Himalayan striped squirrel

The Himalayan striped squirrel ("Tamiops mcclellandii"), also known as western striped squirrel, or Burmese striped squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It lives in a variety of forest from tropical to subtropical in Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. This species is diurnal, arboreal and feeds on fruits, vegetable matter, and insects. It often seen in small groups and uses tree holes for shelter.
The rapid uplift of the Himalayan Mountains is believed to have caused the diversification of the three main "Tamiops" lineages. Multiple divergences from 5.8 to 1.7 mya likely led to the formation of modern "Tamiops" species.


Black-backed woodpecker

The black-backed woodpecker ("Picoides arcticus"), also known as the Arctic three-toed woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker ( long) inhabiting the forests of North America.
Taxonomy.
The black-backed woodpecker was described and illustrated by the English naturalist William John Swainson in 1832 from a specimen collected near the source of the Athabasca River on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada. He coined the binomial name "Picus arcticus". The specific epithet "arcticus" is the Latin word for "northern" or "arctic". The
black-backed woodpecker is now placed in the genus "Picoides" was erected by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède in 1799. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
Description.
The plumage of adults is black on the head, back, wings and rump. They are white from the throat to the belly; the flanks are white with black bars. Their tail is black with white outer feathers. There is an element of sexual dimorphism in the plumage, with the adult male possessing a yellow cap. Unlike all other woodpeckers except the related American and Eurasian three-toed woodpeckers, this species has three-toed feet.
Measurements:
Habitat and breeding.
Their breeding range is boreal forest across Canada, Alaska, the north-western United States, as well as northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Upper Michigan. In particular the species is a burnt-forest specialist, feeding on the outbreaks of wood-boring beetles that feed on recently burnt trees. The most important wood boring beetles taken are in the families Cerambycidae and Buprestidae, along with engraver beetles and Mountain pine beetle. Most food is obtained by pecking, a smaller proportion is obtained by gleaning off branches. Black-backed woodpeckers are generally non-migratory but historically have undertaken intermittent irruptions.
Nest excavation occurs in April and May; a fresh nest is drilled each year into the sapwood of dead trees. Abandoned nests are used by other species of bird to nest in. The female lays three or four eggs, and incubation duties are shared between both parents, although the male alone incubates during the night. Upon hatching the altricial chicks are brooded until the nestling phase. Both parents feed the chicks, which take about 24 days to fledge.
Vocalization.
The call note of the black-backed woodpecker is a single, sharp "pik", and is lower pitched than the call of the American three-toed woodpecker.


Tetramorium kutteri

Tetramorium kutteri is a species of ant in the genus "Tetramorium". It is endemic to Spain.


List of reptiles of Pakistan

There are around 170 species of reptiles living in Pakistan.
Order Crocodilia.
There are only two species endemic to Pakistan.
Order Squamata.
Around 153 species of Squamata are found in Pakistan.
Suborder Lacertilia.
There are 86 species of Lacertilia (lizards and relatives) in Pakistan.
Suborder Serpentes.
There are 97 species of Serpentes (snakes) found in Pakistan.
Order Testudines.
There are 15 species of testudines that represent Pakistan.


