Angel Island mouse

The Angel Island mouse or La Guarda deermouse ("Peromyscus guardia") is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.
Distribution.
It is endemic to Mexico, where it is historically known only from the island of Ángel de la Guarda and nearby islets in the northwestern Gulf of California, Baja California.
The species is believed to be extirpated from the three smaller islands, and may be extinct on Ángel de la Guarda, as well. The species is threatened by predation by feral cats, and by competition from introduced rodents.
Description.
The Angel Island mouse has pale grey-brown fur with white underparts and feet, and large, hairless ears. It is most readily distinguished from closely related species on the mainland by subtle characteristics of the skull, or through genetic or biochemical analysis. Adults range from in total length, including tails long. Females have four abdominal teats.
Distribution and habitat.
The Angel Island mouse is endemic to Ángel de la Guarda Island, a mountainous island off the east coast of Baja California Sur, and to three much smaller islands in the same group. Within the islands, the species appears to be confined to sandy beaches, and perhaps to rockier areas nearby, and has not been found in the high mountainous terrain that forms most of their land area.
Three subspecies are formally recognised, although two of these are now extinct:
Biology.
The Angel Island mouse is believed to be descended from an isolated population of cactus mice, possibly belonging to the "P. e. fraterculus" species or subspecies The critically endangered San Lorenzo mouse, which inhabits a smaller group of islands to the south, may be descended from the same stock, isolated when the islands separated from the mainland as sea levels rose at the end of the last Ice Age. The two species remain able to interbreed, although it is not known whether the resulting hybrids are fertile. Little is known of the behaviour or detailed biology of the species, although it is believed to breed in the spring.
Conservation status.
As recently as the 1960s, the Angel Island mouse was reported to be abundant on at least three of the four islands it was known to inhabit. However, no specimens have been found on the islands since 1991, despite a number of surveys. The main risks to the species come from feral cats, and from introduced house mice and black rats, which compete with the endemic species for resources. The subspecies resident on the two northern islets are now listed as extinct, while the entire population on the southern islet of Estanque was probably driven to extinction by a single cat, present on the island only between 1998 and 1999.
The species is currently listed as critically endangered by the IUCN, but since no living specimens have been seen for 20 years, , it may well be entirely extinct. If the species still survives, it is likely restricted to an area of no more than .


Painted whitestart

The painted whitestart or painted redstart ("Myioborus pictus"), is a species of New World warbler.
Taxonomy.
When he first described the species in 1829, naturalist William John Swainson assigned it to the genus "Setophaga" — the same genus as that of the American redstart — where it remained for nearly a century and a half, though one naturalist placed it in the Old World flycatcher genus "Muscicapa" during that time. By the mid 1960s, researchers recommended that it be moved to its current genus, "Myioborus", based on various similarities with the other whitestarts. The painted whitestart is the sister taxon to all the other species in the genus "Myioborus".
There are two subspecies, which differ only slightly in appearance:
Description.
The painted whitestart is the largest of the whitestarts.
Measurements:
The sexes are the same in plumage, though males average slightly larger than females. The adult is mostly black, with a bright red lower breast and belly, large white wing patches, white outer tail feathers and white crescents below its eyes. The bill and legs are blackish.
The juvenile painted whitestart lacks the red belly and glossy black plumage of the adult. It is brownish-gray overall, with a paler belly and undertail coverts, and a pale cream or buff tinge to its wing patches.
Voice.
Painted whitestarts are unusual amongst birds, and especially amongst warblers in that the female painted redstart is capable of singing just as well as a male, and during spring courtship a pair will often bond by singing together.
Distribution and habitat.
Painted whitestarts are common in open oak woodlands and canyons at heights between in Central America and Mexico, ranging as far north as the Madrean sky islands and Mogollon Rim in Arizona and New Mexico and Big Bend National Park in Texas. During the summer and winter, these birds may venture as far south as Nicaragua. In 2010, a painted redstart was found further north in California than had ever been recorded, in Auburn, CA, east of Sacramento. In 2013, one was observed in Berkeley, CA.
Breeding.
Their nesting is done on the ground, and they create their nests so that they will be hidden among rocks, roots, or tufts of grass on steeply sloping ground. Their nests are large and shallow, constructed of strips of bark, plant fibers, leaves, and grass. The female will lay 3 or 4 white to cream-colored eggs that are speckled with fine brown and reddish spots. Incubation lasts about 14 days, but other nesting details are largely unknown.
The young painted whitestart has a deep yellow-orange mouth lining.


Neopectinimura calligina

Neopectinimura calligina is a moth in the family Lecithoceridae. It is found in Papua New Guinea.
The wingspan is 10–12 mm. The forewing ground color is yellowish-white, speckled with brownish scales. The hindwings are orange gray and slightly broader than the forewings.
Etymology.
The species name is derived from the Latin "calligin" (meaning dark or obscura) and refers to the dark color of the basal part of the antenna.


Pontinus nigropunctatus

Pontinus nigropunctatus, the deepwater jack or St. Helena deepwater scorpionfish, is a species of fish in the family Scorpaenidae. It is endemic to Saint Helena.


Strongylognathus italicus

Strongylognathus italicus is a species of ant in the genus "Strongylognathus". It is endemic to Italy.


Schizoglossa major

Schizoglossa major was a species of large predatory, air-breathing, land slug, a carnivorous terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Rhytididae. This species has only been found as a subfossil.


Chortonoeca

Chortonoeca is a monotypic snout moth genus in the family Pyralidae. Its single species, Chortonoeca leucocraspia, is known from Algeria. Both the genus and species were described by George Hampson in 1918.


List of mammals of Armenia

There are sixty-two mammal species in Armenia, of which one is critically endangered, two are endangered, eight are vulnerable, and four are near threatened.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:
Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates).
The even-toed ungulates are ungulates whose weight is borne about equally by the third and fourth toes, rather than mostly or entirely by the third as in perissodactyls. There are about 220 artiodactyl species, including many that are of great economic importance to humans.
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.
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: 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: 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: 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 45 kg (100 lb).
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.
Extinct.
The following species are locally extinct in the country:


Eurytides bellerophon

Eurytides bellerophon is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in south-eastern Brazil (Minas Gerais, São Paulo and from Santa Catarina to Mato Grosso), Bolivia (Pando and Mapiri) and northern Argentina (Misiones).
The larvae feed on "Guatteria nigrescens".


