Sonoran pronghorn

The Sonoran pronghorn ("Antilocapra americana sonoriensis") is an endangered subspecies of pronghorn that is endemic to the Sonoran Desert.
Conservation.
Around 200 animals currently are believed to exist in the United States, up from an estimated 21 individuals in 2002. The number of individuals in Mexico is estimated to be even lower.
In 2012, announcements of two reintroductions were published in the "Federal Register". One of the reintroductions was to take place at the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range (BMGR) in Yuma, Arizona, and the second was to be at Kofa National Wildlife Refuge.
Obstacles to recovery.
Numerous and ongoing threats exist to the survival of the Sonoran pronghorn. Not the least of these threats is the fact that much of their habitat is occupied by the BMGR, which is an active United States Air Force bombing range.
Adjacent to the BMGR is the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge (CPNWR), also a critical breeding area for this species. Parts of the CPNWR are off limits to visitors between mid-March and mid-July, during the fawning season, so as to minimize disturbance to herds with fawns, which can result in the loss of fawns. Despite this fact, this area too is subject to constant environmental pressure. The accompaniments of illegal trafficking of people and drugs from Mexico (such as the construction of illegal roads and trails, reckless disposal of trash, destruction of vegetation, and contamination of water sources) have significantly degraded the habitat. The response from law enforcement agencies (such as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Drug Enforcement Administration) has also exacerbated this problem.
Mortality.
Living in open areas, pronghorns in general must rely on their eyesight to avoid predators, and with population numbers so low, the Sonoran pronghorn must avoid mortality at all costs. Sources of mortality come from predators, drought, and lack of feed; these sources usually affect fawns most often, and adult mortality also occurs in drought situations. Controlling this situation is very difficult because drought is at the hand of the weather, things that can be done are predator control on coyotes and bobcats, but this is yet to be studied with enough detail to be proven effective.
Habitat.
The Sonoran pronghorn is endemic to the Sonoran Desert. They live in open spaces and primarily forage grasses and shrubs for food. Desert pronghorn are more adapted to desert conditions, and can go longer without water.


Sitana schleichi

Sitana schleichi, the Suklaphantah sitana, is a species of agamid lizard endemic to Nepal.
Etymology.
The species is named in honor of German herpetologist Hans Hermann Schleich (born 1952).


Eoserranus

Eoserranus is an extinct genus of prehistoric bony fish that lived during the Danian stage of the Paleocene epoch.


Vivaxosaurus

Vivaxosaurus is a genus of dicynodont from Late Permian (Changhsingian) of Russia. It has been found at Sokolki on the Northern Dvina River near Kotlas in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lived during the latest Permian, and was a contemporary of "Inostrancevia", "Scutosaurus" and "Dvinia". Like all members of the genus, this animal was toothless, except for prominent tusks, and probably cropped vegetation with a horny beak, like a tortoise.
The contemporary species "Dicynodon amalitzkii" Sushkin, 1926 is closely related (Angielczyk and Kurkin 2003a, 2003b), although according to Lucas 2005, "Dicynodon trautscholdi", "Dicynodon amalitzkii", "Elph borealis", and "Vivaxosaurus permirus" are all synonyms, which makes "D. amalitzkii" the junior synonym of "D. trautscholdi". Other suggested synonyms are "Gordonia annae" Amalitskii, 1922, "Oudenodon venyokovi" Amalitskii, 1922, and "Dicynodon annae" (Amalitskii, 1922).
In 2011, "Vivaxosaurus permirus" and "Dicynodon trautscholdi" were combined as "Vivaxosaurus trautscholdi".


Achalinus hainanus

Achalinus hainanus, also known as the Hainan odd-scaled snake, is a species of snake in the family Xenodermatidae. It is endemic to the island of Hainan in China.


Laminacauda amabilis

Laminacauda amabilis is a species of sheet weaver found in Peru. It was described by Keyserling in 1886.


Paraceratites elegans

Paraceratites elegans is an extinct species of ammonite cephalopod in the family Ceratitidae. It is known from the Triassic of China and Israel.


Bombus armeniacus

The Armenian bumblebee (Bombus armeniacus) is a species of bumblebee found in Greece, Austria, the Czech Republic, Russia, and the Near East.


Holochilus chacarius

Holochilus chacarius, also known as the Chacoan marsh rat or Chaco marsh rat, is a semiaquatic rodent species in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Argentina and Paraguay within the Gran Chaco.
Description.
This marsh rat is one of the smallest in the genus. The head-and-body length is between and the tail length is between . The dorsal pelage is pale reddish-brown, with long black guard hairs, the flanks are buff or ochre, the throat and chest are white and the rest of the underparts are buff or grey, the hairs having white bases.
Distribution and habitat.
The Chaco marsh rat is native to Paraguay and the notheasten part of Argentina, being present in the provinces of Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán, Formosa, Chaco and Córdoba. It is a semi-aquatic species and is found in swamps and other areas of wetland, flooded pasture and cultivated fields, but seldom in forested habitats. In Paraguay it inhabits ground well covered in leaf litter and herbaceous plants.
Ecology.
The Chaco marsh rat can swim and dive, and can also climb well; it is a herbivore, feeding on a range of plant materials including sugarcane, rice, banana and other crops. It can make underground galleries with several entrances, but nests above ground, building circular structures of grass up to in diameter and often a metre or more above the ground. Litter sizes range from four to nine, and the young mature at sixty days.
Status.
The Chaco marsh rat is common in some areas and less so in others. The overall population is thought to be declining, but the rat has a wide range and is present in a number of protected areas, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".


Anthinus henselii

Anthinus henselii is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial gastropod mollusk in the family Strophocheilidae.
This species is also known as Drymaeus henselii and then it is placed in the subfamily Bulimulinae, family Orthalicidae.
This species was originally described by Eduard von Martens as "Bulimulus henselii" in 1868. The specific name is in honor of the German naturalist, paleontologist and zoologist Reinhold Friedrich Hensel (1826–1881), who collected the first two specimens from which the species was described.
The type locality is Costa da Serra in the state Rio Grande do Sul, which is the southernmost State of Brazil. This species is endemic to Brazil.
This species is accidentally listed twice in the Checklist of Rio Grande do Sul State (2009): as "Drymaeus henselii" (Martens, 1868) (subfamily Bulimulinae, family Orthalicidae) and as "Gonyostomus henselii" (Martens, 1868) in family Strophocheilidae. This species also inhabits Santa Catarina in Brazil (listed as "Drymaeus henselii" (Martens, 1868)).
Description.
The shell is perforate, ovate-turreted, irregularly striate and sculptured with very delicate, very close spiral lines. The color of the shell is whitish, painted with brown streaks, which are confluent in the middle of each whorl. The apex is obtuse, brownish. The shell has 6 whorls, that are rather flattened. The suture is irregularly undulating. The last whorl is little convex below.
The aperture is subvertical, ovate-oblong, nearly half the length of the shell. The peristome is a little thickened, lightly spreading and white. The columellar margin is dilated, not closing the perforation, expanded above in a parietal lamina. Columella itself is twisted.
The length of the shell is 40 mm. The width of the shell is 28 mm. The height of the aperture is 20 mm. The width of the aperture is 11 mm.
References.
This article incorporates public domain text from the reference.


Calathus mirei

Calathus mirei is a species of ground beetle from the Platyninae subfamily that is endemic to Spain.


Paraheliophanus

Paraheliophanus is a genus of Atlantic jumping spiders that was first described by D. J. Clark & P. L. G. Benoit in 1977. The name is a combination of the Ancient Greek "para" (), meaning "alongside", and the salticid genus "Heliophanus".
Species.
 it contains four species, found only on Saint Helena:


Inape intermedia

Inape intermedia is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae which is endemic to Peru.
The wingspan is . The ground colour of the forewings is cream brown with brownish strigulae and brown spots along the tornus. The markings are dark brown. The hindwings are brownish grey, but creamer towards the base.
Etymology.
The species name refers to the intermediate position of the species and is derived from Latin "intermedia" (meaning intermediate).


