Water opossum

The water opossum ("Chironectes minimus"), also locally known as the yapok (), is a marsupial of the family Didelphidae. It is the only living member of its genus, Chironectes. This semiaquatic creature is found in and near freshwater streams and lakes from Mexico through Central and South America to Argentina and is the most aquatic living marsupial (the lutrine opossum also has semiaquatic habits). It is also the only living marsupial in which both sexes have a pouch. The thylacine, commonly referred to as the Tasmanian tiger, also exhibited this trait, but it is now believed to be extinct.
The water opossum lives in bankside burrows, emerging after dusk to swim and search for fish, crustaceans and other aquatic animals, which it eats on the bank.
Origin of the name.
The local name for the water opossum, "yapok", probably comes from the name of the Oyapok River in French Guiana.
Physical appearance.
The water opossum is a small opossum, 27-32.5 cm long, with a 36–40 cm long tail. The fur is in a marbled grey and black pattern, while the muzzle, eyestripe, and crown are all black. A light band runs across the forehead anterior to the ears, which are rounded and naked. There are sensory facial bristles in tufts above each eye, as well as whiskers. The water opossum's tail, furred and black at the base, is yellow or white at its end. The hindfeet of the water opossum are webbed, while the forefeet ("hands") are not. The forefeet can be used to feel for and grab prey as the animal swims, propelled by its tail and webbed back feet. Unlike other didelphids, the water opossum does not have a cloaca.
Aquatic adaptations.
The water opossum has several adaptations for its watery lifestyle. It has short, dense fur, which is water-repellent. The broad hindfeet are webbed and are used for propulsion through water, moving with alternate strokes. They are symmetrical as well, which distributes force equally along both borders of the webbing; this increases the efficiency of the water opossum's movement through the water. The water opossum's long tail also aids in swimming.
Being a marsupial and at the same time an aquatic animal, the water opossum has evolved a way to protect its young while swimming. A strong ring of muscle makes the pouch (which opens to the rear) watertight, so the young remain dry, even when the mother is totally immersed in water. The male also has a pouch (although not as watertight as the female's), where he places his genitalia before swimming. This is thought to prevent them from becoming entangled in aquatic vegetation and is probably helpful in streamlining the animal as well.
Reproduction.
Water opossums mate in December and a litter of 1-5 young is born 12 to 14 days later in the nest. By 22 days the offspring are beginning to show some fur, and by 40 days or so their eyes are open, their bodies protruding from the mother's pouch. At 48 days of age, the young opossums detach from the nipples, but they still nurse and sleep with the mother.
Fossil record.
The water opossum seems to have a history dating as far back as to the Pliocene Epoch.
Holocene subfossil fragments of "Chironectes" have been discovered in São Paulo, Brazil. Also, there are fossil specimens from the late Pleistocene-Recent cave deposits in Minas Gerais, Brazil, as well as from the late Pliocene in Entre Ríos Province, Argentina.


Mazia

Mazia is a monotypic genus of butterflies in the family Nymphalidae that contains the species Mazia amazonica found in South America.


Nebria chelmosensis

Nebria chelmosensis is a species of ground beetle from Nebriinae subfamily that is endemic to Greece.


Xerocrassa diensis

Xerocrassa diensis is a species of air-breathing land snail, a pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies. This species is endemic to the island of Dia in Greece.


St Kilda field mouse

The St Kilda field mouse ("Apodemus sylvaticus hirtensis") is a subspecies of the wood mouse that is endemic to the Scottish archipelago of St Kilda, the island west of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, and from mainland Scotland. Unique to the islands, the mouse is believed to have arrived on the boats of Viking settlers more than a millennium ago. It is not to be confused with the St Kilda house mouse ("Mus musculus muralis"), a subspecies of the house mouse which is now extinct.
The last remaining human inhabitants of St Kilda abandoned the islands on 29 August 1930. Thereafter the mice that survived, even those occupying houses abandoned by the St Kildans, were field mice that had moved into the houses from the hills. The islands' house mice could not survive the harsh conditions for more than two years after the archipelago was abandoned by its human population. The islands currently have temporary human habitations. While field mice are widespread on Hirta, their concentration is more pronounced in the old village areas where holes provide access into buildings. Though rarely observed by casual visitors, the mouse is common and is present in every part of the habitat, from the harbour to the high point.
Description.
The mouse has black eyes, small peaked ears, and is fairly uniform in colour: mainly brown, with a lighter shade of fur on its underside. It is generally twice as heavy as field mice found on the mainland, with a mass of between and , and has longer hair and a longer tail. The evolution of a larger size has been credited to a lack of predators in its island habitat, which allows the mice to grow larger to preserve heat and increase fat storage. The mouse can reach a maximum length of about . It is found across the main island, Hirta, especially in the remains of human settlements, as well as on the island of Dùn. It is not found on Boreray. Studies of the fur of the mice have recorded the flea species "Ctenophthalmus nobilis", and "Nosopsyllus fasciatus" on the mouse as well as the mite "Typhloceras poppei". Studies of the intestines have observed the nematode "Tictularia cristata" and the cestode "Hymenolepsis diminuta".
Diet.
The mouse is an opportunistic omnivore. Its diet includes insects, snails, seeds, and moss, as well as human litter and animal carcasses. With only one other native mammal, the Soay sheep, which eats grasses and herbs, the St Kilda field mouse faces little competition for food on the islands.
History.
Unique to the islands, the ancestors of the St Kilda's field mouse are believed to have arrived on the ships of Viking settlers. The taxon was first described in 1899 by Gerald Edwin Hamilton Barrett-Hamilton as the separate species "Apodemus hirtensis". A year later in a specific review of mouse species the taxon was reclassified as a subspecies of the wood mouse "Apodemus sylvaticus".
Studies of the mouse populations on the islands were carried out in 1931, 1939 and 1955. These studies documented the rapid extinction of the endemic house mouse subspecies (which was dependent for its survival on grain and other commodities used by the islands' human inhabitants), and its subsequent replacement by the field mouse, through a process of niche expansion.


Nebria capillosa

Nebria capillosa is a species of ground beetle from Nebriinae subfamily that is endemic to Nepal.


Da Mao

Da Mao (born September 1, 2008) is a Giant Panda that was born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. It was born to Fu Wa (mother) and Xiongbing (father). The name Da Mao means "first of Mao", as he was his mother's first born.
Da Mao's character traits include being lively, tender and quite a gentleman.
Da Mao was brought to Canada in 2013 as part of a 10-year contract between the federal governments of Canada and China. He and his female counterpart Er Shun would spend five years at both the Toronto Zoo and Calgary Zoo. In May 2020, the Calgary Zoo requested that both pandas be returned to China due to the difficulty of importing bamboo during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While in Toronto, Da Mao has been the subject of multiple viral videos featuring him playing in the snow. The most popular featured his playful destruction of a snowman, made for him by his keepers for enrichment.


Sphenomorphus maculicollus

Sphenomorphus maculicollus is a species of skink. It is found in Malaysia.


Urania sloanus

Urania sloanus, or Sloane's urania, was a species of moth of the family Uraniidae endemic to Jamaica. It was last reported in 1894 or 1895, but possibly survived until at least 1908. The species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1779.
The specific epithet "sloanus" honours Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753), an English collector whose collection became the foundation of the British Museum.
Description.
This extinct "Urania" species was black with iridescent red, blue and green markings. The iridescent parts of the wings do not have pigment; as determined by optical analysis on the species "Urania fulgens" belonging to the same genus. The color originates from refraction of light by the ribbon-like scales covering the moth's wings.
"Urania sloanus" is considered "the most spectacular "Urania" species". As most species of the subfamily Uraniinae, it was a day-flying moth while most moths are active at night; its bright colors advertised, as a warning, the fact that it was also toxic.
Extinction.
Based on current knowledge of extant uraniine species, it is likely that Sloane's urania migrated between patches of host plants, after population explosions locally defoliated them. This probably required relatively large, intact areas of lowland forest.
Habitat loss when Jamaica's lowland rainforests were cleared and converted to agricultural land during the colonial era may have contributed to its extinction, although large parts of primary forest still remain. Thus, the more probable answer to its extinction would be that the moth population "crashed below a sustainable level, perhaps a victim of loss of one of its larval foodplants" such as the toxic "Omphalea triandra" and "O. diandra". Like other members of the genus "Urania", periodic swarms of moths were separated by years of great scarcity.


