blue carpenter bee, is a species of carpenter bee.
Description.
"Xylocopa caerulea" is a relatively large species, reaching an average size of . The thorax region of these insects are covered with light blue hairs, giving it a striking blue color. The sides of the abdomen and first abdominal segments are also covered by similar, albeit a finer and thinner coat of blue hairs.
Distribution.
This species is widely distributed in Southeast Asia, India and Southern China.


Malayemys

Malayemys is a genus of turtles in the family Geoemydidae. It was considered monotypic until 2004. It is found in several countries of Southeast Asia.
Taxonomy.
The genus description is attributed to Wassili Adolfovitch Lindholm in 1931.
"Damonia" was used by John Edward Gray in 1869, but is considered a junior homonym. It was considered monotypic until 2004. As of 2016, the genus consists of three species: "Malayemys macrocephala", "Malayemys subtrijuga" and "Malayemys khoratensis". The name "Malayemys isan" has been demonstrated to have not been published until after the name "M. khoratensis" if it was published under the code at all.
The genus consists of three species.
Distribution.
"Malayemys" has a native distribution in Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, and was introduced into Java, Indonesia.


Alopecosa huabanna

Alopecosa huabanna is a species of wolf spider found in Inner Mongolia in the People's Republic of China. The female has a length (excluding legs) of about 10 mm, the male being smaller at around 8 mm. Both sexes are generally dark brown with a longitudinal yellow band along the back of the carapace and abdomen, which distinctively has 4 paired branches towards the back of the abdomen. The male has much hairier legs than the female.
It is similar to "Alopecosa ovalis" and several other species.


Medialuna ancietae

Medialuna ancietae is a species of sea chub native to the Pacific coast of South America where it inhabits the giant kelp forests. It is known locally as "acha", "mero del sur" or "chino".
Description.
Sea chubs are medium-sized fish with small heads, blunt snouts and laterally compressed bodies. The small mouth contains a row of short teeth with hockey-stick shaped tips. The dorsal fin is continuous and has 11 to 14 spines, which can be folded down into a groove, and 11 to 13 soft rays. The anal fin has three spines and 11 to 13 soft rays. The body is clad in small scales which are thick and feel rough. The colour is mainly drab, the belly being paler than the upper parts. "M. ancietae" can grow to a maximum weight of .
Distribution and habitat.
"M. ancietae" is native to the subtropical southeastern Pacific Ocean where it is found on the coasts of Peru and Chile. Its habitat is the forests of giant kelp that line the rocky shore subtidally. The dominant species of kelp along this coast are "Lessonia trabeculata" subtidally and "Lessonia nigrescens" intertidally; these can grow to a length of and provide a dense tangled environment.
Uses.
"Medialuna ancietae" is esteemed as a sport fish and is the subject of both recreational and artisanal spear-fishing. Historically, along with "Graus nigra" and the Chilean sheepshead ("Semicossyphus darwini"), "M. ancietae" constituted more than 98% of the fish caught by spear-fishing. However, unregulated fishing has reduced the numbers of these fish to such an extent that by 2015, "M. ancietae" was rarely seen; the community structure of the kelp forest has been affected by this reduction in the populations of carnivorous fishes.


Crotalus intermedius omiltemanus

Crotalus intermedius omiltemanus is a venomous pitviper subspecies found in Mexico in the state of Guerrero.
Description.
This subspecies can be distinguished from the typical form ("C. i. intermedius") by its ventral scale count: 164 or more in males, and 170 or more in females.
Geographic range.
Found in Mexico, in Guerrero, in several places west of Chilpancingo, in the Sierra Madre del Sur, including the areas that surround Omilteme, San Vincente, and Filo de Caballo. The type locality given is "Mexico, Omilteme in Guerrero."


Strymon daraba

Strymon daraba is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It was described by William Chapman Hewitson in 1867. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.


Odorrana andersonii

Odorrana andersonii (common names: golden cross band frog, Yunnan odorous frog, Anderson's frog) is a species of frog in the family Ranidae that is found in northeastern India, upper Myanmar, southwestern China (Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi), northern Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam; records from Laos and Vietnam may refer to another species. They are found in low tree branches and on rocks along shaded rocky streams and large rivers with boulders, in evergreen forests and agricultural areas. Breeds takes place in streams.
"Odorrana andersonii" are relatively large frogs: males grow to a snout–vent length of about and females to . Tadpoles are up to in length.
"Odorrana andersonii" is considered as being of "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), although over-exploitation for food and habitat change are threats to this species.