Fauna of New Guinea

The fauna of New Guinea comprises a large number of species of mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, invertebrates and amphibians.
As the world's largest and highest tropical island, New Guinea occupies less than 0.5% of world's land surface, yet supports a high percentage of global biodiversity. Approximately 4,624 vertebrate species inhabit the island of New Guinea and its surrounding waters, which constitutes about 8% of the recognized world vertebrates. This ranges from an estimated 4% of the world's lizards and mammals, to about 10% of the world's fish species.
The numbers of global and New Guinea invertebrate species are poorly known, and thus an accurate comparison is difficult. Butterflies are the best known invertebrate group, and are represented in New Guinea by about 735 species, which is about 4.2% of the world total of 17,500 species.
Origin.
New Guinea is a large island located north of Australia, and south-east of Asia. It is part of the Australian Plate, known as Sahul, and once formed part of the supercontinent Gondwana. The origin of most New Guinea fauna is closely linked to Australia. Gondwana began to break up 140 million years ago, and Sahul separated from Antarctica 50 million years ago. As it drifted north, New Guinea moved into the tropics.
Throughout New Guinea's geological history there have been many land connections with Australia. These have occurred during glaciations in various ice ages. Four occurred during the Pleistocene; the last of which was severed 10,000 years ago. At this time, a number species existed on both land masses, and many plants and animals thus crossed from Australia to New Guinea and vice versa. Many later became isolated as the connection ended, then further evolving to the new environment and becoming distinct species.
However, this Australia-New Guinea mixing occurred among a relatively few faunal groups; some New Guinea species have an Asian origin. As New Guinea drifted north, it collided with the Pacific Plate as well as a number of oceanic islands. Although no land connection with Asia was ever formed (see Wallace line), the proximity between the land masses, via the many small islands of the Indonesian archipelago, allowed some Asian species to migrate to New Guinea. This has resulted in a unique mixture of Australian and Asian species, seen nowhere else in the world. A large percentage of New Guinea's species are endemic to the island.
History of study.
Influential evolutionary biologist Ernst Mayr came to New Guinea in 1928 to make collections for the American Museum of Natural History and banker and naturalist Walter Rothschild. Mayr collected several thousand bird skins (he named 26 new bird species during his lifetime) and, in the process, also named 38 new orchid species. He determined that New Guinea's rarest birds-of-paradise were, in fact, hybrid species. During his stay in New Guinea, he was invited to accompany the Whitney South Seas Expedition to the Solomon Islands. Mayr's experience of the fauna of New Guinea informed many of his conclusions about evolution for the rest of his life.
Mammals.
The mammal fauna of New Guinea is composed of all extant subclasses of mammal: the monotremes, placentals and marsupials. New Guinea contains the largest number of monotreme species of any land mass, with only one species absent: the platypus ("Ornithorhynchus anatinus"). The marsupial fauna of New Guinea is diverse, consisting of the three orders: Dasyuromorphia, Peramelemorphia and Diprotodontia.
The native placental mammals are solely represented by the rodents and bats. There are approximately the same number of placental species as marsupials and monotremes.
Monotremes and marsupials.
New Guinea's monotremes are restricted to the family Tachyglossidae, also known as "echidnas". There are four species of echidnas in two genera: the short-beaked echidna ("Tachyglossus aculeatus"), the eastern long-beaked echidna ("Zaglossus bartoni"), the western long-beaked echidna ("Zaglossus bruijni") and Sir David's long-beaked echidna ("Zaglossus attenboroughi"). No living "Zaglossus" have been seen in Australia, in recent years, and this genus may now be endemic to New Guinea, although a specimen in the natural history museum was collected from the Kimberley region in the early 20th century and fossils have been found in Australia.
The native mammal fauna of New Guinea lacks large predators. The carnivorous marsupials, Dasyuromorphia, of New Guinea are all small in comparison to Australian species, and most are insectivorous. The largest is the bronze quoll ("Dasyurus spartacus"), a rare quoll, first discovered in southern New Guinea in 1979. It reaches a snout to vent length of 36 centimetres (14.2 in). Fossils of larger marsupials have been found, including the carnivorous thylacine ("Thylacinus" sp.), however evidence of carnivorous megafauna, such as the marsupial lion ("Thylacoleo"), has not been found.
The kangaroos, Macropodidae, of New Guinea are highly varied in their ecology and behaviour. Those closely related to the Australian kangaroos, such as the agile wallaby ("Macropus agilis"), inhabit the open grasslands of New Guinea. However, the tree-kangaroos, which are mostly endemic to New Guinea, are different in appearance and behaviour. As suggested by their name, they are arboreal. They have long, thick tails which enable them to balance in trees, and large, strong forearms for gripping to trees. Two species of tree kangaroos are also found in Australia, they are believed to have migrated from New Guinea during the Pleistocene.
The cuscus, family Phalangeridae, are a family of marsupials closely related to the possums of Australia. The cuscus have evolved in New Guinea, and are found throughout the island. Most species are dark brown or black, however two species, the common spotted cuscus ("Spilocuscus maculatus") and black spotted cuscus ("Spilocuscus rufoniger"), are black, orange and yellow.
Many small, herbivorous possum species are native to New Guinea. These include the families: Acrobatidae, Burramyidae, Petauridae and Pseudocheiridae. The sugar glider ("Petaurus breviceps") is one of only two New Guinea possums that are able to glide. It has large flaps of skin between its legs, which it spreads whilst in the air. Three sub-species are found in New Guinea, and they inhabit the entire island.
Placental mammals.
The rodents are solely represented by the family Muridae, and within this family, 29 genera are native to New Guinea. They are believed to have migrated to New Guinea during two periods. The first group, called the "old endemics" form part of an ancient clade including other old endemics from Australia and the Philippines and likely migrated to New Guinea during the Late Miocene or Early Pliocene. The second group includes a number of species of the genus "Rattus". These are believed to have moved to New Guinea later. Most New Guinea species form a monophyletic group with some Moluccan species, which is most closely related to the Australian group (one species of which also occurs on New Guinea) and to the "R. xanthurus" group of Sulawesi.
The old endemics have undergone an adaptive radiation, which produced such distinctive forms as the small, shrew-like "Pseudohydromys", the amphibious "Hydromys", tree mice of the genus "Chiruromys", and several genera of giant rats, of which "Mallomys" is the largest. This genus contains the largest rat found in New Guinea, the grey black-eared giant rat ("Mallomys aroaensis"); males can reach a length of 41 centimetres (16.1 in) from snout to vent.
The bats of New Guinea are a very diverse group, comprising six families, and 29 genera. The six families are: Pteropodidae, Emballonuridae, Hipposideridae, Rhinolophidae, Vespertilionidae and Molossidae. Bats migrated to New Guinea on many occasions, with many species being shared with Australia, the Sunda Islands and even mainland Asia. The megabats, or Megachiropterans, of New Guinea are highly adapted, and many are endemic to New Guinea and surrounding islands. While most megabats are herbivorous, and eat fruit, nectar and flowers, some species within New Guinea have adapted to also eat insects whilst in flight; an ecological niche usually filled by microbats. Some species also forage on the ground, an adaptation not seen in areas with large predators.
The microbats show much less endemism than the megabats. Only one genus and a few species are endemic to New Guinea and surrounding islands; this suggests a much later migration to New Guinea.
The colonisation of New Guinea by humans ("Homo sapiens") occurred at least 40,000 years ago. Since their original colonisation, many mammals have been introduced both by accident, and on purpose. The wild boar ("Sus scrofa") was introduced to New Guinea at least 6,000 years ago, though may have been introduced 12,000 years ago. It is abundant throughout the island, and more common in areas where humans grow sweet potato as their primary food source. The wild boar is a large forager, and disturbs the forest floor whilst looking for food. This disturbance may have an effect on the native flora and fauna.
The domestic dog ("Canis familiaris") was introduced to New Guinea about 2,000 years ago. There is also an endemic wild dog, the New Guinea singing dog, "Canis lupus hallstromi", that is closely related to the Australian dingo. It arrived on the island at least 6,000 years ago. Its common name comes from the way these dogs harmonize during chorus howls. The New Guinea singing dogs live in the remote mountains, above human habitation level, and are the largest land predator.
Many murid species have been introduced to New Guinea. These include: the Polynesian rat ("Rattus exulans"), the Himalayan field rat ("Rattus nitidus"), the black rat ("Rattus rattus"), the ricefield rat ("Rattus argentiventer"), the brown rat ("Rattus norvegicus") and the house mouse ("Mus musculus"). Most of these have not caused much damage, and most have only established in human settlements. "R. nitidus" and "R. argentiventer" have very limited distributions on the island. The house mouse is the most widespread of the introduced murids, and is found in settlements and grassland. It is the only introduced murid to reach the central region of Telefomin.
Three species of deer have been introduced to New Guinea. The rusa deer ("Cervus timorensis") is the most common, and well established. It is found throughout the north and south of New Guinea. It is commonly hunted for meat by humans. The other two species, the chital ("Axis axis") and the fallow deer ("Dama dama") are much rarer, and the fallow deer may be extinct.
The cat ("Felis catus") is common around human settlements, but is rare in the forested regions of New Guinea. In areas where it has established, native animal populations have dramatically decreased.
Birds.
New Guinea has a rich biodiversity of bird life, with over 79 families and approximately 730 species that can be classified into four groups: breeding land and freshwater species, seabirds, migrants from the north, and migrants and vagrants from Australia and New Zealand. There are eight Endemic Bird Areas with about 320 endemic bird species in New Guinea.
The largest birds in New Guinea are the flightless cassowaries, of which all three species are native to New Guinea. Two of these species: the southern cassowary ("Casuarius casuarius") and the northern cassowary ("Casuarius unappendiculatus") reach heights of 1.8 metres (6 ft). The southern cassowary is also native to northern Australia. The cassowary is one of the world's most dangerous birds, for it is capable of inflicting fatal injuries with its powerful legs and the dagger-like claw on its inner toe. It is known to have killed humans.
The pigeons and parrots are well represented in New Guinea. They achieve their greatest evolutionary diversity in New Guinea for the island is abundant in fruits and nectar producing plants. The parrots of New Guinea, as with Australia, are very diverse with 46 species, a seventh of the world's total. The forty-five species of pigeons, including the three crowned-pigeons, the largest pigeons in the world, are a sixth of the world's total.
The passerines display the greatest amount of diversity with over 33 families within New Guinea. The passerines of New Guinea are mostly small, often colourful birds which mostly inhabit the forested regions. The best-known family in New Guinea is the Paradisaeidae, one of three families there known collectively as birds-of-paradise. Many species show extravagant sexual dimorphism. The males can be ornamented with bright, iridescent colours, and modified, ornamental feathers such as tufts and wattles. They also display mating rituals, in which they undergo elaborate movements and calling, to attract females. Some species do not show sexual dimorphism; both male and female can have or lack ornamentation.
Closely related to the birds-of-paradise are the bowerbirds, a group of twenty rather drab, stocky and short-plumed birds found in New Guinea and Australia. They lack the bright and iridescent color and ornamental plumes found in the birds-of-paradise, but the lack is compensated for with the male's architectural skill. The male builds and decorates an elaborate bower, ranging from mats, stick towers, avenued chambers to tipi-roofed huts and displays it to the females.
Another odd avifauna from New Guinea is the poisonous birds, notably the hooded pitohui. In 1989, scientists discovered that the hooded pitohui is poisonous. Later, they learned that the feathers and other organs of the pitohui were found to contain batrachotoxin. Since then, six other songbirds in New Guinea have been found to possess the same toxin in varying amounts.
New Guinea's top predator is the New Guinea harpy eagle ("Harpyopsis novaeguineae"). New Guinea shares with the Philippines and New Zealand the distinction of having a bird as top predator.
Most seabirds native to New Guinea are found throughout the tropics.
Although some species are hunted for meat, valuable plumes and feathers, or for the pet trade, the main threats to most species come from logging and conversion of forest for agriculture, both of which degrade or eliminate important habitat.
Amphibians.
The amphibians of New Guinea consist of a highly diverse group of species, with over 320 described species, and many species still to be described. The amphibians of New Guinea, like most Gondwanan continents, are restricted to those of the order Anura, known as frogs and toads. There are six families represented in New Guinea. Four of these: Myobatrachidae, Hylidae, Ranidae and Microhylidae are native. Two specimens of Rhacophoridae, a family well represented in Asia, were discovered in 1926. They were thought to be introduced by humans, and to have become extinct on the island. The other family, Bufonidae, is only represented by two species: the cane toad ("Rhinella marina") and the Asian common toad ("Duttaphrynus melanostictus"). The cane toad was introduced from Australia in 1937 to control hawk moth larvae, which were eating sweet potato crops; they have since become common in non-forested areas. The common Asiatic toad was accidentally introduced, and is very abundant in a small area in the north-west, and may be spreading further throughout the island.
Frogs from the family Myobatrachidae are highly diverse and widespread in Australia. However, only seven described species have established in New Guinea. In Australia, the largest diversity is seen in the subtropical and semi-arid environments, with the greatest diversity in the tropics occurring in savannah. New Guinea, however, is mostly covered in dense rainforest. The most common myobatrachid in New Guinea is the wokan cannibal frog ("Lechriodus melanopyga"). It is a small ground-dwelling frog found throughout New Guinea. "Lechriodus" is the only myobatrachid genus with greater diversity in New Guinea than Australia. Excluding "Lechriodus", the rest of the myobatrachids are mostly restricted to savannah in the southern Fly and Digul River plains.
Tree frogs, of the family Hylidae, have successfully inhabited New Guinea. They are the most diverse family of frogs in New Guinea with over 100 species, and many more to be described. There are two genera represented in New Guinea, "Litoria" and "Nyctimystes". "Litoria" are found throughout both Australia and New Guinea, however, only one of the 24 species of "Nyctimystes" has reached Australia. "Nyctimystes" are arboreal frogs, which lay their eggs in fast flowing streams, behind a rock to avoid it being flushed away. The tadpoles have modified mouths, which use suction to stick to rocks.
Ranidae, also known as true frogs, are the most widely distributed family of frogs on earth, however, they are not well represented in Australia or New Guinea. New Guinea and Australia have been absent of Ranids for most of their history, however since the continent's collision with Asia, species have begun to move across. The Ranids in New Guinea are only represented with one genus, "Rana".
Although the origins of Microhylidae in New Guinea are very similar to the Ranids, there is much more diversity. The Microhylids are represented by twelve genera in New Guinea, four of which are endemic.
Reptiles.
The reptile fauna of New Guinea is represented by three of the four extant orders. The squamates, also known as the snakes and lizards, represent the largest group, with approximately 300 described species. The remaining two groups: testudines, or turtles and tortoises, and Crocodilia, the crocodiles, are much less diverse. The turtles are represented by thirteen described species, and the crocodiles two.
The lizards of New Guinea are represented by approximately 200 described species. Of these, a majority are skinks with a smaller number of geckos and agamids. The largest lizard is the crocodile monitor. The snakes, approximately 100 described species, show a much lower rate of endemism than most of New Guinea's fauna.
The turtles of New Guinea are almost equally represented by fresh water turtles as marine. Six species of New Guinea's turtles are marine, and all are found on other land masses. The fresh water turtles are represented by seven species, with three endemic to New Guinea. One species, Parker's snake-necked turtle ("Chelodina parkeri"), is restricted to the Fly River.
The saltwater crocodile ("Crocodylus porosus") is the largest reptile native to New Guinea. It is a widely distributed species, from eastern India to northern Australia. It is found in most of New Guinea's rivers, except for those heavily disturbed by humans, or too small to accommodate the species. The other crocodile native to New Guinea, the New Guinea crocodile ("Crocodylus novaeguineae"), is an endemic. It is much smaller than the saltwater crocodile. A separate species may occur in southern New Guinea.
Fish.
Marine.
New Guinea is within the Coral Triangle, the most species rich marine region in the world. In addition to more than 600 species of corals (about 76% of the total in the world), there are more than 2200 species of reef fishes (about 37% of the total in the world).
Freshwater.
, about 375 species of fishes are known from freshwater habitats in New Guinea. Of these, 217 are strictly freshwater and 149 are endemic to New Guinea. In general, there is a strong connection in the fauna of New Guinea and Australia, and 33 freshwater fish species from New Guinea are also found in northern Australia. The most speciose families in New Guinea are the rainbowfish, blue-eyes, gudgeons and gobies, but there are also several species of Old World silverside, grunters, glassfish, ariid catfish, eeltail catfish and more.
The complex geography of New Guinea has isolated many populations, resulting in endemics. A striking example of a biogeographic border for freshwater fauna are the New Guinea Highlands, and the species diversity is higher south of the chain than north of it. Among strict freshwater fish, only two species ("Chilatherina campsi" and "Oxyeleotris fimbriata") are found both north and south of these highlands.
There are several large river systems in New Guinea, including the Fly, Sepik and Mamberamo, which all are rich in fishes. The Fly River Basin, the most species rich river of the island, has 105 fish species, while the Sepik River Basin has 57 species. Among New Guinea's lake systems, the most important in terms of endemic fishes are Kutubu (13 endemics), Ajamaru (4 endemics), and Sentani (4 endemics). The gudgeons "Oxyeleotris caeca" from the upper Kikori River system in Papua New Guinea and "O. colasi" from the Lengguru area in Western New Guinea are the only described species of cave-adapted fish from the island.
Introduced species and pollution presents a serious problem to some freshwater regions in New Guinea. For example, Lake Sentani (near Jayapura city) and Lake Wanam (near Lae city) have four and one endemic fish species respectively, but these are now seriously threatened. Tailings from mines has also polluted several rivers, including the Porgera River (Porgera Gold Mine), Strickland River (Porgera Gold Mine), Auga River (Tolukuma Mine), Ok Tedi River (Ok Tedi Mine), Fly River (Porgera Gold Mine and Ok Tedi Mine), Otomina River (Grasberg mine) and Ajkwa River (Grasberg mine). The Ok Tedi and Grasberg mines alone account for more than half the yearly tailings dumped into water by major mining operations worldwide.
Freshwater crustaceans.
There are freshwater crabs and freshwater shrimps in New Guinea, but generally these are poorly known and often they have not yet been evaluated taxonomically. , 17 species of "Caridina", 22 species of "Macrobrachium" and 6 species of "Holthuisana" (formerly included in "Austrothelphusa") are known from New Guinea. Other crustacean genera known from New Guinea freshwater are "Atya" (2 species) and "Palaemon" (2) shrimps, and "Geelvinkia" (3), "Halicarcinus" (1), "Pseudograpsus" (1), "Ptychognathus" (1), "Rouxana" (5) and "Varuna" (1) crabs.
There are more than 20 species of Parastacid crayfish of the genus "Cherax" in New Guinea. With eight endemics, by far the greatest diversity is found in the Paniai Lakes.
Insects.
The New Guinea insect fauna demonstrates many principles of vicariance biogeography and New Guinea has played a strategic role in the spread of insects in various directions. It has functioned as an area of evolution of higher taxa, and of their spread, as well as being a zone of faunal mixture of two distinct zoogeographical regions the Indomalayan realm and the Australasian realm. New Guinea has a distinct insect fauna which apparently evolved in long isolation. Over the Tertiary it consisted of a land mass (often called the Melanesian continent) more isolated than the present New Guinea, and farther to the northeast. This may have divided into a Solomons and a New Guinea part. Part of New Britain, Manus Island, and the Cyclops Mountains of northcentral New Guinea are postulated as the only remaining parts of the original New Guinea portion. Southern New Ireland was apparently part of the Solomons mass. In the Pliocene New Guinea rose from the sea bottom, and in the Pleistocene connected with Australia for a sufficient period to permit faunal exchange. The oceanic Pacific Islands received insects from New Guinea The number of higher taxa falls with greater distance from New Guinea, with the age of island groups In some. The insect faunas of New Guinea and New Zealand interchanged through New Caledonia not Australia.
There is no comprehensive overview on the insect fauna of New Guinea but a bibliography is available There may be 300,000 - 100,000 species and Papua New Guinea ranks 12th in the world in terms of endemism of large butterflies. The Papua Insects Foundation provides an expert resource
Notable endemic insect species include "Ornithoptera paradisea", "Ornithoptera chimaera", "Papilio weymeri", "Graphium weiskei", "Ideopsis hewitsonii", "Taenaris catops", "Parantica rotundata", "Parantica clinias", "Rosenbergia rufolineata", "Mecopus doryphorus", "Mecopus serrirostris", "Sphingnotus mirabilis", "Sphingnotus insignis", "Belionota aenea", "Poropterus solidus", "Poropterus gemmifer", "Aesernia splendens", "Aporhina bispinosa", "Eupholus petitii", "Eupholus bennetti", "Schizoeupsalis promissa", "Barystethus tropicus", "Eupholus geoffroyi", "Rhinoscapha loriai", "Rhinoscapha funebris", "Rhinoscapha insignis" "Alcides exornatus", "Alcides elegans", "Xenocerus lacrymans", "Arachnobas sectator", "Arrhenodes digramma", "Eupholus magnificus", "Mecopus bispinosus", "Callictita" spp.. Also known from New Guinea are "Batocera wallacei", "Ithystenus curvidens", "Meganthribus pupa", "Sipalinus gigas", "Pelargoderus rubropunctatus", "Rhynchophorus bilineatus", "Gasterocercus anatinus", "Acalolepta australis", "Actinus imperialis", "Megacrania batesii".