South Georgia pintail

The South Georgia pintail ("Anas georgica georgica"), also misleadingly known as the South Georgian teal, is the nominate subspecies of the yellow-billed pintail ("Anas georgica"), a duck in the dabbling duck subfamily Anatinae. It is endemic to the large (3,756 km2) subantarctic island of South Georgia and its accompanying archipelago, and is a vagrant to the South Sandwich Islands. It was among the birds noted by James Cook in January 1775, on the occasion of the first recorded landing on South Georgia, and was formerly considered a full species.
Taxonomy.
The duck has long been recognised as a distinct taxon, with its affinities previously considered to be with the teals. Robert Cushman Murphy was the first to demonstrate that it is a pintail, its closest relatives the yellow-billed pintails of South America (now split as the Chilean pintail "A. g. spinicauda" and the extinct Niceforo's pintail "A. g. niceforoi"), though he retained it as a full species for its isolated distribution and its 16 (rather than 14) rectrices, or tail feathers. However, the number of rectrices in the ducks is variable, with many mainland pintails also having 16 rectrices and a few South Georgia pintails even having 18, and the three ducks are now usually lumped as the yellow-billed pintail.
Description.
The duck is a distinctive small, mottled, predominantly brown pintail. It is smaller and stockier than the remaining mainland subspecies ("A. g. spinicauda"), with more uniform and darker plumage. It has a reddish crown, light brown cheeks and throat, dark grey underwings and a pointed tail. The back, breast and flanks are scalloped with buff; the underparts are buffy white, mottled with brown. The bill is yellow with a blue and black line on the culmen and tip, and the feet are greenish-grey. The downy chick is dark brown with yellowish buff markings.
Unlike other pintails, the males are similar in appearance to the females, though larger. The ducks are 45 to 65 cm in length, the males weighing 610 to 660 g, the females 460 to 610 g. Minor differences are that the male has uniformly brownish-grey upperwing coverts and a glossy greenish-black speculum, while the female has mottled upperwing coverts and a dull brown speculum.
Identification.
The only species it is likely to be confused with is the yellow-billed teal, a relatively recent self-introduction first recorded breeding on South Georgia in 1971. The speckled teal also has a yellow bill but differs in being smaller and more compact, with less spotting on the flanks, and having a buff bar in front of the speculum, a central white stripe on the underwing, and a shorter and less pointed tail.
Distribution and habitat.
The pintail is widely distributed along the north coast, and the western third of the south coast, of South Georgia, as well as on its offshore islands. It is largely absent from most of the south coast of the main island because of unfavourable topography.
Favoured habitat includes freshwater pools and streams fringed by tussock grassland, seal wallows and poorly drained land next to wetlands and melting snow, as well as coastal habitats.
Behaviour.
Outside the breeding season, and when food is locally abundant, the ducks may congregate in small flocks, sometimes of up to about a hundred. Murphy noted:On December 20th, 1912, I photographed a pair of teals feeding in a trickle of water which ran through tall tussock grass from the melting edge of a glacier. The birds were well hidden by the screen of grass, and I almost stumbled over them before seeing them. They appeared quite unconcerned, however, and continued prodding about in the mud. When I had come within two steps of them, they raised their heads and waddled farther off among the hummocks, from where they peered out through drooping grass. All but the bright eyes and yellow bills blended completely with the surroundings. Matthews has well said that their pattern fits in so thoroughly with the environment that it is sometimes only the movement of the conspicuous yellow bill that calls one’s attention to their presence. Many observers have noted the birds’ preference to lose themselves in the grass when they are approached, rather than to seek safety in the air, and it is likely that before the arrival of men and guns at South Georgia they used their wings only for relatively short and infrequent flights.
Feeding.
The ducks are omnivorous; they feed on vegetation, including marine and freshwater algae, dabbling and diving in the sea when the water is calm. They also consume a range of invertebrates, including freshwater fairy shrimp ("Brachinecta gaini"), marine amphipods, Diptera, small clams, nematodes and snails, foraging in the intertidal zone and sometimes scavenging at seal carcasses.
David Parmelee describes the latter behaviour from Bird Island as follows:
"One might surmise that the delicate little pintails wait their turn to pick at the bones and small scraps left by the larger predators. Wrong assumption! As soon as there is a small opening in the seal carcass the ducks dive headlong into the hole, which conceals from view their bills and at times even their heads.
"The head is methodically withdrawn time and again for surveillance, but it is not unusual to see both giant petrels and pintails simultaneously picking at the same carcass. The ducks are so clever in maneuvering that not many are caught unaware. Unlike the giant petrels that acquire grisly scarlet heads while gorging on the bloody flesh, the fastidious pintails remain remarkably clean by dipping frequently into streams or pools of water."
Breeding.
South Georgia pintails breed in solitary pairs during a long breeding season from late October to early March. Their nests are frequently sited some distance away from water; they are well concealed in tussock grass, often on a shallow platform of grass stems and down feathers above the ground and shielded from above by overhanging vegetation. When returning from feeding, they usually land some distance away from the nest before creeping to it through the undergrowth, so as not to lead predatory birds to the vulnerable eggs and chicks. They lay small clutches of three to five pale cinnamon-pink eggs, and their chicks' down is dark. They mate for life, with males assisting in raising the young.
The preferred habitat for raising broods is tussock-rimmed freshwater ponds where the chicks feed around the edges while the female stays in more open water. The broods are moved overland through the tussock from pond to pond. Niall Rankin, who led an expedition to South Georgia after the Second World War, said:
I never discovered a nest with eggs, but found two ducklings on Albatross Island, about two days old, on December 18th, also another brood about a week old on March 11th.
Their speed was incredible, dashing from clump to clump like small rats, and it took considerable time to catch them. The parent meanwhile showed little concern, resting on a rock at the edge of the sea some 30 yards away. Their only natural enemy is the skua and time must have shown that so long as the ducklings remain amongst the alleyways between the overhanging clumps little harm can befall them.
Vocalisations.
Calls recorded from the adult male include a burp – a wheezy, hollow-sounding "geee-geeee", rising and falling in pitch, with a concurrent double-noted whistle. Females have been heard to give a decrescendo call similar to that of the northern pintail, as well as a creaking “inciting call” and a rasping “repulsion call”. Murphy notes “The call of the male is a shrill whistle, repeated several times and frequently uttered in flight. The duck utters a soft quack, and a gurgling note which von den Steinen likened to the bursting of large bubbles.”
Conservation and status.
Population.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the pintails were considered common; though Murphy reported that, by 1912, intensive hunting by whalers and sealers had reduced the population considerably. Rankin, who visited the island in 1946–47 when it was still a base for whaling operations, commented:
”Formerly this little duck was common throughout the coastal belt of the island, but as soon as whaling stations started to spring up and its flesh became appreciated the bird stood little chance of survival if it ventured near any of the populated fjords. Numbers have steadily decreased and while 40 years ago a flock of 100 teal was not an uncommon sight in the winter season, now it is unusual to see more than half a dozen together. In late autumn the most I myself ever saw was four.
Numbers have since recovered with the abandonment of South Georgia as a whaling base; the population probably exceeds 2,000 and is about as abundant as can be expected for the available habitat. The pintail was described in 1979 as being widespread in small numbers and frequenting most bays and coastal areas of South Georgia.
Threats.
Hunting by humans is no longer a serious threat. The eggs and chicks of the ducks were at risk from introduced brown rats which were eradicated in 2018 and are at risk from predatory birds, especially brown skuas. There is a record of an adult bird being killed and eaten by a leopard seal.
Parasites.
The ducks are recorded as hosting the ectoparasitic nasal mite "Rhinonyssus rhinolethrum".


Chilean recluse spider

The Chilean recluse spider is a highly venomous spider, Loxosceles laeta, of the family Sicariidae (formerly of the family Loxoscelidae). In Spanish, it (and other South American recluse spiders) is known as , or "corner spider"; in Brazilian Portuguese, as or "brown spider". It is considered by many to be the most dangerous of recluse spiders, and its bites often result in serious systemic reactions, even death.
Description.
The Chilean recluse is one of the larger species of recluse spiders, generally ranging from 8–40 mm in size (including legs). Like most recluses, it is brown and usually has markings on the dorsal side of its thorax, with a black line coming from it that looks like a violin with the neck of the violin pointing to the rear of the spider resulting in the nickname "fiddleback spider" or "violin spider" in English-speaking areas. Coloring varies from light tan to brown and the violin marking may not be visible. Since the "violin pattern" is not diagnostic, it is far more important, for purposes of identification, to examine the eyes. Most spiders have eight eyes, but recluse spiders have six eyes arranged in pairs (dyads) with one median pair and two lateral pairs.
Like other recluse spiders, the Chilean recluse builds irregular webs that frequently include a shelter consisting of disorderly threads. Unlike most web weavers, they leave these webs at night to hunt. People get bitten when they unintentionally squeeze them in clothing and bedding. These spiders frequently build their webs in woodpiles and sheds, closets, garages, and other places that are dry and
generally undisturbed. The spider is frequently found in human dwellings. The spiders can last a long time without food or water, a fact that encourages their worldwide spread.
Habitat.
The Chilean recluse spider is native to South America. It is common in Chile, and can be found in Perú, Ecuador, Argentina, Uruguay, and south and eastern Brazil.
It has been introduced into several areas outside its natural range but does not thrive in those locations. The spider is known to have established itself in the Los Angeles area. Infestations have been reported in the United States (Massachusetts, Florida, Kansas), Canada (Vancouver, British Columbia), and Australia. One colony of the spider is living in the Natural History Museum of Helsinki where it was probably introduced through fruit shipments in the 1960s and 1970s. Local daycares, preschools and schools arrange daytrips here and parents are forewarned about the risk by required consent forms, although only one bite has ever been recorded.
Medical significance.
As indicated by its name, this spider is not aggressive and usually bites only when pressed against human skin, such as when putting on an article of clothing. Like all sicariid spiders, the venom of the Chilean recluse contains the dermonecrotic agent Sphingomyelinase D, which is otherwise found only in a few pathogenic bacteria. According to one study, the venom of the Chilean recluse along with the six-eyed sand spider "Hexophthalma hahni", contains an order of magnitude more of this substance than that of other sicariid spiders such as the brown recluse. For a comparison of the toxicity of several kinds of spider bites, see the list of spiders having medically significant venom.
Spectrum of disease.
Disease may range from a minor bite with mild skin irritation, to severe skin necrosis, called cutaneous loxoscelism, to a less common syndrome in 10-15% of cases, a systemic illness called viscerocutaneous loxoscelism, because it involves inner organs.
Cutaneous loxoscelism results from serious bites causing a necrotising skin ulcer in about 50% of bites with destruction of soft tissue and may take months, and rarely years to heal, leaving deep scars. The damaged tissue will become gangrenous black and eventually slough away. Initially there may be no pain from a bite, but over time the wound may grow to as large as 10 inches (25 cm) in extreme cases. Bites are felt initially but may take up to seven hours to cause visible damage; more serious systemic effects may occur before this time, as venom of any kind spreads throughout the body in minutes.
Viscerocutaneous loxoscelism manifests with skin blanching due to vasoconstriction, sometimes a dengue-like scarlatiniform rash, hemolysis, sometimes resulting in hemoglobinuria, hemolytic anemia and acute tubular necrosis leading to kidney failure, and death in 3%–4% of cases per a study covering 30 years of bites in Chile. In a single year (2005) no deaths were reported. In Peru, viscerocutaneous loxoscelism occurs in 27.2% of cases, in Chile it occurs in 15.7% and in the state of Santa Catarina, in Brazil it occurs in 13.1%. In a period from 1955 to 2000 250 cases of Loxoscelism were studied in Santiago, Chile, cutaneous loxoscelism occurred in 81.2% of the cases (203), while the most severe form, viscerocutaneous loxoscelism, occurred in 18.8% (47). Of the 47 who had viscerocutaneous loxoscelism, 9 died, representing a mortality rate of 19.1%, 6 were women and 3 were men, aged 2 to 37 years, 6 occurred in the summer, two in the fall and one in the winter. "Loxosceles laeta" can produce 60 µg of venom by electrostimulation, compared to 30-40 µg of "Loxosceles intermedia" and "Loxosceles gaucho". In Peru, the mortality rate was 18% for those over 13 years old, and 50% for children under 13 years old.
Treatment.
Application of an ice pack helps as first aid, because the venom is more active at high temperatures. Applying aloe vera may soothe and help control the pain. The spider should be brought with the patient in a clear, tightly closed container for identification, if it can be captured. However, by the time the bite is noticed, any spider found nearby is not likely to be the culprit.
Antidote results have been discouraging. Retrospective data are limited because they lack a definition of time to antivenom administration and its relation to outcome.
In South America, dapsone has been tried at 100 mg/day for one week, unless there is active hemolysis or G6PD deficiency. No controlled trials have been reported; the practice is controversial, but clinical experience in Perú and several limited studies support this practice. Systemic corticosteroids are often considered, but without clinical trials to support the practice.