Eurydemus

Eurydemus is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It is known from Africa and Fiji.
Taxonomy.
The genus was first erected by the French entomologist Félicien Chapuis for a single species, "Eurydemus insignis", reported from Australia and later Fiji. This species was later found to be a junior synonym of "Rhyparida grandis", which itself was originally reported from New Caledonia. However, both the records from Australia and New Caledonia are possibly erroneous.
In 1965, British entomologist Brian J. Selman revised the genus, transferring all African species in it seen by him to "Afroeurydemus" and other related African genera. He suggested that it was almost certain "Eurydemus" was restricted to Fiji.
Species.
Fijian species:
African species:
Species moved to "Microeurydemus":


Redtoothed triggerfish

The redtoothed triggerfish ("Odonus niger") is a triggerfish of the tropical Indo-Pacific area, and the sole member of its genus. Some other common names include blue triggerfish, redfang triggerfish, redtoothed filefish, and Niger triggerfish.
Description.
Redtoothed triggerfish are normally deep purple with bluish-green markings on their heads and glowing light blue margins on the tail lobes and fins. Just like other fish in the family Balistidae, the tail is lyre-shaped. The mouth of the triggerfish seems to be grinning and it maintains tiny red teeth that are needle sharp with two teeth in the upper jaw which can be seen when its mouth is closed. These triggerfish are one of the more peaceful triggers in the family but can become threatening with age and can perform a grunting-type sound. They have the ability to change their colour depending on their mood, food, feeding and water quality from purple to blue and to bluish-green.
Their pectoral fins are quite small; as a result they steer mostly with their dorsal and anal fins, which makes them very maneuverable, and they also use these fins to move with an exotic type of propulsion reminiscent of a propellor. It is one of the most singular swimming styles in the ocean.
Behavior and diet.
Redtoothed triggerfishes may inhabit reef channels or long slopes that have strong water currents. They survive by hiding under between rocks and crevices so they don't get swept away by the water currents. They also may live in the coastal shallow inshore waters at depths of around 30 – 100 feet (9 – 30 meters). Redtoothed triggers are mostly planktivorous eaters. They can form schools and normally feed on zooplankton which gets carried by the currents. Sponges are another part of their diet. They are also known to be carnivorous and can eat many different types of animals such as krill, clams, squid, urchins, and small fish.
Range.
The redtoothed triggerfish species live in the widespread Indo-Pacific Ocean and Red Sea. They are found at the African east coast to Marquesas and Society islands. You can also find them as far north as Southern Japan and as far south as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Breeding.
These fish have distinct pairing. They meet at mating grounds where males set up their territories. Odonus Nigers build nests to lay their eggs in. The females take care of the eggs while both of them guard the eggs waiting for hatching. While they can breed in the wild, they can not breed in aquariums.
In the aquarium.
Usually, the Red toothed triggerfish that you find for sale are only juveniles so they are small. You need to keep in mind that these triggerfish can grow up to be 20 inches (51 cm) in length which makes them quite a large triggerfish, so you will need a big aquarium to keep them in. Unlike some other triggerfishes, this one can grow into its full adult size in a short amount of time if it is cared for properly. You will at least need a 70-80 gallon tank to house one because they need room to move, grow, and keep safe. Unlike the other triggerfish species, these triggerfish are friendly and peaceful towards their tankmates. So you can keep more than just one redtoothed triggerfish as long as they are added as juveniles at the same time. This fish will eat just about everything in the wild and will do the same in an aquarium. It's possible that a Niger trigger would eat any slow moving fish, large fish, and any sessile invertebrate type. Odonus nigers will usually adapt to aquarium fare and will eat a number of applicable sized frozen and fresh meaty foods as well as dry pellets, you need to feed them at least 2 or 3 times a day but be careful when you feed them because they can deliver a painful bite which may result in bleeding, so use caution when you put your hand in the tank.


Black-capped swallow

The black-capped swallow ("Notiochelidon pileata") is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae. It is found in Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and heavily degraded former forest.
It was first described by John Gould as "Atticora pileata" in the "Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London".


Morpho hercules

Morpho hercules, the Hercules morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly found in Brazil and Paraguay.
Description.
Upper surface grey green. Forewing with two rows of submarginal yellow dots, of which the proximal are considerably broader than the antemarginal. Patch before the apex of the cell narrow, dark green, subobsolete. Cell black green. Discal area glossy dark green. Distal border broad, deep black. Base of the forewing dark, of the hindwing somewhat lighter sea green.
Under surface: forewing bearing two very large rounded ocelli between the medians and two much smaller ones between the upper radial and the upper median. The proximal median spots narrow, irregular. Discal spot black. Cell with two very broad white longitudinal bands, posteriorly confluent. Hindwing predominantly red brown with a silver-white median band about 3 mm in breadth. There are three anal ocelli with black irises.
Biology.
The larva feeds on Musaceae and Menispermaceae ("Abuta selloana").
Etymology.
It is named for the mythological hero Hercules.


Odontotermes escherichi

Odontotermes escherichi, is a small species of termite of the genus "Odontotermes". It is native to India, Sri Lanka and Peninsular Malaysia. It attacks many dead, tree stems and decaying logs.


Greater flameback

The greater flameback ("Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus") also known as greater goldenback, large golden-backed woodpecker or Malherbe's golden-backed woodpecker, is a woodpecker species. It occurs widely in the Indian subcontinent, eastwards to southern China, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, western and central Java and northeast Borneo.
Taxonomy.
Recent taxonomic evidence suggests the species be split into these species:
Description.
The greater flameback is a large woodpecker, at 33 cm in length. It is of typical woodpecker shape, and has an erect crest and a long neck. Coloration is highly variable between subspecies; it always has unmarked golden-yellow to dark brown back and wings. The rump is red and the tail is black. The underparts are white with dark markings (chevrons, stripes, or bands), or light brown. The head is whitish with a black pattern, or it is yellow, brown, or red. The straight-pointed bill is longer than the head, and the legs have four-toed zygodactyl feet (two toes pointing forward, two backward) and are lead-grey in color. The eyes' irises are whitish to yellow.
The adult male greater flameback always has a red crown. Females have a crown color varying between subspecies, such as black spotted with white, yellow, or brown with lighter dots. Young birds are like the females, but duller, with brown irises.
Similar species.
White-and-black-headed greater flameback subspecies resemble some of the three-toed "Dinopium" flamebacks, but are not particularly closely related. Unlike the black-rumped flameback ("D. benghalense") and the common flameback ("D. javanense"), the greater flameback's dark moustache stripes are divided by white (making them inconspicuous at a distance); except in "C. stricklandi", their hindneck is white (not black), and even in the Sri Lankan birds, the dark colour does not extend to between the shoulders as it does in "Dinopium"; consequently, when seen from behind, the black-and-white-headed greater flamebacks outside Sri Lanka show a white neck bordered with black on the sides, while the "Dinopium" species have a black neck and upper back, with thin, white borders to the neck. Those flamebacks are also smaller (though this is only reliable in direct comparison), have a bill that is shorter than the head, and dark irises.
Convergent evolution in plumage between a larger and a smaller species is also found among other woodpeckers, such as the North American downy woodpecker (""Picoides" pubescens") and hairy woodpecker (""P." villosus"), the tropical American smoky-brown woodpecker (""P." fumigatus") and certain "Veniliornis" species, or the striped woodpecker ("V. lignarius") and checkered woodpecker ("V. mixtus"), and some South American "Piculus" and "Picoides". In all of these cases, these birds are neither gregarious nor known to be bad-tasting, and due to their size difference and habitat preferences, do not compete much; hence the usual reasons for mimicry do not seem to apply. While the similar plumage may be due to sheer chance – perhaps as an atavism of plesiomorphic patterns – the facts that such cases are commonplace in the Picinae and that the species involved are usually sympatric suggests that some as yet undiscovered may benefit either some or all of the taxa involved.
Ecology.
This flameback is a species associated with a diversity of rather open forest habitat, such as found in the foothills of the Himalayas or in the Western Ghats; it also inhabits mangrove forest. It seems to be well-adapted to particular forest types, while the similar-looking common flameback ("Dinopium javanense") is more of a generalist; thus, depending on what forests predominate in a region, "C. lucidus" may be more (e.g. in Thailand) or less common (e.g. in peninsular Malaysia) than "D. javanense". In Malaysian mangrove forest, for example, the greater flameback has been found to prefer tall "Avicennia alba" for foraging, while the common flameback rather indiscriminately uses that species, as well as "Bruguiera parviflora" and "Sonneratia alba".
Like other woodpeckers, the greater flameback uses its bill to dig out food from trees, and its zygodactyl feet and stiff tail to provide support against tree trunks. The long tongue can be darted forward to extract wood-boring arthropod prey; while mainly feeding on small invertebrates, greater flamebacks also drink nectar. They nest in tree holes, laying three or four white eggs.
Widely distributed and quite common in parts of its range, the greater flameback is classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN.


Xenocytaea taveuniensis

Xenocytaea taveuniensis is a jumping spider species in the genus "Xenocytaea". It was first identified in 2011 by Barbara Maria Patoleta.
Description.
The species has a brown cephalothorax with white scales, which is long.
Distribution.
"Xenocytaea taveuniensis" is found in Fiji.


Corallus annulatus

Corallus annulatus is a non-venomous boa species found in Central and South America. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Description.
The color pattern consists of a brownish-red ground color overlaid with blackish rings or netlike reticulations.
Geographic range.
Found in Central America in eastern Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama. Also in South America in Pacific Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. The type locality given is "Costa Rica."


Myripristis vittata

Myripristis vittata is a soldierfish from the Indo-Pacific.
Description.
It grows to a size of 25 centimeters in length or about 9.8 inches. This species is usually found in small groups and sometimes forms large schools.
Distribution and habitat.
"Myripristis vittata" is recorded to live in the areas of Indo-Pacific, mainly from oceanic islands, from the Mascarene Islands and Seychelles to French Polynesia, and the Hawaiian Islands. "Myripristis vittata" is found in marine environments within reef-associated areas. They occupy the depth range of about 3 – 80 meters, but more specifically this species stays in the depth range of about 15 – 80 meters. This species is native to a tropical environment. They are recorded to swim upside down occasionally. This species is nocturnal and it feeds on plankton.
Uses.
"Myripristis vittata" occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.


