Magellanic woodpecker

The Magellanic woodpecker ("Campephilus magellanicus") is a very large woodpecker found in southern Chile and southwestern Argentina; it is resident within its range. This species is the southernmost example of the genus "Campephilus", which includes the famous ivory-billed woodpecker ("C. principalis").
Description.
The Magellanic woodpecker is in length. Males of this species weigh , and females weigh . Among standard measurements, the wing chord is , the tail is , the bill is , and the tarsus is . It is the largest South American woodpecker and one of the largest woodpeckers in the world. Among the species known to exist, only the non-neotropical members of the genus "Dryocopus" and the great slaty woodpecker ("Mulleripicus pulverulentus") are larger-bodied. With the likely extinction of the ivory-billed and imperial woodpeckers ("Campephilus imperialis"), the Magellanic woodpecker is the largest living species of the genus "Campephilus".
This species is mainly pure black, with a white wing patch and a grey, chisel-like beak. Males have a crimson head and crest. Females have a mainly black head, but an area of red coloration occurs near the base of the bill. Juvenile Magellanic woodpeckers resemble females of the species, but have a smaller crest and have a browner tinge to their plumage. In its range, this bird is unmistakable in appearance.
Several vocalizations are emitted by both sexes. Further information is needed to ascertain the function and role of these sounds. One frequent vocalization is an explosive, nasal call (' or ') given single or in a series (up to seven, sometimes more). Another loud call, usually from pairs, is a gargling call, which normally is emitted in series: ' or '. Like many species in "Campephilus", their drum is a loud double knock.
Habitat.
Magellanic woodpeckers inhabit mature "Nothofagus" and "Nothofagus-Austrocedrus" forests, where they feed mainly on wood-boring grubs and adult beetles (Coleoptera), as well as spiders. Occasionally, other foods may supplement the diet, including sap and fruits, as well as small reptiles, bats, and the eggs and nestlings of passerines.
Behaviour.
Family groups also roost together. In one case, five individuals were observed roosting in a roughly vertical-depth hole. Breeding pairs are highly territorial and commonly try to aggressively displace and even attack conspecifics, sometimes doing so cooperatively with the juveniles that they had raised in prior years. A lethal attack was recorded in 2014. When they are actively rearing nestlings, the juveniles are aggressively kept at a distance by their parents.
Diet and feeding.
The species commonly co-occurs with the Chilean flicker ("Colaptes pitius") and the striped woodpecker ("Veniliornis lignarius"), but does not directly compete with them due to differing body sizes and habitat and prey preferences. These woodpeckers commonly feed in pairs or small family groups and are very active in their food searching; they spend most of the daytime looking for prey. They generally use live trees, but also feed on dead substrates such as fallen or broken trees lying on the ground, although generally spend little time doing so. Once the snow disappears from the ground in spring, Magellanic woodpeckers look for prey on humid lower tree trunks. In Tierra del Fuego, Magellanic woodpeckers forage on decaying and dead trees around ponds hosting the introduced American beaver ("Castor canadensis").
Breeding.
The Magellanic woodpecker breeds in the Southern Hemisphere's springtime, from October to January. Both sexes cooperate in excavating the nest in a tree trunk. The nesting holes are located at differing heights depending on the tree species and local habitat characteristics. The nest cavity typically is from above the ground. Females lay from one to four eggs, with a great majority of nests containing two eggs. The monogamous-breeding parents share all duties in nest excavation, incubation, territorial- and predator-defense, and young rearing. Adults normally breed every second year, a feature not documented in any other woodpecker species. Incubation lasts for 15 to 17 days, with the male reportedly doing almost all nocturnal incubation. The younger of the two nestlings, not uncommonly, dies from starvation. The young fledge at 45 to 50 days. After 2-3 years of being raised by and then assisting their parents, the young Magellanic woodpeckers become sexually mature. Successful breeding and pair bonds, however, do not usually occur until 4 to 5 years of age.
Ecology.
Several potential predators are known, being almost exclusively avian raptors. These include white-throated hawks ("Buteo albigula"), variable hawks ("B. polyosoma"), bicolored hawks ("Accipiter bicolor"), and crested caracaras ("Caracara plancus") (the latter most likely a predator only of young). When they encounter these potential predators while not nesting, Magellanic woodpeckers usually respond by being quiet and staying still. However, raptorial birds are often aggressively attacked during the nesting season.
Status.
Currently, the species is listed as of least concern, but population reductions have been reported. Forest loss and fragmentation are affecting the temperate forests of southern South America at an increasing rate, so these practices also represent a threat for the Magellanic woodpecker. The distribution of the species has contracted and was fragmented as a consequence of native forest clearance, especially in south-central Chile, where the species now is restricted to protected and relict areas. Changes in structural forest components after timber extraction, forest conversion to exotic plantations, and fragmentation due to forest clearance are the main threats to their populations. The species is protected from hunting in both Chile and Argentina, where it is not or very rarely illegally hunted.


Euryattus breviusculus

Euryattus breviusculus, is a species of spider of the genus "Euryattus". It is endemic to Sri Lanka.


Miracanthops eseejja

Miracanthops eseejja is a mantis species in the family Acanthopidae and is native to Peru. It was first described in 2005 by Peruvian entomologist Julio Rivera.


List of mammals of Denmark

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Denmark, listing only species found outside captivity and fenced enclosures, or with certain records younger than 1000 A.D. The main source is the most recent atlas survey of mammals in Denmark. The atlas records 88 mammal species in Denmark. Since the atlas was published in 2007 three new species have been recorded: grey wolf, golden jackal and Cuvier's beaked whale.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status in the most current version of the Danish Red List. Assessments were made following recommendations of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.


