Morpho portis

Morpho portis is a Neotropical butterfly. It is found in Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, and Paraguay. Several subspecies and many forms have been described.
The larvae feed on Gramineae ("Bambusa" and "Chusquea meyeriana").
Description.
"M. portis" is the oldest name for a pretty species, which has generally found its way into collections under the name "M. cytheris" Godart. "M. portis" may be regarded as the type of a small group which embraces species with the sexes alike, in contrast to the forms of the "adonis" group with highly differentiated, multicolored females. The two subspecies can be separated with certainty.
"M. p. portis" Hübner according to von Bönninghausen is never found in the plains, but only at higher elevations of the Sierra Geral, as at Petrópolis and Novo Friburgo in the state of Rio de Janeiro, where it is by no means common. The upper surface differs from that of the southern branch-race in its unusually delicate light blue color, shot throughout with glossy reflections, and which only distally darkens somewhat towards violet.
"M. p. sidera" Fruhstorfer denotes a form without apical ocellus on the underside of the hindwing, which bears pale yellow instead of reddish-brown longitudinal bands on an unusually light ground and in addition has the silver bands nearly twice as broad as in normal "M. portis".
"M. p. thamyris" Felder is sufficiently characterized by the broader black border of the forewing and the darker blue gloss of the upper surface, bears beneath somewhat larger and more uniform ocelli, broader and more intensively red-brown longitudinal bands and consequently reduced silver stripes. The female is rather rare, larger than the male, adorned with larger anteterminal and submarginal white crescents and small longitudinal stripes and with the wings more rounded. This elegant Morphid is very local in Sta. Catharina, but common in suitable localities (timber forests overgrown with bamboo and intersected by large rivers), "M. p. thamyris" flies chiefly in the afternoon from 3 to 4 o'clock, when "M. anaxibia" is already disappearing into the shade of the woods. The butterflies fly slowly, scarcely 1 to 2 meters above the ground, and are fond of resting with closed wings on bamboo twigs. Also on the high lying country of Lages I met with "M. p. thamyris" in the damp woods of the valleys and the primeval forests on the Alto Uruguay. Flies principally in March. In Rio Grande according to Mabilde two generations occur, the first flying for 15–20 days in the spring, the second for nearly a month in the autumn.
"M. p. psyche" Felder of which I have the type before me through the kindness of the directors of the Tring Museum, seems to be due to discoloration. Upper surface darker blue than in "M. portis"; distal border of the forewing broader, more uniform. Under surface: ocelli as in "M. portis", but the silvery longitudinal band suppressed, the wings themselves faded into a lighter brown. Brazil.


Melanopsis rifi

Melanopsis rifi is a minute species of freshwater gastropod in the family Melanopsidae, endemic to a small spring in the south-eastern Rich region of Morocco.


Shokihaze goby

The Shokihaze goby ("Tridentiger barbatus") is a species of goby native to marine and brackish waters along the coasts of eastern Asia. It has also been introduced to the San Francisco Bay in California, United States. This species can reach a length of SL.


Thick-spined porcupine

The thick-spined porcupine ("Hystrix crassispinis") is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae. It is endemic to the island of Borneo and found in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
History.
In 1996, the species was considered Near Threatened, but in 2008, this was lowered to Least Concern.
Distribution.
It is found in a wide variety of habitats ranging from natural forest to agricultural areas, with an elevation distribution of sea level to at least .
Threats.
Although this porcupine is hunted for food, it is not a concern due to its wide distribution and high tolerance for habitat changes.