Grey-throated chat

The grey-throated chat ("Granatellus sallaei") is a species of bird in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico.
Taxonomy and systematics.
The genus "Granatellus" was traditionally placed in family Parulidae, the New World warblers. Studies of DNA sequences in the early 2000s resulted in its being moved to its present family. The grey-throated chat and the other two members of its genus, red-breasted chat ("G. venustus") and rose-breasted chat ("G. pelzelni") form a superspecies.
The grey-throated chat has two subspecies, the nominate "Granatellus sallaei sallaei" and "G. s. boucardi".
Description.
The grey-throated chat is approximately long and weighs . The adult nominate male's head, back, wings, and tail are gray but for a white supercilium behind the eye. The breast and vent area are rose-red, the flanks are gray, and the rest of the underparts are white. The female's crown, nape, and upperparts are a duller gray than the male's. Its supercillium, face, breast, flanks, and vent area are buff; the throat and belly are white. The adult male "G. s. boucardi" is slightly paler gray than the nominate. The female is brownish gray above and a creamier buff on the face and underparts.
Distribution and habitat.
The nominate grey-throated chat is found in southern Veracruz, most of Tabasco, eastern Oaxaca, and northern Chiapas. "G. s. boucardi" occurs from the Yucatán Peninsula south to central Guatemala and Belize. The species is a bird of the lowlands. It inhabits dry to semi-humid forest, its edges, and adjacent dense scrub. It also occurs in thickets within evergreen forest but shuns humid forest.
Behavior.
Feeding.
The grey-throated chat forages by gleaning on the ground and in low vegetation. It often follows army ant swarms. Its diet is insects and other arthropods.
Breeding.
Pairs of grey-throated chats remain on their territory year round. The nest is a cup placed low in vegetation; the only nest found with eggs held two. No other information about its breeding phenology has been published.
Vocalization.
The grey-throated chat's song is " a variable series of 4–5 whistled notes" . One call is a "fairly harsh 'chwit'" .
Status.
The IUCN has assessed the grey-throated chat as being of Least Concern. Though there are no population estimates, the species appears to be fairly common.


Long-tailed porcupine

The long-tailed porcupine ("Trichys fasciculata") is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae. It is monotypic within the genus "Trichys", and is found in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.


Calosoma protractum

Calosoma macrum is a species of ground beetle in the subfamily Carabinae. It was described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1852. The species is long, black, and lives at an elevation of in Guerrero, Mexico. It flies in June and October.


Winnie (feline)

In 2005, Winnie was the name given to a supposed big cat sighted in the Veluwe region of the Netherlands.
Sightings.
At the beginning of June 2005, several sightings of a "puma" were reported to the police near Ede, Harskamp and Wekerom. Spoor was said to have been found. The police closed down a large part of the while in search of the animal in order to shoot it, as they felt that a puma could be a threat to people living in the Veluwe area. However, no trace of the animal was found. An additional search for the animal was performed by the organization Pantera, but was also unsuccessful, although a further sighting was reported in September.
Explanation.
On September 21, 2005, an analysis by biologist Gerrit Jansen of high-resolution photos taken by wildlife photographer Otto Faulhaber explained the supposed puma as being a cross-breed between a European wildcat and a typical housecat. The cat was 1.5 times as big as a normal house cat, which may have convinced those who saw it that they were looking at a species of big cat. European wildcats do not appear in the Netherlands in great numbers, but occasionally they can be seen.
Sculpture.
The story of Winnie inspired the Amsterdam artist Maarten de Reus to design a wire sculpture titled "Kooi-met-geen-poema-er-in" (Cage With No Puma in It), which was erected in a park in the Zuidbroek section of Apeldoorn. It was awarded the 2008 National Steel Prize and the 2009 National Building Prize.


Dipsas pakaraima

Dipsas pakaraima is an arboreal snake of the family Dipsadidae. It has been placed in the "Dipsas temporalis" group. It is native to medium and higher elevations in west-central Guyana. It has been collected in Kaieteur National Park and Mount Ayanganna. Its food probably consists of snails and slugs.


Aethes amseli

Aethes amseli is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It was described by Razowski in 1967. It is endemic to Afghanistan.


Margarya melanioides

Margarya melanioides is a species of large operculate freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Viviparidae, the river snails.
"Margarya melanioides" is the type species of the genus "Margarya".
Distribution.
The distribution of "Margarya melanioides" includes Dian Lake, Erhai Lake, Jianhu Lake, Xihu Lake, and Cibi Lake in Yunnan Province, China. Former records in Daduitai Lake and Xingyun Lake are considered as a result of the mix-up of species name.
An average population density was 36 individuals per square meter in Dianchi Lake in 1940s, 0.7 individuals per square meter in 1990s and 0.068 individuals per square meter in Dianchi Lake in 2012.
According to the population ecology research by Song et al. (2013), the population of will collapse in the Dian Lake in 2015.
Description.
The width of the shell is up to 64.3 mm. The height of the shell is up to 94.7 mm.
Shu et al. (2010) provided details about the shell and about the radula.
The diploid chromosome number of "Margarya melanioides" is 2n=18.
Ecology.
"Margarya melanioides" is a dioecious species. Females are ovoviviparous and one female lay 5-6 eggs per year. The newborn shell is about 8 mm in height. The snail will reach maturity in one year in a shell height about 30 mm.
The lifespan is 3–4 years.
Human use.
This species is extensively harvested as a human food source, but harvesting is one of its threats.


Saga pedo

Saga pedo is a species of bush cricket, spread throughout the European part of the Mediterranean, and Asia as far east as China. It is a wingless bush cricket, with the body size of up to , which makes it one of the largest European insects and one of the world's largest Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets and alike). Colloquially known as the predatory bush cricket, or the spiked magician (due to the "enchanting" manner in which it waves its forelimbs as it approaches its prey), it is uncommon among its kind due to its carnivorous lifestyle, most often preying on smaller insects, with a known tendency towards cannibalism as well. For this purpose, it has strong fore and mid legs, equipped with sharp spines. When these animals are hunting, they move about, catching their prey by suddenly leaping on them and grabbing them with their legs. Their prey is usually killed by biting into the throat, and eating is done at capture. "Saga pedo" is active at dusk and during nighttime, with activity slowly expanding through the day at the end of the season.
Life cycle.
The female attains sexual maturity three to four weeks after hatching and starts laying eggs. A single egg is deposited by stabbing the long, sharp ovipositor into the soil at a suitable site. The female will lay from twenty five to eighty eggs. Development depends largely on the ambient temperature. At or more, the eggs start to develop immediately, the nymphs hatching after approximately 40 to 85 days (again depending on the temperature). At colder conditions, the eggs enter diapause, which is a delay in development and can result in the eggs remaining buried for up to five years (mostly two to three). After hatching, which occurs around May, the nymphs go through six or seven instars before attaining sexual maturity, and live for four to six months after that.
"Saga pedo" is also uncommon in that it mostly reproduces asexually, with parthenogenesis. The population therefore appears to consist solely of females and there is no reliable record of a male of this species. They also have the largest number of chromosomes among members of the genus "Saga" - 68 - and are probably tetraploid.
Ecology and distribution.
Adults are eaten by birds, insectivores, rodents, lizards, frogs, and toads. Nymphs are eaten by spiders, scorpions, centipedes, and preying insects.
"Saga" species inhabit both dry and wet meadows, pastures, shrub by hillsides, gorges, and as well follow grain fields and vineyards in southern Europe and western Asia from the Iberian peninsula across central Europe and central Asia to China. Like other "Saga" species, "S. pedo" is comfortable with adverse weather conditions, and can be found in habitats from sea level to altitudes up to about 1500 m, and occasionally higher. The southernmost known locality is Sicily, while the northernmost is in Kurgan Oblast, Russia, at latitude 54º30' N. Its range is vast, but the population is spread thinly, threatened by insecticide use and habitat destruction. Therefore, the species is considered vulnerable at a global scale.
"Saga pedo" was reported as an accidental introduction from Europe into Tompkins Township, Jackson County, Michigan (USA) in 1970. In all, only six specimens were found from 1970 to 1972, during August and September. None have been found since by a reliable authority, so they are considered extirpated from North America. There have been occasional unconfirmed sightings in subsequent decades, and catching of several specimens in Michigan from 2004 on were reported by a local high school teacher in the New York Biology Teachers Association's publication, however, this remains to be confirmed by a scholarly source.
References.
Lemonnier-Darcemont M., Darcemont C., Heller K.-G., Dutrillaux A.-M. & Dutrillaux B., (2016) : Saginae of Europe. Edition G.E.E.M., Cannes, France. 208 pp.


Syndaesia

Syndaesia mastix is a species of arachnids in the order Solifugae, and the only member of the genus Syndaesia. It lives in western Argentina, and is one of only two daesiids in South America, the other being "Amacata penai" from the Atacama Desert; all other South American solifugids are in the families Eremobatidae and Ammotrechidae.


Gonocephalus mjobergi

Gonocephalus mjobergi is a species of agamid lizard. It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia.