Balaji (leopard)


Johora singaporensis

Johora singaporensis, the "Singapore stream crab" or "Singapore freshwater crab", is a critically endangered species of freshwater crab endemic to Singapore. It grows to a size of wide.
Ecology.
"J. singaporensis" lives in streams running through undisturbed forest, where it hides under rocks at the stream's edge, or inside aggregations of leaves and detritus. It is mostly nocturnal, feeding on detritus and oligochaete worms which live in the muddy stream bed.
Distribution.
"J. singaporensis" only lives in Singapore, and has only ever been recorded from two locations. One of these was inside Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, but that population is believed to have been extirpated, as recent surveys have failed to find any examples there. The second population is outside the nature reserve at Bukit Batok, partly on private land, and partly on military land. Acidification of the first stream may have caused the first population to die out, while a lowering of the water table in the second stream threatens the second population.
"J. singaporensis" is one of three freshwater crabs that are endemic to Singapore. The others are "Irmengardia johnsoni", and the critically endangered "Parathelphusa reticulata".
Phylogeny.
The relatives of "J. sinaporensis" in the genus "Johora" are found across the Straits of Johor on the adjacent Malay Peninsula and some offshore islands, making "J. singaporensis" the southernmost species in the genus. It probably forms the sister group to a clade comprising "J. tiomanensis", "J. counsilmani", "J. murphyi", "J. johorensis", "J. gapensis" and "J. intermedia", from which it separated about 5 million years ago, at a time when the eustatic changes in global sea level may have opened up a land bridge to Singapore.
Status.
"Johora singaporensis" is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as Critically Endangered under criteria B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii), which refer to the small size of the remaining populations and the ongoing deterioration of the habitat. The species' restriction to a single small island is likely to have increased the threat of extinction. In 2012, it was included among the world's 100 most threatened species, in a report by the IUCN Species Survival Commission and the Zoological Society of London.


Valencia toothcarp

The Valencia hispanica or Valencia toothcarp ("samaruc" in Valencian) is a species of freshwater fish in the family Valenciidae endemic to the south of Catalonia and the Valencian Community, Spain. There is at least one historical record of this species from near Perpignan in France but the species has been extirpated from that country.
Its natural habitat are marshes, freshwater springs, coastal freshwater lagoons and acequias which may connect these. It is threatened by pollution and habitat loss.
Description.
It is a small fish of a light brown to yellow colour. Adult males oscillate between 4–8 cm and can be distinguished from females in that the rim of their fins is orangish. Also, females are slightly larger than their male counterparts of the same age.
It is a gregarious fish forming small shoals. The species is carnivorous, feeding on insects, larvae, worms, etc.
Conservation status.
Valencia toothcarp is listed as an endangered species by Spanish and international legislation. Its populations dwindled as a result of land reclamation, a phenomenon quite intense in Valencia during the 1980s as a part of the touristic boom. The increased human population which followed also brought increased pollution and introduced species, both factors further damaging the "samaruc" populations.
It has been recently object of a conservation and reintroduction program carried out by the Environment department of the Valencian regional government which has sought to reverse further declines.


Caprona agama

Caprona agama, the spotted angle, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. It is found from southern India to Myanmar and in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, southern China, Java and Sulawesi. The species was first described by Frederic Moore in 1857.


Kermadec scalyfin

The Kermadec scalyfin, "Parma kermadecensis", is a damselfish of the genus "Parma", found around New Zealand's Kermadec Islands around depths of between 3 and 20 m, over shallow rocky reef areas. Its maximum length recorded is 22 centimeters.


Scopula conduplicata

Scopula conduplicata is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was described by Warren in 1904. It is endemic to Bolivia.


Lycodon fasciatus

Lycodon fasciatus, commonly known as the banded wolf snake, is a species of colubrid snake.
Distribution.
It is found in India (Assam), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Tibet, SW China (from Yunnan and Guangxi to Hubei, northward to Shaanxi and Gansu, Fujian, Sichuan).
Description.
Adults may attain 53 cm (21 inches) in total length, with a tail 11 cm (4¼ inches) long.
Its color pattern consists of broad purplish-black rings which encircle its body and are separated by yellowish or reddish intervals. The first black ring does not encircle the neck.
The dorsal scales are in 17 rows, weakly keeled anteriorly, the keels becoming more pronounced posteriorly. The ventrals are 205-213; the anal is entire; and the divided subcaudals are 77–90.