Indochinese tiger

The Indochinese tiger is a tiger from a specific population of the "Panthera tigris tigris" subspecies that is native to Southeast Asia. This population occurs in Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos. It has been listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2008, as the population seriously declined and approaches the threshold for critically endangered. In 2011, the population was thought to comprise 342 individuals, including 85 in Myanmar and 20 in Vietnam, with the largest population unit surviving in Thailand estimated at 189 to 252 individuals during 2009 to 2014.
Taxonomy.
Vratislav Mazák proposed "Panthera tigris corbetti" as a scientific name for this specific population in 1968 based on skin colouration, marking pattern and skull dimensions. It was named in honor of Jim Corbett.
In 2017, the Cat Classification Task Force of the Cat Specialist Group revised felid taxonomy and now recognizes the tiger populations of mainland South and Southeast Asia as belonging to the nominate subspecies "P. tigris tigris". Results of a genetic study published in 2018 supported six monophyletic clades based on whole genome sequencing analysis of 32 tiger specimens. The specimens from Malaysia and Indochina appeared to be distinct from other mainland Asian populations, thus supporting the concept of six living subspecies.
Characteristics.
The Indochinese tiger's skull is smaller than that of the Bengal tiger; the ground colouration is darker with more rather short and narrow single stripes. In body size, it is smaller than Bengal and Siberian tigers. Males range in size from and in weight from . Females range in size from and in weight from .
Distribution and habitat.
The Indochinese tiger is distributed in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. It has not been recorded in Vietnam since 1997. Available data suggest that there are no more breeding tigers left in Cambodia and China.
In Myanmar, the presence of tigers was confirmed in the Hukawng Valley, Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary, and in two small areas in the Tanintharyi Region. The Tenasserim Hills is an important area, but forests are harvested there. In 2015, tigers were recorded by camera traps for the first time in the hill forests of Karen State.
More than half of the total population survives in the Western Forest Complex in Thailand, especially in the area of the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. This habitat consists of tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. Camera trap surveys from 2008 to 2017 in eastern Thailand detected about 17 adult tigers in an area of in Dong Phayayen–Khao Yai Forest Complex. Several individuals had cubs. The population density in Thap Lan National Park, Pang Sida National Park and Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary was estimated at 0.32–1.21 individuals per .
In Laos, 14 tigers were documented in Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area during surveys from 2013 to 2017 covering four blocks of about semi-evergreen and evergreen forest that are interspersed with some patches of grassland.
In China, it occurred historically in Yunnan province and Mêdog County, where it probably does not survive any more today. In Yunnan's Shangyong Nature Reserve, three individuals were detected during surveys from 2004 to 2009.
Results of a phylogeographic study using 134 samples from tigers across the global range suggest that the historical northwestern distribution limit of the Indochinese tiger is the region in the Chittagong Hills and Brahmaputra River basin, bordering the range of the Bengal tiger. Manas-Namdapha, Orang-Laokhowa and Kaziranga-Meghalaya are "Tiger Conservation Units" in northeastern India, stretching over at least across several protected areas. Tigers are also present in Pakke Tiger Reserve. In the Mishmi Hills, tigers were recorded in 2017 up to an elevation of in snow.
In southeastern Tibet, tigers were photographed in Medog County during a camera trapping survey in 2018.
Ecology and behaviour.
In Thailand's Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, seven female and four male tigers were equipped with GPS radio collars between June 2005 and August 2011. Females had a mean home range of and males of .
Between 2013 and 2015, 11 prey species were identified at 150 kill sites. They ranged in weight from . Sambar deer, banteng, gaur and wild boar were most frequently killed, but also remains of Asian elephant calves, hog badger, Old World porcupine, muntjac, serow, pangolin and langur species were identified.
Threats.
The primary threat to the tiger is poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. Tiger bone has been an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 1,500 years and is either added to medicinal wine, used in the form of powder, or boiled to a glue-like consistency. More than 40 different formulae containing tiger bone were produced by at least 226 Chinese companies in 1993. Tiger bone glue is a popular medicine among urban Vietnamese consumers.
Between 1970 and 1993, South Korea imported of tiger bones from Thailand and from China between 1991 and 1993. Between 2001 and 2010, wildlife markets were surveyed in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. During 13 surveys, 157 body parts of tigers were found, representing at least 91 individuals. Whole skins were the most commonly traded parts. Bones, paws and penises were offered as aphrodisiacs in places with a large sex industry. Tiger bone wine was offered foremost in shops catering to Chinese customers. Traditional medicine accounted for a large portion of products sold and exported to China, Laos and Vietnam.
Between 2000 and 2011, 641 tigers, both live and dead, were seized in 196 incidents in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and China; 275 tigers were suspected to have leaked into trade from captive facilities. China was the most common destination of the seized tigers.
In Myanmar's Hukaung Valley, the Yuzana Corporation alongside local authorities has expropriated more than of land from more than 600 households since 2006. Much of the trees have been logged, and the land has been transformed into plantations. Some of the land taken by the Yazana Corporation had been deemed tiger transit corridors. These are areas of land that were supposed to be left untouched by development in order to allow the region's Indochinese tigers to travel between protected pockets of reservation land.
Conservation.
Since 1993, the Indochinese tiger is listed on CITES Appendix I, making international trade illegal. China, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore and Taiwan banned trade in tigers and sale of medicinal derivatives. Manufacture of tiger-based medicine was banned in China, and the open sale of tiger-based medicine reduced significantly since 1995.
Patrolling in Thailand's Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary has been intensified since 2006 so that poaching appears to have reduced, resulting in a marginal improvement of tiger survival and recruitment. In a remote region of Thailand, 3 subadult tigers were photographed in spring 2020 that are thought to be dispersing.
In captivity.
The Indochinese tiger is the least represented in captivity and is not part of a coordinated breeding program. As of 2007, 14 individuals were recognized as Indochinese tigers based on genetic analysis of 105 captive tigers in 14 countries.
National Geographic Society News Watch contributor Jordan Schaul wrote in 2010:


Grey trembler

The grey trembler ("Cinclocerthia gutturalis") is a songbird species in the family Mimidae. It is found only in Martinique and Saint Lucia, the Martinique trembler ("C. g. gutturalis") on the former island, the Saint Lucia trembler ("C. g. macrorhyncha") – which might be a distinct species – on the latter.
Mascarene Starling.
In 1898 a unique skin (accession number D1792 (S)) was discovered in the World Museum Liverpool. This specimen was obtained by Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby from bird collector Jules Verreaux in 1850 and was on display in the Liverpool Museum since then. It was believed to be an extinct starling from Madagascar, or the Mascarenes, described by Henry Ogg Forbes under the name "Necropsar leguati" and sketched by bird illustrator John Gerrard Keulemans. It was thought to be a close relative of the Rodrigues starling. A vernacular name for this supposed species was "white Mascarene starling".
However, in April 2000 ancient DNA analysis of that skin in the Smithsonian Institution led by Storrs Olson had shown that the Liverpool specimen was nothing more than a misidentified and mislabeled albinistic specimen of "C. g. gutturalis".


Codringtonia intusplicata

Codringtonia intusplicata is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Helicidae, the typical snails.
Geographic distribution.
"C. intusplicata" is endemic to Greece, where it occurs in the western central part of the country and in the Peloponnese.


Pseudorhabdosynochus riouxi

Pseudorhabdosynochus riouxi is a species of diplectanid monogenean parasitic on the gills of dusky grouper "Mycteroperca marginata". It was described by Guy Oliver in 1986 as "Cycloplectanum riouxi", then transferred to the genus "Pseudorhabdosynochus" by Santos, Buchmann & Gibson in 2000.
The species has been redescribed by Chaabane et al. in 2017.
Description.
"Pseudorhabdosynochus riouxi" is a small monogenean, 0.3 mm in length. The species has the general characteristics of other species of "Pseudorhabdosynochus", with a flat body and a posterior haptor, which is the organ by which the monogenean attaches itself to the gill of is host. The haptor bears two squamodiscs, one ventral and one dorsal.
The sclerotized male copulatory organ, or "quadriloculate organ", has the shape of a bean with four internal chambers, as in other species of "Pseudorhabdosynochus".
The vagina includes a sclerotized part, which is a complex structure. Chaabane, Neifar, and Justine, in 2017 considered that the three species "Pseudorhabdosynochus riouxi", "Pseudorhabdosynochus bouaini", and "Pseudorhabdosynochus enitsuji" shared a common general structure of the sclerotized vagina with a conspicuous spherical secondary chamber and proposed to accommodate them within a ‘"Pseudorhabdosynochus riouxi" group’.
Etymology.
The name of the species, "riouxi", honours Professor Jean-Antoine Rioux, "as President of the Société Française de Parasitologie".
Hosts and localities.
The type-host is the dusky grouper "Mycteroperca marginata" (Perciformes, Epinephelidae) sometimes designated by its synonyms in parasitological publications ("Epinephelus guaza" or "Epinephelus marginatus"). The type-locality is Off Cap Béar (Mediterranean Sea), France. Other localities have been mentioned.


Craugastor omoaensis

Craugastor omoaensis is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae.
It is endemic to Honduras and also is one of 13 species of amphibians and reptiles that are endemic to the Sierra de Omoa. It is known from only 24 specimens studied.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, rivers, and intermittent rivers.
Conservation Status.
In a 2004 assessment, The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) categorised the frog as Critically Endangered on the Red List after meeting the criteria set out by the 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals.
since 1996 there has been an almost complete disappearance of the frog; the causes being attributed to habitat loss and chytridiomycosis. Its habit (as of 2004) measured 100km2 and it is possible the species is now extinct.