New Zealand sea lion

The New Zealand sea lion ("Phocarctos hookeri"), also known as Hooker's sea lion, and whakahao in Māori, is a species of sea lion that primarily breeds on New Zealand's subantarctic Auckland and Campbell islands and to some extent around the coast of New Zealand's South and Stewart islands. The New Zealand sea lion numbers around 10,000 and is perhaps the world's rarest sea lion species. They are the only species of the genus "Phocarctos".
Physiology and behaviour.
New Zealand sea lions are one of the largest New Zealand animals. Like all otariids, they have marked sexual dimorphism; adult males are long and weigh , while adult females are long and weigh . At birth, pups are long and weigh ; the natal pelage is a thick coat of dark brown hair that becomes dark gray with cream markings on the top of the head, nose, tail and at the base of the flippers. Adult females' coats vary from buff to creamy grey with darker pigmentation around the muzzle and the flippers. Adult males are blackish-brown with a well-developed black mane of coarse hair reaching the shoulders. New Zealand sea lions are strongly philopatric.
Distribution.
The main breeding populations are at the Auckland and Campbell Islands in the NZ Subantarctic, where approximately 99% of the species' annual pup production occurs. There are currently three functioning breeding rookeries on the Auckland Islands. Most sea lions are born on Dundas Island. A smaller rookery exists at Sandy Bay on Enderby Island and the smallest rookery is on Figure of Eight Island. An even smaller rookery at South East Point on Auckland Island appears to now have been abandoned.
The other major breeding area is the Campbell Islands. For the first time in 150 years, sea lions began breeding again on the South Island coast in 1994, on the Otago Peninsula. Other small populations of breeding sea lions have recently begun to establish in various parts of the Stewart Island coastline and have been observed on the Catlins coast south of the Clutha River.
Recent DNA information indicates the New Zealand sea lion is a lineage previously restricted to subantarctic regions. Somewhere between 1300 and 1500 AD, a genetically distinct mainland lineage was wiped out by the first Maori settlers, and the subantarctic lineage has since then gradually filled the ecological niche.
It has been inferred from middens and ancient DNA that a third lineage was made extinct at the Chatham Islands due to predation by the Moriori people.
Diet and predation.
New Zealand sea lions are known to prey on a wide range of species including fish such as Antarctic horsefish and Patagonian toothfish, cephalopods (e.g. New Zealand arrow squid and yellow octopus), crustaceans, seabirds and other marine mammals, and even New Zealand fur seals. Studies indicate a strong location effect on diet, with almost no overlap in prey species comparing sea lions at Otago Peninsula and Campbell Island, at the north and south extents of the species' breeding range. New Zealand sea lions are in turn preyed on by great white sharks, with 27% showing evidence of scarring from near-miss shark attacks in an opportunistic study of adult NZ sea lions at Sandy Bay, Enderby Island.
Status.
New Zealand sea lions are considered the most threatened sea lion in the world. The species' status is largely driven by the main breeding population at the Auckland Islands, which declined by ~50% between 2000 and 2015. The 2013 sea lion pup production count on the Auckland Islands showed the number of pups born on the islands has risen to 1931, from the 2012 figure of 1684 (dead pups are also counted, since the annual pup count is used to assess the population of breeding females, but not future births when the counted pups mature). The 2013 number was the highest in five years. The Campbell Island population 'appears to be increasing slowly' and births here comprise ~30% of the species' total. The Otago and Stewart Island sea lion populations are currently small, though increasing. Population estimates for the whole species declined from ~15,000 in the mid-1990s to 9,000 in 2008 (based on the number of pups born).
In 2010, the Department of Conservation—responsible for marine mammal conservation—changed the New Zealand Threat Classification System ranking from Nationally Endangered to Nationally Critical. The Department of Conservation estimates that Auckland Islands' sea lions, nearly 80% of the total, could be functionally extinct by 2035. However, the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries considers research on which this prediction is based is low quality and ‘should not be used in management decisions’. In 2015, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) changed the classification of this species to "Endangered", based on low overall population size, the small number of breeding populations and the projected trend of the Auckland Islands breeding population.
Threats.
Subsistence hunting and commercial sealing.
Subsistence hunting and commercial harvest of sea lions greatly reduced the breeding range and population size of New Zealand sea lions between the 13th and 19th Centuries. In 1893, sealing for both New Zealand sea lions and New Zealand fur seals was prohibited by law in New Zealand.
Commercial fishery bycatch.
In the 1990s, as the volume of squid fishing around the Auckland Islands increased, numbers of sea lions were captured as bycatch and drowned in the squid trawl nets. The government uses a modelling system to set a fishing-related mortality limit (FRML) each year. If the limit is predicted to be exceeded, the Minister of Primary Industries may close the fishery. The last time the FRML was exceeded was in 2000, though a number of closures occurred in the 1990s. The estimated (as different from reported) captures in the 2014 season were 11.58% of the FRML. The proportion of vessels in the Auckland Island squid fishery with government observers has increased over the years, providing independent reports of bycatch based on observation rather than computer model estimates. In the 2014 season, the observers' coverage was of 84% of tows. In late February 2013, the first observed sea lion mortalities in the Auckland Island squid fleet in three years occurred. Juvenile sea lions slipped through the grid at the opening of the net into its cod end. The 23-cm grid aperture is designed to hold adult sea lions in the SLED and yet still allow squid to pass into the net. In 2013, one adult female was taken as incidental bycatch. In the concluded 2014 season, two sea lions were reportedly captured in the fishery.
In August 2013, the seasonal southern blue whiting fleet captured 21 male sea lions in fishing grounds more than 100 km off the Campbell Islands. Four were released alive. No captures were reported by government observers the year before. The government responded to the captures by requesting the vessels try sea lion exclusion devices (SLEDs) to reduce this bycatch.
Sea lion exclusion devices.
In 2001, the sea lion exclusion device (SLED) was introduced into the Auckland Island squid fishery to reduce sea lion bycatch. Conservation advocates have supported SLED use to protect other marine animals or sharks. Since 2007, all vessels in the Auckland Islands fishery have been equipped with SLEDs. Some scientists still do not believe sea lions survive the interaction with a SLED, though the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) believes the direct effect of fishing-related mortality on the sea lion population is minimal. MPI has concluded that a sea lion has an 85% chance of escaping the SLED and a 97 per cent probability of surviving a SLED escape, though it says this estimate may be 'mildly pessimistic'.
Food limitation.
Food availability is a well-known, major cause of population change in pinniped species. The Auckland Islands population has displayed numerous indicators of food limitation during the recent decline in breeder numbers, including: poor maternal condition, delayed maturation, years with very low pupping rate, low survival of pups born and long-term shifts in diet composition. Starvation was provisionally identified as cause of mortality for 62% of pups necropsied at Campbell Island in 2015, when 58% of all pups born were estimated to have died in the first month of life.
Disease.
Though the Auckland Island sea lion pup production is highly variable, a decline trend for some years followed the outbreak of an introduced bacterial disease caused by a "Campylobacter" species in 1998 which killed an estimated 53% of newborn pups and 20% of adult females. In 2002, another probably introduced bacterial disease caused by "Klebsiella pneumoniae" killed 32% of pups, and in 2003 another 21% of the pups. Since 2002, "K. pneumoniae" bacteria have caused significant mortality in the sea lion pups at Enderby Island. Infected pups have meningitis, as well as sepsis. On 12 March 2014, the Conservation Minister Nick Smith was quoted as saying an "excessive focus on fishing bycatch" existed and 300 pups had died this summer from an as yet unidentified disease.
Mainland threats.
The mainland population was estimated to reach 1000 animals by 2044, leading to issues of ‘marine protected areas, local fishing quotas and numbers management’.


Agrotis arenarius

Agrotis arenarius is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to Sable Island, Nova Scotia.
Some biologists think it survived on the Sable Island Bank during the Ice Age. However, there is geological evidence that the Sable Island Bank was flooded after the glaciers melted. If the island formed since then, it could not have been a refuge during the Ice Age.


Scopula gastonaria

Scopula gastonaria is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was described by Oberthür in 1876. It is endemic to Algeria.


Fondoukia

Fondoukia is a monotypic snout moth genus described by Pierre Chrétien in 1911. Its single species, Fondoukia translucidella, is found in Algeria.


Nebria kabakovi

Nebria kabakovi is a species of ground beetle in the Nebriinae subfamily that is endemic to Afghanistan.


Ophidion asiro

Ophidion rochei is a fish species in the family Ophidiidae. Widespread in the northwest Pacific, it is a marine temperate demersal fish, up to long.


Galeodes arabs

Galeodes arabs, common name Egyptian giant solpugid or camel spider, is a species of solifuges or sun spiders native to North Africa and Western Asia.
Description.
"Galeodes arabs" is one of the larger species of camel spider and can reach a length of about . They have large, powerful jaws, reaching one-third of their body length. These fast running nocturnal predator arachnids can reach a speed of 10 miles per hour or around 16 km/h. They are not venomous, but their bite is painful.
Diet.
They eat insects, small rodents and lizards. Using their chelicerae, they can chop and saw their victim’s flesh. Their jaws are equipped to shear hair and quills from their prey as well as cut through skin and the thin bones of small birds. They then utilise digestive juices to liquefy the flesh of their prey so they can suck it into their bodies.
Predators.
Some of their predators are large slit-faced bats, scorpions, toads and other insectivores or camel spiders. They are heliophobic and nocturnal in order to avoid predators, have better hunting and stay out of the hot sun.


Phyllocnistis dorcas

Phyllocnistis dorcas is a moth of the family Gracillariidae, known from Guyana. It was named by E. Meyrick in 1915.


Cyrenaica shrew

The Cyrenaica shrew or Alexander's shrew ("Crocidura aleksandrisi") is a species of white-toothed shrew in the family Soricidae which is endemic to Libya.
The Cyrenaica shrew is a small shrew which is very similar to the widespread lesser white-toothed shrew of Europe and Asia, both species have teeth which lack the red colouration on the crowns of the teeth. They are small mammals with paler fur underneath and a pointed muzzle and a long tail.
The Cyrenaica shrew is endemic to Libya, specifically to the province of Cyrenaica where it is found from sea level up to 200 to 300 m. Specimens were collected from the 1960s through the 1990s, and there were no signs that the population had declined or that there were any major threats to the species in its restricted range and is therefore assessed as Least Concern.
The Cyrenaica shrew is found in Mediterranean vegetation such as scrub and also in littoral and rocky areas. It is thought to occur in degraded habitats, and to be largely terrestrial and nocturnal. It is very closely related to the lesser white-toothed shrew and is likely to share that species rather sociable habits and to "caravan", i.e. the young follow their mother in a line holding their predecessor's tail in their mouth so that the family stays together while foraging or seeking shelter. It seems to be relatively common and its skulls are frequently found in the pellets of owls collected from within their range. The group of shrews this species belongs to are also known as "musk shrews" because of the musky scented secretions they produce and use to scent mark their territories by dragging their bellies along the ground.