Fauna of Colombia

The fauna of Colombia is characterized by a high biodiversity, with the highest rate of species by area unit worldwide.
Endemic animals.
Colombia has the largest number of endemic species (species that are not found naturally anywhere else) worldwide. About 10% of the species in the world live in Colombia. Some determinant factors in the distribution range of the species are the weather conditions, temperature, humidity and sunlight availability.
Endemics can easily become endangered or extinct due to their restricted habitat and vulnerability to the actions of man, including the introduction of new organisms.
Ecoregions with high endemism.
According to the Colombian Ministry of Environment, the following ecoregions have the highest percentage of endemic species:
Birds.
Over 1800 species of birds have been described in Colombia, (more than the number of existent bird species in North America and Europe combined).
Some of the bird species in Colombia are:
The national bird.
The Andean condor inhabits the Andes mountain range. Although it is primarily a scavenger, feeding on carrion, this species belongs to the New World vulture family Cathartidae.
The condor is one of the largest birds on earth with a wingspan ranging from 274–310 cm (108–122 in) and weighing up to 11–15 kg (24–33 lb) for males and 7.5–11 kg (16–24 lb) for females, but overall length can range from 117 to 135 cm (46 to 53 inches).
The adult plumage is of a uniform black, with the exception of a frill of white feathers nearly surrounding the base of the neck and, especially in the male, large patches or bands of white on the wings which do not appear until the completion of the first molting.
Mammals.
There are 456 reported species of mammals in Colombia. Of these, about 22% are endangered or critically endangered. Most of the threatened species status are due to human activities, in particular destruction of plant and animal habitats driven by local consumption of organic resources, especially related to tropical forest destruction.
While most of the species that are becoming extinct are not food species, their biomass is converted into human food when their habitat is transformed into pasture and cropland.
Colombia has the largest number of terrestrial mammals species in the world, including among others:
Amphibians.
Colombia has the largest number of amphibians in the world (including frogs, toads, salamanders and caecilians) with 589 species, 208 of them being endangered, being the zoological group with the highest rate of endangerment. Some causes related with the decline of the amphibians are: chytridiomycosis, habitat destruction, drought, air pollution, water pollution and illegal trade.
Fish.
Colombia has high fish diversity, with a 2017 estimate suggesting 1,494 species of freshwater fishes. Following a rapid inventory of the Bajo Caguán-Caquetá region in 2019, there are 513 known species in the Caquetá river and 148 known species in the Caguán. During this inventory eight species were identified as possibly new to science.
Molluscs.
There are more than 80 genera of land gastropods in (continental) Colombia.


Psilogramma macromera

Psilogramma macromera is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is known from Malaysia.


Protobothrops jerdonii

Protobothrops jerdonii (Jerdon's pitviper, yellow-speckled pit viper, oriental pit viper) is a venomous pit viper species found in India, Nepal, Myanmar, China, and Vietnam. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Etymology.
The specific name, "jerdonii", is in honor of British herpetologist Thomas C. Jerdon, who collected the type series.
The subspecific name, "bourreti", is in honour of French herpetologist René Léon Bourret.
Description.
Males of "P. jerdonii" grow to a maximum total length of , which includes a tail length of ; females grow to , with a tail length of .
Scalation: dorsal scales in 21 longitudinal rows at midbody (rarely 23); snout length a little more than twice diameter of eye; head above, except for large internasals and supraoculars, covered by small, unequal, smooth scales that are feebly imbricate or juxtaposed; first labial completely separated from nasal scales by a suture; internasals separated by 1–2 small scales; 6–9 small scales in line between supraoculars; 7–8 upper labials, third and fourth beneath eye, in contact with subocular or separated by at most a single series of small scales; ventrals: males 164–188, females 167–193; subcaudals: males 50–78, females 44–76.
Geographic range.
"P. jerdonii" is found in northeastern India, Nepal, through northern Burma to southwestern China and Vietnam. The type locality given by Günther is "Khassya" (=Khasi Hills, India).


Acanthosaura crucigera

Acanthosaura crucigera () is a species of lizard commonly known as the masked spiny lizard , Boulenger's pricklenape, or masked horned tree lizard. They are found in Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, and Cambodia.
They have a distinct diamond-shaped black mark on the upper side of the neck and measure about in total, snout to tip of the tail.


Duttaphrynus himalayanus

Duttaphrynus himalayanus, also known as the Himalaya toad, Himalayan toad, Himalayan broad-skulled toad, and Günther's high altitude toad (among others), is a species of toad that is widely distributed throughout the Himalayan mountains. The Yunnanese populations are sometimes considered a separate species, "Duttaphrynus cyphosus".
Description.
The crown is deeply concave, with low, blunt supraorbital ridges. The snout is short and blunt, the interorbital space is broader than the upper eyelid, and the tympanum is very small and rather indistinct. The first finger does not extend beyond the second, the toes are half or two-thirds webbed, with single subarticular tubercles, two moderate metatarsal tubercles, and no tarsal fold. The tarsometatarsal articulation reaches the anterior border of the eye or the tip of the snout. Upper parts have irregular, distinctly porous warts, the parotoids are very prominent, large, and elongated, at least as long as the head. They are uniform brown in color. Males do not have vocal sacs.
From snout to vent, they measure .
Distribution and habitat.
This species is found from Azad Kashmir in Pakistan through northern India and adjacent Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal to southern and central Tibet and northwestern Yunnan in China. Its range might extend into Myanmar. It occurs at the elevations of above sea level. It inhabits mountain forests and shrubland near streams, and also is found in the vicinity of seepages and fields. This high-altitude species can also occur in the evergreen forests of the foothills.It is largely a terrestrial toad. Breeding takes place in hill streams, small pools, and puddles.


Calosima ancorae

Calosima ancorae is a moth in the family Blastobasidae which is endemic to Costa Rica.


Buthus kunti

Buthus kunti is a scorpion species found in Cyprus.


Paraschistura lepidocaulis

Paraschistura lepidocaulis is a species of stone loach that is endemic to Pakistan.


Tataupa tinamou

The Tataupa tinamou ("Crypturellus tataupa") is a type of tinamou commonly found in dry forest in subtropical and tropical regions in southeastern South America.
Taxonomy.
All tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also ratites. Unlike other ratites, tinamous can fly, although in general, they are not strong fliers. All ratites evolved from prehistoric flying birds, and tinamous are the closest living relative of these birds.
Subspecies.
The Tataupa tinamou has four subspecies as follows:
Description.
The tataupa tinamou is approximately in length. Its upper parts are dark brown, with a dark brown crown, a pale grey throat. It has darker grey on the sides of its head, neck, and breast, with a bu belly buff. Its bill and legs are purplish red.
Behavior.
Like other tinamous, the tataupa tinamou eats fruit off the ground or low-lying bushes. They also eat small amounts of invertebrates, flower buds, tender leaves, seeds, and roots. The male incubates the eggs which may come from as many as 4 different females, and then will raise them until they are ready to be on their own, usually 2–3 weeks. The nest is located on the ground in dense brush or between raised root buttresses.
Range and habitat.
The Tataupa tinamou prefers dry forest up to altitude. It may also be found in lowland moist forest and degraded former forest habitats. This species is native to northeastern Brazil, eastern Bolivia, northern Argentina, Paraguay and western Peru in South America. It also has been sighted in extreme southern Ecuador.
Conservation.
The IUCN classifies this tinamou as Least Concern, with an occurrence range of .


Dotted galliwasp

The dotted galliwasp or Malpelo galliwasp ("Diploglossus millepunctatus") is a carnivorous species of lizard found only on Malpelo Island, Colombia.
Description.
Adults of the species grow to 50 cm in total length and can reach a weight of 500 g. They are predominantly black, but are liberally dotted with white. Endemic to Malpelo Island, they have extremely odd feeding habits. Malpelo Island has few resources; the only available foods are crabs and seabirds, especially boobies. While the lizards eat both of these, they also eat guano, and mob birds returning to their young, forcing them to regurgitate their food for the lizards instead of their chicks.
"D. millepunctatus" is viviparous.
Habitat.
This lizard is endemic to Mapelelo Island, a possession of Colombia. The island is treeless, rocky, and very small. The species lives throughout the island. Similar to the marine iguana, it has the ability to swim for short distances, although this is not related to its feeding habits. It shares the island with two other endemic lizard species, "Anolis agassizi" and "Phyllodactylus transversalis".


Black-bellied tern

The black-bellied tern ("Sterna acuticauda") is a tern found near large rivers in the Indian subcontinent, its range extending from Pakistan, Nepal and India to Myanmar. It has become very scarce in the eastern part of its range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being endangered.
They have a black belly in the summer and a deep forked tail. They can sometimes resemble whiskered terns ("Chlidonias hybrida"), but the deeper fork of the tail and the black on the lower belly distinguish them from the shallow fork and black closer to the breast on the whiskered tern. Considering that sequence analysis supports moving the similar black-fronted tern (""Sterna" albostriata") into "Chlidonias", this species might also be better placed in that genus, but no research has yet been conducted.
Description.
The black-bellied tern grows to a length of . In the breeding plumage, the crown and nape are black and the upper parts are pale grey. The throat is white and the breast pale grey, gradually darkening to a black belly. The wings are long, slender and pointed and the tail is deeply forked with sharply pointed tips. The bill and feet are yellow or orange and the iris is reddish brown. Outside the breeding season, the belly is whitish, the tail is reduced in length and the bill has a dark tip.
Distribution and habitat.
The species occurs mostly in Pakistan, Nepal, India and Bangladesh, with a separate range in Myanmar. Its typical habitat is lowland rivers and marshes, and sometimes ditches and pools, at altitudes of up to about . It is an entirely inland species and is not found on the coast.
Ecology.
The black-bellied tern has long wings but its flight is slow, with much flapping. It feeds on insects and small fish, skimming over the surface of the water and ground to pick up insects, and plunging obliquely into the water to feed on crustaceans, tadpoles and fish. Breeding takes place from February to April, the nesting site usually being a flat sandy location near a river or lake, a sand spit or a sandy island. It does not nest colonially but may nest with other birds such as river terns ("Sterna aurantia"), pratincoles ("Glareola" spp.) and Indian skimmers ("Rynchops albicollis").
Status.
"S. acuticauda" is classified as being endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The rationale behind this is that the riverine habitats in which it breeds are under threat in much of southeastern Asia and, although it has an extensive range, it is believed to be extinct in southern China, Nepal, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Only in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh are there larger populations, and even in these countries, this bird is thought to be seriously declining, and there may be fewer than one thousand mature individuals in existence. The threats it faces include the degradation of the islands and sandspits on which it breeds, the collection of eggs for food, predation of eggs and chicks by dogs, cats and crows, flooding of nesting sites by the construction of river dams, competition for fish by local fishermen, entanglement in nets, disturbance, extraction of water, sand and gravel dredging and pollution.