Black-headed jay

The black-headed jay or lanceolated jay ("Garrulus lanceolatus") is roughly the same size as its close relative the Eurasian jay, but a little more slender overall except for the bill which is slightly shorter and thicker. The top of the head is black and it has a more obvious crest too and a longer tail.
It ranges from eastern Afghanistan eastwards, across the Himalayas, from India to Nepal and Bhutan. It occurs in wooded country with large areas of open ground rather than dense forest. It also occurs in some cultivated areas and even near villages as long as there are enough trees and scrubland nearby.
It feeds both on the ground and in trees, and takes virtually the same wide range of plant and animal foods as its close relative, including eggs and nestlings, as well as scraps near human habitation.
It nests in trees and suitable bushes and in this resembles the Eurasian jay in every respect. There are usually 3–5 eggs incubated over 16 days. Both parents feed the young.
The voice is very similar to its close relative too and is most often a loud screech but with longer pauses between.


Suboestophora altamirai

Suboestophora altamirai is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Trissexodontidae, within the Helicoidea.
This species is endemic to Spain.


Rusty-cheeked scimitar babbler

The rusty-cheeked scimitar babbler ("Erythrogenys erythrogenys") is a species of bird in the family Timaliidae native to South-East Asia.
Subspecies.
"Erythrogenys erythrogenys" has a number of recognized subspecies:
Description.
The species is olive-brown above with rusty coluring on the sides of the face, head, thighs, and flanks. The belly is mostly white. Sexes are alike. The beak is long and decurved in a scimitar shape.
Distribution and habitat.
The rusty-cheeked scimitar babbler is found from the Himalayas to Myanmar. It inhabits habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest at elevations up to 2600 m.
Ecology.
The bird feeds mostly on the forest floor and in low canopy, forming small groups. Food items include insects, grubs and seeds. Calls consist of a mellow, fluty whistle, a two-noted "CUE..PE...CUE..pe" call followed by single note replay by mate, guttural alarm calls and a liquid contact note. The species is generally quite noisy.


Least yellow bat

The least yellow bat ("Rhogeessa mira") is a species of vesper bat. It is found only in Mexico.


Great Balkhan mouse-like hamster

The Great Balkhan mouse-like hamster ("Calomyscus mystax") is a species of rodent in the family Calomyscidae.
It is found in southwestern Turkmenistan, northern Iran and southern Azerbaijan. It was first discovered by the famed Soviet Zoologist and Ecologist, Daniil Nikolaevich Kashkarov (1878–1941) in 1925.


Papilloderma

Papilloderma altonagai is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the informal group Sigmurethra.
"Papilloderma altonagai" is the only species in the genus Papilloderma, which is the only genus within the family Papillodermatidae, which in turn is the only family within the superfamily Papillodermatoidea.
The generic name "Papilloderma" is composed from the prefix "Papillo-" that means "papilla" and from the suffix "-derma" from Greek language that means "skin". This name was chosen because the body has conical papillae arranged in rows. The specific name "altonagai" is in honor of the malacologist Dr. Kepa Altonaga from the University of the Basque Country, who collected the first specimen of this species.
This species is endemic to northern Spain.


Leptobrachella nokrekensis

Leptobrachella nokrekensis is a species of frog in the family Megophryidae. It is endemic to Northeast India and only known from the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve in East Garo Hills district, Meghalaya. Common names Nokrek megophryid frog and Nokrek's spadefoot toad have been proposed for it.
Description.
Males measure and females, based on two specimens, in snout–vent length. The head is broader than it is long but narrower than the body. The tympanum is sunk and vertically oval; the supratympanic fold is distinct. The eyes are bulging. The dorsum has tubercles and a few longitudinal folds. A prominent skin fold overhangs the vent. The forelimbs are slender and moderate in length. The fingers are free of webbing and have rounded tips that are slightly swollen but not disc-like. The hind limbs relatively long. The toes have basal webbing. The dorsum is brownish with dark irregular markings all over, powdered with white. There is a triangular mark between eyes, followed by an inverted "Y"-shaped mark. The belly is creamish and laterally bordered with blackish spots and a line of white glandular tubercles. A pair of reddish warts are located below and above the vent. The forelimbs have cross-bands and hind limbs black bands. The iris has fine dark network or reticulation.
Habitat and conservation.
The type series was collected from river/stream inside the reserve forest at elevations between above sea level. As of May 2020, "Leptolalax nokrekensis" has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, while the India Biodiversity Portal lists it as "data deficient".