Tucuman tuco-tuco

The Tucuman tuco-tuco ("Ctenomys tucumanus") is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae.
It is endemic to Argentina.


Rhachidelus

Rhachidelus is a genus of snake in the subfamily Dipsadinae. The genus is endemic to South America.
Species.
The genus "Rhachidelus" is monotypic, containing the sole species Rhachidelus brazili, which is commonly known as the Brazilian bird snake.
Etymology.
The specific name, "brazili", is in honor of Brazilian herpetologist Vital Brazil.
Geographic range.
"R. brazili" is found in northeastern Argentina, southern Brazil, and southeastern Paraguay.


Large-billed reed warbler

The large-billed reed warbler ("Acrocephalus orinus") is an Old World warbler in the genus "Acrocephalus". The species has been dubbed as "the world's least known bird". It was known from a single specimen collected in India in 1867 and rediscovered in the wild in Thailand in 2006. The identity of the bird caught in Thailand was established by matching DNA sequences extracted from feathers; the bird was released. After the rediscovery in the wild a second specimen was discovered amid "Acrocephalus dumetorum" specimens in the collections of the Natural History Museum at Tring. A breeding area was found in Afghanistan in 2009 and studies in 2011 pointed to its breeding in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. One bird was found in the Baikka Wetland in Srimangal, Bangladesh on 7 December 2011.
Description.
This species has the upper plumage and visible portions of wings and tail olive-brown while the underside is pale creamy with the underwing and axillaries paler.
The length is about with the tail being and the wing long. The tarsus is while the bill from gape is . The first primary measures while the second is intermediate in length between the ninth and tenth. The closed tail appears graduated with the difference between the longest and shortest feathers being . The type specimen was obtained in the Sutlej valley ("Sukedje valley") not far from Rampur.
The upper mandible is dark, but the cutting edges and entire lower mandible are pale. The tarsi, toes and claws appear pale brown. The hind claw is longer than in "A. dumetorum". The tips of the tail feathers are pointed and more acutely lanceolate than in "A. dumetorum" or "Acrocephalus concinens". The primary tips are broad and rather squarer. Recent observers note that it has a habit of fanning out its tail open as it forages.
The specimens from Afghanistan and Kazakhstan suggest that they breed in Central Asia and moult indicates that they migrate along the Himalayas to winter in northern India and Southeast Asia. Sequence variation points to a stable or shrinking population structure.
History.
It was first collected by Allan Octavian Hume in the Sutlej Valley near Rampur, Himachal Pradesh, India on 13 November 1867. This specimen (BMNH registration no. 1886.7.8. 1742) was first provisionally described as "Phyllopneuste macrorhyncha" (Hume, 1869) but the name was changed two years later to "Acrocephalus macrorhynchus" (Hume, 1871). H C Oberholser however pointed out in 1905 that this was unacceptable because a specimen from Egypt described by von Müller in 1853 as "Calamoherpe macrorhyncha" turned out to be "Acrocephalus stentoreus"; "Acrocephalus macrorhynchus" was abandoned in favour of "A. orinus". The identity of the species was in question and until 2002 was considered as a synonym of the clamorous reed warbler ("Acrocephalus stentoreus"). Some others considered it an aberrant Blyth's reed warbler. A recent re-check of the morphology and the mtDNA suggested that it was a distinct species. An additional ten new specimens in collections were identified in 2008. These included specimens collected by John Biddulph from Gilgit and W N Koelz from Zebak.
Rediscovery.
On 27 March 2006 a living specimen was caught at the Laem Phak Bia Environmental Research and Development Project in Phetchaburi, Thailand by ornithologist Philip Round of Mahidol University. The bird was ringed and two feathers were extracted; DNA from them was found to match the DNA of the 1867 specimen.
Based on the short and rounded wings, earlier studies had suggested that the species was likely to be a short-distant migrant or a resident. The rediscoveries of a second museum specimen from a different location and the wild specimen from Thailand suggest that this may not be so.
Some field identifications from West Bengal and central India were subsequently reported based on behaviour but captured specimens did not appear to match the species.
A breeding site of the large-billed reed warbler "Acrocephalus orinus", was discovered in the Wakhan Corridor of the Pamir of north-eastern Afghanistan by Researcher Robert Timmins of the Wildlife Conservation Society who was studying avian communities in the Pamir Mountains. He came across a small brown warbler and recorded its song. Dr. Timmins did not realize the importance of his discovery until he visited a Natural History Museum in Tring, England. There he examined a specimen of a large-billed reed warbler, which looked identical to the bird he had seen and recorded.
A team of ornithologists, including Afghan scientists of the Wildlife Conservation Society, confirmed his discovery by capturing, sampling and releasing almost 20 specimens of the bird in 2009, the largest number ever recorded, using a combination of field observations, museum specimens, DNA sequencing, and also the first known audio recording of the species that were already made in 2008.
A study by Russian ornithologists in 2011 indicated that the species had been misidentified as "A. dumetorum" in museum collections and that the species may be breeding in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, eastern Uzbekistan and south-eastern Kazakhstan. Nests were found in 2011 in the Panj river valley, Tajikistan.


Delminichthys krbavensis

Delminichthys krbavensis is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae.
It is found only in Krbavsko Polje in Croatia, in a single karstic freshwater spring.
It has disappeared from stream habitats, and is threatened by further habitat loss.


Phrynopus miroslawae

Phrynopus miroslawae is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is endemic to Peru and only known from its type locality, Santa Bárbara, in the Huancabamba District, Oxapampa, Pasco Region. The species is only known from the holotype collected in 2007. The specific name "miroslawae" honors Miroslawa Jagielko from Poland, recognizing her "friendship and support of taxonomic research and nature conservation in Peru".
Description.
The holotype is an adult female measuring in snout–vent length. The body is robust. The dorsum is warty and has conspicuous dorsolateral folds and supratympanic fold, but no tympanum is present. The fingers and toes have no fringes, webbing, or discs. Dorsal coloration is gray with some bold black to dark brown blotches. The flanks, ventral surfaces, and dorsolateral folds are mostly creamy-gray with few round black blotches. The iris is bronze with black reticulations.
Habitat and conservation.
The holotype was collected from inside moss in elfin forest at asl. There is no information on major threats to this species. The type locality is in the Yanachaga–Chemillén National Park.


Phrynopus remotum

Phrynopus remotum is a species of fleshbelly frog native to the central Andes of Peru in Department of Huánuco at elevations of 3,730 meters. The frog is found in a single locality in a section of highlands adjacent to Marañón Dry valley in habitats such as grasslands, cloud forests, and alongside temporary streams. It can be found under rocks, moss, and other cover. The frog is small, with males reaching 19.3 to 23.3 mm (0.76 to 0.92 in) SVL and females 28.7 mm (1.13 in) SVL. Due to the lack of sufficient water in its habitat, these frogs will lay their eggs in damp areas and the tadpoles will undergo metamorphosis inside the egg, later hatching as fully formed froglets.
The specific name "remotum" comes from the remote areas the frog is found in, which took over thirty hours of travelling through harsh terrain to reach. The only other amphibian that was found in the same habitat as "Phrynopus remotum" was the Peru marsupial frog ("Gastrotheca peruana"), which also does not have aquatic tadpoles.


