Capybara

The capybara ("Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris") is a giant cavy rodent native to South America. It is the largest living rodent in the world. Also called capivara (in Brazil), capiguara (in Bolivia), chigüire, chigüiro, or fercho (in Colombia and Venezuela), carpincho (in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) and ronsoco (in Peru), it is a member of the genus "Hydrochoerus", of which the only other extant member is the lesser capybara ("Hydrochoerus isthmius"). Its close relatives include guinea pigs and rock cavies, and it is more distantly related to the agouti, the chinchilla, and the coypu. The capybara inhabits savannas and dense forests and lives near bodies of water. It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large as 100 individuals, but usually lives in groups of 10–20 individuals. The capybara is not a threatened species, but it is hunted for its meat and hide and also for grease from its thick fatty skin.
Etymology.
Its common name is derived from Tupi ', a complex agglutination of ' (leaf) + ' (slender) + ' (eat) + "" (a suffix for agent nouns), meaning "one who eats slender leaves", or "grass-eater".
The scientific name, both "hydrochoerus" and "hydrochaeris", comes from Greek (' "water") and (' "pig, hog").
Classification and phylogeny.
The capybara and the lesser capybara belong to the subfamily Hydrochoerinae along with the rock cavies. The living capybaras and their extinct relatives were previously classified in their own family Hydrochoeridae. Since 2002, molecular phylogenetic studies have recognized a close relationship between "Hydrochoerus" and "Kerodon", the rock cavies, supporting placement of both genera in a subfamily of Caviidae.
Paleontological classifications previously used Hydrochoeridae for all capybaras, while using Hydrochoerinae for the living genus and its closest fossil relatives, such as "Neochoerus", but more recently have adopted the classification of Hydrochoerinae within Caviidae. The taxonomy of fossil hydrochoerines is also in a state of flux. In recent years, the diversity of fossil hydrochoerines has been substantially reduced. This is largely due to the recognition that capybara molar teeth show strong variation in shape over the life of an individual. In one instance, material once referred to four genera and seven species on the basis of differences in molar shape is now thought to represent differently aged individuals of a single species, "Cardiatherium paranense".
Among fossil species, the name "capybara" can refer to the many species of Hydrochoerinae that are more closely related to the modern "Hydrochoerus" than to the "cardiomyine" rodents like "Cardiomys". The fossil genera "Cardiatherium", "Phugatherium", "Hydrochoeropsis", and "Neochoerus" are all capybaras under that concept.
Description.
The capybara has a heavy, barrel-shaped body and short head, with reddish-brown fur on the upper part of its body that turns yellowish-brown underneath. Its sweat glands can be found in the surface of the hairy portions of its skin, an unusual trait among rodents. The animal lacks down hair, and its guard hair differs little from over hair.
Adult capybaras grow to in length, stand tall at the withers, and typically weigh , with an average in the Venezuelan llanos of . Females are slightly heavier than males. The top recorded weights are for a wild female from Brazil and for a wild male from Uruguay. Also, an 81 kg individual was reported in São Paulo in 2001 or 2002. The dental formula is . Capybaras have slightly webbed feet and vestigial tails. Their hind legs are slightly longer than their forelegs; they have three toes on their rear feet and four toes on their front feet. Their muzzles are blunt, with nostrils, and the eyes and ears are near the top of their heads.
Its karyotype has 2n = 66 and FN = 102.
Ecology.
Capybaras are semiaquatic mammals found throughout almost all countries of South America except Chile. They live in densely forested areas near bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds, and marshes, as well as flooded savannah and along rivers in the tropical rainforest. They are superb swimmers and can hold their breath underwater for up to five minutes at a time. Capybara have flourished in cattle ranches. They roam in home ranges averaging 10 hectares (25 acres) in high-density populations.
Many escapees from captivity can also be found in similar watery habitats around the world. A breeding population now occurs in Trinidad. Sightings are fairly common in Florida, although a breeding population has not yet been confirmed. These escaped populations occur in areas where prehistoric capybaras inhabited; late Pleistocene capybaras inhabited Florida and "Hydrochoerus gaylordi" in Grenada. In 2011, one specimen was spotted on the Central Coast of California.
Diet and predation.
Capybaras are herbivores, grazing mainly on grasses and aquatic plants, as well as fruit and tree bark. They are very selective feeders and feed on the leaves of one species and disregard other species surrounding it. They eat a greater variety of plants during the dry season, as fewer plants are available. While they eat grass during the wet season, they have to switch to more abundant reeds during the dry season. Plants that capybaras eat during the summer lose their nutritional value in the winter, so they are not consumed at that time. The capybara's jaw hinge is not perpendicular, so they chew food by grinding back-and-forth rather than side-to-side. Capybaras are autocoprophagous, meaning they eat their own feces as a source of bacterial gut flora, to help digest the cellulose in the grass that forms their normal diet, and to extract the maximum protein and vitamins from their food. They may also regurgitate food to masticate again, similar to cud-chewing by cattle. As is the case with other rodents, the front teeth of capybaras grow continually to compensate for the constant wear from eating grasses; their cheek teeth also grow continuously.
Like its relative the guinea pig, the capybara does not have the capacity to synthesize vitamin C, and capybaras not supplemented with vitamin C in captivity have been reported to develop gum disease as a sign of scurvy.
They can have a lifespan of 8–10 years, but tend to live less than four years in the wild due to predation from jaguars, pumas, ocelots, eagles, and caimans. The capybara is also the preferred prey of the green anaconda.
Social organization.
Capybaras are known to be gregarious. While they sometimes live solitarily, they are more commonly found in groups of around 10–20 individuals, with two to four adult males, four to seven adult females, and the remainder juveniles. Capybara groups can consist of as many as 50 or 100 individuals during the dry season when the animals gather around available water sources. Males establish social bonds, dominance, or general group consensus. They can make dog-like barks when threatened or when females are herding young.
Capybaras have two types of scent glands; a morrillo, located on the snout, and anal glands. Both sexes have these glands, but males have much larger morrillos and use their anal glands more frequently. The anal glands of males are also lined with detachable hairs. A crystalline form of scent secretion is coated on these hairs and is released when in contact with objects such as plants. These hairs have a longer-lasting scent mark and are tasted by other capybaras. Capybaras scent-mark by rubbing their morrillos on objects, or by walking over scrub and marking it with their anal glands. Capybaras can spread their scent further by urinating; however, females usually mark without urinating and scent-mark less frequently than males overall. Females mark more often during the wet season when they are in estrus. In addition to objects, males also scent-mark females.
Reproduction.
When in estrus, the female's scent changes subtly and nearby males begin pursuit. In addition, a female alerts males she is in estrus by whistling through her nose. During mating, the female has the advantage and mating choice. Capybaras mate only in water, and if a female does not want to mate with a certain male, she either submerges or leaves the water. Dominant males are highly protective of the females, but they usually cannot prevent some of the subordinates from copulating. The larger the group, the harder it is for the male to watch all the females. Dominant males secure significantly more matings than each subordinate, but subordinate males, as a class, are responsible for more matings than each dominant male. The lifespan of the capybara's sperm is longer than that of other rodents.
Capybara gestation is 130–150 days, and produces a litter of four capybaras young on average, but may produce between one and eight in a single litter. Birth is on land and the female rejoins the group within a few hours of delivering the newborn capybaras, which join the group as soon as they are mobile. Within a week, the young can eat grass, but continue to suckle—from any female in the group—until weaned around 16 weeks. The young form a group within the main group. Alloparenting has been observed in this species. Breeding peaks between April and May in Venezuela and between October and November in Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Activities.
Though quite agile on land, capybaras are equally at home in the water. They are excellent swimmers, and can remain completely submerged for up to five minutes, an ability they use to evade predators. Capybaras can sleep in water, keeping only their noses out of the water. As temperatures increase during the day, they wallow in water and then graze during the late afternoon and early evening. They also spend time wallowing in mud. They rest around midnight and then continue to graze before dawn.
Conservation and human interaction.
Capybaras are not considered a threatened species; their population is stable throughout most of their South American range, though in some areas hunting has reduced their numbers.
Capybaras are hunted for their meat and pelts in some areas, and otherwise killed by humans who see their grazing as competition for livestock. In some areas, they are farmed, which has the effect of ensuring the wetland habitats are protected. Their survival is aided by their ability to breed rapidly.
Capybaras have adapted well to urbanization in South America. They can be found in many areas in zoos and parks, and may live for 12 years in captivity, more than double their wild lifespan. Capybaras are docile and usually allow humans to pet and hand-feed them, but physical contact is normally discouraged, as their ticks can be vectors to Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria asked Drusillas Park in Alfriston, Sussex, England to keep the studbook for capybaras, to monitor captive populations in Europe. The studbook includes information about all births, deaths and movements of capybaras, as well as how they are related.
Capybaras are farmed for meat and skins in South America. The meat is considered unsuitable to eat in some areas, while in other areas it is considered an important source of protein. In parts of South America, especially in Venezuela, capybara meat is popular during Lent and Holy Week as the Catholic Church previously issued special dispensation to allow it to be eaten while other meats are generally forbidden.
López de Ceballos (1974) as cited in Herrera & Barreto (2013) p. 307 states that after several attempts a 1784 Papal bull was obtained that allowed the consumption of capybara during Lent.
There is widespread perception in Venezuela that consumption of capybaras is exclusive to rural people.
Although it is illegal in some states, capybaras are occasionally kept as pets in the United States.
The image of a capybara features on the 2-peso coin of Uruguay.
In Japan, following the lead of Park in 1982, multiple establishments or zoos in Japan that raise capybaras have adopted the practice of having them relax in onsen during the winter. They are seen as an attraction by Japanese people. Capybaras became big in Japan due to the popular cartoon character .
Brazilian Lyme-like borreliosis likely involves capybaras as reservoirs and "Amblyomma" and "Rhipicephalus" ticks as vectors.