Schinia gabrielae

Schinia gabrielae is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in Chile.


Chinese red pika

The Chinese red pika ("Ochotona erythrotis") is a species of mammal in the family Ochotonidae. Typical of a pika it has short limbs, a small tail and round ears. Specific to the Chinese red pika has distinctive red color in its pelt. The Chinese pika typically lives in rocky terrain at altitudes between 600–1200 meters. and is endemic to the East Qinghai, West Gansu and Northern Sichuan provinces of China and Eastern Tibet.
Description.
The Chinese red pika is one of the largest pika species, averaging a length of 18 to 29 cm. This pika has both a winter and summer pelt. The winter pelt is thicker for the cooler weather, and is a grey color with a slight tint of red in the ear region. In the summer, this species has a coat that is a rusty-red color at the head and chest and progressively becomes more grey at the tail end of the animal. The stomach region of "O. erythrotis" is a white color in both pelts.
Speciation.
The Chinese red pika was formerly regarded as a subgenus of Pika, included first with "Ochotona gloveri" and later with "Ochotona rutila" until they were determined to be separate species (mammal species). The pika species "O. gloveri" is believed to be the closest relative to "O. erythrotis". The two species are considered to have an allopatric relationship.
Differences between "O. erythrotis", "O. gloveri", and "O. rutila" are primarily seen in the shape of the skull and in fur color. The Chinese Red Pika has larger auditory bullae, a shorter nasals cavity, and a broader rostrum than "O. gloveri". It has a smaller, and more arched skull than "O. rutila" and additionally has frontal fenestrae. Additionally, these subspecies have different fur colorations. "O. gloveri" has darker fur than "O. erythrotis". Its summer fur is darker with more of a brown tint with a distinct rusty red color on the nose, forehead and ear region. In the winter, its coat is much lighter than "O. erythrotis".
Reproduction.
"O. erythrotis" have an average of two litters per year, usually averaging 3–7 young per litter. Their reproductive season is between May and August.
Geography.
"O. erythrotis" is found in China and East Tibet. Specifically in China, "O. erythrotis" can be found in East Qinghai, West Gansu and Northern Sichuan.
Habitat.
The Chinese red pika is primarily a rock-dwelling pika. It can be found in cliff and rock terrain or in the alpine shrubland and meadows near rock formations primarily at an altitude of . This species has been observed to be adaptable and opportunistic in where it lives. This pika species is a burrowing species, which makes burrows that are 1–2 meters in length.


Kinabalu shrew

The Kinabalu shrew ("Crocidura baluensis") is a species in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to the mountain Mount Kinabalu on Borneo.


Speonectes tiomanensis

Speonectes tiomanensis is a species of stone loach that is endemic to Malaysia and only known from a cave on Tioman Island. This fish reaches a length of SL. This species is the only known member of its genus, but it was formerly included in "Sundoreonectes". It is the only cavefish known from Malaysia.


Coal-black salamander

The Coal-black Salamander ("Bolitoglossa anthracina") is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae.
It is endemic to Panama.
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
It is threatened by habitat loss.


List of non-marine molluscs of Switzerland

The non-marine molluscs of Switzerland are a part of the molluscan fauna of Switzerland. Switzerland is land-locked and therefore it has no marine molluscs, only land and freshwater species.
There are ??? species of non-marine molluscs living in the wild in Switzerland.
Freshwater gastropods.
Hydrobiidae
Land gastropods.
Pupillidae
Milacidae
Hygromiidae
Helicidae
Hothouse aliens.
"Hothouse aliens" in Switzerland include:
See also.
Lists of molluscs of surrounding countries:


Shortfin mako shark

The shortfin mako shark ("Isurus oxyrinchus"), also known as the blue pointer or bonito shark, is a large mackerel shark. It is commonly referred to as the mako shark, as is the longfin mako shark ("Isurus paucus"). The shortfin mako can reach a size of in length. The species is classified as Endangered by the IUCN.
Etymology.
"Mako Mako" comes from the Māori language, meaning 'man eater'. Following the Māori language, "mako" in English is both singular and plural. The word may have originated in a dialectal variation, as it is similar to the common words for shark in a number of Polynesian languages—"makō" in the Kāi Tahu Māori dialect, "mangō" in other Māori dialects, "mago" in Samoan, "ma'o" in Tahitian, and "mano" in Hawaiian. The first written usage is in Lee and Kendall's "Grammar and vocabulary of the language of New Zealand" (1820), which simply states, "Máko; A certain fish". Richard Taylor's "A leaf from the natural history of New Zealand" (1848) is more elaborate: "Mako, the shark which has the tooth so highly prized by the Maoris".
In 1809, Constantine Rafinesque gave the shortfin mako the scientific name "Isurus oxyrinchus" ("isurus" means "the same tail", "oxyrinchus" means "pointy snout").
Description.
The shortfin mako shark is a fairly large species of shark. Growth rates appear to be somewhat accelerated in comparison to other species in the lamnid family. An average adult specimen measures around in length and weighs from . The species is sexually dimorphic, with females typically larger than males. Large specimens are known, with a few large, mature females exceeding a length of and a weight of . The largest taken on hook-and-line was , caught off the coast of California on June 3, 2013, and the longest verified length was caught off the Mediterranean coast of France in September 1973. A specimen caught off the coast of Italy and examined in an Italian fish market in 1881 was reported to weigh an extraordinary at a length of . Yet another fish was caught off Marmaris, Turkey in the late 1950s at an estimated size of between 5.77 m (18.9 ft) and 6.19 m (20.3 ft) making it the largest known specimen of the species. However, this estimate was created using photos of the shark and not at the time of capture so this estimate must be taken with reasonable caution. The authors did not estimate a weight for this specimen.
The shortfin mako shark is cylindrical in shape, with a vertically elongated tail. This species exhibits countershading, with brilliant metallic blue coloration dorsally and white ventrally. The line of demarcation between blue and white on the body is distinct. The underside of the snout and the area around the mouth are white. Larger specimens tend to possess darker coloration that extends onto parts of the body that would be white in smaller individuals. The juvenile mako differs in that it has a clear blackish stain on the tip of the snout. The longfin mako shark very much resembles the shortfin mako shark, but has larger pectoral fins, dark rather than pale coloration around the mouth and larger eyes. The presence of only one lateral keel on the tail and the lack of lateral cusps on the teeth distinguish the mako from the closely related porbeagle sharks of the genus "Lamna".
Ecology.
Range and habitat.
The shortfin mako inhabits offshore temperate and tropical seas worldwide. The closely related longfin mako shark is found in the Gulf Stream or warmer offshore waters (for ex., New Zealand and Maine).
It is a pelagic species that can be found from the surface to depths of , normally far from land, though occasionally closer to shore, around islands or inlets. One of the very few known endothermic sharks, it is seldom found in waters colder than 16 °C (61 °F).
In the western Atlantic, it can be found from Argentina and the Gulf of Mexico to Browns Bank off of Nova Scotia. In Canadian waters, these sharks are neither abundant nor rare. Swordfish are good indicators of shortfin mako populations, as the former are a source of food and prefer similar environmental conditions.
Shortfin mako sharks travel long distances to seek prey or mates. In December 1998, a female tagged off California was captured in the central Pacific by a Japanese research vessel, meaning this fish traveled over . Another specimen swam in 37 days, averaging a day.
Feeding.