Opsariichthys uncirostris

Opsariichthys uncirostris is a species of cyprinid in the genus "Opsariichthys". It inhabits Siberia, China, Korea and Japan. It has a maximum length of ; males have a common length of .


Cytaea taveuniensis

Cytaea taveuniensis is a jumping spider species in the genus "Cytaea". The male was first identified in 2010 by Barbara Maria Patoleta and Joanna Gardzińska. The female has not been described.
Etymology.
The species name is derived from the Fijian island Taveuni.
Description.
The species is light brown with a cephalothorax that is long. It is similar to "Cytaea nausori" but is differentiated by its risen embolic base.
Distribution.
"Xenocytaea vonavonensis" is found in Fiji.


Fauna of the Faroe Islands

The fauna of the Faroe Islands is characterized by the islands' remote location in the North Atlantic Ocean. There are few terrestrial species, but relatively many breeding seabirds and marine animals. Some subspecies and breeds are endemic. All land mammals were introduced by humans.
Birds.
The bird fauna of the Faroes is dominated by seabirds and birds attracted to open land like heather, probably due to the lack of woodland and other suited habitats. There are special Faroese races of eider, starling, wren, guillemot, and black guillemot. Puffins ("Fratercula arctica"), razorbills ("Alca torda"), and guillemots ("Uria aalge"), are very common seabirds in Faroe. Gannets ("Sula sula") are common around the islands, but only breed on Mykines. Black guillemots ("Cepphus grylle"), eiders ("Somateria mollissima") and shag ("Phalacrocorax aristotelis") are common around the coast and the fulmars ("Fulmarus glacialis") which immigrated to the islands in the 19th century have a steadily growing population. There are six species of seagulls ("Larus") and the storm petrel ("Hydrobates pelagicus") colony on Nólsoy is the largest in the world.
Inland birds are fewer in numbers. Oystercatcher ("Haematopus ostralegus") (the national bird), whimbrel ("Numenius phaeopus"), common snipe ("Gallinago gallinago") and Arctic tern ("Sterna paradisea") are common on the heather hills. The Faroese starling ("Sturnus vulgaris" ssp. "faroeensis") is the biggest starling in the world, and is very common in and around human habitation together with house sparrow ("Passer domesticus"). In later years starlings they have been joined by blackbirds ("Turdus merula"), which are growing very fast in numbers. Hooded crows ("Corvus cornix") and the Faroese-Icelandic subspecies of raven ("Corvus corax varius") are also very common around human habitation. Until the 19th century a special coloured raven, the pied raven was common on the islands. This was not a special race, but a colour variation of the Faroese-Icelandic subspecies. In the same nest, three youngsters could be black while one could be white-speckled. This colour variation was unique to the Faroe Islands, and maybe because of this, the demand from foreign collectors was big for these ravens. This might be a reason why it became extinct; the last white-speckled raven was seen on Nólsoy in 1949.
Land mammals.
The land mammals of Faroe have all been introduced, accidentally or deliberately, by people. Although nine species of wild land mammal have been reported on the Faroe Islands, only three have survived and are thriving on the islands today: mountain hare ("Lepus timidus"), brown rat ("Rattus norvegicus") and the house mouse ("Mus domesticus").
Mountain hares were introduced from Kragerø in Norway in 1854. The first years, some of the hares developed a white coat in winter, like their ancestors from Norway, but after a few decades, due to the oceanic climate with its lack of snow cover, the Faroese hares had adopted common traits with the Irish hares ("Lepus timidus hibernicus") staying brown most of the year and turning grey in winter. Hares are present on all but three of the smaller islands, Koltur, Stóra Dímun and Lítla Dímun.
The Faroese house mouse was probably introduced accidentally from Britain by the Irish monks as early as the 6th century. It is the Western European house mouse ("Mus domesticus") but has earlier been labelled as "Mus musculus". This naming has also been used to name the subspecies which has evolved in the isolated island populations. The Nólsoy house mouse is a subspecies called ("Mus musculus faroeensis") and the Mykines house mouse is also a subspecies called ("Mus musculus mykinessiensis"). However, a recent study, based on DNA-analyses, has shown that mice on the most remote islands (Hesti, Fugloy, Mykines and Nólsoy) are characterized as "M. m. domesticus", whereas the mice on the better connected islands (Sandoy and in Torshavn) are mixed and have both "M. m. musculus" and "M. m. domesticus" genetic elements. Furthermore, the investigation indicated that the majority of the mice have their origins in south-western Norway, in agreement with human historical data, while the mice on the island of Sandoy may have arrived from the British Isles or from Denmark. The "M. m. musculus" genetic component appears to derive from recent immigrant mice from Denmark. The wood mouse or field mouse ("Apodemus sylvaticus") was recorded on the Faroe Islands in the 17th century, but has not been recorded since. These recordings might have been mistaken. The house mouse is present on the islands Mykines, Streymoy, Fugloy, Hestur, Nólsoy and Sandoy. From time to time they have been located on Eysturoy, but they have never managed to establish themselves there due to the presence of the brown rat.
When the black rat ("Rattus rattus)" first came to the Faroes is unclear, but it is given the blame for having spread the plague, the Black death in 1349, since then there have been several reports of the rat going extinct in part or in whole across the archipelago, only to return at later dates. The reasons for its many disappearances vary, from legends about the use of magic to environmental reasons and disease. It has since been exterminated by the more aggressive brown rat.
The brown rat ("Rattus norvegicus") is common in and around human habitations as well as in the outfield, doing big damage in bird colonies. It reached the Faroe Islands on the Norwegian ship "Kongen af Preussen," which wrecked on the Scottish Isle of Lewis. The wreck drifted to Hvalba in Suðuroy in May 1768; in 1769, the rat had already established itself in Tórshavn. The brown rat replaced the former black rat ("Rattus rattus") which was common in human habitation in Faroe before. It has spread to the islands Suðuroy (1768), Streymoy (1769), Eysturoy (1776), Vágar (1779), Kunoy (1914)., Borðoy (apx. 1900), and Viðoy (betw. 1904-1910). A recent genomic analyses reveal three independent introductions of the invasive brown rat to the Faroe Islands.
Rabbits ("Oryctolagus cuniculus") were introduced to Suðuroy in the beginning of the 20th century. They soon spread throughout the island, but after a few years, they were exterminated. Rabbits also established colonies in the extreme south of Eysturoy (Eystnes) in the 1960s and 1970s, but they were also exterminated. In 2006 there were reports of rabbits establishing colonies on Streymoy they have since been exterminated. Every now and then escaped pets get into the mountains, but they are usually hunted down and shot shortly after being sighted, preventing further colonies from being established.
American mink ("Mustela vison") have escaped from farms on several occasions, but were caught or shot most of the time, and never managed to establish a stock in the wild. Arctic foxes ("Alopex lagopus") also escaped from farms now and then in the first half of the 20th century. These were individuals who survived for months in the wild until they were found and shot. Without mates they were unable to multiply.
In the beginning of the 20th century, a few hedgehogs ("Erinaceus europaeus") were introduced to Tórshavn, but too few in numbers to establish a population.
Bats are infrequent guests to Faroe, and usually die soon after arrival.
Apart from the local domestic sheep breed called Faroes, the Lítla Dímun sheep, a variety of feral sheep survived on Little Dímun until the mid-19th century. There is also a local breed of horse, the Faroe pony.
From time to time, domestic cats escape into the mountains and go feral. These are usually hunted down as fast as possible, as they do heavy damage to native bird life and the introduced hare population.
Marine mammals.
Grey seals ("Halichoerus grypus") are very common around the Faroese shores. Harbor seals were breeding in the Faroes until the mid-1800s; they are now an infrequent visitor, with the occasional pup or young seal spotted, indicating that breeding might start again on the islands at some point.
Several species of whales live in the waters around the Faroe Islands. Best known are the long-finned pilot whales ("Globicephala melas"), but the more exotic killer whales ("Orcinus orca") sometimes visit the Faroese fjords as well.
Harbor porpoises are the most frequently sighted cetacea. They frequent the islands year round, though it seems to be in larger numbers around the northern islands than the rest of the country.
Blue whales can sometimes appear during the months of late April to June, and be seen migrating north through Hestfjørð and Vestmannasund on the southwest side of Streymoy (if the weather cooperates).
Bottlenose whales have a very strict migrating route, which goes south over the northern part of Suðuroy in August–September, and there are few years where no whales beach themselves on either of the two beaches at the northernmost villages of Hvalba and Sandvík.
Amphibians.
Naturally, there were no amphibians in the Faroe Islands. But recently frogs ("Rana temporaria") have been introduced to Faroe, and are breeding successfully on Nólsoy.
A young toad ("Bufo bufo") hibernating on Eysturoy was recorded in 2006; most likely a lost pet.
Insects and other invertebrates.
Flies, moths, spiders, beetles, slugs, snails, earthworms and other small invertebrates are part of the indigenous fauna of the Faroe Islands.
More recent introductions are the New Zealand flatworm, the Spanish slug, and the common wasp which all have become part of the natural fauna.
Cockroaches, black garden ants, pharaoh ants and burgundy snails have also been found, but it is not clear if they have become part of the established fauna.