Gough moorhen

The Gough moorhen ("Gallinula comeri") is a medium-sized, almost flightless bird that is similar to the common moorhen ("Gallinula chloropus"), but is smaller, stockier, and has shorter wings. The bird has a distinctive yellow-tipped red bill and red frontal shield.
Its first account was written in 1888 by the polar explorer George Comer, whom the specific name "comeri" commemorates.
This bird is found only on two remote islands in the South Atlantic.
The Gough moorhen was originally endemic to Gough Island, but in 1956 was introduced to Tristan da Cunha, an island in the same archipelago which was formerly home of the now extinct Tristan moorhen ("Galinula nesiotis"). On the basis of DNA sequencing of both recently collected and historical material from both of the archipelago's moorhen species, Groenenberg "et al" (2008) concluded that the genetic distances between "G. nesiotis" and "G. comeri" are of at least the same size as those found between subspecies of common moorhen ("G. chloropus") in the literature. They propose that the extinct moorhen of Tristan ("G. nesiotis") and the moorhens that live on Gough and Tristan today ("G. comeri") be regarded as subspecies.
On Gough Island, it appears that the bird's future is secure with the island being a nature reserve and a World Heritage Site. In the mid-1990s, it was estimated that 2,500 breeding pairs existed on Gough Island. Gough Island is considered the least disturbed, major, cool-temperate island ecosystem in the South Atlantic Ocean and hosts one of the most important sea-bird colonies in the world, containing 54 bird species, 22 breeding species, and four threatened species. However, on Tristan da Cunha, it is not classified as a native species and therefore is not protected.


Cuban ribbontail catshark

The Cuban ribbontail catshark ("Eridacnis barbouri"), is a finback catshark of the family Proscylliidae, found off western central Atlantic Ocean at depths of between 430 and 613 m. It can grow up to a length of 34 cm.
The Cuban ribbontail catshark is ovoviviparous.


Megadytes ducalis

Megadytes ducalis is a species of water beetle in the family Dytiscidae. With a length of , it is the largest species in the family. Until recently, the species was only known from a single specimen that was collected in the 1800s from an unknown locality in Brazil, although rumors indicate it was found in the bottom of a canoe in the Amazon. In 2019, a study reported 10 additional specimens (including the first female of the species), all collected from the end of the 19th century, discovered incidentally in various historical collections. While the original holotype lacked any location data, the new specimens all indicate that they were collected in Santo Antonio da Barra (now known as Condeuba) in the southern part of Bahia, Brazil. Villagers in the region were involved in insect trade, capturing the much sought after specimens of "Hypocephalus armatus" found around the region. As a consequence of the lack of recent records, the IUCN lists it as extinct. Considering the absence of information about the species and the limited studies conducted on water beetles in Brazil, it might still survive.


Leptobrachium bompu

Leptobrachium bompu is an extant species of eastern spadefoot toads described in 2011. It is only known from its type locality in the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India. The specific name refers to the camp site, Bompu, in the vicinity of the type locality.
Description.
"Leptobrachium bompu" is known from three specimens, one of them collected as the holotype. This male measured in snout-vent length. One of the distinguishing characters of this species is its entirely greyish-blue eye colour. Its body is roundish and its head is wider than long. It lacks the spines on upper lip in adult males that are often present in "Leptobrachium" subgenus "Vibrissaphora". Its back and head are greyish-brown getting lighter on flanks; sides of head and body have brownish shine.
Habitat and behaviour.
The type locality was a slow-flowing perennial stream in a wet subtropical/temperate hill forest. Males could be heard calling after sunset and were found under leaf litter by the stream. The call was a loud croaking "kek-kek-kek-kek". The frogs were docile, found sitting in a crouched position and easily picked up.