Haplotrema concavum

Haplotrema concavum, the gray-footed lancetooth, is a species of predatory air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Haplotrematidae.
Distribution.
The snail is native to the humid hardwood forests of eastern North America, from Southern Canada and the Great Lakes region, south through the Midwestern U.S. including eastern Nebraska and Oklahoma, and through the Southeastern United States, including the Gulf States. It is found along the Apalachicola River in western Florida and Georgia.
"Haplotrema concavum" is found living in leaf litter near the base of trees, or under rotting logs.
Feeding habits.
"Haplotrema concavum" is a carnivorous species. It is known to be a predator, for example, of "Patera clarki nantahala".
Parasites.
Parasites of "Haplotrema concavum" include:


Short-tailed mongoose

The short-tailed mongoose ("Herpestes brachyurus") is a mongoose species native to Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo. It inhabits evergreen forest and rural gardens from sea level to an elevation of . It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List since 2008.
It was first described by John Edward Gray in 1837.
It is red-brown to black and has black limbs. The head is grayish with a black spot on the chin. Its total body length is including a short tail. It weighs about .


Oxycopis floridana

Oxycopis floridana is a species of false blister beetle in the family Oedemeridae. It is known from Florida and the Bahamas.


Tian Shan wapiti

The Tian Shan wapiti or Tian Shan maral ("Cervus canadensis songaricus"), is a subspecies of "C. canadensis". It is also called the Tian Shan elk in North American English.
Description.
It is native to the Tian Shan Mountains in eastern Kyrgyzstan, southeastern Kazakhstan, and North Central Xinjiang of western China. It is the largest subspecies of Asian wapiti, both in body size and antlers.
Conservation.
Around 50,000 individual Tian Shan elk are left in the wild, and they are declining at a rapid rate. China has about 4000 to 5000 individuals in deer farms.


Conus alexandrei

Conus alexandrei is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Conidae, the cone snails, cone shells or cones.
Description.
The size of the shell varies between 30 mm and 46 mm.
Distribution.
This marine species occurs off the Philippines, Fiji and Vanuatu


Fauna of Croatia

Fauna of Croatia may refer to:


Cnemaspis baueri

Cnemaspis baueri, also known as Bauer's rock gecko or Pulau Aur rock gecko, is a species of gecko endemic to Malaysia.


Xerocrassa siphnica

Xerocrassa siphnica is a species of air-breathing land snail, a pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies. This species is endemic to the island of Siphnos in Greece.


Ascia

Ascia monuste, the great southern white or pirpinto in Argentina, is a butterfly which is the only species in the genus Ascia of the family Pieridae. In this species the sexes may differ with the female being either light or dark colored. It is found from the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, and south through tropical America to Argentina. It is migratory along the southeastern coast of the United States, with strays to Maryland, Kansas, and Colorado.
Larvae have distinct body segments within which there appears to be four to six subsegments. They are purplish-green with two longitudinal, greenish-yellow stripes on each side and the dorsal side. When full-grown, they are approximately one and a quarter inches long. The wingspan in adults is 63–86 mm. Adults are on wing all year round in southern Texas, peninsular Florida and along the Gulf Coast.
"A. monuste" is a migrating species that moves in one direction within its life span and does not return. It breeds in Florida but sometimes migrates along the coast up to 160 km to breed in more suitable areas.
Life history.
This species seeks out appropriate plant hosts for oviposition by detection of compounds called glycosinolates present in the family Brassicaceae. Adults appear to prefer to lay their eggs on certain areas of the plant. On kale leaves, for example, the preferred regions are the apical, medium and basal parts of the leaves. The average number of eggs laid is about 43 with as many as 245, being laid singly or in clusters. "A. m. monuste" has been observed feeding on the chorion soon after hatching as their first food, as well as hatchlings feeding on eggs. It has been suggested that this behaviour provides them with extra protein. If a female oviposits on a plant already supporting conspecifics, cannibalism is more likely. Since they have a high growth rate and a non-regulated body temperature, herbivorous insects require a higher quantity of protein. It is questionable that "A. monuste" is strictly herbivorous as they often consume conspecific eggs. Larvae have been seen consuming whole eggs from the same clutch or others nearby on the same leaf. This behaviour appears to be advantageous from an evolutionary stand point as this is an opportunistic behaviour and can increase fitness.
In general, the development time for eggs ranges from 4–5 days in field conditions and 3.4 days in laboratory conditions. The developmental time for the larvae and pupae ranges between subspecies from 11.0– 17.4 days for the first five instars for "A. m. orseis", and 6.1– 9.56 days for "A. m. monuste". Pupation can be from 5.9 to 10 days long, and adults can live from 4.3 – 5 days for males and 8–10 days for females.
The larvae, known in Brazil as cabbage caterpillars or kale caterpillars, feed on Brassicaceae (including "Cakile maritima", cultivated cabbage and radish and "Lepidium" species) and plants in the family Capparidaceae, including nasturtium. Chemical characteristics of the plant that affect the development of the larvae include the: nitrogen content, carbohydrates and water content, as well as physical characteristics such as: hardness, size, form, texture, temporal and spatial distribution and abundance. Nitrogen is required for the production of protein during the early instars.
Newly hatched larvae will remain on a single plant, as they are not very mobile. After the 5th instar, they are more mobile and can move to another plant. Larvae dispersion appears to occur in a random fashion, so in order for the larvae to be successful, the plants need to be close together for them to find another plant. Intraspecific competition between larvae generally doesn't occur between the 1st and 2nd instars because they do not consume a lot. Competition may become a problem once they hatch into the final three instars. Adults feed on nectar from various flowers including saltwort, lantana, and verbena. It is a sporadic pest of crucifer vegetables in southern Texas.
Pest species of Brassicaceae.
Damage to the plant is caused by the larvae that, upon hatching, feed on the leaves for almost the entirety of their developmental cycle. This can be so damaging, that up to 100% of the entire crop can be lost. One method of decreasing this damage is by the use of pesticides. These, however can be detrimental to human health as well as the environment. Another method that is being explored is the use of host plant resistance, which is safer and more sustainable. Resistant crops are becoming increasingly popular as pesticides have quite a few drawbacks. Resistance can be seen as antixenosis, tolerance and antibiosis.


Odontophrynus lavillai

Odontophrynus lavillai (Spanish name: "escuericito") is a species of frog in the family Odontophrynidae. It is found in northern Argentina, western and northern Paraguay, central-western Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul), and eastern Bolivia.
"Odontophrynus lavillai" is a fossorial frog. It occurs in open habitats from the Chaco to the Interandean Valles. Reproduction takes place in temporary waterbodies, including roadside ditches. It is locally threatened by habitat loss.


Asaphocrita erae

Asaphocrita erae is a moth in the family Blastobasidae that is endemic to Costa Rica.


Microcaecilia grandis

Microcaecilia grandis is a species of caecilian in the family Siphonopidae. It is endemic to Suriname and only known from the Lely Mountains. It measures around in total length, and possesses bicuspid vomeropalatine teeth as well as more than 20 premaxillary-maxillary teeth.


Maiestas semilimax

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


Cercosaura anomala

Cercosaura anomala, the strange pholiodobolus, is a species of lizard in the family Gymnophthalmidae. It is endemic to Peru.


Centruroides nigrimanus

Centruroides nigrimanus is a species of scorpion in the family Buthidae. This species is endemic of Mexico (type from Oaxaca). It occurs in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Guerrero. [Pocock 1998 indicated a juvenile specimen from Honduras might be this species, but this has never been substantiated, and unlikely]


Cyrtodactylus collegalensis

Cyrtodactylus collegalensis, also known as the Kollegal ground gecko or forest spotted gecko, is a species of gecko found in and around Mysore hills, at the junction of the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, in South India. Recent taxonomic works and genetic studies revealed that the formerly-supposed genus is actually a subgenus of the widespread genus "Cyrtodactylus". It is often confused with the forest spotted gecko ("Cyrtodactylus speciosus").
Habits and Habitat.
They are primarily ground-dwelling, hiding under thick leaf-litter. They are nocturnal, insectivorous and are thought to be oviparous. Some species in this group have been documented to lay eggs. They live in forests, be it dry, mixed or wet in complexion, mainly along the hilly tracts.
Distribution.
The gecko was described in 1870 from BR Hills in Southern Karnataka. It was treated as synonymous with "Cyrtodactylus nebulosus" by Boulenger. It has later been reported from found in adjacent hill ranges of Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats, at the junction of Maharashtra,Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu states, in South India. In Sri Lanka, its presence is considered dubious.


Pilar tuco-tuco

The Pilar tuco-tuco ("Ctenomys pilarensis") is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is found in Ñeembucú and Misiones Departments in southern Paraguay, east of the city of Pilar. The species lives in areas with sandy soil. It is present in a few isolated populations and is threatened by conversion of its habitat to agriculture and its treatment as a pest. Its karyotype has 2n = 48 or 50 and FN = 50.


Pomacea reyrei

Pomacea reyrei is a South American species of freshwater snail with gills and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusc in the family Ampullariidae, the apple snails.
Distribution.
"P. reyrei" is endemic to Venezuela.