Cyclophorus elegans

Cyclophorus elegans is a species of small, air-breathing, land snails with an operculum, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Cyclophoridae. It is found in China.


Variegated laughingthrush

The variegated laughingthrush ("Trochalopteron variegatum") is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is endemic to the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, primarily the low-to-mid altitudes of the Himalayas. It ranges across Bhutan, India, Nepal and Tibet.
Description.
The Variegated Laughingthrush is a medium-sized laughingthrush typically 24-16 centimeters in length and weights 57-79 grams. Both subspecies have a black stripe down the center of the throat and are overall olive and buffy in appearance. The large tail has a gray subterminal band with a white tip. The color of the outer rectrices vary based on the subspecies. "Trochalopteron variegatum variegatum" has distinctive yellow primary and secondary feathers with cinnamon-tipped greater coverts and black primary coverts. "Trochalopteron variegatum variegatum" has yellow outer rectrices. The area around the beak is black up until the eye, which is broken with a white eye ring. Buff area at the base of the mandible fades to whitish. The "variegatum" subspecies has buff forehead with a brownish gray crown.
"Trochalopteron variegatum simile" is similar to "Trochalopteron variegatum variegatum" except has gray primary and secondary feathers along with gray outer rectrices. The area around the lower mandible is whiter in this subspecies and the buff on the forehead is more dull.


White-bellied erpornis

The white-bellied erpornis ("Erpornis zantholeuca") or simply erpornis is a species of bird. It is the only member of the genus Erpornis. This bird is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Taxonomy.
Formerly placed in "Yuhina" and often still misleadingly called "white-bellied yuhina", it is the most distinct member of this "genus" in its obsolete paraphyletic delimitation. It is by no means closely related to the Timaliidae (Old World babblers), where most of the former members of "Yuhina" are still placed. The Timaliidae are members of the superfamily Sylvioidea in infraorder Passeri, whereas the erpornis is the closest relative of the vireos (Vireonidae), which are a more ancient lineage of songbirds. Indeed, it now is usually included in the Vireonidae as one of their few Old World representatives.
Several subspecies are recognised: "E. z zantholeuca", "E. z tyrannula", "E. z griseiloris", "E. z sordida", "E. z canescens", "E. z interposita", "E. z saani" and "E. z brunnescens".
Description.
In its coloration, morphology and acrobatic habits, this bird resembles a vireo quite a lot. However, it has a prominent crest like many yuhinas, which together with the unusual biogeography has served to obscure its true relationships for a long time. The crested head, back, wings and tail of this bird are olivaceous or golden brown while the underparts are white.
Erpornis possesses well-developed musculature for gaping or opening the bill forcefully and may use this to pry bark from trees to seek insects.
Status.
The white-bellied erpornis is listed by the IUCN as being of "Least Concern" as it has a very wide range and is common within much of that range. It is estimated that there may be 10,000 to 100,000 breeding pairs in China and a similar number in Taiwan.


Vimba elongata

Vimba elongata is a European freshwater fish species in the family Cyprinidae. Inhabits the basin of upper Danube: alpian lakes of upper Austria and southern Bavaria.


Paramushir shrew

The Paramushir shrew ("Sorex leucogaster") is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Russia. Its natural habitat is temperate forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.


Atlantic ghost crab

The Atlantic ghost crab, "Ocypode quadrata", is a species of ghost crab. It is a common species along the Atlantic coast of the United States, where it is the only species of ghost crab; its range of distribution extends from its northernmost reach on beaches in Westport, Massachusetts, south along the coasts of the tropical Western Atlantic Ocean to the beach of Barra do Chui, in Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil.
Description.
Adults are greyish or the color of straw, and around wide at maturity. They must return to water periodically to moisten their gills, and when larvae must be released into the sea, but are otherwise terrestrial. Their stalked compound eyes can swivel to give them 360° vision. Young crabs are cryptically colored to blend in with their sandy habitats.
Distribution.
Atlantic ghost crabs are found from Block Island, Rhode Island, and Nantucket, Massachusetts, northern Virginia beaches, to Santa Catarina, Brazil, on Fernando de Noronha, and Bermuda. Its planktonic larvae have been found even farther north, at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, although the adults cannot survive there.
Fossil record.
Fossil specimens of "O. quadrata" have been found in rocks dating from the Pleistocene.
Ecology.
The Atlantic ghost crab lives in burrows in sand above the strandline. Older individuals dig their burrows farther from the sea, some starting as much as inland. Burrows can be up to deep, and can be closed off with sand during hot periods.
This crab can produce a variety of sounds by striking the ground with the claw, by stridulation with the legs, and an incompletely explained "bubbling sound". Males compete in a heavily ritualised manner which prevents the need for physical contact.
"O. quadrata" is more active at night than in the day, and is an omnivore, eating clams, insects, plant material, detritus, and even other crabs.
Sandy beaches, a habitat frequented by ghost crabs, have had a decrease in the abundance of ghost crabs due to human behavior. Ghost crabs are negatively impacted by human and vehicle trampling, which results in direct crushing of crabs, as well as indirect damage such as compression of sediment which reduces habitat suitability, interference with reproductive behaviors, reduction in food supply, and light pollution. Consequently, it is less common on beaches frequented by people.


Frisilia crossophaea

Frisilia crossophaea is a moth in the family Lecithoceridae. It is found in Sikkim, India. Only holotype, a female, is known.
Description.
The wingspan is about 13 mm. The forewings are ochreous-whitish, tinged yellowish posteriorly, thinly speckled fuscous. The discal stigmata are black, beneath the second an erect spot of grey suffusion from the dorsum not reaching it. The apical and terminal edge are dark fuscous. The hindwings are light grey.


Diaethria candrena

Diaethria candrena, the candrena eighty-eight or number eighty, is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Argentina and Brazil.
The wingspan is 40–46 mm. The forewings are black with a deep blue basal flush. The hindwings are mostly black, again with a deep blue basal flush. The underside of the forewing is mostly red with a broad black border. The underside of the hindwing is mostly white with a thin black outer margin and two thin black concentric bands bordering a distinct "80" design on the centre of the wing, hence one of the common names.
The larvae feed on "Celtis" species.
Subspecies.
Listed alphabetically:


Takifugu poecilonotus

Takifugu poecilonotus, the finepatterned puffer, is a species of pufferfish, one of 25 in the genus Takifugu. It is found in the northwest Pacific Ocean at shallow depths up to 20m. It contains tetrodotoxin like other members of the genus Takifugu. This species is found in fresh, brackish and saltwater environments.