Devon Bat Group

The Devon Bat Group (DBG) was founded in 1984 to help protect bats and their habitats, to look after injured bats and to advise and educate people about bats.
History.
The Devon Bat Group was formed in the English county of Devon in 1984 by people concerned about the decline of British bats. Devon, in the South West of England, is of special importance as it supports most of the British bat species and DBG members work to maintain this diversity and increase our knowledge about bats. It is one of a network of bat groups in the UK which are members of The Bat Conservation Trust. The Bat Conservation Trust was formed in 1991 as an umbrella organisation for the network of bat groups in the UK.
Group members and activities.
The Group members range from people who are interested in learning more about bats and those wanting to join in group activities to professional ecologists. Activities include roost visits, organising bat box schemes, with regular box checks, and bat surveys. Educational talks, arranging bat walks and caring for sick and injured bats are also organised by DBG members. Members with bat licences carry out Bat Roost Visitor work for Natural England. General Group meetings are held every three months and the DBG also has local sections in Exeter, Plymouth and North Devon to organise more local activities.
The group works in partnership with many other organisations across Devon. At several reservoirs across Devon, they have worked with the South West Lakes Trust to monitor bat populations at Roadford Lake and other reservoirs. They participate in the Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project alongside Devon Wildlife Trust, Clinton Devon Estates, Devon County Council and others. In 2014 and 2015 they helped to run a citizen science project called The Big Exeter Bat Survey to find out about where (and which) bats live in Exeter. As part of the work to re-open Hemerdon Mine, survey data from the group were used as evidence to draw up a plan to mitigate the impact of mining on the bats.
Bat species found in Devon.
16 out of 18 UK resident species of bat have been found in Devon. The exceptions are "Myotis myotis", the Greater Mouse-Eared bat and "Myotis alcathoe" the Alcathoe bat.


Dark-rumped swift

The dark-rumped swift ("Apus acuticauda") is a species of swift in the family Apodidae.
It is found in Bhutan and Northeast India and is a vagrant to Thailand.
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
It is threatened by habitat loss.


Plestiodon popei

Plestiodon popei, Pope's skink, is a species of lizard which is endemic to China.


List of butterflies of Niue

This is a list of butterflies of Niue.


Plectrohyla avia

Plectrohyla avia, also known as the greater spikethumb frog, is a species of frog in the family Hylidae. It occurs in Guatemala and Mexico and is found on the Pacific slopes of the Sierra Madre between southeastern Chiapas (Mexico) and southwestern Guatemala.
Description.
"Plectrohyla avia" is the largest member of the genus "Plectrohyla", with males reaching about and females about snout–vent length. It was described by in 1952 based on a single specimen. This specimen—the holotype—is an adult male that measured SVL. The tympanum is small but very distinct. There is a heavy supratympanic fold that merges with the fold-like canthus (or in less technical terms, "lateral skin folds"). The fingers have vestigial webbing whereas the toes are moderately webbed. The prepollex ("spikethumb") is simple and horny. Vocal slits are absent. The teeth of the upper maxilla are long and protruding.
Reproduction.
Based on an observation from Chiapas, breeding takes place underwater and involves axillar amplexus. Male advertisement call is a brief and rapid trill. Males were observed calling underwater and from within small holes and crevices in the splash-zone of waterfalls.
Habitat and conservation.
Natural habitats of "Plectrohyla avia" are cloud forests at elevations of above sea level. It typically occurs in vegetation along mountain streams. Reproduction has been observed just at the start of the rainy season in a small pool. The well-developed lateral skin folds might facilitate dermal respiration.
It is an uncommon to rare species that is threatened by habitat loss (deforestation and transformation of forest to agricultural areas) as well as chytridiomycosis. It might be, however, more common and widespread than currently thought, but with only a short period of activity at the beginning of the rainy season.


Slender-billed oriole

The slender-billed oriole ("Oriolus tenuirostris") is a species of bird in the family Oriolidae found from the eastern Himalayas to Southeast Asia.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Taxonomy and systematics.
Subspecies.
Two subspecies are recognized:


Sculpin

A sculpin is a type of fish that belongs to the superfamily Cottoidea in the order Scorpaeniformes. As of 2006, this superfamily contains 11 families, 149 genera, and 756 species.
Sculpins occur in many types of habitat, including ocean and freshwater zones. They live in rivers, submarine canyons, kelp forests, and shallow littoral habitat types, such as tidepools.
Sculpins are benthic fish, dwelling on the bottoms of water bodies. Their pectoral fins are smooth on the upper edge and webbed with sharp rays along the lower edge, a modification that makes them specialized for gripping the substrate. This adaptation helps the fish anchor in fast-flowing water. The sculpin normally grows to about four inches long.
Families.
Families include:
References.
External links


Nymphalis xanthomelas

Nymphalis xanthomelas, the scarce tortoiseshell, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in eastern Europe and Asia. This butterfly is also referred as yellow-legged tortoiseshell or large tortoiseshell (however, in Europe, "large tortoiseshell" is usually reserved for "Nymphalis polychloros").
Description.
Upperside rich orange yellow, forewing has costal margin dusky black on the basal half flecked with brown; two oval black spots in cell, a quadrate subcostal black patch just beyond the discocellulars, a second more oblique irregular black patch beyond this, and three large oval discal black spots, with a smaller dusky patch beyond the lowest spot. Hindwing uniform, with a large subcostal black patch. Forewings and hindwings with a common sinuous transverse subterminal black band, and a terminal dusky band flecked with golden brown; the black subterminal band on the hindwing with an outer border of blue lunules margined outwardly by a slender black line; the forewing just below the costa, between the black patches beyond the cell and between the outer black patch and subterminal band, prominently pale yellow. In the female, an incomplete series of yellow lunules also borders the subterminal black band on the outer side.
Underside dull ochraceous brown, the basal half of both forewings and hindwings and a broad terminal margin darker brown; the wings entirely and thickly covered with slender transverse dark brown striae; irregular cell-marks on the forewing and a transverse highly sinuous subterminal band of dark blue lunules on both wings: these lunules defined by slender black lines on both sides. Bases of the wings with a clothing of long stiff black hairs, which are blunt at their apices, and on the forewing extend along the basal half of the costal margin, projecting outwards beyond it. Antennae, head and thorax very dark brown, abdomen fulvous (tawny); beneath very hairy; palpi, thorax and abdomen dark brown, the abdomen towards the apex paler.
Wingspan of 63–68 mm.
Distribution.
Eastern Europe; the Himalayas from Kashmir to Mussoorie; China and Japan.
Life history.
"Larva. Cylindrical, slightly hairy. Head subquadrate, vertex sharply indented in front, slightly hairy, front and cheeks with several small pointed tubercles. Third to last segments armed with a dorsal row of short spines, and three lateral rows of long rigid branched spines. Colour dark pupurescent-brown, almost black, palest beneath; with two dorsal slender yellowish macular lines, and a single similar lateral line, the subdorsal and sublateral areas longitudinally speckled with numerous irregular-shaped yellow dots. Spines black; head black. Reared on willow." (Frederic Moore quoted in Bingham)


Amphisbaena miringoera

Amphisbaena miringoera is a species of worm lizard found in Brazil.


Macrocyclis

Macrocyclis is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Macrocyclidae. "Macrocyclis" is a monotypic genus, i.e. a genus that contains only one species. The single living species in this genus is Macrocyclis peruvianus (Lamarck, 1822).
Distribution.
"Macrocyclis peruvianus" is endemic to Chile and adjacent parts of Argentina.
In Chile this is the largest species of land snail and it is found between the latitudes of 35° and 45° S, especially in the coastal regions, and in the Andean valleys.