Southern bog lemming

The southern bog lemming ("Synaptomys cooperi") is a small North American lemming. Its range overlaps with the other species in genus "Synaptomys", the northern bog lemming, in southeastern Canada, but extends further south.
Description.
Southern bog lemmings are covered with thick, brownish fur on their backs that ranges in color from reddish to dark brown and have a grizzled appearance. The belly is silver-gray. The shallow-grooved upper incisors and a relatively shorter tail distinguish this species from other rodents. They have relatively large heads and small eyes. The ears barely show through puffy head fur. Southern bog lemmings have four toes and one small, nailed thumb on the forefeet and five toes on the hind feet. Females have six teats, which distinguishes this species from its closest relative, northern bog lemmings, which have eight. They have a large head, short legs, and a short tail which is lighter underneath. Their upper incisors are grooved. They are long with a tail and weigh about .
Range and Habitat.
Southern bog lemmings are found in eastern North America, from southern Quebec and Manitoba in Canada to western Minnesota, to southwestern Kansas, and east to the Atlantic Coast of the United States. This species is more common in deciduous and mixed coniferous–deciduous forests. The grassy openings and edges of these forests, especially where sedges, ferns, and shrubs grow and when the soil is loose and crumbly, are habitats the bog lemming prefers. It also inhabits wetter and drier sites when meadow voles are scarce or absent. The southern bog lemming creates a maze of interconnecting tunnels and runways and builds nests from plant fibers. Summer nests are on the surface of the ground or in a clump of sedges or grasses, but winter nests are usually underground in an enlarged tunnel. These animals are found in mixed forests, wetlands, and grasslands.
Diet and feeding behavior.
Fresh vegetation, especially the leaves, stems, seeds heads, and roots of grasses and sedges is the main food of this species. Raspberries, blueberries and other fruits, insects, fungi, and bark form a lesser part of the diet. They cache grasses and sedge stems in underground chambers. They do not hibernate, and live in groups of a few to several dozen individuals. Female lemmings have two or three litters of four to six young in a year. The young are born in a nest in a burrow or concealed in vegetation. Most live less than a year. The range of these animals is thought to be declining in some areas due to loss of wetland habitat.
They are active year-round, mainly at night. They make runways through the surface vegetation and also dig burrows. These animals are often found in small colonies. Lemming populations go through a 3- or 4-year cycle of boom and bust.
Reproduction.
Breeding may occur during any time of the year if food is plentiful. The gestation period is 21–23 days. At birth, the pups are blind and without fur. They also have claws at birth. By the end of their first week, young are well furred. They open their eyes at about 12 days of age. They are weaned at 3 weeks. Male southern bog lemmings reach sexual maturity in 5 weeks. Most individuals breed before they reach their maximum size.
Communication.
Southern bog lemmings are thought to communicate using scent marking. They also make squeaking vocalizations. Other methods of communication include acoustic, chemical, visual, and tactile.
Predators.
Southern bog lemmings have many predators, including owls, hawks, red foxes, gray foxes, domestic dogs, badgers, weasels, snakes, bobcats, and house cats.
Two subspecies have become extinct: Kansas bog lemming ("S. c. paludis"), and Nebraska bog lemming ("S. c. relictus").


Philodryas patagoniensis


Porthidium volcanicum

Porthidium volcanicum, the Ujarran hognosed pitviper, is a venomous pitviper species endemic to Costa Rica. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Description.
Adults of "P. volcanicum" are moderately stout, with females growing to in total length (including tail). The only male ever collected was long.
Geographic range.
"Porthidium volcanicum" is known only from the type locality, which is given as "Ujarrás de Buenos Aires (Valle del General, suoeste de la provincia de Puntarenas, Costa Rica)", Volcán de Buenos Aires and Valle del General in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica.
Habitat.
"Porthidium volcanicum" occurs in tropical moist forest. The region receives of rainfall annually and has a dry season January–April.


Indonesian wobbegong

The Indonesian wobbegong ("Orectolobus" "leptolineatus") is a species of carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, that can grow up to 120 cm in length. It lives in the Western Pacific on the ocean floor, and is harmless to humans.
Naming.
Its scientific name is "O." "leptolineatus," with "leptolineatus" meaning "thin lines", which refers to the camouflaging pattern on its skin.
Distribution and habitat.
It lives in benthopelagic environments with a minimum depth range of 20 meters, in tropical areas. It lives near Indonesia, and off Sarawak, Malaysian, having unconfirmed records from the Penghu Islands, Visayas, and Cebu City.
Description.
Males grow to a length of 112 cm, while females grow a bit larger at 120 cm. Its coloration is dark brownish bars, over the dorsal and lateral surfaces, and its dorsal and upper surfaced paired fins contain vermicular patterns. The ventral surface of the trunk is pale, with nasal barbels with branches, with up to 3 simple lobes, along with 3 to 4 branched lobes. The dorsal fin grows tall, with the first dorsal fin near the pelvic fins. It has 23 rows of teeth in the upper jaw, and a rudimentary row of teeth that is at the symphysis of the upper jaw. Its total vertebral ranges from 148 to 163.
Maturity.
Males are mature when they reach 90 cm in length. The smallest mature female was 94 cm in length, along with two pregnant females recorded, with one 104 cm, and the other at 108 cm in length. The smaller of the two was found with four mid-term embryos between 13 and 14 cm in length.


Uralerpeton

Uralerpeton is an extinct genus of chroniosuchid reptiliomorph from upper Permian (upper Tatarian age) deposits of Vladimir Region, European Russia. It was first named by V. K. Golubev in 1998, from skull fragments and trunk scutes. The type species is "Uralerpeton tverdokhlebovae", it was a large predator with a 50 – 55 cm skull and a total length that probably exceeded 3 m (9.3 ft).


Kolhapur day gecko

The Kolhapur day gecko ("Cnemaspis kolhapurensis") is a species of gecko described from the hills in Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India.


Antilloides

Antilloides is a genus of spiders in the family Filistatidae. It was first described in 2016 by Brescovit, Sánchez-Ruiz & Alayón. , it contains 5 species, all from the Caribbean.


Comephorus

Comephorus, known as the golomyankas or Baikal oilfish, are a genus comprising two species of peculiar, sculpin fishes endemic to Lake Baikal in Russia. "Comephorus" is the only genus in the family Comephoridae. Golomyankas are pelagic fishes which make the main food source of the Baikal seal.
Description.
"Comephorus" have translucent bodies with no scales, but appear dull when dead. The big Baikal oilfish ("C. baikalensis") can reach up to in length and the little Baikal oilfish ("C. dybowskii") up to . Males are smaller than females, only reaching about the length. They have long pectoral fins, and although pelvic bones are present, they lack pelvic fins. They have a strong lateral line. The lateral line system on the head consists of large cavities linked by narrow, bony bridges with small external pores. High lipid content and porous bones result in an almost neutral buoyancy and lack of swim bladder allows the fish to tolerate varying pressure extremes as they move through the water column. Over a third of the body weight (38.9%) of "C. baicalensis" is oil, but "C. dybowski" contains far less (4.7%). It has been said that they decompose in sunlight, leaving behind only fatty oil and bones, although the accuracy of this claim has been questioned. Unusually, their eyes only contain rod cells (not cone cells), indicating a high sensitivity to light. Some of the adaptions in golomyankas resemble those seen in deep sea fish.
Species.
There are currently two recognized species in this genus:
Biology and ecology.
The common name "golomyanka" originates from the old-Russian "golomen", meaning "far from the shore" in the local dialect and referring to their pelagic behavior. They are the principal ecological competitor to the omul, which also eat small golomyankas, and represent a primary food source for the Baikal seal, at more than 90% of its diet. They are easily identifiable, and are large enough to be easily seen. Golomyankas are unusual for occurring pelagically throughout the entire water column of Lake Baikal, ranging from depths of around to near the surface, but they primarily occur deeper than . During the night they move up the water column to feed, often occurring as shallow as , and in the winter they can occasionally be seen swimming just below the ice-covered surface. They are considered the world's most abyssal freshwater fish, together with certain Lake Baikal deep-water sculpins (Abyssocottidae). They move without much regard for changes in pressure, although they can exist only in cold temperatures, preferring water that is no more than and dying at .
The biomass of the golomyanka population is estimated at about 150 thousand tons, making it the most populous fish in Lake Baikal. It is estimated that about 70% of the fish in the lake are golomyankas. Their juveniles are also the most abundant pelagic fish larvae in the lake. Large shoals are not known for this species, although groups of up to about 20 individuals have been recorded near the lake bottom. Females are more common than males, which only make up about 32% of the population in the little Baikal oilfish and 17% in the big Baikal oilfish. The females do not lay eggs; rather, they are viviparous, giving birth to a swarm of 2000–3000 larvae. Females containing developing embryos can be seen year-round, but there does appear to be a level of seasonality in the birth, with the largest number of larvae occurring from August to April (some differences in the peak timing between the two species). Most females die after giving birth. It has been claimed that their bellies burst open to release the young, killing the female in the process, but this is a myth. Golomyanka can reach an age of up to 6–8 years.
They are sluggish fish, and have relatively large mouths with several rows of somewhat brush-like teeth, allowing them to sift out fine organisms from the water. They primarily feed on the planktonic copepod "Epischura baikalensis", the amphipod crustacean "Macrohectopus branickii" and larvae of sculpins, including those of their own species.
Relationship to humans.
Despite being numerous in the lake, golomyankas are difficult to catch in large quantities as they do not occur in large schools. Golomyankas are not harvested commercially, although their fats and oils were used in lamps and as traditional medicine by native Siberians when storms tossed the fish up on shore. They are of no value as a food source for humans, dogs or cats, but are the primary food source for the Baikal seal, and also eaten by other fish in the lake. They are so numerous and spawn so rapidly that they represent the largest concentration of fish biomass within the entire lake, and would seriously unbalance the ecosystem of Lake Baikal if not constantly fed upon by predators.


Guadalcanal thrush

The Guadalcanal thrush ("Zoothera turipavae") is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is endemic to the Solomon Islands. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.


Nebria tschatkalica

Nebria tschatkalica is a species of ground beetle in the Nebriinae subfamily that is endemic to Kyrgyzstan.