Cophotis dumbara

Cophotis dumbara, the Dumbara agama, is an agamid species endemic to Sri Lanka. Known only from Knuckles Mountain Range. It is classified as a critically endangered species due to habitat loss and logging.
Description.
Adult reaches 60.0 mm SVL in length. 111–120 mid-ventral scales. Head rhomboid dorsally. Orbital rim not prominent. Supraorbital ridge with a row of large, carinate scales. There is a supraorbital ridge with a row of large, carinate scales. Nasal scale pentagonal. Supraciliary scales carinate and elongate. Tympanum subdermal. Chest scales triangular.
Male has a pale greenish yellow on upper lip. Lower lip dark greenish black. A light greenish-yellow band extends from snout tip to axilla. Blackish loreal and temporal regions with light greenish yellow scales. Pupil black. Iris blackish with golden pigments. Dorsal crest black, which contain pale green patches. Middle part of throat is reddish orange. Tail consist with seven greenish yellow and seven black cross-bands.
Female has a buff colored throat. Throat with longitudinal brown streaks. Upper and lower lips light brown with black patches. Tail consist with seven greenish buff and eight brown cross-bands.


Lobocheilos terminalis

Lobocheilos terminalis is a species of cyprinid in the genus "Lobocheilos". It inhabits Malaysian Borneo and has a maximum length of .


Black-necked cranes in Bhutan

Black-necked cranes in Bhutan ("Grus nigricollis") are winter visitors during late October to mid February to the Phobjikha Valley as well as Ladakh, India, and Arunachal Pradesh, India. They arrive from the Tibetan Plateau, where they breed in the summer. They visit the Phobhjikha valley in large numbers, which is a declared protected area for the cranes, and also to other valleys in smaller numbers in central and eastern Bhutan.
On arrival in Phobhjikha they are seen to circle Gangteng Monastery three times as if practicing kora ("circumambulation"), and repeat this act as they begin their return to the Tibet Autonomous Region in early spring.
Sanctuaries.
The Jigme Dorji National Park adjoining Phobjikha Valley across the Black Mountains has within its precincts the crane wintering area at Bumdeling, which also has been declared a protected area. The black-necked or Tibetan crane is categorized as Vulnerable (Vu) in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) under Appendix I and II of CITES. Black-necked cranes, the last to be found among the 16 known species of cranes, were first identified by Nikolay Przhevalsky of the Imperial Russian Army in 1876 in the Tibetan Plateau.
Apart from China and India, Bhutan has taken special care to protect this species and has established the Phobjikha Conservation Area covering of the valley under the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN) and for the purpose of conservation management. The conservation area was established by Bhutan in the Phobjikha Valley in 2003, and RSPN has the mandate to protect not only the black-necked cranes but also 13 other vulnerable species. The cranes, which were hunted in Bhutan until 1980, are now totally protected, with the government enacting a law under which any person killing a crane would invite a long jail sentence.
In Bhutan, black-necked cranes have a celebrity status as witnessed by the Crane Festival held every year on 11 November soon after their arrival from the Tibetan Plateau in the courtyards of Gangten Monastery. Many tourists visit the valley to witness this festival.
Habitat.
The conservation area or habitat in the Phobhjikha Valley, established in 2003 has, not only the black-necked cranes, but also 13 other vulnerable species such as rufous-necked hornbill "Aceros nipalensis", chestnut-breasted partridge "Arborophila mandellii", Pallas's fish eagle "Haliaeetus leucoryphus", nuthatch "Sitta Formosa", wood snipe "Gallinago nemoricola", Blyth's tragopan "Tragopan blythii", greater spotted eagle "Clanga clanga", imperial eagle "Aquila heliaca", Baer's pochard "Aythya baeri", Hodgson's bushchat "Saxicola insignis", dark-rumped swift "Apus acuticauda", and grey-crowned prinia "Prinia cinereocapilla." The black-necked cranes arrive in this valley in late October and depart in mid February. They feed on the particular type of dwarf bamboos that grow in the wetlands of the valley. The thick grasslands of wetlands are also grazing grounds for a large number of cattle and horses during the summer months that helps the growth of the tender bamboo shoots on which the cranes feed later during the winter season. There were suggestions that the wetlands be drained and used to grow cash crops such as potatoes, which is also the main crop of the valley. Such an action would have deprived the cranes of their main feeding centres. However, Palje "Benjie" Dorji, former Chief Justice of Bhutan, former Minister for Environment and uncle of the present King of Bhutan, as the Chairman of the Royal Bhutan Society and as founder of the Black-necked Conservation Programme prevailed on the Government of Bhutan to drop the proposal to drain the wetlands of the Phobjika Valley to create farms to grow cash rich seed potatoes.
This crane species is legally protected in Bhutan and its hunting is prohibited. The religious culture of the Buddhists has attracted the cranes closer to the religious communities of Lamas, particularly in the Phobjikha and Khotokha valleys. Another reason for this is that when the large number of cranes visit these valleys, which are snow bound, the village community, including the Buddhist Lamas migrate to warmer regions to Wangdue Phodrong, thus avoiding a human conflict with the cranes' habitat, which forage in the valleys in marshy lands that are ploughed before winter and that provide insects and plant material and seeds. In these habitats, it is inferred, that livestock also helps by grazing on grass which in turn helps in bamboo regeneration on which the cranes feed.
Another feature noted in Bhutan is the belief among the common people that they are blessed when cranes circle around their valleys. A particular practice observed is that they plant the winter wheat only after the cranes arrive in their valleys to roost. Bhutanese people sing folk songs as the cranes arrive in Bhutan and also dance in the autumn. They call it as "thrung thrung karmo." The religious significance of these cranes is further accentuated in Bhutan by the report that "they mate for life and ...live for 30 or 40 years".
Population.
Phobjika valley has recorded the maximum number of cranes in Bhutan for several years. Other places in Bhutan where the cranes have been sighted in small numbers are: Bumdeling, Lhuntshi District, Thangmachu, Thangby-Kharsa, Tashi Yangtse, Punakha Valley, Bumthang Valley, Jakhar Valley, Samtengang, Gyetsa, Khatekha Valley, Gogona and Wangdi. However, the Phobjika Valley is one of the two important wintering grounds, where a special protection centre has been established to protect these birds. The number of cranes reported here was 120 in 1986/87. It rose to 219 in November 2000 and is quoted as 270 now.
However, its numbers, reported worldwide, is very large (initially it was mentioned as 800 till they found them in very large numbers in China), with a total world population of about 11,000 individuals (mature individuals about 8,800) in the wild, mostly in China including Tibet, about 500 in Bhutan and small numbers at two valleys in Arunachal Pradesh in India, and a small number in Vietnam also. There are indications that their number is increasing due to conservation efforts which may eventually result in downgrading its vulnerability to threat to a lower category.
Threats.
Its habitats in Bhutan, mainly the wetlands, were getting degraded due to agriculture and anthropogenic pressures on its breeding and wintering grounds, causing its numbers to decline, as also in other parts of the world, and was thus declared under the Vulnerable category (C1). The 2006 flood event in Bhutan is said to have affected substantially the crane's roosting habitat in Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary. Increasing number of tourists could be a threat in future unless there is proper regulation.
Conservation measures.
The conservation measures undertaken in Bhutan to preserve and conserve the cranes are unique; in fact more and more crane habitat areas are being brought under the protected area concept. The Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) established in 1987, which has the mandate for conservation and nature education has been involved in monitoring the winter visitors to the Phobjika valley and other habitats such as Bomdeling Valley. According to recorded information, 141 cranes visit Bomdeling valley (Phobjika reports a count of about 400 now) every year. RSPN has a Visitor Centre at the Phobjikha Valley, which provides information on cranes and the environment of the valley. The information Centre is a very modern decagonal building, next to a stream, with high-tech equipment. There is an observatory for birdwatchers, a mini theatre with mural painting with narration. The center staff provides services such as narration, facilitation and presentation of the valley and cranes in Bhutan. The Society has also produced a documentary (1989 : On the wings of prayer and 2014: Heavenly Bird with a German TV company) film on the cranes visiting Bhutan every year. Further, in Phubjika the Observation Towers have been so located that they cause the least disturbance to the crane habitats. Tourists are allowed to observe the cranes through the two or three high tech "spotting telescopes'’ and spotted on the watch the behaviour of the crane as described in the RSPN pamphlet titled "Field Guide to Crane Behaviour", from a safe distance under the strict supervision of forest officials. Farmers are also advised to replace the barbed wire fencing with wooden and stone fencing to reduce harm to the cranes. Collisions with powerlines cause mortality to many crane species and when electricity was to be provided to the valley, the power cables were laid underground to avoid any mortality. The work was taken up during summer when the birds do not use the area.
Crane population counts are conducted during the winter by the RSPN, the Sherubtse College and the Nature and Trekking Club. A Nature Reserve Centre has also been established at Kibethang, near the Phobjikha wintering grounds with funding provided by WWF and USA. Although Bhutan's wintering cranes are secure to a great extent, the habitat loss such as in Bumthang and Paro due to development and human settlement chould be a major conservation issue in future.
Festival.
A black-necked crane festival is held every year in the premises of the Gangteng Monastery on 11 November to welcome the cranes, which start arriving in late October. The festival is attended by a large number of local people. On this occasion, children wearing crane costumes perform choreographed crane dances. During this period, cranes are seen flying at high altitudes over the mountains.