List of birds of Serbia

This is a list of the bird species recorded in Serbia. The avifauna of Serbia include a total of 372 species, one of which has been introduced by humans. 20 species are globally threatened.
This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of "The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World", 2019 edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for Serbia.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories, but not all species fall into one of these categories. Those that do not are commonly occurring native species.
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl.
Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.
Pheasants, grouse, and allies.
Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size), and have broad, relatively short wings.
Flamingos.
Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae
Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down.
Grebes.
Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.
Pigeons and doves.
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Sandgrouse.
Order: PterocliformesFamily: Pteroclidae
Sandgrouse have small, pigeon like heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies. They have long pointed wings and sometimes tails and a fast direct flight. Flocks fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk. Their legs are feathered down to the toes.
Bustards.
Order: OtidiformesFamily: Otididae
Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. They are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays.
Cuckoos.
Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites.
Nightjars and allies.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.
Swifts.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Rails, gallinules, and coots.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.
Cranes.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae
Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".
Thick-knees.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae
The thick-knees are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.
Stilts and avocets.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.
Oystercatchers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.
Plovers and lapwings.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.
Sandpipers and allies.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
Pratincoles and coursers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae
Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings and long, pointed bills which curve downwards.
Skuas and jaegers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.
Gulls, terns, and skimmers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years.
Loons.
Order: GaviiformesFamily: Gaviidae
Loons, known as divers in Europe, are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Europe. They are the size of a large duck or small goose, which they somewhat resemble when swimming, but to which they are completely unrelated.
Storks.
Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with long, stout bills. Storks are mute, but bill-clattering is an important mode of communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory.
Cormorants and shags.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white and a few being colourful.
Pelicans.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes.
Herons, egrets, and bitterns.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae
The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills.
Ibises and spoonbills.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae
Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.
Osprey.
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae
The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.
Hawks, eagles, and kites.
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae
Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons and keen eyesight.
Barn-owls.
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Tytonidae
Barn-owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons.
Owls.
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae
The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.
Hoopoes.
Order: BucerotiformesFamily: Upupidae
Hoopoes have black, white and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head.
Kingfishers.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails.
Bee-eaters.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Meropidae
The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.
Rollers.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Coraciidae
Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not.
Woodpeckers.
Order: PiciformesFamily: Picidae
Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.
Falcons and caracaras.
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.
Old World parrots.
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittaculidae
Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. In size they range from to in length. Old World parrots are found from Africa east across south and southeast Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand.
Old World orioles.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Oriolidae
The Old World orioles are colourful passerine birds. They are not related to the New World orioles.
Shrikes.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Laniidae
Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey.
Crows, jays, and magpies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Corvidae
The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.
Tits, chickadees, and titmice.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Paridae
The Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects.
Penduline-tits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Remizidae
The penduline-tits are a group of small passerine birds related to the true tits. They are insectivores.
Larks.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Alaudidae
Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.
Bearded reedling.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Panuridae
This species, the only one in its family, is found in reed beds throughout temperate Europe and Asia.
Cisticolas and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cisticolidae
The Cisticolidae are warblers found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are generally very small birds of drab brown or grey appearance found in open country such as grassland or scrub.
Reed warblers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Acrocephalidae
The members of this family are usually rather large for "warblers". Most are rather plain olivaceous brown above with much yellow to beige below. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds, or tall grass. The family occurs mostly in southern to western Eurasia and surroundings, but it also ranges far into the Pacific, with some species in Africa.
Grassbirds and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Locustellidae
Locustellidae are a family of small insectivorous songbirds found mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. They are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed, and tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over.
Swallows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hirundinidae
The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.
Leaf warblers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Phylloscopidae
Leaf warblers are a family of small insectivorous birds found mostly in Eurasia and ranging into Wallacea and Africa. The species are of various sizes, often green-plumaged above and yellow below, or more subdued with greyish-green to greyish-brown colours.
Bush warblers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Scotocercidae
The members of this family are found throughout Africa, Asia, and Polynesia. Their taxonomy is in flux, and some authorities place some genera in other families.
Long-tailed tits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Aegithalidae
Long-tailed tits are a group of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They make woven bag nests in trees. Most eat a mixed diet which includes insects.
Sylviid warblers, parrotbills, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sylviidae
The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. They mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent, Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs.
Kinglets.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Regulidae
The kinglets, also called crests, are a small group of birds often included in the Old World warblers, but frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice.
Wallcreeper.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Tichodromidae
The wallcreeper is a small bird related to the nuthatch family, which has stunning crimson, grey and black plumage.
Nuthatches.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sittidae
Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails and powerful bills and feet.
Treecreepers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Certhiidae
Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees.
Wrens.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Troglodytidae
The wrens are mainly small and inconspicuous except for their loud songs. These birds have short wings and thin down-turned bills. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous.
Dippers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cinclidae
Dippers are a group of perching birds whose habitat includes aquatic environments in the Americas, Europe and Asia. They are named for their bobbing or dipping movements.
Starlings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.
Thrushes and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae
The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.
Old World flycatchers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae
Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.
Waxwings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Bombycillidae
The waxwings are a group of birds with soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. In the Bohemian and cedar waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax and give the group its name. These are arboreal birds of northern forests. They live on insects in summer and berries in winter.
Accentors.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Prunellidae
The accentors are in the only bird family, Prunellidae, which is completely endemic to the Palearctic. They are small, fairly drab species superficially similar to sparrows.
Old World sparrows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae
Old World sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.
Wagtails and pipits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Motacillidae
Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. They are slender, ground feeding insectivores of open country.
Finches, euphonias, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Fringillidae
Finches are seed-eating passerine birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well.
Longspurs and snow buntings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Calcariidae
The Calcariidae are a group of passerine birds which had been traditionally grouped with the New World sparrows, but differ in a number of respects and are usually found in open grassy areas.
Old World buntings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Emberizidae
The emberizids are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with distinctively shaped bills.


Chestnut-backed tanager

The chestnut-backed tanager ("Stilpnia preciosa") is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in southern Brazil, north-eastern Argentina, eastern Paraguay, and Uruguay. It is closely related to the rarer black-backed tanager, and females of the two species are indistinguishable. This bird is characterized by its green breast, and chestnut colored back. Before research was completed, this animal was often mistaken for a result of a mutated black-backed tanager ("Stilpnia peruviana"). It is now known that this is not the case, and though the two species are related, they are not in fact the same species. The tanager is not in any danger, and is plentiful in the areas that it resides in. Further studies show that this animal is non-invasive, which simply means that it will not invade areas other than its own region.
References.
http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p_spp=607596
http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=9410


Ameerega pulchripecta

Ameerega pulchripecta, formerly Epipedobates pulchripecta, is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae endemic to Brazil. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and intermittent freshwater marshes. It is threatened by habitat loss.