Bramble shark

The bramble shark ("Echinorhinus brucus") is one of the two species of sharks in the family Echinorhinidae. Aside from the eastern Pacific Ocean, it is found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide. This rarely encountered shark swims close to the bottom of the seafloor, typically at depths of , though it may enter much shallower water. The bramble shark has a stout body with two small dorsal fins positioned far back and no anal fin. It can be readily identified by the large, thorn-like dermal denticles scattered over its body, some of which may be fused together. It is purplish brown or black in color and grows up to long.
The diet of the bramble shark includes smaller sharks, bony fishes, and crabs, which this slow-moving species may capture via suction. It is aplacental viviparous, with females producing litters of 15–52 pups. Harmless to humans, it is an occasional bycatch of commercial and recreational fishers, and may be used for fishmeal and liver oil. Its population has declined substantially in the northeastern Atlantic since the 18th and 19th centuries, likely because of overfishing.
Taxonomy.
The original description of the bramble shark was authored by French naturalist Pierre Joseph Bonnaterre in the 1788 "Tableau encyclopédique et méthodique des trois regnes de la nature". He named it "Squalus brucus", from the Greek "brux" or "bruchios" meaning "from the depths of the sea". The type specimen has since been lost. In 1816, Henri de Blainville created the genus "Echinorhinus" for this species. Until the 1960s, specimens of the prickly shark ("E. cookei") caught in the Pacific Ocean were misidentified as bramble sharks. Other common names for this species are spinous shark and spiny shark.
Description.
The bramble shark has a "thick", cylindrical body and a somewhat flattened head. The snout is blunt and shorter than the width of the mouth, with widely spaced nostrils that are preceded by small flaps of skin. The eyes lack nictitating membranes; the tiny spiracles are located well behind them. The wide, curved mouth bears very short furrows at the corners. There are 20–26 upper and 22–26 lower tooth rows; each tooth is knife-like, with a single main cusp and up to three cusplets on either side. There are five pairs of gill slits, with the fifth pair the longest.
The pectoral fins are short and angular, while the pelvic fins are long and relatively large. The dorsal fins are small, with the first dorsal fin origin lying behind the pelvic fin origins. There is no anal fin. The caudal peduncle is robust and lacks notches at the caudal fin origins. The asymmetrical caudal fin has an indistinct lower lobe and an upper lobe without a notch in the trailing margin.
The skin is covered by a layer of foul-smelling mucus several millimeters thick. The dermal denticles are scattered irregularly over the body and vary greatly in size, measuring up to across. Each denticle is thorn-like in shape, with ridges radiating out from the central point over the base. As many as ten denticles may be fused together to form multi-pointed plates. The underside of the snout and the area around the mouth is densely covered by small denticles in sharks under long; these denticles become larger and sparser in larger sharks. This species is brown to black above, with a metallic purplish hue, and paler below; some individuals have red or black blotches. There is a report of one specimen that had a greenish glow when freshly caught. The bramble shark may reach in length. The maximum weight on record is for a long female.
Distribution and habitat.
Records of the bramble shark are fairly rare and originate from widely scattered locations in tropical and temperate waters worldwide, save for the eastern Pacific Ocean. Most have come from the eastern Atlantic and western Indian Oceans, where its range extends from the North Sea and the British Isles to southern Mozambique, including the Mediterranean Sea. In the western Atlantic, this species is represented by a handful of specimens from Massachusetts, North Carolina, Louisiana, Tobago, Brazil, and Argentina. In the Indo-Pacific, it is known from Oman, India, southern Japan, southern Australia, New Zealand, and possibly Kiribati.
Found close to the sea floor, the bramble shark most commonly inhabits continental and insular shelves and slopes at depths of . However, it has been reported from as shallow as , in areas with upwellings of cold water, and from as deep as . At least in European waters, this species may migrate into shallower depths of during the summer.
Biology and ecology.
Sluggish in nature, the bramble shark feeds on smaller sharks (including the spiny dogfish, "Squalus acanthias"), bony fishes (including ling, catfishes, and lizardfishes), and crabs. The large size of its pharynx, relative to its mouth, suggests that it may capture prey by suction. This species is aplacental viviparous; females have two functional ovaries and two uteruses. Recorded litter sizes have ranged from 15 to 52, and newly born pups have been estimated to measure long. The dermal denticles in near-term embryos are underdeveloped, appearing as minute spines located within open pits in the skin. The size at sexual maturity is uncertain; the smallest known mature males and females are and long respectively.
Human interactions.
The bramble shark is not known to pose a danger to humans. It is caught incidentally by commercial fisheries in bottom trawls and on fishing line, as well as by sport anglers. In the eastern Atlantic, this species is processed into fishmeal but has little commercial significance. Its liver oil is highly valued in South Africa as medicine, whereas in India the oil is considered poor and is used to coat canoes to discourage woodboring beetles. Historical accounts suggest that bramble shark numbers in the northeastern Atlantic have fallen markedly since the 18th and 19th centuries, such as that it is now extremely rare off northern Europe and in the Mediterranean. This decline has been attributed to fishing pressure, to which this species may be highly vulnerable as large, deep-sea sharks generally have slow growth rates and long lifespans. Regarding the species as a whole, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assesses it as Endangered. In June 2018 the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the bramble shark as "At Risk – Naturally Uncommon" with the qualifiers "Data Poor" and "Secure Overseas" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.


Paramesotriton yunwuensis

Paramesotriton yunwuensis is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae. It is endemic to the Yunwu Mountains in Guangdong, southern China. Its type locality is near Nanchong village, Fuhe, Luoding City. Common name Yunwu warty newt has been coined for it.


Calosima citharae

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


Zabrus humeralis

Zabrus humeralis is a species of ground beetle in the "Epomidozabrus" subgenus that is endemic to Portugal.


Atelopus certus

Atelopus certus, the Darien stubfoot toad or Toad Mountain harlequin frog, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae endemic to Panama.
Geographic range.
The toad is endemic to the Darien region of eastern Panama, and its type locality is Cerro Sapo (literally "toad mountain"), giving it its common names Refrigerator and xylophone.
Habitat.
Its natural habitats are tropical montane and submontane forests. It breeds in forest streams where the tadpoles also develop.
Conservation status.
The species is threatened primarily by the advancing wave of chytridiomycosis moving through Central America, and secondarily by habitat loss, although much of its range falls within the Darién National Park, a protected area and world heritage site. Because so many other "Atelopus" species are in steep declines, this amphibian is seen as a priority species for "ex situ" conservation. In June 2010, a team of conservation partners working under the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project mounted an expedition to the Darien and brought back a founding population of these frogs to begin an "ex situ" conservation program at Summit Municipal Park near Panama City. A documentary film about this effort was aired in 2011 on Smithsonian Networks entitled "Mission Critical: Amphibian Rescue".


Heteropriacanthus

Heteropriacanthus, the glasseyes or glass bigeyes, are a genus of the bigeye family found in all tropical seas around the world. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of in total length.
The glasseyes has been classified in a single species, "Heteropriacanthus cruentatus", but recent morphological and genetic analysis indicates that glasseyes may be better divided into three species: "Heteropriacanthus cruentatus" (Atlantic Ocean and southwest Indian Ocean), "H. fulgens" (northeastern Atlantic), and "H. carolinus" (Indo-Pacific).


Cnemaspis omari

Cnemaspis omari is a species of gecko. It is known from near the Thai-Malaysian border in Perlis State of Malaysia and Satun Province of Thailand. It grows to in snout–vent length.


Chain pipefish

The chain pipefish ("Syngnathus louisianae") is a pipefish species. It inhabits the western Atlantic from Virginia, Bermuda and northern Gulf of Mexico to Campeche and Jamaica, but is absent from the Bahamas. It is a marine subtropical reef-associated fish, up to 38 cm length.
Description.
The chain pipefish is a member of the family Sygnathidae. It is an elongate fish with the body encased in bony plates. They have a moderate-sized head, a rounded caudal fin, long snout and a small terminal mouth. The dorsal fin is moderate in length, the anal fin is greatly reduced, and the pelvic fins do not exist. The abdomen is flat or concave and may have a very small keel. The inferior trunk and tail ridges are not interrupted. Males have a brood pouch along the tail. There are 33-36 dorsal rays, 2 anal rays, 14 pectoral rays, 20 trunk rings, and 35-36 tail rings. The chain pipefish is one of the largest species of pipefishes in the western North Atlantic, with a maximum length of 381mm (15 in). The coloration of the chain pipefish, generally has a light colored background that is white to light brown. There is a dark brown stripe along the sides that extends onto the snout. There are lighter circular bands around the body between each body ring. The circular bands do not extend onto the ventral surface in the trunk area, but are visible along the tail. The anal, pectoral, and dorsal fins are generally unpigmented, but may have some scattered melanophores. The caudal fin is dusky.
Diet.
Chain pipefish feed on small crustaceans, including shrimp, mysids, and amphipods.
Habitat.
Chain pipefish are common is sea grass beds or among the stems of marsh grasses and reeds near the shore along the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Juvenile chain pipefish also occur in surface water to at least 80 km offshore.
Reproduction and life cycle.
There is apparently no information on larval development, though larvae are initially retained within the male brood pouch. S. louisianae males give birth to live young from eggs transferred from the female to a specialized marsupium called a brood pouch. Unlike most seahorses, pipefishes of the genus Syngnathus incubate eggs in an inverted pouch. Fertilization occurs after the female transfers the eggs, and incubation lasts until embryos develop into juveniles. Based on the occurrence of brooding males and newly hatched larvae, reproduction occurs primarily during the spring and early summer (April – July), but continues through most months in Mississippi, except December and February. Brooding males are more commonly found offshore.
Fertilized eggs are small, ranging from 0.6 and 1.4 mm in diameter, and are arranged in one to two layers and up to 10 transverse rows. A single male may brood 454-898 eggs, depending on the body size
Distribution.
Chain pipefish are distributed from New Jersey and Maryland south to along the Atlantic and the Gulf Shores. They are also found in Tabasco and Campeche, Mexico.
References.
Page, L. M., H. Espinosa-Perez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, R. L. Mayden, and J. S. Nelson. 2013. Common and scientific names of the fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, 7th edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 34, Bethesda Maryland.
"Chain Pipefish." Chain Pipefish. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 May 2014.
http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Syngna_louisi.htm
Ross, Stephen T. Inland Fishes of Mississippi. University Press of Mississippi, 2002. Print.