Chilean myotis

The Chilean myotis ("Myotis chiloensis") is a species of vesper bat found in southern South America.
Description.
The Chilean myotis is a small bat, measuring only in total length, including the tail, and weighing about . The colour of their fur varies with latitude, from pale ochraceous in the north to coffee-brown in the south. They have a wing aspect ratio of 5.8, suggesting that they are slow, but highly manoeuvrable, in flight. The tail is entirely enclosed within the uropatagium.
Distribution and habitat.
Apart from the southern big-eared brown bat, which lives in the same general locality, the Chilean myotis lives further south than any other bat species in the world. The species lives primarily in Chile, south of about 30°S, but is also found in the westernmost regions of the Argentinian provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro, and Chubut. At the extreme southern end of its range, it is found across Tierra del Fuego, in both the Chilean and Argentinian parts of the island. Over this wide area, it ranges from the semi-arid Chilean Matorral in the north to temperate and evergreen forests in the south.
There are no currently recognised subspecies, although the montane and Atacama myotises, which live further north in western South America, and are now considered species in their own right, were formerly considered to be subspecies of "M. chiloensis".
Biology and behaviour.
Chilean myotises roost in holes in trees, rock crevices, caves, and artificial structures such as attic spaces. They emerge at dusk, and feed for about three hours before returning home to roost; unlike most other bats they do not feed again later in the night. Because of their small size and low metabolic rate, the bats often enter a daily period of torpor during which their body temperature falls to just 0.5 °C above ambient.
They feed on flies that they capture on the wing, particularly including nematocerans such as crane flies. Their echolocation calls consist of a downward frequency modulated segment followed by a narrowband component at a relatively constant frequency. Search calls sweep down from 89 to 39 kHz, and are emitted at intervals of about 95 milliseconds. Females give birth to a single young at the beginning of summer.


List of Lepidoptera of the Cook Islands

The Lepidoptera of the Cook Islands consist of both the butterflies and moths recorded from the Cook Islands, a self-governing island country in the South Pacific Ocean.
According to a recent estimate, about 170 Lepidoptera species are present on the Cook Islands.


Eliachna hemicordata

Eliachna hemicordata is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in Argentina (Neuquén, Río Negro) and Chile (Malleco, Bio Bio and Cautín).
The length of the forewings is . The ground colour of the forewings is pale orange-cream with tiny black specks. The hindwings are pale grey brown with darker mottling. Adults have been recorded on wing from December to February.
Etymology.
The species name refers to the half-hearted shape of the distal portion of the valva.


Zanjeer (dog)

Zanjeer (7 January 1992 – 16 November 2000) was a Labrador Retriever who served as a detection dog with the Mumbai Police in Maharashtra state of India. Due to his impeccable service detecting many explosives and other weapons—in particular during the 1993 Mumbai bombings—he was honoured with a full state funeral.
Service.
Zanjeer was trained at the Dog Training Centre of the Criminal Investigation Department at Shivaji Nagar in Pune, India. He joined the Mumbai Police Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad on 29 December 1992 and was handled by Ganesh Andale and V G Rajput. The name Zanjeer comes from the 1973 Hindi film "Zanjeer" but he was also called "Ginger" because of his coat colour. Not including his contributions during the 1993 attacks, Zanjeer helped to recover 11 military bombs, 57 country-made bombs, 175 petrol bombs, and 600 detonators.
1993 Attacks.
During the time of the 1993 Mumbai bombings in March, Zanjeer helped avert at least three more attacks in Bombay, Mumbra, and Thane. The first incident happened on 15 March 1993 when Zanjeer alerted his handlers to a scooter bomb on Dhanji Street that contained RDX explosives and gelatin sticks. He was then called to the scene of ten unclaimed suitcases outside the Siddhivinayak Temple where the dog detected three Type 56 rifles, five 9-mm pistols, and 200 grenades marked "Arges 69". Days later, Zanjeer investigated two suitcases at the Zaveri Bazaar that contained nine Type 56 rifles.
Death.
Zanjeer developed bone cancer and died 16 November 2000 as a result. He was buried with full state honours.


Argentine marked gecko

The Argentine marked gecko ("Homonota whitii)" is a species of lizard in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to Argentina.
Etymology.
The specific name, "whitii", is in honor of naturalist Ernest William White (1858–1884) who collected the holotype.
Geographic range.
"H. whitii" is found in northwestern Argentina, in the provinces of Catamarca, Córdoba, La Rioja, Mendoza, Salta, and Tucumán.
Habitat.
The preferred natural habitat of "H. whitii" is forest.
Reproduction.
"H. whitii" is oviparous.


Turkestan rat

The Turkestan rat ("Rattus pyctoris") is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.
Distribution and habitat.
The species is found throughout continental Asia from Afghanistan to China, at altitudes from 1,200-4,250 m. It occurs in montane areas, rocky habitats and frequently near or on cultivated or residential land.


Amphisbaena supernumeraria

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


Atelopus farci

Atelopus farci, the forest stubfoot toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Colombia and only known from its type locality, Granjas del Padre Luna, in Albán, Cundinamarca, on the western flank of the Cordillera Oriental at about above sea level. Its natural habitat is cloud forest where it lives in streams.
The only known population has undergone a dramatic decline. Once abundant, surveys in 2002–2003 recovered only one tadpole. The species is threatened by both chytridiomycosis and habitat loss. The species was named after the Colombian rebel group FARC in recognition of the fact that their activities had the indirect effect of providing protection for the animal's habitat and not, as the author makes clear, for the group's political agenda.


Zodarion morosoides

Zodarion morosoides is a spider species found in Greece.


Agdistis maghrebi

Agdistis maghrebi is a moth in the family Pterophoridae. It is known from Algeria.
The wingspan is 21–28 mm. The forewings are greyish brown.


Japanese cormorant

The Japanese cormorant ("Phalacrocorax capillatus"), also known as Temminck's cormorant, is a cormorant native to the east Palearctic. It lives from Taiwan, north through Korea and Japan, to the Russian Far East.
The Japanese cormorant has a black body with a white throat and cheeks and a partially yellow bill.
It is one of the species of cormorant that has been domesticated by fishermen in a tradition known in Japan as "ukai" (鵜飼) (literally meaning 'raising a cormorant'). It is called "umiu" (ウミウ "sea cormorant") in Japanese. The Nagara River's well-known fishing masters work with this particular species to catch "ayu".


Calotes maria

Calotes maria, called commonly the Khasi Hills forest lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to South Asia.
Geographic range.
"C. maria" is found in India (Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, and Mizoram), and may also be found in adjacent areas of Bangladesh (Chittagong Hill Tracts and Sylhet Division).
Etymology.
The specific name, "maria", may be in honor of English conchologist Maria Emma Gray, the wife of John Edward Gray, the describer of this species.
Morphology.
Physical Structure: Two parallel rows of compressed scales on the head just above tympanum. Has extra flap of skin on the side of the abdomen.
Color Pattern: Body color yellowish green with blue patterns on the sides. Iris is orange-yellow with black pupil. Tail white and having brown patterns on it.
Length: Maximum: ?, Common: 11 cm. (Snout to vent 6 cm.).
Maximum published weight: ? g.
Vernacular names.
Bengali: খাসি রক্তচোষা, খাসিয়া গিরিগিটি ("Khasia girigiti" ) (proposed)
English: Khasi Hills forest lizard and Khasi Hills bloodsucker.
Hindi, Assamese and Mizo: ?
Behavior.
"C. maria" is terrestrial, arboreal, and diurnal.
Habitat.
"C. maria" is found in many types of forested land, on tree trunks, branches, and green leaves. It prefers hilly regions and dense forest.
Diet.
"C. maria" feeds on crickets, grasshoppers, moths and other insects.
Reproduction.
"C. maria" is oviparous; more or less like "Calotes versicolor". About 10-20 eggs are laid by the adult female and buried in moist soil. The incubation period is about 6–7 weeks.
Uses.
"C. maria has no known practical uses. It plays a rôle in the ecosystem by eating various types of insects and otherwise.
Threat to humans.
"C. maria" is non-venomous and completely harmless to humans.
IUCN threat status.
"C. maria" is rated "Not Evaluated (NE)" by the IUCN.


Pristimantis cuneirostris

Pristimantis cuneirostris is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is endemic to Peru where it is only known from its type locality near La Peca, Bagua Province, in the Amazonas Region of northern Peru.
Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forests.


Uromastyx ocellata

Uromastyx ocellata is a species of agamid lizard native to northeastern Africa. It is known as the ocellated spinytail, eyed dabb lizard, and ocellated uromastyx.
Description.
"Uromastyx ocellata" is a medium-small species of "Uromastyx", usually weighing and reaching an average length of around . Males usually have a bright blue coloration with yellow and orange spots down their backs while females are usually lighter in coloration, but are typically larger than males.
Distribution.
"Uromastyx ocellata" is native to northeastern Africa, where it can be found in southern Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia (near the Somali border), and northwestern Somalia.


Gansu mole

The Gansu mole ("Scapanulus oweni") is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae endemic to China, where it occurs in Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, and Qinghai. It is the only species in the genus Scapanulus. The mole is the only member of a tribe of genera commonly known as "New World moles", the Scalopini, not to live in North America.
References.
The morphology of the Gansu mole indicates that it will fall in the Scalopini tribe. All scolopines are distributed in Central America;however, Gansu moles are distributed in the Central and Southwest areas of China.The first specimen of Scapanulus oweni was found by G. Fenwick Owen in 1911 in Gansu, China. The genome of the species is 16,826 bases in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and a displacement loop gene.
<ref>Li, Y., Li, J., & Zhang, Y. (2016). Fossil Scapanulus oweni (Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) from the Shanyangzhai Cave, Middle Pleistocene, Qinhuangdao, China. Quaternary International, 392, 197–202. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2015.08.001
/ref>
<ref>He, K., Wang, J., Su, W., Li, Q., Nie, W., & Jiang, X. (2012). Karyotype of the Gansu mole (Scapanulus oweni): Further evidence for karyotypic stability in talpid [Abstract]. Karyotype of the Gansu Mole (Scapanulus Oweni): Further Evidence for Karyotypic Stability in Talpid, 37(4), 341–348. doi:10.3106/041.037.0408/ref>


Grey-crowned prinia

The grey-crowned prinia ("Prinia cinereocapilla") is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae.
It is found in Bhutan, northern India and Nepal.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, and arable land.
It is threatened by habitat loss.
Grey-crowned prinia is 11 cm long and weight 6–8·5 g. A small, neatly proportioned and relatively short-tailed prinia with small and slim bill. In fresh plumage has rufous forehead.