Sulphur-breasted warbler

The sulphur-breasted warbler ("Phylloscopus ricketti") is a species of Old World warbler in the family Phylloscopidae.
It breeds in China; it winters to Laos, Thailand and Cambodia.
Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.


Aphonopelma caniceps

Aphonopelma caniceps is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae, found in Mexico. This species was first described as "Eurypelma caniceps" in 1891 by Eugène Simon, and was transferred to the genus, "Aphonopelma", in 1993 by Günter Schmidt.


Albanian barbel

The Albanian barbel ("Luciobarbus albanicus") is a ray-finned fish species in the family Cyprinidae. It is often referred to as "Albanian barbel" in a literal translation of its scientific name.
Distribution and ecology.
It occurs from the Mornos' to the Thyamis Rivers' drainage basins, and in Lake Amvrakia, Ioannina(Once the capital of Albania) and Trichonida; it is absent from the Acheron and its tributaries, however. In addition, it is also found in the Pineios River's drainage basin on the Peloponnese. Though its range is not large, it is quite abundant and not considered a threatened species by the IUCN.
The natural habitats of this fish are the lower course of rivers, lakes and water storage areas, over muddy or sandy bottom. Larvae and young fish gather in schools containing few if any other fishes in brackish bays and harbours. Adults are more solitary and live preferably in freshwater. "L. albanicus" is an omnivore, eating aquatic invertebrates (mainly insect larvae), algae and other plants, and detritus. They spawn in late spring to mid-summer (May to July) in slow-moving water over sandy ground at lake beaches and in river estuaries. A single female's eggs will be fertilised by the sperm of several (up to 7) males. This species becomes sexually mature at 3 or 4 years of age. It is long-lived, and can get up to 14 years old.


Papillose woolly bat

The papillose woolly bat ("Kerivoula papillosa") is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae.
It is found in Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Appearance.
The fur is typically dark brown on top, and lighter brown on the bottom. White hair is commonly found on the foot as well. This species has a unique interfemoral membrane. This membrane is hairless and is covered with small, soft, wart-like projections. The teeth are pointed and specialized for crushing the exoskeletons of insects.
Ecology.
Tree hollows are used for roosts, and generally have between 1 and 14 bats inhabiting them. The habitats inhabited are lowland mixed deciduous forests in the lower Asian peninsula.


Aprusia veddah

Aprusia veddah, is a species of oonopid spider of the genus "Aprusia". It is endemic to Sri Lanka.
Etymology.
The specific name comes from the Vedda people, who are the indigenous people of Sri Lanka.
Description.
"Aprusia veddah" is only known from the female of the species. The females are 18.5mm long. The cephalothorax is pale orange and broadly oval in shape. The anterior lateral eyes are the largest and circular, the posterior median eyes are oval, as are the posterior lateral eyes; the posterior eye row is procurved from the front; the anterior lateral eyes are separated by less than their radius, the anterior lateral eye and the posterior lateral eye are separated by less than the anterior lateral eye's radius, the posterior median eyes are touching, the posterior lateral eye and posterior median eye are touching. The sternum is longer than wide. They have three spines on the prolateral side of the first femur.
The abdomen has dorsal scuta that are weakly sclerotized, pale orange and without a colour pattern. They cover around half of the abdomen. The epigastric scutum is weakly sclerotized, surrounding the pedicel, not protruding, small lateral sclerites absent. The postepigastric scutum is weakly sclerotized, pale orange,
short, almost rectangular, only around the epigastric furrow, not fused to the epigastric scutum, the anterior margin is unmodified. The abdominal dorsal scutum is relatively long. The anterior receptacle and the lateral apodemes in the internal genitalia are also relatively long and thin.


Bachia scaea

Bachia scaea is a species of lizard in the family Gymnophthalmidae. It is endemic to Brazil.


Stenalia cechovskyi

Stenalia cechovskyi is a beetle in the genus "Stenalia" of the family Mordellidae. It was described by Jan Horák in 2006 and is endemic to Malaysia where it was discovered in Cameron Highlands. The species is black in colour and have dark yellow elytron.


Antigone cubensis

Antigone cubensis, sometimes called the Cuban flightless crane,
is a large, extinct species of crane which was endemic to the island of Cuba in the Caribbean. The species was originally placed in the genus "Grus", as Grus cubensis, however subsequent study of the genus resulted in moving the species to "Antigon" in 2020. Subfossil remains were found in Pleistocene deposits in Pinar del Rio. Probably derived from an early invasion of sandhill cranes from North America, it differed from that species by, as well as larger size, having a proportionately broader bill, stockier legs, and with reduced wings and pectoral girdle indicating that it may have been flightless. Currently, the only extant Caribbean crane is the Cuban sandhill crane, "Antigone canadensis nesiotes", an endangered subspecies of sandhill crane endemic to the country.


Laoennea renouardi

Laoennea renouardi is one of two species in the genus "Laoennea" of the Asian terrestrial snail family Diapheridae (Stylommatophora, Streptaxoidea).
Description.
The tiny shell has a height of 1.8 mm and a width of 1 mm. The white, glossy, transparent shell is compact and less elongated with fewer whorls compared to "Laoennea carychioides". The apical part of the shell is dome-shaped. The conical-ovate shell possesses five convex whorls, which are separated by a deep suture. The next-to-last whorl is expanded and broader than the last whorl. The protoconch is not clearly discernible. The teleoconch shows streaks of uneven growth lines. The last whorl shows widely spaced ribs and radial striations. The opening (aperture) is heart-shaped, which is reinforced by a thick callus. The apertural dentition consists of two well-formed denticles, one on the palatal wall and the other one (parietal lamella) on the parietal wall, forming a round sinulus. The sinulus is in line with the rest of the aperture. Additionally, a low, weak columellar denticle is located close to the peristome. The peristome is expanded and slightly reflected. The shell has a straight central column (columella) and the umbilicus is visible as a small slit.
Distribution.
"Laoennea renouardi" is only known from the Tham Houey Yè cave, which is located within the Vang Vieng karst region in Laos. The region comprises numerous cavities formed in Upper Permian Limestone and harbours 11.2 km of galleries.
Taxonomy.
The species "Laoennea renouardi" is named after the French caver, Louis Renouard, who explored and mapped the only two caves in Laos known to harbor this group of tiny snails.
Discovery.
"Laoennea renouardi" was discovered by Marina Ferrand of the French Club Etude et Exploration des Gouffres et Carrières (EEGC), during the Phouhin Namno caving expedition in Tham Houey Yè cave in Laos in March 2019. The shells were collected 150 m from the cave entrance in a horizontal gallery usually flooded during the rainy season.
Dr. Adrienne Jochum affiliated with the Natural History Museum of Bern, Switzerland, the Senckenberg Research Institute and the Natural History Museum of Frankfurt, Germany described the new species and its cave habitat together with Quentin Wackenheim (Laboratoire de Géographie Physique (Meudon, France) and Laboratoire Trajectoires (Nanterre, France)).
Ecology.
Until now no fresh individuals were found, and the collected shells were discovered 150 m from the cave entrance. Thus, it is not yet clear if "Laoennea" is a cave-dwelling genus or not. The lack of pigment in the shells suggests that the species lives underground.
Conservation.
Tham Houey Yè is located very close to a long-time popular tourist cave, Tham Pha Leusi. In 2001 Tham Houey Yè was opened for tourists, but direct tourist activity ended a few year later due to difficult access to the cave caused by the narrow opening. It was pointed out that the wear and tear impact associated with tourism and potentially polluted runoff draining in the cave, could pose threats to the species.