Hepatus pudibundus

Hepatus pudibundus, the flecked box crab, is a crab from the class Malacostraca. They are found in the Atlantic ocean with Brazil having a dense population of H.pudibundus, as they are one of the most commonly seen crabs in the country. Many of the studies done on "H.pudibubus" have occurred in the Ubatuba region of Brazil, where there is a rapid expansion of tourism that is affecting marine ecosystems.
Taxonomy.
"Hepatus pudibundus" is part of the Brachyuran superfamily Aethroidea which includes 7 recent genera. Most brachyuran crabs are located between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, and mate consistently throughout the year. "H. pudibundus", "H. scaber", and "H.gronovii", and Osachila ("O.antillensis" and "O.tuberosa") occur along the Brazilian coast.
Brachyura males have larger claws than females that are used for defense, fighting and possibly for reproduction interactions. In this group females are smaller because they devote most of their energy to reproduction once they are mature, and are ovigerous year round.
Behavior and reproduction.
The flecked box crab is an opportunistic predator meaning they will tend to eat whatever comes across their path. Because there tends to be a larger food source for these crabs during the summer, mating and therefore offspring increases when more food is available. Reproduction usually occurs mostly in the spring and then again with reduced numbers in the fall. Sexually mature males tend to be seen more often during late spring and summer while females tend to reach sexual maturity in the late winter and early spring months. Sexually mature males can mate with females in the winter and the females will hold the sperm until spring (which is the biggest time for mating but it still occurs continuously throughout the year). Female crabs mate with males and store their sperm in an organ called the spermetheca, where they can then use it to fertilize their eggs a number of times.
Shallow waters contain more protection and available food sources for females to be able to reach full reproductive maturity before moving to deeper waters. These shallow waters are also where all stages of adult males were most abundant. Fertile females can be found between 10–25 m deep usually in more exposed conditions as the open ocean tends to have more stable conditions, causing less stress on newly hatched larvae. This is also the perfect spot for H.pudibundus larvae to be dispersed by ocean currents. Size difference in H.pundibundus occurs as an adaptation for reproductive success, whereby larger males can protect their mate. The flecked box crab on average lives for about 19 months.
Anatomy and morphology.
Female crabs are generally smaller than males and molt in the winter. Egg production and reproduction require a lot of energy which is why females tend to be smaller than males. Differences in carapace width and claw size can be used to determine males from females. This is known as sexual dimorphism. Abdomen shape can be used to identify sex where females have a semicircular abdomen and males have an inverted T shape. Another way to tell the sexes apart is by the number of pleopods they have. Males have 4 pleopods total and females have 8 (set of 2 and 4).
At a carapace width between 30-40mm each sex is able to start reproducing. Females need more room for reproductive organs, as well as space for their egg mass to attach which is why they tend to have a wider carapace at the back end of their body. This difference in carapace width is controlled by the presence or absence of androgen hormones.
Distribution and habitat.
According to multiple studies, conducted by (de Lima et. al 2014), (Miazaki, LF. et, al. 2019), and (Reis, J. Freire, KMF. da Rosa, LC. Barreto, TMRD. 2020) H.pudibundus can be found in the Eastern Atlantic from Georgia (USA), the Gulf of Mexico, the Antilles, Venezuela, and the Guianas to the entire coast of Brazil (Amapá to Rio Grande do Sul), and in the eastern Atlantic from Guinea to South Africa. The current life stage of the crab does not affect the depth it is found at. Crabs of all life stages were found at all depths. Flecked box crabs tend to be found in shallower waters during the summer months (10-20m) and deeper waters during winter months but again are found at all depths year round. When conditions are not favorable or predators are near they burrow into sediments of silt, clay, or fine sand. Females generally outnumber males in the population.
These crabs feed on phyto- and nano- plankton, detritus, and macro feeding fauna as well as molluscs, annelids and foraminifera. The crab larvae eat plankton. The South Atlantic Central Water, which flows through H.pudibundus' habitat waters, is very important because it brings in nutrients which cause an abundance of phytoplankton and subsequently any zooplankton that eat it. This larger abundance of food is very beneficial to the crab larvae. On the flip side, sediments gets stirred up during the fall and winter months from cold fronts coming in. This makes settled nutrients available again to phytoplankton, causing them to grow in number, providing a rich food source for the new crab larvae.
Conservation status.
The flecked box crab often gets caught as bycatch to the shrimp species "X. kroyeri". Bycatch usually has devastating effects on populations, but not the speckled box crab because they get tossed back into the sea. The sorting process that takes place on fishing boats is usually a long stressful process, indicating the flecked box crab is a resilient species as most survive and are tossed back into the sea.
While many of the crabs do survive the sorting process and get tossed back into the sea, fisheries still tend to have an impact on population numbers because during the fishery off season there are very few egg bearing, or juvenile females if any. During the fishing season are when ovigerous females are present and in abundance they have a high chance of being caught as bycatch, which can then affect the number of offspring being produced.


Amphisbaena mertensii

Amphisbaena mertensii, also known as the Mertens' worm lizard or Mertens's worm lizard, is a species of worm lizard in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to South America.
Defensive behavior.
Amphisbaenians are fossorial reptiles with few predators due to their powerful bite and writhing defensive tactics. However, some snakes have been found feeding on amphisbaenians including "A. mertensii". This species is also able to defend itself against dangerous predators such as snakes by releasing a foul discharge from its cloacal region.
Etymology.
The specific name, "mertensii", is in honor of a Dr. Mertens who collected the holotype.
Geographic range.
"A. mertensii" is found in northern Argentina, southeastern Brazil, and eastern Paraguay.
Reproduction.
"A. mertensii" is oviparous.


Sinoennea

Sinoennea is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Diapheridae.
Etymology.
The name of the genus originates from (Chinese) + .
Distribution.
The distribution of "Sinoennea" includes South of India, Indochina, China (South of Yangtze River and Taiwan), Malaysian Peninsula in Malaysia and Thailand, Sumatra, Japan and South Korea.
Description.
The shell of "Sinoennea" has 6-7 whorls. The whorls are swelling.
Taxonomy.
This genus used to belong to the families Streptaxidae and Diapheridae, but the newest assigned it to the Family Enneinae.
Species.
Species in the genus "Sinoennea" include:


Carabus exiguus fanianus

Carabus exiguus fanianus is a bronze-coloured subspecies of ground beetle in the subfamily Carabinae that is endemic to Shaanxi, China.


Cnemaspis maculicollis

Cnemaspis maculicollis is a species of gecko found in India.


Acrobasis zyziphella

Acrobasis zyziphella is a species of snout moth in the genus "Acrobasis". It was described by Rebel in 1914. It is found in Egypt.


Scopula afghana

Scopula afghana is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is endemic to Afghanistan.


Quasipaa jiulongensis

Quasipaa jiulongensis (Jiulong paa frog or Jiulong spiny frog) is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae.
It is endemic to eastern China and only known from the mountains of southwestern Zhejiang and adjacent Fujian above elevation.
Its natural habitats are hill streams. It is threatened by habitat loss due to both logging and infrastructure development as well as by collection for food.
"Quasipaa jiulongensis" are moderately large frogs: males grow to a snout–vent length of about and females to .


Brachinus pecoudi

Brachinus pecoudi is a species of ground beetle from the Brachininae subfamily that is endemic to Spain. The species have 3 subspecies all of which are endemic to Spain.


Alcidion aestimabilis

Alcidion aestimabilis is a species of longhorn beetles of the subfamily Lamiinae. It was described by Melzer in 1934, and is known from Brazil.


Megophrys cheni

Megophrys cheni is a species of frog in the family Megophryidae. It is endemic to the middle Luoxiao Mountains at the border of Jiangxi and Hunan provinces in south-eastern China. Its specific name honours Chen Chunquan, former director of the Jinggang National Nature Reserve.
Description.
Males measure and females in snout–vent length. The snout is short. The tympanum is distinct or indistinct, partly hidden by the swollen, light-coloured supratympanic fold. The skin of upper surfaces and flanks is smooth with tubercles; tubercles usually form dorsolateral rows, with a weak, X-shaped ridge between them, and four–five transverse rows on shanks. There is a small, horn-like tubercle at the edge of the eyelid. Ventral surface is smooth. Colouration above is red brown or olive brown, with the dorsum bearing a dark, reticular marking.
Males have a single vocal sac. Based on calling males, reproductive season is April–September. Tadpoles are unknown.
Distribution and habitat.
This newly described species is known from three locations on the Luoxiao Mountains: Jingzhushan (the type locality) on the Jinggang Mountains in Jiangxi, and Dayuan and Lishuzhou, both in the Yanling Taoyuandong National Nature Reserve, Hunan. It lives in mountainous swamps surrounded by subtropical moist evergreen broadleaf forests at elevations of asl.
Two other "Megophrys" species occur in the area, but the three species differ in their habitats: "Megophrys jinggangensis" live in slow-moving streams at asl, and "Megophrys lini" in rushing streams at asl. The species also differ in the characteristics of the male advertisement calls.


Bronchocela rayaensis

Bronchocela rayaensis, the Gunung Raya green-crested lizard, is a species of agamid lizard. It is endemic to Malay Peninsula and is known from Langkawi in Kedah, northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia (its type locality), as well as from Phuket and Phang Nga Provinces in southern Thailand.