Imbira guaiana

Imbira guaiana is a species of Brazilian land planarian in the subfamily Geoplaninae. It is the type species of the genus "Imbira".
Description.
"Imbira guaiana" is a medium-sized land planarian with an elongate body reaching up to in length and in width while crawling. Its dorsal surface has a greyish-olive color and the ventral side is yellowish-olive. The numerous small eyes are arranged long the body margins from the anterior to the posterior tip.
Etymology.
The specific epithet "guaiana" refers to the Kaingang people (also known as "guainás" or "guaianos") that in the past inhabited the region where the species is found.
Distribution.
The only known place of occurrence of "I. guaiana" is the São Francisco de Paula National Forest in southern Brazil.


Brown-chested martin

The brown-chested martin ("Progne tapera") is a species of passerine bird in the swallow family.
It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, the United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, and is a vagrant to Chile and the Falkland Islands. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, rivers, and heavily degraded former forest.
It usually swoops at low heights, showing white on the sides of its tail, with wings bowed. It may dig burrows into banks to nest (or occasionally in snags) or sometimes use old hornero nests.


Chandleria elegans

Chandleria elegans is a species of rove beetles in the subfamily Pselaphinae. The type specimen was from Volcán, Chiriquí Province, Panama.


Atelopus sanjosei

Atelopus sanjosei is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae endemic to Colombia. It is only known from its type locality in Anorí, Antioquia Department, on the Cordillera Occidental.
Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests near streams.
It is threatened by habitat loss, water pollution by mining and development for mining; it is a lowland species. It is considered rare and has not been sighted since 1988.


Cyprus wheatear

The Cyprus wheatear or Cyprus pied wheatear ("Oenanthe cypriaca") is a small, 14–15 cm long passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It was formerly treated as a subspecies (race) of pied wheatear but Sluys and van den Berg (1982) argued that the form deserved full species status, on the basis of differences in biometrics and especially song, and the lack of sexual plumage dimorphism in "cypriaca".
This migratory insectivorous species breeds only in Cyprus, and winters in southern Sudan and Ethiopia. It has been recorded as a vagrant on Heligoland, Germany,
This species closely resembles pied wheatear, although it has slightly more black on the tail and back, and on the head. The sexes are similar in appearance, a fact first documented by Christensen (1974). A 2010 study found that Cyprus wheatear differs from pied wheatear in fourteen external morphometric characters.
The song is distinctive, and very different from that of pied wheatear, resembling an insect. It consists of a series of high-pitched buzzing bursts.
The song-perches utilised by this species are high for a wheatear, typically being 5 to 10 metres above ground. It often breeds in woodland habitats, unlike other wheatears (Oliver 1990 suggested that it occupies the ecological niche used elsewhere in the Western Palearctic by the common redstart). It is the most arboreal species of wheatear in the western palearctic and it uses often aerial sallying and perch-pounce-feeding tactics. Recent work suggest an ecological differentiation between Cyprus wheatear and migrating northern wheatears "O. oenanthe" and black-eared wheatears "O. hispanica melanoleuca". Cyprus wheatear uses more aerial sallying and occupies more forested habitats, but needs a minimum amount of open/bare ground, and a minimum of high bush/tree vegetation (Randler et al. 2009).


Squalius aradensis

Squalius aradensis is a ray-finned fish species in the family Cyprinidae, growing to SL. It is endemic to Portugal where it is found in only three river basins: Arade, Algibre, and Bordeira basins. It is threatened by water extraction, drought, and introduction of exotic fish species.
"Squalius aradensis" is an ubiquitous species which inhabits small to medium-sized streams with Mediterranean water regime. It may be restricted to very small pools during summer. It breeds in shallow riffle habitats in fast-flowing water.


Mangrove pitta

The mangrove pitta ("Pitta megarhyncha") is a species of passerine bird in the family Pittidae native to the eastern Indian Subcontinent and western Southeast Asia. It is part of a superspecies where it is placed with the Indian pitta, the fairy pitta and the blue-winged pitta but has no recognized subspecies. A colourful bird, it has a black head with brown crown, white throat, greenish upper parts, buff underparts and reddish vent area. Its range extends from India to Malaysia and Indonesia. It is found in mangrove and nipa palm forests where it feeds on crustaceans, mollusks and insects. Its call, sometimes rendered as "wieuw-wieuw", is sung from a high perch on a mangrove tree.
Taxonomy.
The mangrove pitta was first described by German ornithologist Hermann Schlegel in 1863. Its species name is derived from the Ancient Greek words "mega-" "large", and "rhynchos" "beak". It forms a superspecies with the Indian pitta ("P. brachyura"), fairy pitta ("P. nympha") and blue-winged pitta ("P. moluccensis"). Alternate common names include: Larger blue-winged/Malay pitta, Brève des palétuviers (in French), Große Blauflügelpitta (in German), and Pita de Manglar (in Spanish). There are no recognized subspecies.
Description.
Measuring in length, the mangrove pitta has a black head with a buff-coloured crown, white chin and buff underparts. The shoulders and mantle are greenish and the vent is reddish. Juveniles have similar patterned plumage but are duller. It resembles the blue-winged pitta but can be distinguished by its much heavier bill. Its call, transcribed as "wieuw-wieuw" has been noted to be "more slurred" than the blue-winged pitta.
Distribution and habitat.
The mangrove pitta is native to the countries of: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand (primarily the west coast of the southern Thai peninsula).
 Its natural habitat is specialised and restriction to subtropical or tropical mangrove forests and Nipa palm stands. It is threatened by habitat loss. Its diet consists of crustaceans, mollusks and terrestrial insects.
Behaviour.
While all pittas are noted for being difficult to study and spot in the wild, the mangrove pitta is one of the easier ones to spot as it sits high up in mangrove trees and calls. A tape recording of its call will often bring it forth. It tends to be vocal while brooding but quiet at other times.


Adenomera martinezi

Adenomera martinezi is a species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae. It is endemic to Brazil and only known from its type locality, Cachimbo in southwestern Pará. Prior to its redelimitation by Carvalho and Giaretta in 2013, it was believed to be more widespread. The widespread taxon is now recognized as a distinct species, "Adenomera saci".
Etymology.
The specific name "martinezi" honours Antonio Martínez, an Argentine entomologist. Common name Martinez's tropical bullfrog has been coined for this species.
Description.
Adult males measure and adult females, based on just one specimen, in snout–vent length. The snout is pointed in dorsal view and acuminate in lateral view; in males, the snout tip has a well-developed, shovel-like fleshy ridge. The tympanum and supratympanic fold are present. The finger tips are rounded but not expanded, without webbing or fringing. The toe tips are unexpanded and unflattened; no webbing is present. Dorsal coloration consists of 4–6 symmetrically arranged rows of longitudinal dark-colored spots on moss green (male) or grayish brown (female) background. Cream-colored vertebral stripe is present. The belly is uniformly yellow. Males have an internal, subgular vocal sac.
The male advertisement call is long (63–151 ms) with 15–21 pulses; it is audibly pulsed even to the human ear.
Habitat and conservation.
"Adenomera martinezi" occurs in grassy field environments associated with rock outcrops in sandy/muddy soil. The type locality is at a transitional Cerrado/Amazonian region. Males call after nightfall within underground chambers or from exposed calling sites, typically among grassy tufts.
The assessment of the conservation status of this species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) predates redelimitation of this species, necessitating a reassessment. Given its very restricted known distribution, "Adenomera martinezi" should probably be classified as "near threatened" species.


Cora mud turtle

The Cora mud turtle ("Kinosternon cora") is a species of mud turtle endemic to western Mexico.
Description.
The Cora mud turtle is a sister species of the Vallarta mud turtle ("Kinosternon vogti"), with which it shares most morphological characteristics. It is distinguished from other "Kinosternon" species (except "K. vogti") in having a reduced and weakly movable plastron, and a comparatively wider carapace. The turtle differs from "K. vogti" mainly in being larger, darker in colour, and having shell scutes of different shapes and dimensions.
The Cora mud turtle is found in the Mexican states of Nayarit and Sinaloa. It is named after the Cora people, a Native Mexican people who live in Nayarit.


Cuetzalan salamander

The Cuetzalan salamander ("Aquiloeurycea quetzalanensis") is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the Sierra Madre Oriental in Puebla, Mexico. Its specific name refers to its type locality, Cuetzalan del Progreso. Its natural habitat is cloud forest, but it also occurs in coffee groves. It has been found in a range of micro-habitats, such as under moss in rock walls, under stones, inside and under rotten logs, and in leaf axils. It might be threatened by habitat loss caused by human settlements and tourist development.


Chinese nuthatch

The Chinese nuthatch ("Sitta villosa") or snowy-browed nuthatch, is a species of bird in the family Sittidae. It is found in the Russian Far East, China, North Korea, and South Korea.
Description.
The Chinese nuthatch grows to 12 cm in length. Both sexes have bluish-grey backs, and buff to orange-cinnamon breasts. The males has a black cap and eyestripe with a white supercilium, and whitish cheeks and throats, while the female has a grey crown, with a narrower supercilium, and is generally duller and browner above and below than the male. The Chinese nuthatch is found in mature coniferous forests or groves of trees.