Goniurosaurus kwanghua

The Kwanghua Cave gecko ("Goniurosaurus kwanghua") is a species of geckos endemic to Hainan Island, China.


Pyrenaearia organiaca

Pyrenaearia organiaca is a species of small air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies. This species is endemic to Spain.


List of birds of Bhutan

This is a list of the bird species recorded in Bhutan. The avifauna of Bhutan include a total of 733 species, of which one has been introduced by humans.
This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of "The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World", 2019 edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for Bhutan.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fall into any of these categories.
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl.
Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.
Pheasants, grouse, and allies.
Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds 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.
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.
Frogmouths.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Podargidae
The frogmouths are a group of nocturnal birds related to the nightjars. They are named for their large flattened hooked bill and huge frog-like gape, which they use to take insects.
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: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Treeswifts.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Hemiprocnidae
The treeswifts, also called crested swifts, are closely related to the true swifts. They differ from the other swifts in that they have crests, long forked tails and softer plumage.
Rails, gallinules, and coots.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.
Cranes.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae
Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".
Thick-knees.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae
The thick-knees are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.
Stilts and avocets.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.
Ibisbill.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Ibidorhynchidae
The ibisbill is related to the waders, but is sufficiently distinctive to be a family unto itself. The adult is grey with a white belly, red legs, a long down curved bill, and a black face and breast band.
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.
Painted-snipes.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Rostratulidae
Painted-snipes are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly colored.
Jacanas.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Jacanidae
The jacanas are a group of tropical waders in the family Jacanidae. They are found throughout the tropics. They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.
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.
Buttonquail.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Turnicidae
The buttonquail are small, drab, running birds which resemble the true quails. The female is the brighter of the sexes and initiates courtship. The male incubates the eggs and tends the young.
Pratincoles and coursers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae
Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings and long, pointed bills which curve downwards.
Gulls, terns, and skimmers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years.
Storks.
Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with long, stout bills. Storks are mute, but bill-clattering is an important mode of communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years.
Cormorants and shags.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white and a few being colourful.
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.
Barn-owls.
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Tytonidae
Barn-owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons.
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.
Trogons.
Order: TrogoniformesFamily: Trogonidae
The family Trogonidae includes trogons and quetzals. Found in tropical woodlands worldwide, they feed on insects and fruit, and their broad bills and weak legs reflect their diet and arboreal habits. Although their flight is fast, they are reluctant to fly any distance. Trogons have soft, often colourful, feathers with distinctive male and female plumage.
Hoopoes.
Order: BucerotiformesFamily: Upupidae
Hoopoes have black, white and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head.
Hornbills.
Order: BucerotiformesFamily: Bucerotidae
Hornbills are a group of birds whose bill is shaped like a cow's horn, but without a twist, sometimes with a casque on the upper mandible. Frequently, the bill is brightly coloured.
Kingfishers.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails.
Bee-eaters.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Meropidae
The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.
Rollers.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Coraciidae
Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not.
Asian barbets.
Order: PiciformesFamily: Megalaimidae
The Asian barbets are plump birds, with short necks and large heads. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills. Most species are brightly coloured.
Honeyguides.
Order: PiciformesFamily: Indicatoridae
Honeyguides are among the few birds that feed on wax. They are named for the greater honeyguide which leads traditional honey-hunters to bees' nests and, after the hunters have harvested the honey, feeds on the remaining contents of the hive.
Woodpeckers.
Order: PiciformesFamily: Picidae
Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.
Falcons and caracaras.
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.
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. In size they range from to in length. Old World parrots are found from Africa east across south and southeast Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand.
Asian and Grauer’s broadbills.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Eurylaimidae
The broadbills are small, brightly coloured birds, which feed on fruit and also take insects in flycatcher fashion, snapping their broad bills. Their habitat is canopies of wet forests.
Pittas.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pittidae
Pittas are medium-sized by passerine standards and are stocky, with fairly long, strong legs, short tails and stout bills. Many are brightly coloured. They spend the majority of their time on wet forest floors, eating snails, insects and similar invertebrates.
Cuckooshrikes.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Campephagidae
The cuckooshrikes are small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are predominantly greyish with white and black, although some species are brightly coloured.
Vireos, shrike-babblers, and erpornis.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Vireonidae
Most of the members of this family are found in the New World. However, the shrike-babblers and erpornis, which only slightly resemble the "true" vireos and greenlets, are found in South East Asia.
Old World orioles.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Oriolidae
The Old World orioles are colourful passerine birds. They are not related to the New World orioles.
Woodswallows, bellmagpies, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Artamidae
The woodswallows are soft-plumaged, somber-coloured passerine birds. They are smooth, agile flyers with moderately large, semi-triangular wings.
Vangas, helmetshrikes, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Vangidae
The family Vangidae is highly variable, though most members of it resemble true shrikes to some degree.
Ioras.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Aegithinidae
The ioras are bulbul-like birds of open forest or thorn scrub, but whereas that group tends to be drab in colouration, ioras are sexually dimorphic, with the males being brightly plumaged in yellows and greens.
Fantails.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Rhipiduridae
The fantails are small insectivorous birds which are specialist aerial feeders.
Drongos.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Dicruridae
The drongos are mostly black or dark grey in colour, sometimes with metallic tints. They have long forked tails, and some Asian species have elaborate tail decorations. They have short legs and sit very upright when perched, like a shrike. They flycatch or take prey from the ground.
Monarch flycatchers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Monarchidae
The monarch flycatchers are small to medium-sized insectivorous passerines which hunt by flycatching.
Shrikes.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Laniidae
Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey.
Crows, jays, and magpies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Corvidae
The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.
Fairy flycatchers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Stenostiridae
Most of the species of this small family are found in Africa, though a few inhabit tropical Asia. They are not closely related to other birds called "flycatchers".
Tits, chickadees, and titmice.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Paridae
The Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects.
Larks.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Alaudidae
Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.
Cisticolas and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cisticolidae
The Cisticolidae are warblers found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are generally very small birds of drab brown or grey appearance found in open country such as grassland or scrub.
Reed warblers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Acrocephalidae
The members of this family are usually rather large for "warblers". Most are rather plain olivaceous brown above with much yellow to beige below. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds, or tall grass. The family occurs mostly in southern to western Eurasia and surroundings, but it also ranges far into the Pacific, with some species in Africa.
Grassbirds and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Locustellidae
Locustellidae are a family of small insectivorous songbirds found mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. They are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed, and tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over.
Cupwings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pnoepygidae
The members of this small family are found in mountainous parts of South and South East Asia.
Swallows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hirundinidae
The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.
Bulbuls.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pycnonotidae
Bulbuls are medium-sized songbirds. Some are colourful with yellow, red or orange vents, cheeks, throats or supercilia, but most are drab, with uniform olive-brown to black plumage. Some species have distinct crests.
Leaf warblers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Phylloscopidae
Leaf warblers are a family of small insectivorous birds found mostly in Eurasia and ranging into Wallacea and Africa. The species are of various sizes, often green-plumaged above and yellow below, or more subdued with greyish-green to greyish-brown colours.
Bush warblers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Scotocercidae
The members of this family are found throughout Africa, Asia, and Polynesia. Their taxonomy is in flux, and some authorities place some genera in other families.
Long-tailed tits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Aegithalidae
Long-tailed tits are a group of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They make woven bag nests in trees. Most eat a mixed diet which includes insects.
Sylviid warblers, parrotbills, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sylviidae
The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. They mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent, Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs.
White-eyes, yuhinas, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Zosteropidae
The white-eyes are small and mostly undistinguished, their plumage above being generally some dull color like greenish-olive, but some species have a white or bright yellow throat, breast or lower parts, and several have buff flanks. As their name suggests, many species have a white ring around each eye.
Tree-babblers, scimitar-babblers, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Timaliidae
The babblers, or timaliids, are somewhat diverse in size and colouration, but are characterised by soft fluffy plumage.
Ground babblers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pellorneidae
These small to medium-sized songbirds have soft fluffy plumage but are otherwise rather diverse. Members of the genus "Illadopsis" are found in forests, but some other genera are birds of scrublands.
Laughingthrushes and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Leiothrichidae
The members of this family are diverse in size and colouration, though those of genus "Turdoides" tend to be brown or greyish. The family is found in Africa, India, and southeast Asia.
Kinglets.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Regulidae
The kinglets, also called crests, are a small group of birds often included in the Old World warblers, but frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice.
Wallcreeper.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Tichodromidae
The wallcreeper is a small bird related to the nuthatch family, which has stunning crimson, grey and black plumage.
Nuthatches.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sittidae
Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails and powerful bills and feet.
Treecreepers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Certhiidae
Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees.
Wrens.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Troglodytidae
The wrens are mainly small and inconspicuous except for their loud songs. These birds have short wings and thin down-turned bills. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous.
Spotted elachura.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Elachuridae
This species, the only one in its family, inhabits forest undergrowth throughout South East Asia.
Dippers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cinclidae
Dippers are a group of perching birds whose habitat includes aquatic environments in the Americas, Europe and Asia. They are named for their bobbing or dipping movements.
Starlings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.
Thrushes and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae
The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.
Old World flycatchers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae
Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.
Flowerpeckers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Dicaeidae
The flowerpeckers are very small, stout, often brightly coloured birds, with short tails, short thick curved bills and tubular tongues.
Sunbirds and spiderhunters.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Nectariniidae
The sunbirds and spiderhunters are very small passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed.
Fairy-bluebirds.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Irenidae
The fairy-bluebirds are bulbul-like birds of open forest or thorn scrub. The males are dark-blue and the females a duller green.
Leafbirds.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Chloropseidae
The leafbirds are small, bulbul-like birds. The males are brightly plumaged, usually in greens and yellows.
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.
Waxbills and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Estrildidae
The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colours and patterns.
Accentors.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Prunellidae
The accentors are in the only bird family, Prunellidae, which is completely endemic to the Palearctic. They are small, fairly drab species superficially similar to sparrows.
Old World sparrows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae
Old World sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.
Wagtails and pipits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Motacillidae
Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. They are slender, ground feeding insectivores of open country.
Finches, euphonias, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Fringillidae
Finches are seed-eating passerine birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well.
Longspurs and snow buntings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Calcariidae
The Calcariidae are a group of passerine birds which had been traditionally grouped with the New World sparrows, but differ in a number of respects and are usually found in open grassy areas.
Old World buntings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Emberizidae
The emberizids are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with distinctively shaped bills. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns.