Narrow-bridged musk turtle

The narrow-bridged musk turtle ("Claudius angustatus") is a species in of turtle in the family Kinosternidae. The species is endemic to Central America and Mexico.
Geographic range.
"C. angustatus" is found in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.
Taxonomy.
As of 2010, "C. angustatus" is the only recognized extant species in the genus "Claudius".
Description.
The narrow-bridged musk turtle is typically brown in color. The scutes of the carapace have lines and graining, imparting an almost wood-like appearance. It often has bright-yellow markings on the edges of the carapace. As it ages, algae often heavily cover the shell, masking the patterning and coloration. The head is large and bulbous for its size, with a sharp beak and a long neck. The carapace is domed, with three distinct ridges down the length. Though classified in the subfamily Staurotypinae with the "giant" musk turtles, the narrow-bridged musk turtle generally only grows to a straight carapace length of about 6.5 in (16.5 cm).
The narrow-bridged musk turtle exhibits genetic sex determination, in contrast to most turtles; although the mechanism is not known for certain, it is suspected to be XX/XY like that of its relative "Staurotypus".
Behavior, habitat, and diet.
Like all musk turtles, the narrow-bridged musk turtle is almost entirely aquatic, and prefers habitats such as slow-moving creeks, or shallow ponds that are heavily vegetated. It spends much of its time walking along the bottom, foraging for aquatic insects and other invertebrates, and carrion. It has glands under the rear of the shell from which it can release a foul-smelling musk, hence its common name.


Eutropis dissimilis

The striped grass mabuya (Eutropis dissimilis), also called striped grass skink, is a species of skink found in South Asia.
Description.
Snout moderate, obtuse. Lower eyelid with an undivided semi-transparent disk. Nostril behind the vertical of the suture between the rostral and the first labial; no postnasal; anterior loreal in contact with the first labial; supranasals in contact behind the rostral; frontonasal broader than long; prefrontals forming a median suture; frontal in contact with the second supraocular only (exceptionally with the first as well); 4 supraoculars, second largest; 6 supraciliaries ; frontoparietals distinct, usually nearly as long as the frontal, and larger than the interparietal, which entirely separates the parietals; usually no distinct nuchals; 4, seldom 5, labials anterior to the subocular, which is about twice as long as the neighbouring shields and not narrowed below. Ear-opening oval, larger than a lateral scale, smaller than the eye-opening, with 3 or 4 short pointed lobules anteriorly. Dorsal scales strongly bicarinate, nuchals and laterals tricarinate; 34 to 36 scales round the middle of the body, subequal. The adpressed limbs overlap. Toes short; subdigital lamellae smooth. Tail about 2.6 times length of head and body. Olive or brownish above, black-spotted, and with 3 more or less distinct light longitudinal streaks, the vertebral sometimes absent; flanks white-spotted; a short horizontal white streak below the eye; lower surfaces whitish.
From snout to vent 3.5 inches; tail 5.5.
Plains of Northern India, from Sind to Bengal, also in the "Western Himalayas (Chamba)".
Distribution.
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India (northern: Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh & W Bengal), Nepal and Pakistan and possibly in Myanmar. Type locality is Bengal.


Pale gerbil

The pale gerbil "(Gerbillus perpallidus)" is endemic to Egypt and is distributed mainly in the northwestern part of the country. It is also known as the pallid gerbil. The pale gerbil has pale orange fur, with white underparts, white forelimbs and white feet. The ears are unpigmented and the soles of the feet are haired, which is a characteristic of sand-dwelling gerbils.
It averages 22 to 27 cm in length, and weights 26-49 g.
As pets.
The pale or pallid gerbil, usually shortened to pallid by enthusiasts, is recommended as a good second species for those with experience of keeping Mongolian jirds (gerbils).


Duttaphrynus kotagamai

Duttaphrynus kotagamai (Kotagama's dwarf toad) is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae endemic to Sri Lanka.
Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests, moist montane forests, and rivers.
It is threatened by habitat loss. "D. kotagamaii" is named after Sarath Kotagama. A grown male is 33–40 mm in length, while a female reaches 55–63 mm. It is nocturnal, and lives commonly under rocks or decomposed leaves. It is found in Massena, Kitulgala, and Singharaja forests. Its diet consists of termites and grasshoppers. Its breeding biology has not been recorded, but it presumably takes place in water, probably in streams.
Habitat loss (small-scale agriculture) and human disturbance (local tourism) are the primary threats to this species. It is considered endangered by the IUCN.
The body is orangish with a pale color on the ventral surface. Side brown patches can be seen on occasion. Its skin is dry and has warts, and there are three pale stripes between the eyes.


Fauna of Serbia

Fauna of Serbia may refer to:


List of birds of Armenia

This is a list of the bird species recorded in Armenia. The avifauna of Armenia include a total of 376 species
This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of "The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World", 2019 edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Accidental species are included in the total species count for Armenia.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fall into any of these categories.
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl.
Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.
Pheasants, grouse, and allies.
Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.
Flamingos.
Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae
Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down.
Grebes.
Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.
Pigeons and doves.
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Sandgrouse.
Order: PterocliformesFamily: Pteroclidae
Sandgrouse have small, pigeon like heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies. They have long pointed wings and sometimes tails and a fast direct flight. Flocks fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk. Their legs are feathered down to the toes.
Bustards.
Order: OtidiformesFamily: Otididae
Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. They are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays.
Cuckoos.
Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs.
Nightjars.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.
Swifts.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Rails, gallinules, and coots.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.
Cranes.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae
Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".
Thick-knees.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae
The thick-knees are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.
Stilts and avocets.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.
Oystercatchers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.
Plovers and lapwings.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.
Sandpipers and allies.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
Pratincoles and coursers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae
Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings and long, pointed bills which curve downwards.
Skuas and jaegers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.
Gulls, terns, and skimmers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years.
Loons.
Order: GaviiformesFamily: Gaviidae
Loons, known as divers in Europe, are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Europe. They are the size of a large duck or small goose, which they somewhat resemble when swimming, but to which they are completely unrelated.
Storks.
Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with long, stout bills. Storks are mute, but bill-clattering is an important mode of communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory.
Cormorants and shags.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white and a few being colourful.
Pelicans.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes.
Herons, egrets, and bitterns.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae
The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills.
Ibises and spoonbills.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae
Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.
Osprey.
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae
The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.
Hawks, eagles, and kites.
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae
Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons and keen eyesight.
Owls.
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae
The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.
Hoopoes.
Order: BucerotiformesFamily: Upupidae
Hoopoes have black, white and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head.
Kingfishers.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails.
Bee-eaters.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Meropidae
The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.
Rollers.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Coraciidae
Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not.
Woodpeckers.
Order: PiciformesFamily: Picidae
Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.
Falcons and caracaras.
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons. T
Old World orioles.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Oriolidae
The Old World orioles are colourful passerine birds. They are not related to the New World orioles.
Shrikes.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Laniidae
Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey.
Crows, jays, and magpies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Corvidae
The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.
Tits, chickadees, and titmice.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Paridae
The Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects.
Penduline-tits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Remizidae
The penduline-tits are a group of small passerine birds related to the true tits. They are insectivores.
Larks.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Alaudidae
Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.
Bearded reedling.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Panuridae
This species, the only one in its family, is found in reed beds throughout temperate Europe and Asia.
Cisticolas and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cisticolidae
The Cisticolidae are warblers found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are generally very small birds of drab brown or gray appearance found in open country such as grassland or scrub.
Reed warblers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Acrocephalidae
The members of this family are usually rather large for "warblers". Most are rather plain olivaceous brown above with much yellow to beige below. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds, or tall grass. The family occurs mostly in southern to western Eurasia and surroundings, but it also ranges far into the Pacific, with some species in Africa.
Grassbirds and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Locustellidae
Locustellidae are a family of small insectivorous songbirds found mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. They are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed, and tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over.
Swallows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hirundinidae
The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.
Bulbuls.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pycnonotidae
Bulbuls are medium-sized passerine songbirds. The family is distributed across Africa, Middle East, tropical Asia, Indonesia, and Japan. T
Leaf warblers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Phylloscopidae
Leaf warblers are a family of small insectivorous birds found mostly in Eurasia and ranging into Wallacea and Africa. The species are of various sizes, often green-plumaged above and yellow below, or more subdued with grayish-green to grayish-brown colors.
Bush warblers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Scotocercidae
The members of this family are found throughout Africa, Asia, and Polynesia. Their taxonomy is in flux, and some authorities place some genera in other families.
Long-tailed tits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Aegithalidae
Long-tailed tits are a group of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They make woven bag nests in trees. Most eat a mixed diet which includes insects.
Sylviid warblers, parrotbills, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sylviidae
The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. They mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent, Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs.
Kinglets.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Regulidae
The kinglets, also called crests, are a small group of birds often included in the Old World warblers, but frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice.
Wallcreeper.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Tichodromidae
The wallcreeper is a small bird related to the nuthatch family, which has stunning crimson, grey and black plumage.
Nuthatches.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sittidae
Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails and powerful bills and feet.
Treecreepers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Certhiidae
Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees.
Wrens.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Troglodytidae
The wrens are mainly small and inconspicuous except for their loud songs. These birds have short wings and thin down-turned bills. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous.
Dippers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cinclidae
Dippers are a group of perching birds whose habitat includes aquatic environments in the Americas, Europe and Asia. They are named for their bobbing or dipping movements.
Starlings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.
Thrushes and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae
The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.
Old World flycatchers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae
Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.
Waxwings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Bombycillidae
The waxwings are a group of passerine birds with soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. In the Bohemian and cedar waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax and give the group its name. These are arboreal birds of northern forests. They live on insects in summer and berries in winter.
Accentors.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Prunellidae
The accentors are in the only bird family, Prunellidae, which is completely endemic to the Palearctic. They are small, fairly drab species superficially similar to sparrows.
Old World sparrows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae
Old World sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.
Wagtails and pipits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Motacillidae
Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. They are slender, ground feeding insectivores of open country.
Finches, euphonias, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Fringillidae
Finches are seed-eating passerine birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well.
Longspurs and arctic buntings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Calcariidae
The Calcariidae are a family of birds that had been traditionally grouped with the New World sparrows, but differ in a number of respects and are usually found in open grassy areas.
Old World buntings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Emberizidae
The emberizids are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with distinctively shaped bills. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns.