Chiropterotriton

Chiropterotriton, also known as splayfoot salamanders or flat-footed salamanders, is a genus of salamanders in the family Plethodontidae. The genus is endemic to Mexico.
"Chiropterotriton" are widely distributed in northern and eastern Mexico. They are an ecologically diverse group, occupying a range of habitats, including cloud forests, pine-oak forests, oak forests, and caves. They may be found in various microhabitats, such as arboreal bromeliads, rock crevices, caves, and terrestrial cover objects. Most species are superficially similar in their appearance, making species delimitation by purely morphological means difficult. However, molecular methods have aided description of new species.
Species.
As of early 2019, this genus includes the following 18 species:


Mechanitis lysimnia

Mechanitis lysimnia, the confused tigerwing, sweet-oil tiger or lysimnia tigerwing, is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It was described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1793. It is found in Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Uruguay. The habitat consists of disturbed forests at altitudes up to .
Adults have been recorded feeding on nectar from "Eupatorium" flowers.
The larvae are gregarious and feed on "Solanum" species and possibly other members of the family Solanaceae. They are pale green streaked with yellow.


List of birds of Barbados

This is a list of the bird species recorded in Barbados. The avifauna of Barbados included a total of 271 species, according to "Bird Checklists of the World" as of July 2020. Of them, one is endemic, 14 have been introduced by humans, and 183 are rare or accidental. Eight species have been extirpated and one is probably extinct.
This list is presented in the taxonomic sequence of the "Check-list of North and Middle American Birds", 7th edition through the 61st Supplement, published by the American Ornithological Society (AOS). Common and scientific names are also those of the "Check-list", except that the common names of families are from the Clements taxonomy because the AOS list does not include them.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories of occurrence.
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl.
Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.
New World quail.
Order: GalliformesFamily: Odontophoridae
The New World quails are small, plump terrestrial birds only distantly related to the quails of the Old World, but named for their similar appearance and habits.
Pheasants, grouse, and allies.
Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowls, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowls, and jungle fowls. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.
Flamingos.
Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae
Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down.
Grebes.
Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.
Pigeons and doves.
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Cuckoos.
Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites.
Nightjars and allies.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.
Swifts.
Order: ApodiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Hummingbirds.
Order: ApodiformesFamily: Trochilidae
Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings. They are the only birds that can fly backwards.
Rails, gallinules, and coots.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.
Thick-knees.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae
The thick-knees are a group of waders found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.
Stilts and avocets.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.
Oystercatchers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.
Plovers and lapwings.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.
Sandpipers and allies.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers, and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
Pratincoles and coursers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae
The pratincoles have short legs, very long pointed wings, and long forked tails. Their most unusual feature for birds classed as waders is that they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the ground. Their short bills are an adaptation to aerial feeding. Their flight is fast and graceful like a swallow or a tern, with many twists and turns to pursue their prey.
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 and includes gulls, kittiwakes, terns and skimmers. They 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.
Tropicbirds.
Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: Phaethontidae
Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.
Southern storm-petrels.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Oceanitidae
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.
Northern storm-petrels.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
Though the members of this family are similar in many respects to the southern storm-petrels, including their general appearance and habits, there are enough genetic differences to warrant their placement in a separate family.
Shearwaters and petrels.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.
Frigatebirds.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Fregatidae
Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black and white, or completely black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have coloured inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.
Boobies and gannets.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae
The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.
Anhingas.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Anhingidae
Anhingas are often called "snake-birds" because of their long thin neck, which gives a snake-like appearance when they swim with their bodies submerged. The males have black and dark-brown plumage, an erectile crest on the nape, and a larger bill than the female. The females have much paler plumage especially on the neck and underparts. The darters have completely webbed feet and their legs are short and set far back on the body. Their plumage is somewhat permeable, like that of cormorants, and they spread their wings to dry after diving.
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.
Kingfishers.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.
Falcons and caracaras.
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.
New World and African parrots.
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittacidae
Parrots are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak. Their upper mandibles have slight mobility in the joint with the skull and they have a generally erect stance. All parrots are zygodactyl, having the four toes on each foot placed two at the front and two to the back.
Old World parrots.
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittaculidae
Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. Old World parrots are found from Africa east across south and southeast Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand.
Tyrant flycatchers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Tyrannidae
Tyrant flycatchers are passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers, but are more robust and have stronger bills. They do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of the songbirds. Most, but not all, have plain colouring. As the name implies, most are insectivorous.
Vireos, shrike-babblers, and erpornis.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Vireonidae
The vireos are a group of small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are typically greenish in colour and resemble New World warblers apart from their heavier bills.
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.
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.
Old World flycatchers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae
Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.
Thrushes and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae
The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.
Mockingbirds and thrashers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Mimidae
The mimids are a family of passerine birds that includes thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers, and the New World catbirds. These birds are notable for their vocalizations, especially their ability to mimic a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors. Their colouring tends towards dull-greys and browns.
Starlings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.
Weavers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Ploceidae
The weavers are small passerine birds related to the finches. They are seed-eating birds with rounded conical bills. The males of many species are brightly coloured, usually in red or yellow and black; some species show variation in colour only in the breeding season.
Old World sparrows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae
Sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.
Wagtails and pipits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Motacillidae
Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaw,s and pipits. They are slender ground-feeding insectivores of open country.
Troupials and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Icteridae
The icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colourful, passerine birds restricted to the New World and include the grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. Most species have black as the predominant plumage colour, often enlivened by yellow, orange, or red.
New World warblers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Parulidae
The New World warblers are a group of small, often colourful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most are arboreal, but some are terrestrial. Most members of this family are insectivores.
Cardinals and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cardinalidae
The cardinals are a family of robust, seed-eating birds with strong bills. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinct plumages.
Tanagers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Thraupidae
The tanagers are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics. Many species are brightly coloured. As a family they are omnivorous, but individual species specialize in eating fruits, seeds, insects, or other types of food.


Zodarion noordami

Zodarion noordami is a spider species found in Greece.


Agriades jaloka

Agriades jaloka, the Jaloka mountain blue, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Asia.
Description.
Race "jaloka" found in India was earlier called "Polyommatus jaloka" Moore, [1875]. There is considerable variation in the species.
The male has the upperside brown with metallic green or blue to varying extents from the base outwards. The blue or green usually occupies the basal three-fourths of the wing. Towards the costa there is a broad edge and even broader along the termen of the ground colour. On the hindwing the blue or green occupies a medial area from the base to the disc, and leaves a broad brown edging to the costa, termen and dorsum. Forewings and hindwings have discocellular black spots encircled by pale edgings, followed on both wings by transverse discal series of pale bluish-white spots and anteciliary slender black lines. In some these spots are very prominent, in others barely indicated. On the underside the wings are brownish, turning to greyish white on the termen. Forewing underside has a more or less obscure pale-bordered discocellular spot, followed by a transverse, slightly curved discal series of six black spots encircled with white. The underside of the hindwing has the brown basal area irrorated (sprinkled) inwardly with metallic blue scales and sharply demarcated from the greyish-white terminal area which occupies about half the wing; discocellular spot large and prominently white, as is an angulated transverse discal series of large spots; these latter spots in many specimens somewhat obscure on the greyish-white ground colour of the terminal half of the wing. Cilia of both forewings and hindwings conspicuously white. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen brown; the shafts of the antennae obscurely ringed with white, the thorax and abdomen with a little bluish pubescence in fresh specimens; beneath: the palpi, thorax and abdomen white.
Female has the upperside brown, without any blue or green irroration. Forewings and hindwings: markings much as in the male, the discal spots always somewhat more prominent. Underside as in the male; the discal spots generally more prominent and followed in some specimens by two or three posterior, large, diffuse brown markings. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen similar to those of the male, but the latter two without any blue pubescence; beneath as in the male.
Has a wingspan of 28–30 mm.
The species is found in the north-western Himalayas, Kashmir, Pangi and Ladakh.
Variety "ellisi" Marshall, differs from typical "jaloka" as follows:
Upperside of the male has the suffusion of metallic bluish-green scales restricted to the immediate base of the forewing, extended slightly more outwards on the hindwing, but never so far towards the termen as in "jaloka" in both sexes the discal series of spots on both forewings and hindwings very large and clearly defined, the discocellular spot prominently white, very rarely centred with dark brown. Underside creamy white, slightly brownish on the discal areas of both forewings and hindwings, while the discal spots on both wings are entirely white, with no trace of dark centres, as on the forewing of the typical race. Otherwise as in "jaloka".
Var. "leela" de Nicéville, differs from typical "jaloka" as follows:
The irroration of metallic bluish-green scales on the upperside of the wings extended outwards from the base almost but not quite so far as in "jaloka"; the spots of the transverse discal series on both forewings and hindwings as in "jaloka" but each obscurely centred with blackish in most specimens. Underside: greyish white, discs of wings brown, bases irrorated somewhat densely with metallic green scales, paler than in the typical race. Forewing with a very indistinct irregular subterminal series of dark spots in addition to the disco-cellular and discal spots, which are similar to those in "jaloka". Hindwing, according to de Niceville has, in addition to the discocellular and discal markings, "a marginal double series of coalescing white lunules."