Dark-bellied cinclodes

The dark-bellied cinclodes ("Cinclodes patagonicus") is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina and Chile. Its natural habitats are rivers and rocky shores. The dark-bellied cinclodes is distributed in Chile from about Santiago southwards to Tierra del Fuego and in adjacent areas of extreme western Argentina. It is found near streams, lakes and marshlands from sea level up to 2,500 m. It has a bold white supercilium and throat.
Description.
The dark-bellied cinclodes grows to a length of about . The upper parts are mainly a sooty brown, with a broad white superciliary stripe and pale buff tips to the outer tail feathers. The wings have buff wing-bars which are chiefly visible in flight. The chin, throat and sides of the neck are white flecked with dusky grey while the breast and belly are greyish-brown, with the breast streaked with white. The beak is charcoal grey and slightly curved and the rather short legs are dark grey.
Distribution and habitat.
This species is native to the southern tip of South America, its range extending from Valparaíso in Chile southwards to Tierra del Fuego and southwestern Argentina. In the northern part of its range it is found in the Andean foothills at altitudes of up to , but further south, its altitudinal range descends to the sea. It is usually found near water, on lake shores, riverbanks, streamsides and on coasts.
Ecology.
Chilean seaside cinclodes often cock their tails as they walk. They forage singly or in pairs, searching for the small crustaceans and other invertebrates on which they feed. Breeding takes place between September and December. The nest is built in such places as a rock crevice, a stone wall, an animal burrow, a tree hole or on a bridge girder, and is formed out of grasses, with two to four white eggs being laid.
Conservation status.
The dark-bellied cinclodes has a very wide range and is described as fairly common. The population trend seems to be steady, and the total population is large. No particular threats have been identified and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the bird's conservation status as being of least concern.


Coleophora gallurella

Coleophora gallurella is a moth of the family Coleophoridae. It is found on Sardinia.
The larvae feed on the leaves of "Echium italicum".


La cucaracha (moth)

La cucaracha is a moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Stanisław Błeszyński in 1966. It is found in Bolivia.


List of non-marine molluscs of the Netherlands

This list of non-marine molluscs of the Netherlands is a list of all molluscs other than the marine (salt water) species that live in the Netherlands. This list comprises land snails and slugs, freshwater snails and freshwater clams and mussels. There are 197 non-marine mollusc species living in natural habitats in the Netherlands.
There are 169 gastropod (snail and slug) species (52 freshwater and 117 land species), and 28 freshwater bivalve (clams and mussel) species living in the wild.
As for introduced species, there are 23 introduced gastropod species (2 freshwater and 21 land species plus "Candidula unifasciata" as possibly non-indigenous one), and 4 bivalve species, living in natural habitats in the Netherlands. A total of 5 freshwater non-indigenous species live in natural habitats.
Summary table of number of species
There are 4 locally extinct species in the Netherlands: the marine gastropod "Rissoa membranacea", land gastropod "Spermodea lamellata", and freshwater bivalves "Unio crassus" and "Pisidium tenuilineatum".
Systematic list.
This list includes only orders, families and species. (Non-indigenous species only occurring greenhouses in the Netherlands are noted separately, below the main list.)
The source for this list is:
CLECOM-PROJECT: Checklist of species-group taxa of continental Mollusca living in the Netherlands (CLECOM Section I) 14-07-2002
List of synanthropic species in the Netherlands.
These species do not live in the wild or are not recorded in the wild yet, but live in greenhouses and similar biotopes.
List (alphabetically according to their scientific name):


Marisora magnacornae

The Corn Island skink ("Marisora magnacornae") is a species of skink found on Great Corn Island in Nicaragua.


Gegeneophis krishni

Gegeneophis krishni, the Gurupur caecilian, is a species of caecilian found in India. It is only known from its type locality Gurupur, near Mangalore in Karnataka, India.


Amphisbaena saxosa

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


Holcocera ianuae

Holcocera ianuae is a moth in the family Blastobasidae which is endemic to Costa Rica.


Collorhabdium

Collorhabdium is a genus of snake in the family Colubridae. The genus contains the sole species Collorhabdium williamsoni. It is commonly known as the mountain dwarf snake and Williamson's reed snake. It is endemic to Malaysia.
Etymology.
The specific name, "williamsoni", is in honor of entomologist K.B. Williamson who collected the holotype.
Geographic range.
"C. williamsoni" is found in Peninsular Malaysia.
Habitat.
The preferred natural habitat of "C. williamsoni" is forest, at altitudes of .
Reproduction.
"C. williamsoni" is oviparous.


Trichofrons

Trichofrons is a monotypic moth genus of the family Adelidae, the fairy longhorn moths. The genus was erected by Amsel in 1937. Its sole species is Trichofrons pantherella, which was first described by Achille Guenée in 1849. It is found in Algeria.


Homonota horrida

Homonota horrida, also known as South American marked gecko, is a species of gecko. It lives in Argentina and Paraguay.


Smallspine spookfish

The smallspine spookfish ("Harriotta haeckeli") is a species of fish in the family Rhinochimaeridae with a rather disjunct population. Its natural habitat is open seas.
Taxonomy.
This species was first described by Christine Karrer in 1972. It has been hypothesised that some records of "H. raleighana" might refer to "H. haeckeli".
This species is named in honor of both the research vessel "Ernst Haeckel", from which type was collected, and to the eminent zoologist Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) for whom the ship was named.
Description.
"H. haeckeli" is a small species compared to others in its genus and is coloured pale brown with darker shading on its underside.
Distribution.
This species can be found off western Greenland, the Canary Islands, northeastern North America, Namibia, the southeastern Indian Ocean, Tasmania and southwestern New Zealand. It normally lives at depths greater than 1500 m.
Conservation status.
This species is threatened by habitat loss. However, in June 2018 the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the smallspine spookfish as "Not Threatened" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System. The IUCN has classified this species as of Least Concern.


Hahnia pusio

Hahnia pusio, is a species of spider of the genus "Hahnia". It is endemic to Sri Lanka.


Dermophis donaldtrumpi

Dermophis donaldtrumpi is a proposed species of caecilian a nearly-blind, serpentine amphibian to be named after Donald Trump. It was originally discovered in Panama and is yet to be confirmed as a new species; as of , the binomial name has not been formally published. It was given its name after the Rainforest Trust held an auction for the naming rights. The company EnviroBuild won the auction and named the species in protest against Trump's environmental policies and views.
Description.
"Dermophis donaldtrumpi" is about long, shiny, slippery, and slimy, with the appearance of a large worm. It is a burrowing species, living almost entirely underground. It is nearly blind, with its eyes only able to detect light and dark, so it uses a pair of tentacles near its mouth in order to find prey; it also has an extra layer of skin which its young can eat after peeling it off.
According to the Rainforest Trust, amphibians such as "D. donaldtrumpi" are vulnerable to extinction due to being exceptionally sensitive to the results of global warming.
Naming.
In December 2018, the Rainforest Trust completed an auction of naming rights for twelve newly discovered species of South American plants and animals, the money going towards the conservation of the species' habitats. The sustainable building materials company EnviroBuild paid $25,000 for the right to name the new amphibian.
Aidan Bell, owner of EnviroBuild, stated that he named the species after Trump to raise awareness of Trump's policies on climate change and the danger that he sees those policies pose to the survival of many species. Referring to the creature's "rudimentary eyes which can only detect light or dark", Bell said that "Capable of seeing the world only in black and white, Donald Trump has claimed that climate change is a hoax by the Chinese." "Daily Mirror" also linked the creature's limited sight as "a feature that inspired it[s] name." According to "The Washington Post", "The naming choice highlights the president's dismal approval ratings worldwide and is clearly designed to belittle him."
Bell also related the caecilian's instincts when nurturing young to what he claims as Trump's nepotism: "The dermophis genus grows an extra layer of skin which their young use their teeth to peel off and eat, a behaviour known as dermatrophy. As a method of ensuring [his] children survive in life Donald Trump prefers granting them high roles in the Oval Office." Dermatotrophy, a form of parental care in which the young feed on the skin of its mother, has been scientifically observed in other species of caecilians, such as "Boulengerula taitana".
EnviroBuild further connected the amphibian's nature to burrow underground with more of the president's policies: "Burrowing its head underground helps Donald Trump when avoiding scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change". The company also noted that he had "appointed several energy lobbyists to the Environment Agency, where their job is to regulate the energy industry."
The process of naming this species has garnered significant controversy among researchers and conservationists; some have pointed out the conservation benefits of the money donated to name the species, while others have criticized the idea of donating to name a new species, as many of the donors had no involvement with the studies undertaken to describe the species. In particular, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences researcher Christian Kammerer sees the facetious name of the amphibian as "just mean to the creature".


Argyrodes nasutus

Argyrodes nasutus, is a species of spider of the genus "Argyrodes". It is endemic to Sri Lanka.


Kurixalus naso

Kurixalus naso (common names: uphill tree frog, long-snouted treefrog, Annandale's high altitude frog) is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is found in northeastern India, Tibet, and Myanmar.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, and intermittent freshwater marshes.
It is threatened by habitat loss.
"Kurixalus naso" is a small frog, growing to about in snout–vent length. It is an arboreal species that breeds in small, temporary water pools.


Acanthosaura bintangensis

Acanthosaura bintangensis,the Bukit Larut Mountain horned agamid or Bintang horned tree lizard, is a species of agama found in Malaysia.


List of mammals of the Balearic Islands

All three land mammal species once endemic to the Balearic Islands, Spain (the Majorcan giant dormouse, the Balearic shrew and the goat-like ruminant "Myotragus balearicus") are currently extinct, while those presently found on the archipelago have been introduced voluntarily or accidentally by humans in colonization waves beginning in the Neolithic.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Order: Rodentia (rodents).
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40% of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to .
Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs).
The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). Though they can resemble rodents, and were classified as a superfamily in that order until the early 20th century, they have since been considered a separate order. They differ from rodents in a number of physical characteristics, such as having four incisors in the upper jaw rather than two.
Order: Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures).
The order Erinaceomorpha contains a single family, Erinaceidae, which comprise the hedgehogs and gymnures. The hedgehogs are easily recognised by their spines while gymnures look more like large rats.
Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons).
The "shrew-forms" are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice while the moles are stout bodied burrowers.
Order: Chiroptera (bats).
The bats' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammals.
Order: Cetacea (whales).
The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped nearly hairless body, protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater.
Order: Carnivora (carnivorans).
There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.


Belgrandiella bachkovoensis

Belgrandiella bachkovoensis is a species of minute freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Hydrobiidae.
Distribution.
The species is endemic to Bulgaria. It has a very restricted distribution in a small stream (approx. 200m in length) in the Western Rhodopes, near the Bedechka River.