Pale thrush

The pale thrush ("Turdus pallidus") is a passerine bird of the eastern Palearctic belonging to the genus "Turdus" in the thrush family Turdidae. It is closely related to the eye-browed thrush and grey-backed thrush.
It is 23 cm long. The feet are pale pinkish-brown and the bill is grey above and yellow below. The male is brown above with a blue-grey head and throat. The underparts are pale brown, darker on the flanks and whitish on the belly and undertail-coverts. The flight feathers of the wing are dark grey and the underwing-coverts are grey or white. The tail is dark grey with white tips to the outer feathers. The female is similar to the male but duller with a browner head and pale throat.
It has harsh "chuck-chuck" and "see-ip" calls and a bubbling alarm call.
It breeds in south-east Siberia, north-east China and Korea and may breed in Japan, especially on Tsushima Island. It is largely migratory, wintering in southern and central Japan, South Korea and southern China, occasionally reaching as far as Yunnan, Taiwan and the Philippines. It inhabits forests, scrub, gardens and parks. It is a shy bird which keeps to cover. It can occur in large flocks on migration, particularly where there are berries.


Carabus akinini loudai

Carabus akinini loudai is a black-coloured subspecies of beetle from Carabidae, that is endemic to Kyrgyzstan. The males of the subspecies are ranging from long.


Malayan mountain spiny rat

The Malayan mountain spiny rat ("Maxomys inas") is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.
It is found only in Malaysia.


Mabuya dominicana

The Dominica skink ("Mabuya dominicana") is a species of skink found in Dominica. On Dominica, it can be confused with "Gymnophthalmus pleii" or juvenile "Ameiva fuscata" due to their similar appearance.


Alopecosa pentheri

Alopecosa pentheri is a species of wolf spiders in the genus "Alopecosa" found in Europe (Bulgaria, Greece) to Azerbaijan.


Rhizotrogus ribbei

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


Hemidactylus chikhaldaraensis

Hemidactylus chikhaldaraensis, the Chikhaldara brookiish gecko is a species of gecko. It is endemic to India.


Trachelas oreophilus

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


Chamaesphecia minoica

Chamaesphecia minoica is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is found on Crete.


Blythia hmuifang

The Mizoram Ground Snake (Blythia hmuifang), is a species of snake in the superfamily Colubroidea. It is endemic to Mizoram, India.
Etymology.
The specific name "hmuifang" came in honor of the people of the Hmuifang village.
Description.
The species can identified from "Blythia reticulata", by having 114–117 ventral scales and 20–21 subcaudal scales in males. Smaller snakes have bright orange-red venter and older snakes have creamy venter.


Hemiphyllodactylus minimus

The Ganjam slender gecko ("Hemiphyllodactylus minimus") is a species of gecko. It is endemic to India.


Ilybius hozgargantae

Ilybius hozgargantae is a species of beetle in family Dytiscidae. It is endemic to Spain.


Hynobius yangi

Hynobius yangi, the Kori salamander, is a species of salamander endemic to southeastern South Korea. It is a lentic-breeding species similar to the Korean salamander ("H. leechi") but is distinguished by factors including tail shape and dorsal coloration. The species is known from the vicinity of the type locality in Gijang County in northeastern Busan and from the nearby Ulju County in western Ulsan.
Etymology.
The Kori salamander takes its common name from its type locality, Kori in Jangan-eup, Gijang County, in rural northern Busan. Its scientific name honours Suh-Yung Yang, a Korean herpetologist.
Description.
"Hynobius yangi" males measure (n=18 individuals) and females in snout–vent length (n=3). Tail length is about 70–90% of snout–vent length. Males have relatively longer and higher tails than females. Dorsum is olive without dark speckles, or in some individuals, dark brownish dotted very finely with yellow speckles. The underside is lighter.
Breeding occurs from late February to late March. Egg sacs are coil-shaped. Clutch size in one female was 86 eggs of about in diameter.
Habitat and conservation.
"Hynobius yangi" inhabits hilly forest areas. Breeding takes place in still water in ditches. Egg sacs are attached to water plants or fallen branches.
IUCN has assessed "Hynobius yangi" as "Endangered" because of its small distribution area and continuing habitat loss.


Stagnicola elodes

Stagnicola elodes is a species of air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Lymnaeidae, the pond snails.
Taxonomy.
There is a very similar species "Stagnicola palustris" in Europe, and both species could in fact be one and the same species.
Distribution.
The distribution of "Stagnicola elodes" in North America includes the Great Lakes region and the United States.
Ecology.
Parasites of "Stagnicola elodes" include:


Hemiphyllodactylus kolliensis

Hemiphyllodactylus kolliensis is a species of gecko. It is endemic to Tamil Nadu, India.


Liua

Liua is a genus of salamanders (common name: Sichuan salamanders) in the family Hynobiidae, endemic to China.
Species.
The genus contains only two species:


Atelopus longibrachius

Atelopus longibrachius, the El Tambo stubfoot toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Colombia and known from the region of its type locality, El Tambo, Cauca, as well as from Chocó, both on the western flanks of Cordillera Occidental. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests where it lives on the ground. Breeding is assumed to take place in streams. It is potentially threatened by chytridiomycosis and habitat loss.


Cerrophidion tzotzilorum

Cerrophidion tzotzilorum is a venomous pit viper species which is native to southern Mexico. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.
Etymology.
The specific name, "tzotzilorum" (Latin genitive plural), is in honor of the Tzotzil people.
Description.
"C. tzotzilorum" is terrestrial and moderately stout. Adults probably do not exceed in total length (including tail).
Geographic range.
"C. tzotzilorum" is found in the Meseta Central of Chiapas, Mexico. The type locality given is "10.9 km ESE San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, elevation ".
Habitat.
The preferred natural habitat of "C. tzotzilorum" is forest.
Diet.
"C. tzotzilorum" is known to prey upon orthopterans and lizards.
Reproduction.
"C. tzotzilorum" is viviparous.
Conservation status.
The species "C. tzotzilorum" is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (v3.1, 2001). Species are listed as such due to their wide distribution, presumed large population, or because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. The population trend is stable. Year assessed: 2007.


Leptodrymus

Leptodrymus is a genus of snake in the family Colubridae that contains the sole species Leptodrymus pulcherrimus. It is known as the striped lowland snake or green-headed racer.
It is found throughout Central America, in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras.


Diaethria clymena

Diaethria clymena, the Cramer's eighty-eight, is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found from Mexico to Peru and Brazil. It was discovered to science by Pieter Cramer, in a fascicle of "De uitlandsche Kapellen", 1775.
The wingspan is about . Adults are black with a blue band on each wing. The underside is red and white with black stripes that look like an outlined number "89" or "98".
The larvae feed on "Trema lamarckiana", "Trema micrantha", and "Theobroma".
Subspecies.
Listed alphabetically.


Ogilvie Mountains collared lemming

The Ogilvie Mountains collared lemming ("Dicrostonyx nunatakensis") is a species of rodents in the family Cricetidae.
It is found only in Yukon Territory, Canada.
Its natural habitat is tundra.


Acroloxus pseudolacustris

Acroloxus pseudolacustris is a species of very small freshwater snail, which because of their shape are known as limpets, aquatic pulmonate gastropods in the family Acroloxidae.
Distribution.
This freshwater limpet is endemic to Gīlān Province in Iran; it also possibly occurs in Māzandarān Province.


Psilogramma dillerorum

Psilogramma dillerorum is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is known from Pakistan.


Zonites santoriniensis

Zonites santoriniensis is an extinct species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Zonitidae.
"Zonites santoriniensis" is considered to be extinct.
Distribution.
This species was endemic to Cyclades Islands, Greece.


Anartia lytrea

Anartia lytrea, or Godart's peacock, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found on Hispaniola and the Swan Islands of Honduras. It is a rare stray on Cuba. The butterfly has been known to occasionally stray into the lower keys of Florida.


Wheeleria kasachstanica

Wheeleria kasachstanica is a moth of the family Pterophoridae that is endemic to Kazakhstan.