Stripe-backed antbird

The stripe-backed antbird ("Myrmorchilus strigilatus") is a species of bird in the family Thamnophilidae. It is monotypic within the genus Myrmorchilus. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay, where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.
The genus "Myrmorchilus" was erected by the American ornithologist Robert Ridgway in 1909.


Patella candei

Patella candei, also known as the sun limpet, is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Patellidae, one of the families of true limpets.
Description.
The naturalist Alcide d'Orbigny named the gastropod after Ferdinand de Candé.
The size of the shell varies between 20 mm and 80 mm.
Distribution.
This species occurs in the Atlantic Ocean off the Canary Islands, Madeira and the Savage Islands.


Acris crepitans blanchardi


Phrynopus peruanus

Phrynopus peruanus is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae.
It is endemic to Peru.
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.


Fauna of Slovenia

Fauna of Slovenia includes:


Bothriechis marchi

Bothriechis marchi is a species of pitviper, a venomous snake in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Central America. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.
Etymology.
The specific name, "marchi", is in honor of herpetologist Douglas H. March, who died from the bite of a fer-de-lance in 1939.
Description.
Adults of "B. marchi" often grow to more than in total length (including tail). The largest specimen on record was . March's palm pit viper is green and relatively slender with a prehensile tail.
Geographic range.
"Bothriechis marchi" is found on the Atlantic versant of northwestern Honduras and eastern Guatemala. It occurs in mesic forest at elevations of altitude. The type locality given is "the Gold Mines at Quimistan [probably El Oro, Municipio de Quimistán, in the Sierra de Espíritu Santo to the northwest of the town of Quimistán], [Departamento de] Santa Barbara, Honduras Republic".
Reproduction.
"Bothriechis marchi" is viviparous.


Chinese cupwing

The Chinese cupwing or Chinese wren-babbler ("Pnoepyga mutica") is a species of bird in the family Pnoepygidae.
It is found in southern-central China. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.


Neolithodes asperrimus

Neolithodes asperrimus is a species of king crab native to the coast of Africa. It has been found in South Africa and Mauritania at depths of , and "Neolithodes" aff. "asperrimus" has been found in Madagascar, Réunion, and the South Region of Brazil.
They are known to be parasitised by "Iphigenella acanthopoda", a species of Gammaridea.


Nephopterix ardesiifascia

Nephopterix ardesiifascia is a species of snout moth in the genus "Nephopterix". It was described by Walter Rothschild in 1915. It is found in Algeria.


Acanthagrion taxaense

Acanthagrion taxaense is a critically endangered species of damselfly endemic to Brazil. It may be restricted to Rio de Janeiro, and could possibly be extinct as it has not been seen since its description in 1965. Some of the characteristics of this species are posterior lobe of prothorax trilobate, medial lobe rounded in both male and female, segment 3 of genital ligula C-shaped in lateral view and lack of mesepisternal fossa in female S8 with vulvar spine


Long-tailed myna

The long-tailed myna ("Mino kreffti") is a member of the starling family. It is native to the Bismarck and Solomon archipelagos. It resembles the yellow-faced myna, and the two were formerly considered conspecific.
Its binomial name commemorates Gerard Krefft, Australian zoologist and palaeontologist.
Description.
Going on standard measurements and length, this very large myna is one of the largest member of the diverse family Sturnidae, behind only perhaps the Nias hill myna. It measures in length. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is , the tail is , the culmen is and the tarsus is . No known weights have been reported. These measurements are just slightly larger on average than the closely related yellow-faced myna and indicate the species is around three times as massive as the common starling. The long-tailed myna mainly has purple-glossed black plumage. It has bright orange-yellow patches of naked skin around each eye. It has a yellow lower belly and white wing patches, which are obvious in flight. The rump and undertail are white and the strong bill is bright yellow.
Behaviour.
The long-tailed myna nests in tree holes, often in palms. The eggs are pale blue with delicate reddish or grey markings.
This myna is arboreal, and is found alone or in pairs in open lowland forests and plantations. It feeds mainly on fruits and berries. It is a conspicuous and vocal species with a wide range of whistles and squawks.