Xenocytaea stanislawi

Xenocytaea stanislawi is a jumping spider species in the genus "Xenocytaea". It was first identified in 2011 by Barbara Maria Patoleta.
Description.
The species is brown, with a cephalothorax long. The male is slightly smaller than the female.
Distribution.
"Xenocytaea stanislawi" is found in Fiji.


Paraqianlabeo lineatus

Paraqianlabeo lineatus is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae found in Yangtze river basin in Guizhou Province, South China. It is the type species of the genus "Paraqianlabeo".


Platyptilia onias

Platyptilia onias is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. It is known from Peru.
The wingspan is about 18 mm. Adults are on wing in August.


Vanikoro monarch

The Vanikoro monarch ("Mayrornis schistaceus") is a species of bird in the monarch family endemic to the Santa Cruz Islands. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and it is threatened by habitat loss. Alternate names for the Vanikoro monarch include slaty flycatcher (an alternate name shared with the Slaty monarch), small slaty flycatcher, small slaty monarch and the Vanikoro flycatcher (not be confused with the species of the same name, "Myiagra vanikorensis").


Catonephele sabrina

Catonephele sabrina is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
Description.
"Catonephele sabrina" has a wingspan of about . The basic colour of the uppersides of the wings is dark brown, with broad orange bands on the forewings and on the hindwings. On the top of the forewings there are large orange spots.
Distribution.
This species occurs in Colombia and Brazil.


Bolivian big-eared mouse

The Bolivian big-eared mouse ("Auliscomys boliviensis") is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.


Craugastor merendonensis

Craugastor merendonensis is a species of frogs in the family Craugastoridae.
It is endemic to Honduras.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and rivers.


Green-tailed sunbird

The green-tailed sunbird ("Aethopyga nipalensis") or Nepal yellow-backed sunbird is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae.
It is found in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, stretching eastwards into parts of Southeast Asia.
Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. In southeast Szechwan and Yunnan, it lives in open mountain woods with moss-covered trees, from 1825 to 3350 meters elevation.


Brunneria gracilis

Brunneria gracilis is a species of praying mantis found in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela.


Pseudocalotes larutensis

Pseudocalotes larutensis, the Bukit Larut false garden lizard, is a species of agamid lizard. It is found in Malaysia.


Agrias amydon

Agrias amydon, the Amydon agrias or white-spotted agrias, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Mexico, Central America, and South America.
The larvae feed on "Erythroxylum" species including "E. havanense".
Subspecies.
There is also an undescribed subspecies from Venezuela.


Odorrana mutschmanni

Odorrana mutschmanni is a true frog species with a wide range in Southeast Asia. It is found from Cao Bằng Province in Vietnam. The findings are published in the journal Zootaxa No. 4084 February 26, 2016. The species name is set to honor Dr. Frank Mutschmann, director of the Institute of Veterinary EXOMED in Berlin (Germany), in recognition of his contributions in His Majesty Research and Conservation of Biodiversity in Vietnam.
Description.
Frogs are large in size, females are larger than males. Length of stems in males 85-91mm and 108-110mm in females. Longer head than wide; no pockets outside; round eardrum, large by 0.68–0.70 eye diameter. The top and front of the back are smooth, the back of the sides of the ribs with small particles; Atrophy of the eardrum, without ribs; blue back with black spots; the lower abdomen and large black spots. This species belongs to the "Odorrana andersonii" group and has sister relationships with the "Odorrana wuchuanensis" species distributed in China.


Large-eared sheath-tailed bat

The large-eared sheath-tailed bat ("Emballonura dianae") is a species of sac-winged bat in the family Emballonuridae.
It is found in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
It is threatened by habitat loss.


Coleophora crassicornella

Coleophora crassicornella is a moth of the family Coleophoridae that is endemic to Algeria.
The larvae feed on "Atriplex halimus". They feed on the leaves of their host plant.


Takydromus khasiensis

Takydromus khasiensis (common names: Java grass lizard, Khasi Hills long-tailed lizard ) is a species of lizard. It is found in Northeast India (Assam, Meghalaya), adjacent Myanmar (=Burma), and northern part of Bangladesh. The type locality is the Khasi Hills.
The type series consists of three males and two females measuring respectively and in snout–vent length.


East Siberian brown bear

The East Siberian brown bear "(Ursus arctos collaris)" is a population or subspecies of brown bear which ranges from eastern Siberia, beginning at the Yenisei river, north to the Arctic Circle, as far as Trans-Baikaliya, the Stanovoy Range, the Lena River, Kolyma and generally throughout Yakutia and the Altai Mountains. The subspecies is also present in northern Mongolia.
Size.
East Siberian bears are intermediate in size to Eurasian brown bears and Kamchatka brown bears, though large individuals can attain the size of the latter. Their skulls are invariably larger than those of Eurasian brown bears and are apparently larger than those of Kamchatka brown bears. Adult males have skulls measuring in length, and wide at the zygomatic arches. They have long, dense and soft fur which is similar in colour to that of Eurasian brown bears, though darker coloured individuals predominate.
Taxonomic history.
Originally, Cuvier's trinomial definition for this subspecies was limited to brown bear populations in the upper Yenisei river, in response to bears there sporting well-developed white collars. The subspecies has since been reclassified as encompassing populations formerly classed as "jeniseensis" and "sibiricus", though the latter two lack the collar.
Behaviour and ecology.
Siberian bears tend to be much bolder toward humans than their shyer, more persecuted European counterparts. Siberian bears regularly destroy hunters' storages and huts where there is food. They are also more carnivorous than their European counterparts and do not seem to like honey. They hunt mountain hares and ungulates such as reindeer, wapiti or moose by ambushing them from pine trees.


Dolichoderus voraginosus

Dolichoderus voraginosus is a species of ant in the genus "Dolichoderus". Described by Mackay in 1993, the species is endemic to Brazil.


Blue-bearded bee-eater

The blue-bearded bee-eater ("Nyctyornis athertoni") is a species of bee-eater found in much of the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. This bee-eater is found in forest clearings. It is found mainly in the Malayan region but extends west into peninsular India. The blue feathers of its throat are elongated and often fluffed giving it its name. They have a loud call but are not as gregarious or active as the smaller bee-eaters, and their square ended tail lacks the typical "wires" made up of the shafts of the longer central tail feathers found in many other bee-eaters.
Description.
This large bee-eater has a large sickle shaped bill and the square ended tail lacks the "wires" that are typical of smaller bee-eaters. The bird is grass green with a turquoise forehead, face and chin. The feathers of the throat are elongated giving it a bearded appearance when they are fluffed out. The belly is yellowish to olive with streaks of green or blue. The peninsular Indian populations are said to be paler green than the northeast Indian populations. Although males and females appear similar, the blue throat feathers of the male show higher ultraviolet reflectivity than those of the female.
The species is named after Lieut. John Atherton (13th Light Dragoons, died in 1827) a nephew of Mrs. P. J. Selby who obtained a specimen of the bird. Selby described the species in "Illustrations of Ornithology" published along with Sir William Jardine in 1828. Jardine and Selby described it in the Illustrations of Ornithology (Series 1, Volume 2 part 4, November 1828, plate 58) and the type locality (holotype is in the Selby Collection, UMZC, 25/Mer/7/b/2) was said to be Cachar District Assam by E. C. Stuart Baker but Sir N B Kinnear re-designated Bangalore as the type locality for the species based on the fact that Atherton was posted in Bangalore when he wrote to Selby and noted that he was helped by a French collector (thought to be Leschenault). However the species is rare in that region. Atherton informed Selby that the bird was very rare, found in the thickest jungles, feeding at night and noisy with "curr, curr" calls.
The nominate form is found in India and parts of mainland Southeast Asia while "brevicaudatus" is an insular population from Hainan. A subspecies "bartletti" from northeastern India, described by W. N. Koelz, is usually considered part of the nominate population.
Distribution and habitat.
This species is found in a variety of habitats mostly at medium altitudes but below 2000m altitude. Thin to fairly thick forest in medium elevations with clearings is the typical habitat. It is found singly or in small groups of up to three and is very patchily distributed. Their presence in an area can easily be missed. It has been reported from the hill regions of the Satpuras, Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, Nilgiris, Chota Nagpur and from the Sub-Himalayan forests.
Behaviour and ecology.
This bird has a loud call, but does not call frequently. It is also not as active as the smaller bee-eaters. The calls include cackling hornbill like calls, a dry "Kit-tik... Kit-tik" in a series or hollow nasal "kyao" calls. Pairs may engage in duets of cackling and rattling which ends in short purring notes. The flight is undulating and very barbet-like.
The breeding season is February to August in India and courtship involves ritual feeding, bowing and tail fanning. Nest excavation may begin a month before the laying of eggs. The nest is a deep tunnel in a mud bank within which four very spherical and white eggs are laid.
The species appears to feed mainly on bees. It exploits the defensive behavior of Giant honey bee ("Apis dorsata") colonies by provoking the mass release of guard bees which are then caught in the air and eaten as they pursue the bird. Although mainly foraging using aerial sallies, it is known to sometimes glean from bark. They may sometimes associate with mixed-species foraging flocks. Birds have been seen at flowers of "Erythrina" and "Salmalia" although it is unclear whether they fed on nectar or insects attracted to the flowers.
A blood parasite "Leucocytozoon nyctyornis" has been described from this species and feather parasites in the genus "Brueelia" are also known.