Acanthodactylus tristrami

Acanthodactylus tristrami, commonly called the Lebanon fringe-fingered lizard and Tristram's spiny-footed lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Middle East.
Etymology.
The specific name, "tristrami", is in honor of Canon Henry Baker Tristram, who was an English naturalist and Anglican priest.
Geographic range.
"A. tristrami" is found in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria
Habitat.
The preferred habitat of "A. tristrami" is shrubland.


List of birds of the Bahamas

This is a list of the bird species recorded in the Bahamas. The avifauna of the Bahamas include a total of 379 species, according to "Bird Checklists of the World" (Avibase) as of October 2020. Of them, six are endemic, 21 have been introduced by humans, and 208 are rare or accidental. Two species listed are extinct (including one of the endemics) and two have been extirpated.
This list is presented in the taxonomic sequence of the "Check-list of North and Middle American Birds", 7th edition through the 61st Supplement, published by the American Ornithological Society (AOS). Common and scientific names are also those of the "Check-list", except that the common names of families are from the Clements taxonomy because the AOS list does not include them.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories of occurrence.
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl.
Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.
New World quail.
Order: GalliformesFamily: Odontophoridae
The New World quails are small, plump terrestrial birds only distantly related to the quails of the Old World, but named for their similar appearance and habits.
Pheasants, grouse, and allies.
Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowls, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowls, and jungle fowls. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.
Flamingos.
Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae
Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down.
Grebes.
Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.
Pigeons and doves.
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Cuckoos.
Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites.
Nightjars and allies.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.
Swifts.
Order: ApodiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Hummingbirds.
Order: ApodiformesFamily: Trochilidae
Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings. They are the only birds that can fly backwards.
Rails, gallinules, and coots.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.
Limpkin.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Aramidae
The limpkin resembles a large rail. It has drab-brown plumage and a greyer head and neck.
Cranes.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae
Cranes are large, long-legged, and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".
Thick-knees.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae
The thick-knees are a group of waders found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes, and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.
Stilts and avocets.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.
Oystercatchers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.
Plovers and lapwings.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.
Sandpipers and allies.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers, and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
Skuas and jaegers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.
Auks, murres, and puffins.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Alcidae
Alcids are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture, and some of their habits, however they are not related to the penguins and differ in being able to fly. Auks live on the open sea, only deliberately coming ashore to nest.
Gulls, terns, and skimmers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls, kittiwakes, terns, and skimmers. They are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years. Skimmers are a small family of tropical tern-like birds. They have an elongated lower mandible which they use to feed by flying low over the water surface and skimming the water for small fish.
Tropicbirds.
Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: Phaethontidae
Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.
Albatrosses.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Diomedeidae
The albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, and the great albatrosses of the genus "Diomedea" have the largest wingspans of any extant birds.
Southern storm-petrels.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Oceanitidae
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.
Northern storm-petrels.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
Though the members of this family are similar in many respects to the southern storm-petrels, including their general appearance and habits, there are enough genetic differences to warrant their placement in a separate family.
Shearwaters and petrels.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels" characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.
Storks.
Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with long, stout bills. Storks are mute, but bill-clattering is an important mode of communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory.
Frigatebirds.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Fregatidae
Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black-and-white, or completely black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have coloured inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.
Boobies and gannets.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae
The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.
Anhingas.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Anhingidae
Anhingas are often called "snake-birds" because of their long thin neck, which gives a snake-like appearance when they swim with their bodies submerged. The males have black and dark-brown plumage, an erectile crest on the nape, and a larger bill than the female. The females have much paler plumage especially on the neck and underparts. The darters have completely webbed feet and their legs are short and set far back on the body. Their plumage is somewhat permeable, like that of cormorants, and they spread their wings to dry after diving.
Cormorants and shags.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white, and a few being colourful.
Pelicans.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes.
Herons, egrets, and bitterns.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae
The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises, and spoonbills.
Ibises and spoonbills.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae
Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.
New World vultures.
Order: CathartiformesFamily: Cathartidae
The New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures, but superficially resemble them because of convergent evolution. Like the Old World vultures, they are scavengers. However, unlike Old World vultures, which find carcasses by sight, New World vultures have a good sense of smell with which they locate carrion.
Osprey.
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae
The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.
Hawks, eagles, and kites.
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae
Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers, and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight.
Barn-owls.
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Tytonidae
Barn-owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons.
Owls.
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae
The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.
Kingfishers.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.
Woodpeckers.
Order: PiciformesFamily: Picidae
Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.
Falcons and caracaras.
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.
New World and African parrots.
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittacidae
Parrots are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak. Their upper mandibles have slight mobility in the joint with the skull and they have a generally erect stance. All parrots are zygodactyl, having the four toes on each foot placed two at the front and two to the back.
Old World parrots.
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittaculidae
Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. Old World parrots are found from Africa east across south and southeast Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand.
Tyrant flycatchers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Tyrannidae
Tyrant flycatchers are passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers, but are more robust and have stronger bills. They do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of the songbirds. Most, but not all, have plain colouring. As the name implies, most are insectivorous.
Shrikes.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Laniidae
Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A shrike's beak is hooked, like that of a typical bird of prey.
Vireos, shrike-babblers, and erpornis.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Vireonidae
The vireos are a group of small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are typically greenish in colour and resemble New World warblers apart from their heavier bills.
Crows, jays, and magpies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Corvidae
The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers, and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.
Larks.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Alaudidae
Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.
Swallows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hirundinidae
The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings, and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.
Nuthatches.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sittidae
Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet.
Wrens.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Troglodytidae
The wrens are mainly small and inconspicuous except for their loud songs. These birds have short wings and thin down-turned bills. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous.
Gnatcatchers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Polioptilidae
These dainty birds resemble Old World warblers in their build and habits, moving restlessly through the foliage seeking insects. The gnatcatchers and gnatwrens are mainly soft bluish grey in colour and have the typical insectivore's long sharp bill. They are birds of fairly open woodland or scrub, which nest in bushes or trees.
Kinglets.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Regulidae
The kinglets, also called crests, are a small group of birds often included in the Old World warblers, but frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice.
Old World flycatchers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae
Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.
Thrushes and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae
The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.
Mockingbirds and thrashers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Mimidae
The mimids are a family of passerine birds that includes thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers, and the New World catbirds. These birds are notable for their vocalizations, especially their ability to mimic a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors. Their colouring tends towards dull-greys and browns .
Starlings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.
Waxwings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Bombycillidae
The waxwings are a group of birds with soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. In the Bohemian and cedar waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax and give the group its name. These are arboreal birds of northern forests. They live on insects in summer and berries in winter.
Waxbills and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Estrildidae
The estrildid finches are small passerine birds native to the Old World tropics. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colours and patterns.
Old World sparrows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae
Sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.
Wagtails and pipits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Motacillidae
Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws, and pipits. They are slender ground-feeding insectivores of open country.
Finches, euphonias, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Fringillidae
Finches are seed-eating passerine birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well.
Longspurs and snow buntings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Calcariidae
The Calcariidae are a group of passerine birds that were traditionally grouped with the New World sparrows, but differ in a number of respects and are usually found in open grassy areas.
New World sparrows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passerellidae
Until 2017, these species were considered part of the family Emberizidae. Most of the species are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae. Many of these have distinctive head patterns.
Spindalises.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Spindalidae
The members of this small family are native to the Greater Antilles. They were formerly classified as tanagers (family Thraupidae) but were placed in their own family in 2017.
Yellow-breasted chat.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Icteriidae
This species was historically placed in the New World warblers (Parulidae) but nonetheless most authorities were unsure if it belonged there. It was moved to its own family in 2017.
Troupials and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Icteridae
The icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colourful, passerine birds restricted to the New World and include the grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. Most species have black as the predominant plumage colour, often enlivened by yellow, orange, or red.
New World warblers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Parulidae
The wood-warblers are a group of small, often colourful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most are arboreal, but some are terrestrial. Most members of this family are insectivores.
Cardinals and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cardinalidae
The cardinals are a family of robust, seed-eating birds with strong bills. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinct plumages.
Tanagers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Thraupidae
The tanagers are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics. Many species are brightly coloured. As a family they are omnivorous, but individual species specialize in eating fruits, seeds, insects, or other types of food. Most have short, rounded wings.