Long-tailed spiny rat

The long-tailed spiny rat, "Proechimys longicaudatus", is a spiny rat species from South America. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay.
Description.
The long-tailed spiny rat is a large rat with a head-and-body length of between and a tail length of . The fur is less bristly than in other related species. The upper parts are a glossy chestnut colour becoming more orange on the flanks. The underparts are white, and there is a clear line separating upper and lower parts. The tail is chestnut above and pale below. The tails are missing on some individuals, reflecting the lizard-like ability of many echimyids to detach their tails when attacked by predators.
Distribution and habitat.
This species has a range in South America extending from southern Bolivia and northern Paraguay to western and central Brazil. It is terrestrial and inhabits dry primary and secondary forest, as well as cerrado and habitats with cleared areas and patches of forest. It usually occurs at altitudes below but has been recorded up to about .
Ecology.
A study was undertaken in Bolivia to establish which small rodents were reservoir hosts for "Leishmania", the causal agent for the human disease leishmaniasis. It was found that "Oryzomys nitida" and "Oryzomys acritus" were often implicated but that "P. longicaudatus" did not harbour the infection.
Phylogeny.
Morphological characters and mitochondrial cytochrome b DNA sequences showed that "P. longicaudatus" belongs to the so-called "longicaudatus" group of "Proechimys" species, and shares closer phylogenetic affinities with the other members of this clade: "P. brevicauda" and "P. cuvieri".
Status.
The long-tailed spiny rat is a common and adaptable species, being able to tolerate some degree of habitat modification. The dry forests in this part of South America are being cleared for agricultural purposes and it is thought the population trend of this rat is downwards. However, it has a wide range, and a presumed large total population, and the rate of decline is slow, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".


Nototriton brodiei

Nototriton brodiei is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the Sierra del Merendón and known from its type locality, Sierra de Caral in Izabal Department, eastern Guatemala, and from the Cusuco National Park in northwestern Honduras. The specific name "brodiei" honors Edmund D. Brodie Jr., an American herpetologist. Common name Cerro Pozo de Agua moss salamander has been coined for it.
Description.
Females in the type series measure in snout–vent length. The tail length is about 1.4 times the body length, giving a maximum total length of . The snout is broadly rounded and the eyes are protuberant. The head is just slightly wider than the neck. The parotoid glands are weakly developed. The limbs are short and slender. Both the fingers and the toes are about half-webbed and have sub-digital pads. The dorsum is mahogany or rust-brown and bears dark brown chevrons. The underside is blackish or dark purplish brown and has cream flecks. The tail irregular black or dark brown markings on the sides and ventrally. The iris is bronze.
Habitat and conservation.
"Nototriton brodiei" occurs in subtropical old-growth wet forests at elevations of above sea level. Active individuals have been found at night in low vegetation and on a rock bank near a waterfall. During the daytime, a specimen was spotted under a pile of dead palm leaves.
"Nototriton brodiei" is known from less than ten specimens and appears to be rare, although it might also be difficult to detect. Its habitat is threatened by extensive logging and agricultural encroachment. Illegal logging also occurs in the Cusuco National Park. Use of agrochemicals is also a threat.


Orculella franciscoi

Orculella franciscoi is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Orculidae.
Geographic distribution.
"O. franciscoi" is endemic to Greece, where it is restricted to the southern parts of the island of Dia, north of Crete.


Igor (walrus)

Igor (born 1982 or 1983 – 11 April 2013) was a male walrus that lived in the Dolfinarium Harderwijk, where he was also subject of scientific research. He had played international draughts against world champion Ton Sijbrands. Igor also featured in the television show Animal Crackers with Dutch comedian André van Duin. Near the end of his life Igor fell ill, lost the will to eat and suffered from his shoulder joint. After his condition further deteriorated the Dolfinarium decided to euthanize him. His remains were sent to the faculty of veterinary medicine of Utrecht University for further investigation.
Subject of research.
As well as the other walruses at the Dolfinarium, Igor was the subject of scientific research. Igor participated in research concerning the functioning of walrus whiskers. With his whiskers Igor was able to differentiate between circles and triangles, and showed this by shaking his head in different ways. Igor was able to recognize the shapes until they reached the size of the tip of a pen, which showed that walrus whiskers have a similar touch sensitivity as human fingertips. Another study investigated the effects of drilling for oil and gas on walruses by subjecting Igor to different noises by letting him wear headphones.


Boana buriti

Boana buriti is a species of frog in the family Hylidae endemic to Brazil.
Its natural habitats are moist savanna, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, freshwater marshes, and intermittent freshwater marshes. It is threatened by habitat loss.


Blue lorikeet

The blue lorikeet ("Vini peruviana") is a small lorikeet from French Polynesia and the Cook Islands. It is also known as the Tahiti lorikeet, violet lorikeet, Tahitian lory, blue lory, nunbird, and the indigo lory. It was formerly found on 23 islands around Tahiti, but now restricted to perhaps eight islands: Motu, Manuae, Tikehau, Rangiroa, Aratua, Kaukura, Apataki, Aitutaki, and possibly Harvey Island and Manihi. Its plumage is mainly dark blue and it has a white area over its upper chest, throat and face. The first captive breeding in the UK was by the Marquess of Tavistock in the 1930s. He was awarded a silver medal by the Foreign Bird League for this achievement.
They are active birds, feeding on nectar, insects, and ground forage.
Distribution and habitat.
The blue lorikeet was originally endemic to the islands of French Polynesia.
It is also present in the Cook Islands, where it is one of a small number of landbirds on the island of Aitutaki. Dean Amadon, writing in 1942 after the Whitney South Seas Expedition, thought that it might have been introduced to the Cooks. David Steadman, who studied the extinct species of the areas, wrote in 1991 that it might have been but that he could find no evidence of this. Had it been native there it would have coexisted with Kuhl's lorikeet; today no "Vini" lorikeets are sympatric. He later concluded that it was probably introduced, as extensive excavations of fossils had found remains of Kuhl's lorikeet as well as two other species of extinct "Vini" lorikeet, but no fossils of the blue lorikeet.
The blue lorikeet will live in any wooded habitat within its range, including cultivated areas. It is most abundant in mixed stands of coconuts and "Heliotropium foertherianum".
Description.
The blue lorikeet is 18 cm long with a short rounded tail. Its plumage is mainly dark blue and it has a white area over its upper chest, throat and lower face. Erectile feathers on the top of its head show light blue streaks. Its beak is orange and its irises are yellow-brown. It has orange legs. Adult males and females have identical external appearance. The juvenile lacks the white plumage of the adult and has a dark grey-blue face and lower parts. The juvenile also has a black bill, dark brown irises, and its legs are orange brown. Blue plumage, which is shares with the related ultramarine lorikeet, is very unusual in the parrot order.
Behaviour.
They roost in coconut palm trees, rising at dawn and calling and preening before feeding. They are usually found in small flocks of less than ten birds. They rest during the heat of the day in shade before resuming feeding in the afternoon. At dusk groups fly around calling until dark, when they retreat to spaces between palm leaves to roost for the night.
Diet and feeding.
Blue lorikeets feed on the nectar and pollen of coconut palms ("Cocos nucifera"), "Guettarda speciosa", "Pemphis acidula", bay cedar ("Suriana maritima"), beach mulberry ("Morinda citrifolia"), "Heliotropium foertherianum", "Scaevola" spp and "Musa". On Rangiroa they fed mostly on coconut flowers during one three week study. They feed silently in small groups, and use their brush-like tongue to lap up nectar and pollen. Where flowers had not fully opened, they will use their bills to open them. After all the flowers on one tree have been fed at, they will move to the next tree, calling as they go. They also feed on insects among leaves and on the forest floor, and on leaf shoots and soft fruits.
Status.
They are endangered primarily by invasive species, including cats, rats, swamp harriers, and mosquitoes carrying avian malaria.


Longitarsus petitpierrei

Longitarsus petitpierrei is a species of beetle in the subfamily Galerucinae that is endemic to Spain.


Western crowned warbler

The western crowned warbler ("Phylloscopus occipitalis") is a leaf warbler which breeds in Central Asia. It winters in the forests of the Western Ghats.
The nest is built in a hole, and the typical clutch is four eggs.
The species has a distinctive crown stripe and two wing-bars. It often moves in small flocks or in mixed hunting parties.


Guatemala plateau frog

The Guatemala plateau frog ("Lithobates macroglossa") is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It occurs in Guatemala and southern Mexico. It is impossible to morphologically distinguish this species from "Lithobates forreri" and "Lithobates brownorum", and the validity of it has been questioned. It is an uncommon frog that inhabits cloud forests, including degraded forest, and grassland. Breeding takes place in streams and small temporary ponds. It is threatened by habitat degradation caused by agricultural encroachment, wood extraction, human settlement, and water pollution.


Rufous-faced warbler

The rufous-faced warbler ("Abroscopus albogularis") is a species of the bush warbler family, Cettiidae. It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage.
It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.