Asaphocrita collyrae

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


Unicorn (spider)

Unicorn ("one horn", in Latin) is a genus of goblin spiders (family Oonopidae) from South America, containing seven species that occur predominantly in high elevation, semi-desert regions of Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Individuals are relatively large for goblin spiders, measuring up to 3.0 mm (0.12 in) in body length. The genus name refers to a characteristic pointed projection between the eyes and jaws of males. In at least one species, broken-off tips of the male pedipalps have been found within the genitalia of females, postulated as a means of sperm competition. "Unicorn" possesses several traits that suggest it is a relatively "primitive" member of the Oonopidae, and is classified with other similar, soft-bodied goblin spiders in the subfamily Sulsulinae.
Description.
Species of "Unicorn" range from 2.2 to 3.0 mm in body length (from tip of the cephalothorax to end of abdomen, excluding legs). The cephalothorax, yellow in color, ranges from 1 to 1.2 mm long (around 40–49% of body length depending on species) and often possesses a central grey patch with four lines radiating towards the eyes. The abdomen is white with dark chevron patterns on the dorsal surface, and in some species a pair of dark lines on the underside. The body is covered with a dense covering of long stiff hairs (setae). The legs are long, slender, and yellow. There are six eyes, roughly equal in size, arranged in roughly triangular groups of three, with two eyes meeting in the middle, forming a wide "H" or bow-tie pattern. Species of "Unicorn" are considered "soft-bodied", as the abdomen lacks the hardened plates that occur in many other goblin spiders. The abdomen possesses six spinnerets.
Males and females show some differences in morphology: male jaws (chelicerae) are longer and more slender than those of females; the male palpal tibiae—the penultimate segment of the pedipalps—are enlarged compared to females; and males alone possess a "clypeal horn", a forward-pointing projection of the clypeus surrounded by long stiff hairs, from which the genus name "Unicorn" ("one horn" in Latin) derives.
The copulatory bulb of males (the sperm-transferring organ at the tip of the pedipalps), terminates in a narrow, curving tip called an embolus, which in "Unicorn" bears a hook at its base and is accompanied by a similar curved extension called a translucent sclerite.
Reproduction.
Like most spiders, the pedipalps of mature males end in a bulb terminating in a thin, curved projection called an embolus, through which sperm is released during mating. Female "U. catleyi" have been observed with broken-off embolus tips lodged in their genitalia. This has been hypothesized as a type of "sperm-plug" or copulatory plug, where, by breaking off a piece of his anatomy (a process known as genital mutilation or genital breakage), a male physically precludes other males from successfully mating with the female, one of many types of sperm competition in animals. An alternative to the sperm competition function is that genital mutilation might allow males to more rapidly escape and avoid being cannibalized after mating, although this function is thought to be unlikely in "Unicorn" since there are no significant size differences between sexes, and cannibalism is more common when females are much larger than males. Sperm plugs of various types, including gelatinous or waxy substances, have been observed in at least 41 spider families, and are generally thought to ensure paternity. "U. catlyei" is one of only few goblin spiders known or suspected to utilize sperm plugs.
Habitat.
Species of "Unicorn" have mostly been found at elevations between above sea level, many from semi-desert regions. "U. socos" has been collected at in central Chile. The spiders are hard to detect in the field, and most species have been collected by pitfall trapping. They are uncommon in museum collections, and almost nothing is known about their natural history.
Species and distribution.
The genus "Unicorn" was established in 1995 by Norman Platnick and Antônio Brescovit, to encompass five newly described species and one species, "U. argentina", that had previously been described as a species of "Orchestina". A seventh species was described in 2010. The type species of "Unicorn" is "U. catleyi". "Unicorn" species occur in central and northern Chile, western Argentina, and Bolivia.
Classification.
"Unicorn" is a member of the family Oonopidae (oonopids, or goblin spiders), which contains over 1,500 species worldwide. Within oonopids, "Unicorn" is classified in the subfamily Sulsulinae, which contains other soft-bodied genera such as "Xiombarg" and "Dalmasula". Due to certain features of the eyes and jaws that resemble those found in other families, and which are differently modified in many other oonopids, Platnick and Brescovit suggested "Unicorn" was among the most primitive or basal members of the Oonopidae, which was corroborated by a 2014 study that examined DNA similarities among the Oonopidae, finding that "Unicorn" and other sulsulines diverged before almost all other oonopids.


Cercosaura pacha

Cercosaura pacha is a species of lizard in the family Gymnophthalmidae. It is endemic to Peru.


Tabarestan riffle minnow

The Tabarestan riffle minnow ("Alburnoides tabarestanensis") is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is endemic to the Tajan River drainage in Iran.


Red-legged seriema

The red-legged seriema ("Cariama cristata"), also known as the crested cariama and crested seriema, is a mostly predatory terrestrial bird in the seriema family (Cariamidae), included in the Gruiformes in the old paraphyletic circumscription but recently placed in a distinct order: Cariamiformes (along with three extinct families).
The red-legged seriema is widely distributed in South America, occurring in central and eastern Brazil through eastern Bolivia and Paraguay to Uruguay and central Argentina (south to La Pampa).
Like the black-legged seriema, farmers often use them as guard animals to protect poultry from predators and sometimes human intruders.
Taxonomy.
The red-legged seriema was described in 1766 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the twelfth edition of his "Systema Naturae". He coined the binomial name "Palamedea cristata". The red-legged seriema is now the only species placed in the genus "Cariama" that was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760. The specific epithet "cristata" is Latin for "crested", "plumed" or "tufted". The German naturalist Georg Marcgrave used the Latin word "Cariama" for the red-legged seriema in his "Historia naturalis Brasiliae", which was published in 1648.
The name is derived from the Portuguese word "seriema", which comes from a Tupi word corresponding to "çariama", derived from the words "çaria" (crest) and "am" (raised).
Description.
The red-legged seriema is around long and weighs about , with long legs, necks, and tails. It has a greyish-brown plumage, finely barred and vermiculated with dark brown and black; pale brown on the head, neck, and breast; white on belly. The long, broad outer tail has a subterminal black band and a white tip. It has a reddish beak and very long, salmon-coloured legs. The eyes are yellow. Soft feathers emerge from the base of the bill to form a distinctive fan-shaped crest.
Many other characteristics are shared with the black-legged seriema ("Chunga burmeisteri"), the only other living member of its family. Some of these traits are discussed in the Cariamidae article.
Distribution and habitat.
The red-legged seriema inhabits most of central and eastern Brazil, Paraguay, eastern and southeastern Bolivia, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina. It is found at elevations up to .
The red-legged seriema prefers grassland habitat to any other. Though it likes to inhabit lush meadows near rivers, it will not readily move into wetlands or crop fields. It frequents semi-open and fairly dry areas such as thorny scrub and semi-arid woodland regions, savannas and ranchlands, and also hilly grasslands near wooded areas. This species is very typical in Caatinga, Cerrado and Chaco.
Behavior and ecology.
Seriemas are wary, territorial, and diurnal birds. Generally, the red-legged seriema is sedentary, although there are reports of temperature-related migrations. It is typically seen singly or in pairs, but occasionally in groups of up to four individuals, apparently families. It usually walks on the ground and can easily run faster than a human in its habitat. It will flee a car on foot at speeds up to 25 km/h (15 mph) before flying.
Territorial defense may involve agonistic confrontation between individuals, initially characterized by full vocalization duets followed by short runs and flights towards intruders, alternated with claws and beak attacks. In one conflict between two birds, they jumped at each other feet-first, keeping their balance by flapping.
This species typically nests on low trees or bushes, so that adults are able to reach the nest from the ground by short hops or flutters rather than by flying.
Vocalization.
Full vocalization by the seriema is mainly done at dawn and to a lesser extent, during at dusk. It can also occur irregularly at other times of day.
The song has a quality described as "a cross between 'the serrated bark of a young dog and the clucking of turkeys'". At the loudest part of the song, the bird has its neck bent so its head is touching its back. Both members of a pair as well as young down to the age of two weeks sing; often one member of a family starts a song just as another finishes, or two sing simultaneously. The song can be heard several kilometers away; in Emas National Park, Brazil, in 1981–1982, observers often heard four red-legged seriemas or groups singing at once.
The full song consists of three sections:
Their song was notably sampled by Boards of Canada on their track "Happy Cycling" on their debut album Music Has the Right to Children, which was taken from the Vangelis album "La Fête Sauvage".
Diet.
Red-legged seriemas are omnivorous, probably eating prey in response to its abundance. Diets mainly consist of arthropods (such as grasshoppers, beetles, ants and spiders), insect larvae, lizards, amphibians, snakes, rodents and other small vertebrates; occasionally, corn ("Zea") grains and other crops, wild fruits and tree gum. In captivity, and probably even in the wild, eggs and chicks of other bird species are also eaten.
Typically feeds alone or in pairs, seasonally in small family groups; forages walking steadily, looking for food on the ground or in low vegetation. Foraging birds sometimes stays obscured due to cryptic plumage colours. It grabs small vertebrates in its beak and beats them against the ground before dismembering them with its beak and claws.
Reproduction.
Seriemas are monogamous. In the wild, the breeding season correlates to the rainy months of February to July in the northeast of Brazil, September to January in central Brazil and November to December in Argentina.
During the breeding season, the male, more intimidating or forcing himself on the female, spreads out his wings laterally, moving them forward and displaying the contrasting arrangement of the flight feathers, a pattern similar to that of certain birds of prey, such as the African secretarybird ("Sagittarius serpentarius"). The display is often followed by a strut in front of the female, with the head pointing and the crest lifted. The male also gives food (from the normal diet) to the female. Both birds call, thereby reinforcing the bond between them as well as establishing the territories of the pair. Copulation takes place on the ground.
Typically, 2–3 white, softly spotted eggs are laid. Incubation is done by both sexes, lasting 24–30 days. The chicks are coated with long, light brown feathers and are fed by both parents; initially, they weigh around 40–60 g. At around 14 days of age, the chicks are able to leave their nests. At this time, the chick is able to make a call similar to the adult vocalization, although very faint,< to attract the parents' attention to itself. Adult plumage is obtained in 4–5 months.


Luciobarbus nasus

Luciobarbus nasus is a ray-finned fish species in the family Cyprinidae. It is found only in Morocco.
Its natural habitat is freshwater springs. It is becoming rare due to habitat loss.
The taxonomy and systematics of the Maghreb barbs are subject to considerable dispute. Some authors include the much more common "L. magniatlantis" in "L. nasus", while others consider them distinct.


Xanthochorus cassidiformis

Xanthochorus cassidiformis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.