Solomons frogmouth

The Solomons frogmouth ("Rigidipenna inexpectata"), also known as the cinnamon frogmouth or Solomon Islands frogmouth, is a bird in the frogmouth family. It was first described in 1901, but not recognized as highly distinct until 2007. It is the only known member of the genus "Rigidipenna". It is endemic to the islands of Isabel, Bougainville and Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.
Description.
At first the bird was thought to be a subspecies of the Australian marbled frogmouth ("Podargus ocellatus"). In 1998, an expedition by the Florida Museum of Natural History to Santa Isabel Island managed to collect a new specimen. Upon examining it, Nigel Cleere, Andrew Kratter, David Steadman and co-workers realized that it was highly distinct, and it was moved to a newly coined genus, "Rigidipenna".
The Solomons frogmouth differs in several ways from other frogmouths, for instance in having only eight tail feathers instead of the more usual ten or twelve, and also in having coarser feathers. It also has barred primary feathers and tail feathers, larger speckles and more pronounced white spots. Storrs Olson, a senior zoologist at the Smithsonian Institution, has stated "that this should prove to be such a distinctive new genus... has profound biogeographical implications and represents a real breakthrough in elucidating the evolutionary history of the family."


Andean small-eared shrew

The Andean small-eared shrew (Cryptotis avia) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Colombia.


Aprusia vestigator

Aprusia vestigator, is a species of spider of the genus "Aprusia". It is endemic to Sri Lanka.


Ophiomorus tridactylus

Ophiomorus tridactylus, commonly known as the three-toed snake skink, is a species of skink endemic to sandy desert areas of South Asia. It is also called the Indian sand-swimmer for its habit of moving just under the sand.
Distribution.
"O. tridactylus" is found in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
Description.
Snout wedge-shaped, with angularly projecting labial edge; mouth inferior. Nostril close to the rostral, which is large and nearly reaches the posterior border of the supranasals; a small anterior and a larger second loreal, the latter usually coalesced with the prefrontal on each side; frontonasal rather large, one half or two thirds the length of the frontal; latter as broad as long or slightly broader, 3 or 4 very small supraoculars; no supraciliaries; a preocular; interparietal as long as broad, as long as the frontal or slightly shorter; frontoparietals small; parietals band-like, narrow; a pair of nuchals, in contact with the interparietal; first and second upper labials smallest, in contact with the nasal, fifth much larger than the four anterior together. Ear hidden. Two azygos postmentals. Body much elongate, with angular latero-ventral edge, with two pairs of short tridactyle limbs; the posterior limbs proportionately much more developed than the anterior, and a little longer than the distance between the fore limb and the anterior corner of the eye. 22 scales round the body, those of the back and of the two median ventral series narrower than the others. Two slightly enlarged preanals. Tail shorter than head and body, cyclotetragonal at the base, compressed and pointed at the end.
Cream-coloured, uniform or with longitudinal series of brown dots on the back; a more or less distinct brown streak passing through the eye.
From snout to vent , tail .


Chinese barbet

The Chinese barbet ("Psilopogon faber") is a bird in the family Megalaimidae. The species was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1870. It is endemic to southern China.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the black-browed barbet ("Psilopogon oorti").


Pseudorhabdosynochus justinei

Pseudorhabdosynochus justinei is a species of diplectanid monogenean that is parasitic on the gills of the longfin grouper "Epinephelus quoyanus". It was described in 2007 by Binjian Zeng and Tingbao Yang from material from the South China Sea, and redescribed in 2009 by Justine, Dupoux & Cribb from material from off Queensland, Australia.
Description.
"Pseudorhabdosynochus justinei" is a small monogenean, 0.3-0.5 mm in length. The species has the general characteristics of other species of "Pseudorhabdosynochus", with a flat body and a posterior haptor, which is the organ by which the monogenean attaches itself to the gill of is host. The haptor bears two squamodiscs, one ventral and one dorsal. The sclerotized male copulatory organ, or "quadriloculate organ", has the shape of a bean with four internal chambers, as in other species of "Pseudorhabdosynochus".
The vagina includes a sclerotized part, which is a complex structure. The authors of the species found that "Pseudorhabdosynochus caledonicus" was the closest species in term of vaginal structure.
Etymology.
The authors of the species wrote that "Pseudorhabdosynochus justinei" was named after French parasitologist Jean-Lou Justine "in appreciation for his help in the differentiation of this species and in recognition of his extensive research on the species of "Pseudorhabdosynochus"".
Hosts and localities.
The type-host of "P. justinei" is the longfin grouper "Epinephelus quoyanus" (Serranidae: Epinephelinae). The type-locality and only recorded locality is Dapeng Bay, South China Sea, China. The species has also been recorded from the same host fish near Heron Island, off Queensland, Australia.


Jamaican poorwill

The Jamaican poorwill ("Siphonorhis americana"), also known as the Jamaican pauraque or Jamaican least pauraque, is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is endemic to Jamaica. Its natural habitats are tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is critically endangered or possibly already extinct due to a combination of introduced predators and habitat destruction.
Description.
It possessed distinct 2 mm long tubular nostrils with differentiated it from its relatives on the mainland.
Taxonomy.
The first formal description of the Jamaican poorwill was by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his "Systema Naturae" under the binomial name "Caprimulgus americanus".


Hellinsia glaphyrotes

Hellinsia glaphyrotes is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. It is found in Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru.
The wingspan is 17–23 mm. The head is light ochreous-brown, but ochreous-white between the antennae. These and the thorax are ochreous-whitish. The abdomen is whitish, with more or less indicated fine ochreous dorsal and other lines. The hindwings are rather light grey. Adults are on wing from January to May and from October to December.
The larvae feed on "Wulffia barcata".