Yunnan lar gibbon

The Yunnan lar gibbon ("Hylobates lar yunnanensis"), also known as the Yunnan white-handed gibbon, is a subspecies of the lar gibbon, a primate in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. This Chinese subspecies is thought to be extinct.
Taxonomy.
This animal from Yunnan is listed as a distinct subspecies of the lar gibbon in recent taxonomic articles. However, there is still debate about the validity of this classification.
Appearance.
This subspecies is distinguished from the other lar gibbon subspecies by its longer dorsal hair, shorter light hair-base, and red-brown or dark-brown pubic hair.
Status.
The Nangunhe Nature Reserve in Southwest Yunnan has been the last stronghold of the Yunnan lar gibbon. During a survey from 4 to 18 November 2007, no evidence of the survival of the Yunnan lar gibbon could be found and the scientists of this survey tentatively concluded the lar gibbon has become extinct in China, and the Yunnan subspecies globally. The 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has listed this subspecies as data deficient "as its taxonomic and geographic limits are not well defined, but population sizes are by all accounts critical, and the remaining populations are near extinction."


Four-toed salamander

The four-toed salamander ("Hemidactylium scutatum") is a lungless salamander native to eastern North America. It is the only species of the monotypic genus Hemidactylium.
Description.
The four-toed salamander can be recognized by its white underbelly sprinkled with black dots. Its back varies from orange-brownish to red-brownish; its flanks are grayish. The body and the limbs are elongated. The snout is short, and the eyes are prominent. The tail color is usually brighter than the back, and you can observe a constriction at the body/tail junction. The posterior limbs have four toes (hence its name), a good identification criterion but hard to use in the field. This species rarely exceeds in length. The sexes are alike except for the shape of the head. Males have elongated and almost square snouts, whereas the females' snouts are short and round. The juveniles show a tail shorter than the body.
The four-toed salamander can be easily mistaken for the redback salamander ("Plethodon cinereus") in the wild. The Four-toed salamander's underbelly is more of a "salt and pepper" color. There is no constriction at the tail, and posterior limbs show five digits.
Reproduction.
Mating occurs in terrestrial areas throughout the autumn months. In early spring the females nest on land, along the banks of small ponds. After the 4–6 week embryonic period, the larvae hatch and make their way to the adjacent pond. Four-toed salamanders undergo a relatively short aquatic larval period, when compared to other species of the same family, ranging between 3 and 6 weeks.
Self defense.
The four-toed salamander has three main forms of self-defense against predators. The first is that it purposely sheds off its tail to distract the enemy. When the tail comes off, it is still wiggling around. The enemy gets distracted, giving the salamander time to get away. The second form of defense is playing dead. When threatened, this salamander will have a short burst of violent thrashes and then stop dead in its tracks. It will stay frozen like this until it feels the threat is gone (Sass and Anderson, 2011). The third and final form of defense is curling up and putting its tail on its back, offering it in exchange for its life.
Nesting behavior.
There are three methods of nesting that have been documented in the females of "H. scutatum", which can fall into one of two categories: solitary or communal/joint nesting. Solitary nesters lay and brood only their eggs. Communal nesting is normally one female brooding the eggs of two or more, up to 14, females of the same species. In this method the females either lay their eggs and leave the nest, or lay their eggs and stay to brood their eggs as well as those of the deserting females. About one-third of the nests of a population are joint nests, while between 50% and 70% of females lay their eggs in joint nests each year.
Oophagy has also been reported in "H.scutatum", where one female would eat several eggs of another female before laying her eggs in a communal nest.
Habitat.
This species' favored habitats are sphagnum bogs, grassy areas surrounding beaver ponds, and deciduous or mixed forests rich with mosses. The four-toed salamander will use the sphagnum bogs during reproduction, but uses the forest habitat during the summer. It overwinters in terrestrial habitat, using old burrows or cavities created by rotting roots, below the freezing depth. It will frequently overwinter in groups, sometimes with other amphibians such as the red-backed salamander.
In Canada, the four-toed salamander can be found in southern Ontario and Quebec, in Nova Scotia, and a single population was found in New Brunswick in 1983. In the United States, it can be found from Maine to Minnesota and as far as Alabama in the south. They have also been found in eastern Kentucky.
The home range of the species is not known. It was believed that the different elements of its habitat (breeding, summer and overwintering) had to be within 100 m of each other, but recent observations might suggest this to be an underestimation.
Diet.
Four-toed salamanders feed mostly on small invertebrates, such as spiders, worms, ticks, springtails (collembola), ground beetles (Carabidae), and other insects. Larvae love small aquatic crustaceans.
Predation.
Larvae are eaten by other salamanders (adults and larvae), fish, and aquatic beetles. Shrews, snakes, and some ground beetles feast on this species. When it feels threatened, "H. scutatum" will use autotomy (drops its tail, still wiggling) to distract the attention of predators.
Conservation status.
Although it is rare, or at least rarely seen in Canada, Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) does not consider "H. scutatum" to be at risk. It is also listed as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conversation of Nature (IUCN) due to the wide distribution and assumed large population. But it is at risk in some provinces such as in Quebec (S3 Rare in the province; usually between 20 and 100 occurrences in the province; may have fewer occurrences, but with a large number of individuals in some populations; may be susceptible to large-scale disturbances). Its status in the United States ranges from Threatened (Illinois), to Endangered (Minnesota), to Special Concern (Wisconsin, Ohio, and Missouri).


Euphlyctis karaavali

Euphlyctis karaavali (Karaavali skittering frog) is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is endemic to the southwestern coast of India in Karnataka.
Description.
It is a large adult size frog with snout to vent length in males ranging between 55–69 mm and females being larger and up to 106 mm. The snout is obtusely pointed when observed from both dorsal and ventral planes and protrudes beyond the lower jaw. Tongue is spatulate and bifid without lingual papilla. Tympanum is distinct and a supra-tympanic fold from back of eye to forelimb is prominent. Head is wider than long. Skin on dorsum possess granulation. Nuptial pad on finger present in adult males. Two vocal sacs present and deep purple in coloration. Webbing between toes complete. Ventral side with brown reticulation, which gets dense towards the abdomen.
Sexual dimorphism.
Males have nuptial pads. They also possess a pair of vocal sacs on the lower jaw. Adult females are larger than males.
Systematics.
The phylogenetic position of "Euphlyctis karaavali", ascertained using a combination of 12s and 16s rRNA sequences, reveals a sister relationship with "Euphlyctis aloysii" and "Euphlyctis hexadactylus"
Distribution.
This species was described from fallow agriculture fields in the coastal village Sanikatta within Kumta Taluk, Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka. Subsequently, the species was observed from six localities in Karnataka "viz.," Kodanga, Baire, Chendia, Kadwada, Tariwada, and Konaje. Recently, this species was reported from Tiruvananthapuram in Kerala which is 810 km away from the type locality, Sanikatta
Ecology and natural history notes.
It is a common frog species in the region where it is found and can found calling from rainwater inundated fallow agriculture fields,
small manmade tanks, pools and puddles around human habitations. Advertisement vocalizations resemble calls of the white-throated kingfisher.
Etymology.
The specific name "karaavali" is derived from the Kannada name for the coastal region where it is found.


Gastrotheca rebeccae

Gastrotheca rebeccae (common name: Rebecca's marsupial frog) is a species of frog in the family Hemiphractidae. It is endemic to Peru and known from the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Oriental in the Ayacucho Region, at elevations of asl. The specific name honours Dr. Rebecca Pyles from the East Tennessee State University.
Natural habitat of "Gastrotheca rebeccae" is cloud forest. Possible threats to this species are unknown.


Carabus lineatus lineatus

Carabus lineatus lineatus is a subspecies of beetle from family Carabidae, that is endemic to Spain. They are green coloured. The females of the subspecies are long.