The shortfin mako shark feeds mainly upon cephalopods and bony fish including mackerels, tunas, bonitos, and swordfish, but it may also eat other sharks, porpoises, sea turtles, and seabirds. They hunt by lunging vertically up and tearing off chunks of their preys' flanks and fins. Mako swim below their prey, so they can see what is above and have a high probability of reaching prey before it notices them. In Ganzirri and Isola Lipari, Sicily, shortfin mako have been found with amputated swordfish bills impaled into their head and gills, suggesting swordfish seriously injure and likely kill them. In addition, this location, and the late spring and early summer timing, corresponding to the swordfish's spawning cycle, suggests they hunt while the swordfish are most vulnerable, typical of many predators.
Shortfin mako sharks consume 3% of their weight each day and take about 1.5–2.0 days to digest an average-sized meal. By comparison, the sandbar shark, an inactive species, consumes 0.6% of its weight a day and takes 3 to 4 days to digest it. An analysis of the stomach contents of 399 male and female mako sharks ranging from suggest mako from Cape Hatteras to the Grand Banks prefer bluefish, constituting 77.5% of their diet by volume. The average capacity of the stomach was 10% of the total weight. Shortfin mako sharks consumed 4.3% to 14.5% of the available bluefish between Cape Hatteras and Georges Bank.
Shortfin mako sharks over have interior teeth considerably wider and flatter than smaller mako, which enables them to prey effectively upon dolphins, swordfish, and other sharks. An amateur videotape, taken in Pacific waters, shows a moribund pantropical spotted dolphin whose tail was almost completely severed being circled by a shortfin mako. Mako also tend to scavenge long-lined and netted fish.
The bite of a shortfin mako shark is exceptionally strong; the current record for the strongest bite measured for any shark belongs to a shortfin mako that was recorded at Mayor Island in New Zealand in 2020. The shark had been coaxed into biting a custom-made "bite meter" as part of an experiment to measure mako bite force. The strongest bite recorded during the experiment was roughly 3,000 lbs. of force, or roughly 13,000 newtons.
Its endothermic constitution partly accounts for its relatively great speed.
Like other lamnid sharks, the shortfin mako shark has a heat-exchange circulatory system that allows the shark to be 7–10 °F (4–7 °C) warmer than the surrounding water. This system enables them to maintain a stable, very high level of activity, giving it an advantage over its cold-blooded prey.
Behavior.
The shortfin mako is a fast species that can leap into the air when hooked, making it a highly sought-after game fish worldwide. Some cases of shortfin mako jumping into a boat after having been hooked have been reported.
Reproduction.
The shortfin mako shark is a yolk-sac ovoviviparous shark, giving birth to live young. Developing embryos feed on unfertilized eggs (oophagy) within the uterus during the 15- to 18-month gestation period. They do not engage in sibling cannibalism unlike the sand tiger shark ("Carcharias taurus"). The four to 18 surviving young are born live in the late winter and early spring at a length of about . Females may rest for 18 months after birth before mating again. Shortfin mako sharks bear young on average every three years.
Lifespan.
Shortfin mako sharks, as with most other sharks, are aged by sectioning vertebrae — one of the few bony structures in sharks — and counting growth bands. The age of shortfin mako, and therefore important parameters, such as age at sexual maturity and longevity, were severely underestimated until 2006 (e.g. claims of sexual maturity at 4–6 years, claims of longevity as low as 11 years), because of a poorly supported belief that shortfin mako sharks deposited two growth bands per year in their vertebrae. This belief was overturned by a landmark study which proved that shortfin mako sharks only deposit one band in their vertebrae per year, as well as providing validated ages for numerous specimens. Natanson et al. (2006) aged 258 shortfin mako specimens and recorded:
Similar, validated age findings were made (median age at maturity in males 7–9 years, median age at maturity in females 19–21 years, longevity estimates 29 years and 28 years respectively) in New Zealand waters.
Due to this error, fishery management models and ecological risk assessment models in use around the world were underestimating both the longevity and the age at sexual maturity in shortfin mako sharks, particularly in females, by two-thirds or more (i.e. 6 years versus 18+ years), and some of these inaccurate models remain in use.