Coruro

The coruro ("Spalacopus cyanus") is a species of rodent in the family Octodontidae. It is monotypic within the genus Spalacopus. The species is endemic to central Chile, where it has been found in a wide variety of habitats, from coastal to montane. It is fossorial and lives in colonies.
Description.
Coruros are robust rodents with large heads, short necks and stocky bodies. The fur is short and dark brown, turning blackish on the feet. Their eyes and ears are small and their tails are short and smooth. They are strongly modified for life underground. They have large incisors that curve forward and which are used to loosen soil and gnaw through roots, strong forelimbs for digging and powerful hind limbs for moving soil and kicking it out of the entrance to the burrow.
Distribution and habitat.
Coruros occur along the coast from Alicahue (32°19'S) to Los Cipreses (34°01'S), and in the Andes up to 3500 m altitude from Alicahue (32°19'S) to Los Cipreses (34°01'S). It inhabits a range of habitats including alpine grasslands in the mountains, acacia savannah in the Chilean Central Valley, semi-stabilized sand dunes and coastal grassland.
Ecology.
Coruros are colonial rodents, a number of individuals occupying a single burrow system. They are also unusual amongst rodents in that they are nomadic; when their food is becoming exhausted in one locality, they move as a group to another locality and create a new burrow. It is a vocal species, emitting a range of distinctive calls.
Coruros feed entirely underground on grasses, herbs, roots and bulbs of geophytes such as "Leucocoryne ixioides" (which forms the bulk of its diet), "Dioscorea longipes", or species of "Libertia", "Sisyrinchium" or "Alophia".


Heterometrus laoticus

Heterometrus laoticus or Vietnam forest scorpion, is a scorpion species found in peaty areas of Vietnam and Laos. They can reach lengths of . They are a communal species, but cannibalism has been known to occur, and if caught, they can be extremely violent even towards their own kind.
Lethality.
Rather than being a lethal toxin, the giant scorpion's venom is paralytic. The venom is distilled into medicines against various kinds of microorganisms. It exhibits good results in disc diffusion assay for "Bacillus subtilis", "Klebsiella pneumoniae", "Pseudomonas aeruginosa", and "Staphylococcus aureus", among others.
As food.
The scorpion is farmed for consumption as a novelty food in Vietnam. They are also used to make snake wine (scorpion wine).


Nebria dolicapax

Nebria dolicapax is a species of ground beetle from Nebriinae family that is endemic to China.


Isophyllia sinuosa

Isophyllia sinuosa, the sinuous cactus coral, is a species of stony coral in the family Mussidae. It is found in shallow water in the tropical western Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea.
Description and habitat.
"Isophyllia sinuosa" is a massive coral that forms hemispherical or dome-shaped mounds up to across. On the coral surface there are shallow, meandering valleys about wide separated by convoluted ridges topped with a central, pale-coloured line. The polyps are large and are situated in the valleys, often in groups of three. Although they are usually retracted into their corallites by day, they are unable to retract completely, giving the coral a fleshy feel when touched. The septa that radiate from the corallites are spiny. At night, when the polyps are fully extended, the coral has a fuzzy appearance. The ridges and valleys are usually made up of contrasting colours. These combinations include green/yellow, green/blue, purplish-blue/white and two shades of brown.
Distribution.
"Isophyllia sinuosa" is found in the tropical west Atlantic. Its range includes the southern part of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, southern Florida, the Lesser Antilles, the Bahamas and Bermuda. It occurs on both back and fore reef slopes, on rocks, in lagoons and among seagrasses at depths down to about .
Biology.
At night, the polyps of "Isophyllia sinuosa" extend their tentacles to feed on zooplankton. This coral is a zooxanthellate species, which means that it harbours symbiotic dinoflagellates (unicellular algae) in its tissues. These contain chlorophyll and can provide the coral with organic carbon compounds by photosynthesis. These are important to the coral and provide up to 50% of its nutrient requirements. A well-lit position is essential to zooxanthellate corals and "Isophyllia sinuosa" is one of the most aggressive corals, defending itself from the risk of being over-shadowed. It is reported to attack other corals or sponges in its close vicinity using an extracoelentric feeding mechanism in which specialised filament-like tentacles extend onto the living tissues of the neighbouring organisms, secreting enzymes which digest them in situ.
Status.
"Isophyllia sinuosa" has a wide range but is generally an uncommon species. It is considered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species to be of "Least Concern" as its population is believed to be stable. It is prone to bleaching, when a coral expels its zooxanthellae under stressful conditions, to black band disease, and to white plague. As a shallow water species it shares the threats posed to coral reefs in general which include a rise in sea temperatures, ocean acidification, coral diseases, storm damage, sedimentation, and human activities.


Emperor angelfish

The emperor angelfish ("Pomacanthus imperator") is a species of marine angelfish. It is a reef-associated fish, native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from the Red Sea to Hawaii and the Austral Islands. This species is generally associated with stable populations and faces no major threats of extinction. It is a favorite of photographers, artists, and aquarists because of its unique, brilliant pattern of coloration.
Description.
The emperor angelfish shows a marked difference between the juveniles and the adults. The juveniles have a dark blue body which is marked with concentric curving lines, alternating between pale blue and white with the smallest which are completely enclosed within each other located posteriorly. These lines become vertical at the anterior end. The dorsal fin has a white margin and the caudal fin is transparent. The adults are striped with blue and yellow horizontal stripes, a light blue face with a dark blue mask over the eyes and a yellow caudal fin. There is a blackish band above the pectoral fins, the top of which is at the level of the upper orbit. The front margin of this band is bright blue and the rear margin is a thin yellow line. The anal fin has a dark blue background with lighter blue horizontal stripes. The dorsal fin has 13–14 spines and 17–21 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 18–21 soft rays. This species attains a maximum total length of .
Distribution.
The emperor angelfish has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution. It occurs from the Red Sea southwards along the East African coast to Mozambique and Madagascar, eastwards through the Indian and Pacific Oceans as far as the Tuamotu Islands and the Line Islands. It extends north to southern Japan and south to the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, New Caledonia and the Austral Islands in French Polynesia. Vagrants have been recorded from Hawaii. It has been recorded at several sites off the coast of Florida and off Puerto Rico. From 2010 there have been reports that the species is colonizing the southeast Mediterranean, most likely as an invader via the Suez Canal.
Habitat and biology.
The emperor angelfish is found at depths between . The adults are found in areas where there is a rich growth of corals on clear lagoon, channel, or seaward reefs. Here they are normally observed underneath ledges and within caves. The subadults are frequently recorded in cavities in reefs and along surge channels on seaward reefs. The juveniles frequently shelter below ledges, in reef cavities and in relatively sheltered areas in channels and over outer reef flats. It’s diet comprises sponges and other encrusting organisms, as well as tunicates. They form pairs. The juveniles and adults may act as cleaner fish, cleaning ectoparasites off larger fishes. When frightened, these fish can produce a knocking sound.
Systematics.
The emperor angelfish was first formally described in 1787 as "Chaetodon imperator" by the German physician and naturalist Marcus Elieser Bloch (1723–1799) with the type locality given as Japan. Some authorities place this species in the subgenus "Acanthochaetodon". The specific name "imperator" means “emperor” and reflects the Dutch name "Keyser van Iapan" meaning “Emperor of Japan” coined by the publisher Louis Renard (ca. 1678-1746) in 1719, possibly reflecting its majestic appearance.
Utilisation.
The emperor angelfish is common in the aquarium trade.


Amolops nepalicus

Amolops nepalicus is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to Nepal and is only known from two localities in the Sankhuwasabha District. Common names Nepal sucker frog and Nepal cascade frog have been proposed for it.
Taxonomy.
First described in 1991, "Amolops nepalicus" was brought into synonymy of "Amolops marmoratus" by works published in 2000–2004. This synonymy was questioned in 2012, but only formally rejected in 2020.
Description.
Adult males measure and adult females in snout–vent length. The head is slightly longer than it is wide. The tympanum is distinct. The fingers have no webbing while the toes are fully webbed. There are few rounded tubercles
scattered on the dorsum whereas the belly is smooth; the dorsolateral fold is indistinct. The dorsal coloration is light brown or white with dark brown spots. Males have an external vocal sac.
Habitat and conservation.
"Amolops nepalicus" is a semi-aquatic frog that inhabits torrential streams with high canopy cover at elevations of above sea level. Threats to this poorly known species are not known. It is not known to present in any protected area.


Neolithodes diomedeae

Neolithodes diomedeae is a species of king crab which is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, and the Bellingshausen and Scotia Seas in the Southern Ocean.
Diet.
"Neolithodes diomedeae" are opportunistic, necrophagous scavengers. In the Gulf of California's abyssal plain, they live around hydrothermal vents and feed on organic material which falls from the pelagic zone.


Chabahar dwarf gecko

The Chabahar dwarf gecko ("Microgecko chabaharensis") is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is endemic to southeastern Iran.