Lepidophyma mayae

Lepidophyma mayae, the Mayan tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and Belize.


Russet-crowned motmot

The russet-crowned motmot ("Momotus mexicanus") is a species of motmot native to north-western Mexico and central Guatemala.
It is a year-round resident of the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and scrubland. The russet-crowned motmot is the most understudied species of motmot in the family Momotidae.
"Russet" refers to the reddish-brown colour of the bird's head and originates from the Latin "russus" meaning red.
Taxonomy.
Motmots are a part of the order Coraciiformes which also includes bee-eaters, rollers, todies, and kingfishers. The russet-crowned motmot is one of seven species in the genus "Momotus" of the family Momotidae.
Russet-crowned motmots are very sedentary because of their strong site fidelity; 60% return to the same nesting areas as the previous year because of the low amount of suitable nesting sites. As a result, gene flow between different populations is limited which can lead to speciation. Reyes et al. found that genetic variation between three populations in Mexico was very high (12.9%) considering that the populations were relatively close.
There are four recognized subspecies of russet-crowned motmots:
The subspecies "M.m. castaneiceps" is part of a very isolated population of russet-crowned motmots only found in central Guatemala and could be considered a separate species.
Description.
Morphology.
Russet-crowned motmots are relatively small motmots that measure 30.5 to 35.5 cm long and weigh 74 to 104g. Like most motmots, russet-crowned motmots are not sexually dimorphic in plumage. However, females have shorter tail feathers (10 to 15mm) than males (11 to 22mm). Russet-crowned motmots have a rufous crown and nape. They have a green back and green wings with blue-green primary feathers. Their chest is pale green with a black spot and they have an even paler underbelly. Russet-crowned motmots have a long blue tail with a bare section near the tip of the longest central feathers, which creates a dark racket-shaped tip. Their black bills have a slightly serrated edge and curve downwards. Like most motmots, russet-crowned motmots have a black eye-mask which is lined by blue & violet feathers. They have reddish eyes and grey legs and feet. Juveniles have brown eyes and duller plumage. The 4 subspecies vary in morphology; in comparison to "M.m. mexicanus," "M.m. vanrossemi" is paler, "M.m. saturates" is larger and darker, and "M.m. castaneiceps" has a darker chestnut crown and its black eye-mask is more extensive.
Vocalization.
The russet-crowned motmot produces a low “krrp”, “krrup”, or “kru, krr-up” which is strung together, making a longer call. They can also produce a hollow “ook”. Mated pairs take part in call-and-response duets.
Distribution & Habitat.
Russet-crowned motmots prefer old-growth forests with closed canopy but they are also found in secondary forests with a lot of canopy coverage. They live in dry and humid tropical forests and clearings up to 1800m in altitude.
Russet-crowned motmots are found along the western coast of Mexico and in an isolated population in central Guatemala. They are common along their range. The subspecies "M.m. vanrossemi" can be observed in north-western Mexico in Sonora, Sinaloas and Chihuahua. "M.m. mexicanus" can be found from Sinaloa to Oaxaca along the west coast and "M.m. saturates" can be found in south-western Mexico and Guatemala. "M.m. castaneiceps" is an isolated population only found in the Motagua Valley of central Guatemala until recently. In 2018, the distribution of "M.m. castaneiceps" expanded to the Nentón valley in Huehuetenango which suggests that their range might be growing to western Guatemala.
Behaviour & Ecology.
Diet & Foraging.
Russet-crowned motmots feeds on large invertebrates (i.e. grasshoppers, etc.), fruits, and small vertebrates (i.e. snakes, lizards, etc.). They have the typical feeding strategy of the Momotidae family known as "flycatching"; russet-crowned motmots perch on low branches and dart out to catch prey or bite fruit. They return to their perches to eat their catch and they hit their live prey against branches before swallowing it.
Reproduction.
Russet-crowned motmots are socially monogamous birds. Females and males pair up during the breeding season and they both care for the brood. Labour is equally divided between the mating pair.
Breeding season is between May to July which is the wet season. Russet-crowned motmots tend to breed once per year. They lay one small clutch of 4-5 eggs per breeding season, which is typical for tropical birds. The incubation period is between 15 to 20 days. Both males and females feed the hatchlings and fledglings leave the nest after a total of 30 to 42 days. Russet-crowned motmots have a 68% hatching success rate and a 56% fledgling success rate. 83% of hatchlings will successfully fly out of the nest. Most of the deaths happen during incubation and the predation of the brood is primarily by snake and iguanas.
Russet-crowned motmots are burrow-nesting birds. Each mating pair digs a tunnel that is 88 to 170cm deep in an earthen, roadside, or river bank. The tunnels are horizontally flat, they can curve and they have an egg chamber. The tunnels are only for breeding but the breeding sites are multi-purpose territories that the russet-crowned motmots use for foraging, roosting, etc. These tunnels are very dependent on the quality of the substrate because they can get flooded or collapse if they are not built in a suitable area. Good nesting sites are hard to find and they are limited by soil type. Loam-textured soils which contain sand, silt and clay are the best substrates for russet-crowned motmots to nest in because they have better drainage, they are easier to excavate, and they offer better ventilation. Since suitable nesting sites are scarce, russet-crowned motmots are strongly sedentary and will return to previous nesting grounds because they already know the quality, food sources, shelters, predators, and breeding performances of that site.
Lifespan.
Charre et al. suggest that the lifespan of a russet-crowned motmot is at least 11 years. This estimate is not definitive because it is based on the recapturing of one individual 10 years later.
Territoriality.
Territory is very valuable to russet-crowned motmots because of the lack of suitable nesting areas. As a result, Russet-crowned motmots they are very territorial. However, Richard E. Tashian reported seeing russet-crowned motmots in flocks of birds including golden-fronted woodpeckers, white-throated Magpie-jay, coloured thrush, streak-backed oriole and coppery-tailed trogon in Guatemala. This suggests that russet-crowned motmots defend their territories only against individuals of their species which is called infraspecific territoriality. When there is an intruder, the russet-crowned motmot holds a leaf in its beak to display combative behaviour before chasing or fighting the intruder. This territorial behaviour is performed year-round during the breeding and non-breeding season. Both paired and unpaired males and females defend their territory. Mating pairs will react differently towards male intruders and female intruders. They are more aggressive towards a male intruder than a female intruder. When a male intruder holds a leaf, the mating pair get closer to chase or fight him. But when a female intruder holds a leaf, the mating pair holds a leaf as well to warn her.
Predator-response.
Russet-crowned motmots wave their tails side-to-side when they see a predator as an acknowledgment of their presence.
Conservation status.
Although the IUCN recognizes russet-crowned motmots of least concern for conservation, their habitats are threatened. The suitable nesting sites for russet-crowned motmots are steadily decreasing because of changing climate and human activity. Nest sites are becoming limited because of the higher amount of precipitation associated with climate change which increases the flooding and the collapse of nests. Agricultural use in the Motagua Valley, Guatemala diminishes the available nesting ground of the subspecies "M.m. castaneiceps". In addition, fragmented forests increases brood parasitism and predation. The russet-crowned motmot is at risk of becoming endangered if their habitats are not conserved.