Intelligence.
Of all studied sharks, the shortfin mako has one of the largest brain-to-body ratios. This large brain size prompted New Zealand Sealife Australia and New Zealand senior curator Craig Thorburn of Auckland, New Zealand, and film-maker Mike Bhana to investigate the intelligence of the shortfin mako. From tests involving shape differentiation to electroreception tests and individual recognition, Isuru Somawardana and his team of shark experts discovered shortfin mako are fast-learning sharks, able to determine whether or not the researchers were threatening. The sharks involved in the study (while never the same individuals) after initial caution showed unique and novel behaviors, such as refusing to roll back their eyes during feeding and allowing themselves to be briefly restrained and touched while being offered bait. Shortfin mako also do not rely on electroreception when hunting, unlike the great white shark, based on tests involving wired fiberglass fish designed to emit weak electrical signals resembling real fish of similar size. Instead, they rely on smell, hearing, and most prominently, vision. The results of this research were featured on a documentary presented by Shark Week in 1999 called "Mako: Swift, Smart & Deadly".
Relationship with humans.
Fishing for sport.
Mako fishing is a prominent activity around the world. As one of the fastest species in the water they offer acrobatic flips, fast runs, and heavy fights that entertain anglers. Traditionally, the sharks are hooked through the use of chum and baitcasters; however, fly fishing for them has become more popular, particularly in San Diego, where one of the three known worldwide mako rookeries is located. A cottage industry of fishing in this rookery has emerged, specifically catch and release with charter operations out of Mission Bay. For many years the mass commercial boats hunted them for restaurant catch, but through the efforts of many local fishing companies and national organizations such as Orvis, this has been curbed.
Captivity.
Of all recorded attempts to keep pelagic shark species in captivity, the shortfin mako shark has fared the poorest, even more so than the oceanic whitetip shark, the blue shark, and the great white shark. The current record is held by a specimen kept at the New Jersey Aquarium for only five days in 2001. Like past attempts at keeping "Isurus" in captivity, the animal appeared strong on arrival, but had trouble negotiating the walls of the aquarium, refused to feed, quickly weakened, and died.
Attacks on humans.
ISAF statistics records 9 shortfin attacks on humans between 1580 and 2017, one of which was fatal, along with 20 boat attacks. This mako is regularly blamed for attacks on humans and, due to its speed, power, and size, it is certainly capable of injuring and killing people. However, this species will not generally attack humans and does not seem to treat them as prey. Most modern attacks involving shortfin mako sharks are considered to have been provoked due to harassment or the shark being caught on a fishing line. Sharks can be attracted to spear fishermen carrying a stuck fish, and may slap them with cavitation bubbles from a swift tail flick. Divers who have encountered shortfin mako note, prior to an attack, they swim in a figure-eight pattern and approach with mouths open.
Conservation.
The shortfin mako is currently classified as Endangered by the IUCN, having been uplisted from Vulnerable in 2019 and Near-Threatened in 2007. The species is being targeted by both sport and commercial fisheries, and there is a substantial proportion of bycatch in driftnet fisheries for other species. In June 2018, the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the shortfin mako shark as "Not Threatened" with the qualifier "Uncertain whether Secure Overseas" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System. In 2019, the shortfin mako was reclassified by the IUCN from being listed as "Vulnerable" to "Endangered" after a review of 58 elasmobranch species.


Pseudocalotes viserion

Pseudocalotes viserion, Viserion’s false garden lizard, is a species of agamid lizard. It is found in Malaysia.


Xerocrassa roblesi

Xerocrassa roblesi is a species of air-breathing land snail, a pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies. This species is endemic to Spain, where it is restricted to the natural reserve of the Serra Calderona in the north of the province of Valencia.