Paralaudakia himalayana

The Himalayan agama ("Paralaudakia himalayana") is an agamid lizard found in Central Asia and South Asia.
Description.
Head much depressed; snout slightly longer than diameter of orbit; nostril lateral, below the "canthus rostralis", slightly tubular. Upper head-scales smooth; occipital not enlarged; small closely set spinose scales on the head near the ear, and on the neck; ear entirely exposed, larger than the eye-opening. Throat strongly plicate; no gular pouch. Body depressed, with a more or less distinct fold on each side of the back; scales on the neck and sides small, smooth or very feebly keeled, uniform, those on the vertebral region enlarged, equal, roundish-hexagonal, imbricate, smooth or very feebly keeled; ventral scales smooth, a little smaller than the enlarged dorsals. Limbs strong, with compressed digits; the scales on the upper surface large and strongly keeled; fourth finger slightly longer than third; fourth toe considerably longer than third, the extremity of the claw of the latter not reaching the base of the claw of the former; fifth toe extending beyond first. Tail rounded, much depressed at the base, covered with moderate-sized strongly keeled scales arranged in rings; its length equals 2.5 to 3 times the distance from gular fold to vent. Males with a double or triple row of thickened pre-anal scales. Olive above, marbled with black, and generally with round light spots producing a network; sometimes the black spots forming a festooned band on each side of the vertebral line; the male's throat marbled with blackish.
Distribution.
NE Afghanistan, N Pakistan, Kashmir, Nepal, China (Xinjiang),
SE Turkmenistan, eastward through W Tajikistan to W Kyrgyzstan and E Uzbekistan.
Type locality: Leh and Kargil, Ladakh-Region.


Candoia bibroni australis

Candoia bibroni australis is a nonvenomous boa subspecies endemic to the Solomon Islands.
Description.
Adults can grow up to in total length (including tail). Mature females are typically much larger than the males. Longevity is 10 years or more.
Geographic range.
Found in the Solomon Islands.
The type locality given is "Nouvelle-Calédonie" (New Caledonia).
Feeding.
The young will prey on small frogs and lizards, while adults will feed on larger prey such as smaller rodents.


Oriental dollarbird

The Oriental dollarbird ("Eurystomus orientalis") is a bird of the roller family, so named because of the distinctive pale blue or white, coin-shaped spots on its wings. It can be found from Australia to Korea, Japan and India.
Taxonomy.
The Oriental dollarbird was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1766 in the twelfth edition of his "Systema Naturae" under the binomial name "Coracias orientalis". Linnaeus based his description on "Le Rollier des Indes" that had been described and illustrated by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760. The type locality is the island of Java in Indonesia. The Oriental dollarbird is now placed in the genus "Eurystomus" that was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot.
A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2018 found that the azure dollarbird ("Eurystomus azureus") was nested in a clade containing subspecies of the Oriental dollarbird. Formerly, some authorities have also considered the broad-billed roller and the azure dollarbird to have been subspecies of the oriental dollarbird. The generic name derives from Ancient Greek "eurustomos" 'wide-mouthed' and the specific epithet is Latin "orientalis" 'eastern'. Alternate names for the oriental dollarbird include the Asian dollarbird, dark roller, dollar roller, dollarbird, eastern broad-billed roller and oriental broad-billed roller.
Ten subspecies are recognized:
Description.
The oriental dollarbird has a length of up to 30 cm. It is dark brown but this is heavily washed with a bluish-green sheen on the back and wing coverts. Its belly and undertail coverts are light coloured, and it has glossy bright blue colouring on its throat and undertail. Its flight feathers are a darker blue. Its bill is short and wide and in mature animals is coloured orange-red with a black tip. It has very light blue patches on the outer parts of its wings which are highly visible in flight and for which it is named. The females are slightly duller than the males but overall the two are very similar. Immature birds are much duller than the adults and do not have the blue colouring on their throats. They also have brown bills and feet instead of the red of the adults.
Distribution and habitat.
The oriental dollarbird is found from Australia to Japan and India. It breeds in northern and eastern Australia between the months of September and April and winters in New Guinea and nearby islands. The birds prefer open wooded areas with hollow-bearing trees to build nests in.
Behaviour and ecology.
The oriental dollarbird is most commonly seen singly with a distinctive upright silhouette on a bare branch high in a tree, from which it hawks for insects, returning to the same perch after a few seconds.


Chinese shortwing

The Chinese shortwing ("Brachypteryx sinensis") is a species of chat. This species is now classified in the family Muscicapidae.
It is found in southern China. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is a shy skulker, preferring to be on or near the ground, in the depths of dark vegetation, where it feeds on small insects, larvae, berries, seeds, sprouts and new buds of plants. The nest consists of moss and grass stems, placed in a dense shrub.


Heliodiaptomus pulcher

Heliodiaptomus pulcher is a species of copepod in the family Diaptomidae. It is endemic to India.


Oligoryzomys magellanicus

Oligoryzomys magellanicus, also known as the Patagonian colilargo and the Magellanic pygmy rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus "Oligoryzomys" of the family Cricetidae. It is found in the southernmost parts of Argentina and Chile, including Tierra del Fuego and other outlying islands. Its karyotype has 2n = 54 and FNa = 66.
Taxonomy.
There has been discussion as to whether "Oligoryzomys magellanicus" should be regarded as a full species or whether it should be considered to be a subspecies of "Oligoryzomys longicaudatus". Milton H. Gallardo and Eduardo Palma (1990) recognised it as a valid species, basing their findings on "phallic morphology and karyotypic and morphometric data".
Description.
The Magellanic pygmy rice rat has a head-and-body length about equal to the length of its tail. The ears are moderately large, and are rounded with hairs on both surfaces. The dorsal pelage is greyish-buff and the underparts are whitish. The upper surface of both fore and hind feet is white. Tufts of white hairs extend beyond the tips of the claws. The tail is slender and naked.
Ecology.
Like other members of the genus, the Magellanic pygmy rice rat probably feeds on seeds, fruits and insects. Where it occurs in forests, it co-exists with the olive grass mouse ("Abrothrix olivaceus") but not on the open pampas or in scrubland. One of the places where this pygmy rice rat can be found is the Torres del Paine National Park in the southern part of Chilean Patagonia.
Status.
"O. magellanicus" is common on Tierra del Fuego but is more localised further north. It faces no specific threats, has a wide range and occurs in a number of protected areas, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".


Andinobates virolinensis

Andinobates virolinensis (the Santander poison frog) is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae.
It is endemic to Colombia where it is confined to the Santander and Cundinamarca departments on the Cordillera Oriental.
Description.
"Andinobates virolinensis" are small frogs, measuring up to in snout–vent length.
Habitat, life cycle, and diet.
"Andinobates virolinensis" live on the floor of cloud forest. Females lay the eggs in leaf-litter, and the males bring the larvae to the bromeliads. Reproduction occurs throughout the year. The diet consists of various arthropods, including mites, springtails, ants, and insect larvae. Thus, their diet is broadly similar to other poison dart frogs.
Conservation.
"Andinobates virolinensis" is considered "Vulnerable" by the IUCN because it is found in very few locations and because its habitat is threatened by habitat loss, primarily due to agricultural expansion. However, it is a common species in the zones it does inhabit.
"Andinobates virolinensis" is sometimes traded and sold as a pet, despite INDERENA Decree # 39 (July 1985) that forbade the collection of dendrobatids from the wild for breeding (or other) purposes.


Cuproxena argentina

Cuproxena argentina is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in Argentina.


Asiadodis yunnanensis

Asiadodis yunnanensis is a species of praying mantis in the family Mantidae. It is found in China.


Chaco tree frog

The Chaco tree frog ("Boana raniceps") is a frog species in the family Hylidae found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Paraguay, and Venezuela.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, rivers, swamps, freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, urban areas, and heavily degraded former forests.


Aporhina bispinosa

Aporhina bispinosa is a species of Brentidae family, Eurhynchinae subfamily.
Description.
"Aporhina bispinosa" reaches about in length. This beetle has a dark green or blackish coloration and two long thorns in the middle of elytra (hence the Latin name "bispinosa).
Distribution.
This species occurs in Papua New Guinea.


Bare-eyed pigeon

The bare-eyed pigeon ("Patagioenas corensis") is a species of bird in the family Columbidae.
It is found in northern Colombia, Venezuela and the Netherlands Antilles.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.


Mountain chiffchaff

The mountain chiffchaff or eastern chiffchaff ("Phylloscopus sindianus") is a species of leaf warbler found in the Caucasus ("P. s. lorenzii") and Himalayas ("P. s. sindianus"), and is an altitudinal migrant, moving to lower levels in winter. The nominate subspecies is similar to the Siberian chiffchaff, but with a finer darker bill, browner upperparts and buff flanks; its song is almost identical to the common chiffchaff, but the call is a weak "psew". "P. s. lorenzii" is warmer and darker brown than the nominate race; it is sympatric with common chiffchaff in a small area in the Western Caucasus, but interbreeding occurs rarely, if ever. The mountain chiffchaff differs from "tristis" in vocalisations, external morphology and mtDNA sequences. Its two subspecies appear to be distinct vocally, and also show some difference in mtDNA sequences.