Longfin smelt

The longfin smelt ("Spirinchus thaleichthys") is a smelt that is found in several estuaries and lakes along the northern Pacific coast of North America.
Its most distinctive characteristic is the long pectoral fins that reach nearly to the base of the pelvic fins, and thus inspire the common name. The sides are silver, with the back ranging from an olive to a pinkish shade. The upper jaw is long, reaching nearly to the posterior edge of the eye, and the lower jaw projects slightly in front of the upper jaw. Both jaws have a set of very small teeth. The lateral line is incomplete, reaching back only as far as the dorsal fin. Size is limited to about 20 cm.
Their principal food item is the opossum shrimp, "Neomysis mercedis", and species of "Acanthomysis", but they will also eat copepods and other small crustaceans. In turn, they are eaten by a variety of fishes, birds, and marine mammals; for instance, they are an important prey for the harbor seal, "Phoca vitulina", in the Columbia River.
Their primary habitat is the open water of estuaries, where they can be found in both the saltwater and freshwater areas, typically in the middle or deeper parts of the water column. They have been found as far north as Prince William Sound in Alaska, also in Skagit Bay, Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, lower Columbia River, Yaquina Bay, Coos Bay, Humboldt Bay, the Eel River estuary, Klamath River estuary, and San Francisco Bay. The longfin smelt have been primarily affected by import and export of water from these estuaries, resulting in high mortality rates. They have been collected from the mouth of the Russian River occasionally, and a single fish was once caught in Monterey Bay. In addition, there are landlocked populations in British Columbia's Harrison Lake, and the Lake Washington.
In 2020 it was discovered, from annual surveys of San Francisco Bay from 2011-2019, that a locally abundant population of longfin smelt spawns in the southernmost portion of the bay, in the marshes and sloughs capturing freshwater outflows from Coyote Creek in Santa Clara County, California. The recent conversion of salt ponds into the tidal marsh combined with low salinity, nutrient-rich effluent recycled water from the San Jose-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility may be supporting an important previously unknown source population of longfin smelt.
Although once one of the most common species found in the San Francisco and Humboldt bays, even as late as the 1970s, they are now much less frequent in the smelt fishery. Given past abundance in the San Francisco Bay estuary, longfin smelt were likely historically an important forage fish, but have declined 99.9% from pre-1980's levels.
In 1992 the Natural Heritage Institute petitioned to list longfin smelts as an endangered species, but the petition was denied the following year, among the reasons being given was that the decline was not observed elsewhere. The reasons for decline are not known; Moyle suggests estuary outflow reduction, entrainment is connection with the pumping of water out of the Delta area, climatic variations, water pollution, and the impact of introduced species as possibilities.
As of 2012, the longfin smelt has been added to the list of candidates for potential protection under the Endangered Species Act. It will be monitored annually and assessed against higher priority species. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife found only three longfin Smelt in their Fall Midwater Trawl Annual Fish Abundance Summary conducted in fall of 2015. This is the lowest amount of recorded longfin smelt in the history of Fall Midwater Trawl Surveys.


Great shearwater

The great shearwater ("Ardenna gravis") is a large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. "Ardenna" was first used to refer to a seabird by Italian naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi in 1603, and "gravis" is Latin for "heavy".
The great shearwater's taxonomic relationships are unclear. It belongs in the group of large species that have been separated as genus "Ardenna"; within these, it might be allied with the other black-billed, blunt-tailed species, such as the short-tailed shearwater and especially the sooty shearwater. Alternatively (Austin 1996, Austin "et al." 2004), it could be a monotypic subgenus ("Ardenna sensu stricto"), an Atlantic representative of the light-billed "Hemipuffinus" group (pink-footed shearwater and flesh-footed shearwater).
This species breeds on Nightingale Island, Inaccessible Island, Tristan da Cunha, and Gough Island. It is one of only a few bird species to migrate from breeding grounds in the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere, the normal pattern being the other way around. This shearwater nests in large colonies, laying one white egg in a small burrow or in the open grass. These nests are visited only at night to avoid predation by large gulls.
The great shearwater, like the sooty shearwater, follows a circular migration route, moving north up the eastern seaboard of first South and then North America, before crossing the Atlantic in August. It can be quite common off the southwestern coasts of Great Britain and Ireland before heading back south again, this time down the eastern littoral of the Atlantic.
This bird has the typically "shearing" flight of the genus, dipping from side to side on stiff wings with few wingbeats, the wingtips almost touching the water. Its flight is powerful and direct, with wings held stiff and straight.
This shearwater is 43–51 cm (16.9–20.1 in) in length with a 105–122 cm (3.5–4.0 ft) wingspan. It is identifiable by its size, dark upper parts, and white under parts, with the exception of a brown belly patch and dark shoulder markings. It has a black cap, black bill, and a white "horseshoe" on the base of the tail. The stiff flight, like a large Manx shearwater, is also distinctive. The only other large shearwater in its range is the all-dark sooty shearwater.
The great shearwater feeds on fish and squid, which it catches from the surface or by plunge-diving. It readily follows fishing boats, where it indulges in noisy squabbles. This is a gregarious species, which can be seen in large numbers from ships or appropriate headlands. They have a piercing "eeyah" cry usually given when resting in groups on the water.


Gaoligong forest hedgehog

The Gaoligong forest hedgehog ("Mesechinus wangi") or Wang's forest hedgehog is a species of hedgehog in the family Erinaceidae found only in China. It is endemic to the slopes of Mt. Gaoligong in the Yunnan Province, where it lives in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest at elevations between 2200 m and 2680 m. This distribution is disjunct from that of the other species in this genus.
"M. wang" can be distinguished from other species in the genus by its spine color patterns, the broad nasal region, and the presence of M4 teeth. It hibernates between mid-October and early April. While the population size has not yet been quantified, it is likely very small as the species has only been found in the Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve.


Phlegra bresnieri

Phlegra bresnieri is a species of jumping spiders (family Salticidae). Its specific name "bresnieri" honors the 19th-century French Arabist Louis-Jacques Bresnier.
This species is mainly present in southern Europe up to Azerbaijan, in Ivory Coast, and in Tanzania.
The adults of these spiders reach approximately of length.
In the males the carapace is elongated, dark brown or dark grey, with two white and wide longitudinal stripes, running from eyes to posterior edge. Clypeus is yellowish and completely covered of white hairs. The hairy abdomen is dark brown, long and slender, with a median and two lateral white stripes. Chelicerae are light brown, while sternum is dark brown. Pedipalps are brown, covered with black hairs.
These spiders have eight eyes, with very large anterior median eyes and smaller on each side. Their eyesight is excellent.


White-throated earthcreeper

The white-throated earthcreeper ("Upucerthia albigula") is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. It is found in Chile and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.


Maule tuco-tuco

The Maule tuco-tuco ("Ctenomys maulinus") is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae.
It is found in Argentina and Chile where it occupies several different types of habitats. It is a common species and the IUCN has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern". The common and scientific names refer to a river and region in Chile within its range.
Description.
The Maule tuco-tuco is a medium-sized tuco-tuco, there being two subspecies, "C. m. maulinus" and "C. m. brunneus", the former growing to a total length of and the latter . "C. m. maulinus" is a uniform pale brown colour with a similarly-coloured tail terminating in a white "pencil" or tuft of hair. By contrast, "C. m. brunneus" has a more intense brown colour, with the feet, the underside of the tail and the tail-tip pencil being buff-white.
Distribution and habitat.
The nominate subspecies "C. m. maulinus" is found in Talca Province, Chile while "C. m. brunneus" occurs in Mallecco Province and Cautín Province, Chile, at altitudes between about . More recently, this tuco-tuco has been discovered in Neuquén Province and Río Negro Province in Argentina, but it is unclear which of the two subspecies was involved in these sightings. This tuco-tuco inhabits different habitat types including "Nothofagus" and "Araucaria" woodland and open areas where the soil consists of volcanic sands. The range of this species may overlap that of the social tuco-tuco ("Ctenomys sociabilis").
Ecology.
Like other tuco-tucos, this species is a burrowing rodent that feeds on vegetable matter such as roots and grasses. Two burrows have been excavated and found to extend for . Some food is taken back to the burrow and stored there in special chambers. In a cave in Neuquén Province, Argentina, owl pellets dating back more than 5,000 years have been discovered which contain skin fragments and bones of a large species of tuco-tuco which is probably the Maule tuco-tuco.
Status.
"C. maulinus" has a wide range in Chile and northern Argentina, where it is found at altitudes between about . This tuco-tuco is present in several protected areas and is assumed to have a large total population. No particular threats have been identified and any downward trend in populations is likely to be slow, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".


Doctor bird


Acragas castaneiceps

Acragas castaneiceps is a species of jumping spider in the genus "Acragas". The scientific name of this species was first published in 1900 by Simon. These spiders are found in Brazil.


European green toad

The European green toad ("Bufotes viridis") is a species of toad found in steppes, mountainous areas, semi-deserts, urban areas and other habitats in mainland Europe, ranging from far eastern France and Denmark to the Balkans and Western Russia. As historically defined, the species ranged east through the Middle East and Central Asia to western China, Mongolia and northwestern India, and south through Italy and the Mediterranean islands to North Africa. Following genetic and morphological reviews, 14 population (all largely or entirely Asian, except for the African and Balearic green toads) are now regarded as separate species. These species and the European green toad are placed in their own genus "Bufotes", but they were included in "Bufo".
Description.
The spots on the back vary from green to dark brown and sometimes red spots appear, too. The underside is white or very lightly coloured. The European green toad will change colour in response to heat and light changes. Females are larger than males and can lay 9,000 to 15,000 eggs at a time.
It can reach a maximum size (head and body length) of , but growth to this size is rare.
Diet.
"Bufotes viridis" eats a variety of insects and invertebrates, mainly crickets, meal worms, small butterflies, earthworms, moths, beetles and caterpillars. There has also been a reported attack on a bat.