Nesorohyla

Nesorohyla is a monotypic genus of frogs in the family Hylidae. The sole species is Nesorohyla kanaima, also known as the Kanaima treefrog. It is endemic to Guyana. and possibly Brazil and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and rivers.


Antirrhea philaretes

Antirrhea philaretes is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It was first described by C. & R. Felder in 1862. It is found in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil.


Ingerana tenasserimensis

Ingerana tenasserimensis (common names: Tenasserim eastern frog, pale-headed frog) is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae.
It is found in Myanmar, western and peninsular Thailand, and adjacent Peninsular Malaysia.
"Ingerana tenasserimensis" inhabit the forest floor near streams in closed-canopy rainforests. They are also found in older rubber plantations.


Trachischium tenuiceps

Trachischium tenuiceps, also known as the yellowbelly worm-eating snake, is a species of colubrid snake found in South Asia and Tibet.
Geographic range.
It is found in Nepal, Bangladesh, northeast India (Darjeeling, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh [Mokto, Bomdir – Tawang district] ) and Tibet.
Description.
"Trachischium tenuiceps" is blackish dorsally, and, as the common name implies, it is yellowish ventrally. The smooth dorsal scales are arranged in 13 rows, with males having keeled dorsal scales in the anal region. Ventrals 134–138; anal divided; subcaudals 34–39. Adults may attain 35 cm (14 inches) in total length, and have a tail 5 cm (2 inches) long.


Australian magpies in New Zealand

The Australian magpie is a medium-sized black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. Members of two subspecies groups, black-backed and white-backed magpies, were introduced into New Zealand to control pests in pastures. The birds can be agonistic and during the breeding season whilst nestlings are defenceless for the first 2-3 weeks the males will be very protective and swoop anything they perceive as a threat to their young. This can often be avoided by acknowledging their presence or if possible befriending them with regular reassuring interaction to let them know you are not a threat. These birds are very intelligent and have facial recognition as well as the ability to communicate to each other both spatially and inter- generationally. So if they recognise someone because of a previous negative interaction they will also perceive them as a threat to their defenceless offspring. This equates to a wider threat to the continuation of the species. People often misinterpret their behaviour in these instances as an act of aggression. It is not aggression but quite simply a natural response encoded within their DNA and evolved over centuries to ensure survival of the species.
Introduction into New Zealand.
Birds taken mainly from Tasmania and Victoria in Australia were introduced into New Zealand by local Acclimatisation Societies of Otago and Canterbury in the 1860s, with the Wellington Acclimatisation Society releasing 260 birds in 1874. White-backed forms are spread on both the North and eastern South Island, while black-backed forms are found in the Hawke's Bay region. Magpies were introduced into New Zealand to control agricultural pests, and were therefore a protected species until 1951. It is currently illegal to breed, sell, or distribute the birds within New Zealand.
Evidence of pest status.
Documented academic studies have provided little if any evidence that the Australian Magpie is a predator of native species in NZ. Anecdotal evidence is flawed, being highly subjective, frequently uninformed and therefore largely erroneous. Many interactions between this species and others can be explained by the viewer's misinterpretation of avian behaviours, incorrect readings of predetermining, contributing factors or even just a general lack of knowledge on basic avian biology. Scientific peer reviewed academic research carried out over decades seldom if at all justifies the Australian Magpie's status as a pest species in N Z, let alone a predator. They have been accused of affecting bird populations such as the tui and kererū, or sometimes raiding nests for eggs and nestlings, However studies by Waikato University have cast doubt on these common yet unsubstantiated beliefs, The same authors suggest that birds avoid areas close to magpies as they are sometimes attacked by breeding adults, but actual attacks are infrequent. These same studies suggest that in fact the presence of Magpies has a positive effect on indigenous bird populations as they successfully chase off proven predators such as Swamp Harriers
Regional controls.
Pest management is generally done at a regional level in New Zealand and specific Regional Pest Management Strategies (RPMS) are developed. The Biosecurity Act 1993 grants powers to territorial authorities to carry out pest control.
Nine regional councils funded a study by Landcare Research and Waikato University, which concluded magpies did have a small effect upon other birds but found no evidence that they are serious pests – therefore any control measures would be for other reasons (e.g. conflict with humans).
The Nelson City Council classes the magpie (both black-backed and white-backed forms) as a Containment Pest under the Nelson Tasman Regional Pest Management Strategy. This means that the Council will encourage the control of the magpies, including the supply of traps. Under the Biosecurity Act magpies cannot be knowingly sold, propagated, bred, released, or commercially displayed.
In the Wellington Region magpies are classed as a Site-led pest animal. Under the RPMS for the region magpies are controlled for human health and environmental reasons using a variety of methods.
The Southland Regional Council also includes magpies in their RPMS.
Cultural references.
The comic "Footrot Flats" features a magpie character by the name of Pew. It is portrayed as dysfunctional after being hand reared and often seeking revenge after the tree in which it had nested was cut down.
The Magpies was a popular poem written in 1964 by poet Denis Glover. In the poem each verse except for the last one ended with the couplet:
This imitation of the distinctive call of the magpie is one of the most recognised lines in New Zealand poetry.


Catoptria spatulelloides

Catoptria spatulelloides is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. It is found in Italy.


Leiolepis reevesii

Leiolepis reevesii, commonly known as Reeves's butterfly lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Asia.
Etymology.
The specific name, "reevesii", is in honor of English naturalist John Reeves.
Geographic range.
"L. reevesii" is found in China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.


Vanikoro white-eye

The Vanikoro white-eye ("Zosterops gibbsi") is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to Vanikoro in the Santa Cruz Islands of Temotu Province in the south-east of the Solomon Islands chain. The species is named for David Gibbs, who discovered it.
Description.
The Vanikoro white-eye differs from its geographically closest congener, the Santa Cruz white-eye ("Zosterops sanctaecrucis"), by several features including a much longer bill and different eye-ring and leg colouring.
Habitat.
The Santa Cruz Islands lie in the Vanuatu rain forests ecoregion. Within its range the Vanikoro white-eye is common in upland forests although it also occurs in degraded lowland forests.
Behaviour.
Observations of the nest of the Vanikoro white-eye suggest that it is a cooperative breeder, with additional helpers aiding the breeding pair, an unusual trait in "Zosterops" white-eyes. The nest of this species is a deep bowl of woven grass stems. The species forages in trees and frequently feeds on the trunks of trees and on the underside of branches.
Status.
This species has been assessed by BirdLife International in 2009. The upland forests that comprise its main habitat are not thought to be threatened by deforestation and the island is seldom visited, reducing opportunities for the accidental introduction of dangerous invasive species, so the species is probably not threatened at the moment.


List of Lepidoptera of Greenland

Lepidoptera of Greenland consist of both the butterflies and moths recorded from Greenland.
According to a recent estimate, there are a total of 52 Lepidoptera species present in Greenland.