Nototriton saslaya

Nototriton saslaya is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Nicaragua. This species is known only from Cerro Sasalya and Cerro El Torro in Parque Nacional Saslaya, north-central Nicaragua.
Its natural habitats are lower montane wet (cloud) forests. It is an arboreal species hiding in thick moss.


Nebria fulgida

Nebria fulgida is a species of ground beetle in the Nebriinae subfamily that can be found in Russian autonomous republics such as Khamar-Daban, Buryat Republic, and East Sayan. Females have either reddish or greenish coloured elytron and are in length.


Peach-fronted parakeet

The peach-fronted parakeet ("Eupsittula aurea"), more commonly known as the peach-fronted conure in aviculture, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is widespread and often common in semi-open and open habitats in eastern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, far northern Argentina and southern Suriname (Sipaliwini savanna). Both its common and scientific name is a reference to the orange-yellow forehead, although this is reduced in juveniles.
Description.
The peach-fronted parakeet has a peach cap, white round the eye and green plumage. Peach Front Conures are sexually monomorphic. Juvenile Peach Front Conures resemble adults, with a much smaller peach crown, with no white eye ring.


Monte Escondido salamander

The Monte Escondido salamander ("Bolitoglossa decora") is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae.
It is endemic to Honduras.
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
It is threatened by habitat loss.


St. Helena white seabream

The St. Helena white seabream ("Diplodus helenae") is a species of seabream, a marine fish of the family Sparidae. The species was named by Henri Émile Sauvage in 1879.
Description.
This benthopelagic fish grows to an average length of 20 cm, maximum 31 cm.
Distribution.
The fish inhabits rocky bottoms in waters between 5 and 15 metres depth. It occurs in the southeastern Atlantic, off the coast of Saint Helena.


Sphaerodactylus nigropunctatus

Sphaerodactylus nigropunctatus, also known as the black-spotted least gecko or three-banded sphaero, is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. It is found in the Bahamas and Cuba.


Labicymbium cognatum

Labicymbium cognatum is a species of sheet weaver found in Peru. It was described by Millidge in 1991.


Coleophora gypsella

Coleophora gypsella is a moth of the family Coleophoridae that is endemic to Morocco.


Coleophora sardiniae

Coleophora sardiniae is a moth of the family Coleophoridae. It is found on Sardinia.
The larvae feed on "Genista corsica" and possibly "Genista lobelii". They feed on the generative organs of their host plant.


Epicrocis gratella

Epicrocis gratella is a species of snout moth in the genus "Epicrocis". It was described by Manny Heffley in 2012 and is known from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid novel series.


Dendropsophus columbianus

Dendropsophus columbianus (common name: Boettger's Colombian treefrog) is a species of frog in the family Hylidae.
It is endemic to the Andes of Colombia.
"Dendropsophus columbianus" is a common and adaptable species that lives in disturbed areas that formerly supported cloud forests; it has not been found in closed forests. It is typically associated with open habitats, especially those with some waterbodies (small lakes, reservoirs, grassy marshes or pools, wetlands).


Orthocis zoufali

Orthocis zoufali is a species of tree-fungus beetle in Ciidae family which is endemic to Bosnia and Herzegovina.


Gough finch

The Gough finch ("Rowettia goughensis") or Gough bunting, is a critically endangered species of songbird.
Taxonomy.
The Gough finch was formally described in 1904 by the British ornithologist William Eagle Clarke from a specimen collected on Gough Island in the South Atlantic. Clarke coined the binomial name "Nesospiza goughensis". The Gough finch is now the only species placed in the genus "Rowettia" that was introduced in 1923 by the English ornithologist Percy Lowe. The genus name was chosen to honour John Quiller Rowett, an English businessman and the sponsor of the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition. The Gough finch was traditionally considered to be a bunting in the family Emberizidae, but molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that it is a member of the subfamily Diglossinae in the tanager family Thraupidae and is sister to a clade containing birds in the genus "Melanodera". The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
Another species of finch was described from Gough Island, "Nesospiza jessiae", in 1904. This species was later identified as a juvenile of the Gough finch.
Description.
The Gough finch is in length and weighs .
Distribution and habitat.
It is endemic to the remote Gough Island, part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, and nearby stacks, in the South Atlantic. Its natural habitats are temperate shrubland and subantarctic grassland.
Status and conservation.
It was formerly classified as a Vulnerable species by the IUCN. But new research has shown that its population has collapsed and it is on the verge of extinction due to the introduced population of house mice ("Mus musculus"), noted for its unusual aggressiveness, competing with the birds for food and eating their eggs and nestlings. Consequently, it was uplisted to Critically Endangered in 2008.


Cyprus grass snake

The Cyprus grass snake ("Natrix natrix cypriaca") is an endangered subspecies of the grass snake ("Natrix natrix") and is endemic to the island of Cyprus. Hans-Jorg Wiedl, also known as Snake George, is working hard to save this rare snake and has created an online petition to appeal for help.


Gastrotheca antomia

Gastrotheca antomia is a species of frog in the family Hemiphractidae. It is endemic to Colombia and found on the western versant of the Cordillera Occidental in Antioquia, Risaralda, Chocó, and Valle del Cauca Departments, at elevations of asl.
The natural habitat of "Gastrotheca antomia" is Andean cloud forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.


List of butterflies of Armenia

This is a list of butterflies of Armenia. About 230 species are known from Armenia.


Crimson-browed finch

The crimson-browed finch ("Carpodacus subhimachalus") is a true finch species (family Fringillidae). It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and temperate shrubland.
This is a large finch with a large short bill. The male has a crimson red head and throat. The female has a yellow head and throat.
The species was described by the British naturalist Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1836 under the binomial name "Corythus subhimachalus". The species name "subhimachalus" combines the Latin "sub" meaning 'beneath' and the Hindi word "himachal" meaning snow. The crimson-browed finch was formerly placed in the genus "Pinicola" but was moved to the rosefinch genus "Carpodacus" based on the results from the phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences.


Aphonopelma anitahoffmannae

Aphonopelma anitahoffmannae is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae, found in Mexico.


Libyan jird

The Libyan jird ("Meriones libycus") is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Western China. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, intermittent saline lakes, hot deserts, and rural gardens.
Description.
The Libyan jird is a large species of jird with a head-and-body length of , a similar-length tail and a weight of . The head is broad with large eyes, the fur is fine and dense and the hind legs are long. The upper parts are greyish-brown, darker in colour than the midday jird ("Meriones meridianus"), which is usually smaller. The hairs on the underside have white tips and grey bases whereas the midday jird has all-white underparts apart from a brownish chest stripe. The tail is pale brown except for the terminal third of the tail which is deep brown or blackish. The claws are dark-coloured, and the soles of the hind feet are partly hairy so that patches of bare skin are visible. In parts of its range it may be confused with Sundevall's jird ("Meriones crassus") but that species is smaller, has pale claws and a smaller dark tail tuft.
Distribution and habitat.
The Libyan jird is native to North Africa and parts of Western and Central Asia. Its range extends from Mauritania and Morocco to Saudi Arabia, the Near East, Kazakhstan and Western China. Its typical habitat is deserts and semi-deserts, river floodplains, wadis and areas with stable sand-dunes. It sometimes occurs in arable land.
Ecology.
The Libyan jird may live alone or in small colonies, and is more sociable in winter when colonies may contain twenty or thirty individuals. It inhabits a burrow up to deep which is a fairly complex series of passages with multiple entrances; an empty burrow of the great gerbil ("Rhombomys opimus") may be used. The Libyan jird is a diurnal species and forages for seeds, bulbs, tubers and leaves, as well as any dead insect it may find. It often carries the food back to the burrow and here large quantities are stored in chambers near the surface, deeper burrows being used for nesting. It is opportunistically migratory, moving to new territory when food becomes scarce. Breeding takes place throughout most of the year with several litters of about five young being born.
In the man-made desert known as Aralkum that has been formed as a result of the shrinkage of the Aral Sea, the Libyan jird has made use of the new habitat where it lives alongside other small rodents including the northern three-toed jerboa, the midday jird and the great gerbil. These rodents are about four times more abundant on the dried-up seabed than in the surrounding terrain, and the presence of this abundance of rodent prey has attracted carnivores such as the red fox, the corsac fox, the steppe polecat, the marbled polecat and the Turkestan wildcat.
Status.
The Libyan jird is a common species in suitable habitat across its wide range. It is presumed to have a large total population and is regarded as a pest in some areas where it is present in cropland. No special threats to this species have been identified, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".


Ungaliophis continentalis

Ungaliophis continentalis, or the Chiapan boa, is a species of snake in the family Tropidophiidae. It is endemic to Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.