Chinese egret

The Chinese egret or Swinhoe's egret ("Egretta eulophotes") is a threatened species of egret from east Asia. The species was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1860.
Description.
The Chinese egret averages 68 cm in height. The plumage is white throughout the bird's life and resembles the little egret ("Egretta garzetta"). Outside the breeding season the bill is dusky with the basal portion being tannish peach and the lores and legs yellow green, while the iris is yellow. All individuals are similar in this season. In the breeding season the adults develop a luxuriant crest which is sometimes over 11 cm long. It also develops long lanceolate plumes on its breast and dorsal plumes extending beyond the tail, called aigrettes and similar to those of little egret. The bare parts change too, the bill becomes a bright, almost orange, yellow while the lores turn bright blue and the legs black with yellow feet.
Distribution and population.
The Chinese egret breeds on small islands off the coasts of far eastern Russia, North Korea, South Korea and mainland China. It formerly bred in Taiwan and the New Territories of Hong Kong although it is now only a non-breeding visitor or passage migrant to these countries. It is also a non-breeding passage migrant or winterer in Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei. The most important wintering areas are the Eastern Visayas, i.e. the islands of Leyte, Bohol and Cebu in the Philippines, and the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Selangor where between one third and a half of the world population are believed to winter, based on the results of a winter census undertaken in 2004/05. The total population is estimated at 2,600–3,400 individuals. During the decade from 2002 to 2012 there was no significant decline in the population of this species, and there are newly discovered colonies off the coast of southern China which may represent increased observer effort, but could also indicate a real growth in the population.
It is classified as vulnerable, the biggest threat being habitat loss.
Habitat.
Outside the breeding season the Chinese egret occurs in shallow tidal estuaries, mudflats and bays, occasionally visiting rice fields and fish ponds. All recent breeding records have been from offshore islands.
Behavior.
In South Korea the first returning Chinese egrets, almost always already in full-breeding plumage, start to arrive back in mid-April. Their first appearance is in small numbers on offshore islands, especially in stormy weather, with immigration over by mid-May. The period of spring migration is therefore rather short, and most birds are thought to arrive in their Korean breeding colonies without staging anywhere along the Korean coast. The autumn migration is rather more leisurely with many egrets appearing to move southwards along the west coast during August and September, before departing Korea probably out through the south-west of the peninsula across the Yellow Sea. Other Chinese egrets probably move westwards directly across from Gyeonggi Bay towards the Shandong Peninsula, and then down the Chinese coast. During August and September 1998 two survey circuits were conducted along most of the west and south coast of South Korea and provided some insight into the suspected autumn migration strategy, with around 475 Chinese egrets found between August 18 and September 2, increasing to 615 between September 13 and 28. Most were found in the north-western Gyeonggi Bay, which also holds most of South Korea's breeding birds, but significant counts were made at several more southern sites, especially in the second survey circuit.
Conservation.
The nuptial plumes of the Chinese egret, like other egrets, were in demand for decorating hats. They had been used for this purpose since at least the 17th century but in the 19th century it became a major craze and the number of egret skins passing through dealers reached into the millions. This is thought to have contributed to the decline of all of the white "Egretta" species. The greatest modern threat is habitat loss and reclamation of tidal flats and estuarine habitats, and through pollution.


Thomisus granulifrons

Thomisus granulifrons is a species of spiders of the genus "Thomisus". It is native to India and Sri Lanka.


Pholcus velitchkovskyi

Pholcus velitchkovskyi is a cellar spider species found in Russia, Ukraine and Iran.


Cerceris elegans

Cerceris elegans is a species of wasp in the family Crabronidae. It is found in Russia.


Fauna of Metropolitan France

This article is about the fauna of Metropolitan France, including Corsica. For the animal life in the French Overseas territories, see : Fauna of French Guiana, Fauna of French Polynesia, Fauna of Martinique, Fauna of Réunion, Fauna of Guadeloupe, Fauna of Mayotte and Fauna of Saint Pierre and Miquelon.
Animals include:


Athous utschderensis

Athous utschderensis is a species of click beetle from the family Elateridae found in Russian cities such as Novorossiysk, Sochi and Krasnodar, as well as the southwestern Caucasus.


Ruddy kingfisher

The ruddy kingfisher ("Halcyon coromanda") is a medium-sized tree kingfisher, widely distributed in east and southeast Asia.
Description.
Reaching approximately 25 cm, the ruddy kingfisher has a very large, bright red bill and equally red legs. The body is rust red, generally deepening to purple at the tail. There is little sexual dimorphism though some sources report male birds being somewhat brighter in plumage. Due to its preference for heavily forested areas, the kingfisher's high, descending call is more often heard than the bird itself is seen, and these birds generally travel singly or in pairs.
Distribution and habitat.
The ruddy kingfisher ranges from South Korea and Japan in the north, south through the Philippines to the Sunda Islands, and west to China and India. It is migratory, with birds in the northern part of the range migrating as far south as Borneo during winter. Locally common in southern parts of its range, the ruddy kingfisher is rare in Japan, where it is highly sought after by birders. Ruddy kingfishers inhabit forested areas from the temperate to tropical zones, often in thick jungles and rainforests.
The binomial name recalls the Coromandel Coast of India.
Behaviour and ecology.
Food and feeding.
Like other kingfishers, ruddy kingfishers generally feed on fish, crustaceans, and large insects. However, in areas with less running water, they are known to eat frogs and other amphibians.
Taxonomy.
"Halcyon coromanda" includes the following subspecies:


Apron ray

The apron ray ("Discopyge tschudii") is a small electric ray in the numbfish family, Narcinidae, known for being able to generate electric shocks for defense. It is one of two species in the genus "Discopyge".
Distribution and habitat.
The apron ray is a coldwater marine species found off South America south of the 33°S parallel. It occurs in the southwest Atlantic Ocean along the coasts of Uruguay and Argentina, with small numbers entering southern Brazil in the winter, and in the southeast Pacific Ocean along the coasts of Chile and Peru. The Atlantic and Pacific subpopulations are assumed to be separate, as the Atlantic subpopulation does not occur south of northern Argentina. The depths where it can be found range from . It lives on the continental shelf and prefers sandy substrate.
Description.
In form, the apron ray resembles the genus "Narcine" in having a circular pectoral fin disc, two dorsal fins, and a stout tail with lateral folds. Its distinguishing feature is its pelvic fins, which are merged beneath the tail to form a continuous disc. The maximum length reported for the apron ray is a male; the females attain maturity at and the males at .
Biology.
Apron rays are bottom-dwelling fish that are reported to be gregarious in nature. An analysis of stomach contents conducted by Arrighetti et al. (2005) showed that the primary food item in some 90% of apron rays are the siphon tips of the bivalve "Amiantis purpurata". The sizes of the clams "grazed" in this way fell into small and large categories, corresponding to small and large rays, with males nipping longer pieces of siphon than the females. Another source gives the main diet of this species as polychaete worms and gammarid amphipods. The apron ray is ovoviviparous; litters range from 1-12 pups but 4-5 are the most common. The pups measure long.
Conservation.
The apron ray is caught infrequently as a by-catch of bottom trawl fisheries; it is of low commercial value and is discarded or used for fish meal. Research trawling conducted off Buenos Aires Province and Uruguay documented an 88% decline in this species from 1994-1999. However, the distribution of the species underwent a shift during this time, so it is unclear whether the decline could be attributed to the dramatic increase of unregulated commercial fishing in the region. Globally, the species is considered least concern.
Along with other electric rays, the apron ray is important to neuroscience in the study of cholinergic synaptic transmissions, due to the high concentration of acetylcholine receptor and acetylcholinesterase in the cells of their electric organs.


Amethyst-throated mountaingem

The Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem or amethyst-throated hummingbird ("Lampornis amethystinus") is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae.
It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and is endemic to Mexico.
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. One confirmed sighting of a male Amethyst-throated hummingbird had occurred in West Texas by Cornell Lab of Ornithology on one of their online live webcams on October 15, 2016.
Description.
The species exhibits sexual dimorphism where the males have a range of pink to blue throats and the females have a more tan colored throat. Juveniles of both sexes look similar to females but often with a few pink feathers on the throat.
When compared to similar sister species, it appears the color differences between this and others was a relatively recent evolutionary occurrence.
Behavior.
Generally the species focuses more on nectar than insects through traplining in under and midstory of forests.
It is predominately unterritorial. Its mating call occurs during mornings and evenings. If a female is attracted, the male will perform an aerial display. It starts by flying parallel to the ground in circles, dives towards the female, returns to its perch, and repeats this a handful of times.
The nests are built by the females a couple meters off the ground with a clutch size of two white eggs.


Plectrohyla exquisita

Plectrohyla exquisita is a species of frogs in the family Hylidae. Before its description in 1998, it was confused with "Plectrohyla teuchestes". It is endemic to the Sierra de Omoa in the Cortés Department of northwestern Honduras. The species range is within the Cusuco National Park.
Natural habitats of "Plectrohyla exquisita" are lower montane wet forests at elevations of asl. They are found on low vegetation along streams and breed in streams. It is moderately common but assumed to be in decline because of chytridiomycosis.


Lipsothrix nigristigma

Lipsothrix nigristigma is a species of cranefly in the genus "Lipsothrix", native to England. It is known only from the type specimen taken in Lancashire in 1924, and from two localities near Telford in 1994.
It was identified by Edwards in 1938.
Survey.
In 2000, the two sites from which "L. nigristigma" was recorded in 1994 were resurveyed along with twenty or so similar sites in Shropshire and Montgomeryshire. The target species was located at eight (possibly nine) sites. The majority of sites are centred on southwest Telford with only two outlying sites.