Crab-eating raccoon

The crab-eating raccoon or South American raccoon ("Procyon cancrivorus") is a species of raccoon native to marshy and jungle areas of Central and South America (including Trinidad and Tobago). It is found from Costa Rica south through most areas of South America east of the Andes down to northern Argentina and Uruguay. Despite its name, this species does not feed exclusively on crabs, and the common raccoon also seeks and eats crabs where they are available.
Diet.
The crab-eating raccoon eats crab, lobster, crayfish and other crustaceans and shellfish, such as oysters and clams. It is an omnivore and its diet also includes, for example, small amphibians, turtle eggs, and fruits. It resembles its northern cousin, the common raccoon, in having a bushy ringed tail and "bandit mask" of fur around its eyes. Unlike the common raccoon, the hair on the nape of the neck points towards the head, rather than backward. The crab-eating raccoon also appears to be more adapted to an arboreal lifestyle than the common raccoon, with sharper, narrower claws. It also is better adapted for a diet of hard-shelled food, with most of the cheek teeth being larger than those of the common raccoon, with broader, rounded cusps. Although the crab-eating raccoon can appear smaller and more streamlined than the common raccoon due to its much shorter fur and more gracile build, the crab-eating raccoon is of similar dimensions to the northern species. Head and body length is , tail length is and height at the shoulder is about . Weights can range from , though are mostly between . Males are usually larger than the females.
Behavior.
The crab-eating raccoon is solitary and nocturnal, primarily terrestrial but will spend a significant amount of time in trees. It is almost always found near streams, lakes, and rivers. In Panama and Costa Rica, where it is sympatric with the common raccoon, it will be strictly found in inland rivers and streams, while the common raccoon lives in mangrove forests. Less frequently, it will reside in evergreen forests or the plains, but are only rarely found in rainforests. Compared to the common raccoon, which thrives in urban environments and adapts quickly to the presence of humans, the crab-eating raccoon adapts less easily and is much less likely to be found in human environments.
Reproduction.
The crab-eating raccoon breeds between July and September, and gestation lasts between 60 and 73 days. Offspring are born in crevices, hollow trees, or abandoned nests from other creatures. Between 2 and 7 kits are born, with 3 being the average. While typically crab-eating raccoons only breed once per year, if a female loses all her kits early in the season, they will mate again and have a second litter. Males have no part in raising young, and while attending to young, females will become much more territorial and will not tolerate other raccoons around them.


Andean squirrel

The Andean squirrel ("Sciurus pucheranii") is a tree squirrel endemic to Colombia where it inhabits montane rain forest and cloud forests of the Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Central ranges of the Colombian Andes, at elevations between . It is a small species with a body length of about and a similar length tail. It has soft, silky, reddish-brown fur, a darker tail and yellowish-grey underparts. It is thought to be diurnal but has been little studied, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being data deficient.
Description.
The Andean squirrel is a typical tree squirrel, in its general proportions resembling the Eastern grey squirrel of North America. However, it is much smaller, with a body length of only about , and a tail. Although there are few records of its weight, it appears to be generally between about . It has soft, silky, reddish-brown fur over most of the body, merging to greyish-yellow on the underparts. The tail fur is darker than that on the body, and some Andean squirrels also have a distinctive dark stripe down their flanks, and/or a black patch on the back of the head. Females have six teats.
Distribution and habitat.
It inhabits montane rain forest and cloud forests of the Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Central of the Colombian Andes, at elevations between . As a tree squirrel, it lives among "Cecropia" trees, palms, and tree ferns. It is believed to be diurnal, but sufficiently little is known about its habits, population, and habitat requirements, that it is currently listed as data deficient by the IUCN.


Piedmont anomalous blue

The Piedmont anomalous blue ("Polyommatus humedasae") is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to Italy, where it is known from the Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps. It is mainly found on altitudes of 800 to 1,000 meters but at times up to 1,600 meters.
There is one generation per year with adults on wing from July to August, with a peak in the second half of July.
The larvae feed on the flowers of "Onobrychis montana" and "Onobrychis viciifolia". They are attended to by ants.


Nops (spider)

Nops is a genus of medium-sized South American, Central American, and Caribbean spiders in the family Caponiidae, first described by Alexander Macleay in 1839. It has a great richness on the Caribbean islands, and most mainland species are located in high proportion toward the Caribbean coast. It likely has a neotropical distribution, though most species of South America are known only from the coast of Colombia and Venezuela, including the islands of Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire and Trinidad.
Monophyly.
"Nops" have subsegmeted tarsi, as well as two other leg characters often found in nopine genera: a ventral translucent keel on the anterior metatarsi and a translucent membrane between the anterior metatarsi and tarsi. These spiders can be distinguished from similar genera with these modifications by their elongated unpaired claw on the anterior legs, extending dorsally between the paired claws.
Species.
 it contains thirty-eight species plus one fossil in Dominican amber:


Cerion saetiae

Cerion saetiae is a species of terrestrial gastropod in the family Cerionidae endemic to coastal areas on Saetia Key, Cuba. The type locality harbours few specimens, yet new locality records have found more remains despite a concerning decline in live individuals. This species is found in coastal sea-grape and sand-vegetation habitats on Playita de Fidel, Playa del Cristo and Baracutey Beach.


Olivaceous woodcreeper

The olivaceous woodcreeper ("Sittasomus griseicapillus") is a passerine bird of the tropical Americas. It belongs to the true woodcreepers (tribe Dendrocolaptini) of the ovenbird family (Furnariidae).
It is the only member of the genus "Sittasomus", but includes 15 vocally and morphologically distinct subspecies in 5 groups, some of which are candidates for a future split.
Description and ecology.
This small woodcreeper is a slender bird, typically long, and weighing . The head, upper back and underparts are lighter or darker greyish olive, and the wings, tail and lower back are light rufous. The bill is short and thin.
The normal call is a fast, high-pitched trill "wu-wu-wu-we-we-we-we-ee-ee-ee-ee-we-we-we-we", but this varies geographically.
It breeds from southern Mexico through tropical Central and South America to northern Argentina and Uruguay, and also on Tobago. The species is found throughout the Amazon basin, but is absent from its lowest reaches, including much of the adjacent Guyanas.
There, the subspecies of the northeastern Amazon ("S. g. axillaris") ranges at least to the Pakaraima Mountains, where it is fairly common at ASL, descending to about ASL on occasion. The olivaceous woodcreeper has also been recorded from extreme southern Guyana and the Essequibo River (which may be its eastern limit in the region). It is apparently completely absent from eastern Guyana eastwards through Suriname and French Guiana.
In Uruguay, the olivaceous woodcreeper was found for the first time in 1997 in the gallery forests of the Yaguarón River, in Cerro Largo Department. Since then, it has also been recorded near Cuchilla de Mangrullo, as well as in the Sierra de los Ríos.
The olivaceous woodcreeper is a common and widespread bird of forests and other woodlands. It feeds on insects and spiders. It normally forages on tree trunks or large branches or on the ground, usually singly.
These birds may associate with foraging groups of golden lion tamarins ("Leontopithecus rosalia") to snatch prey startled by the monkeys. They can also be occasionally seen catching flying prey like termites in mid-air, and will sometimes join mixed-species feeding flocks. In some places (e.g. in the Serra de Paranapiacaba of Brazil), they may even form a core species of such flocks.
It builds a nest lined with dead leaves in a tree hole and lays three white eggs.
Due to its extremely wide range, the olivaceous woodcreeper is not considered a threatened species by the IUCN.


Colias johanseni

Colias johanseni, the Johansen's sulphur, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae found in North America. It is endemic to Nunavut, Canada.
Flight period is July.
Wingspan is from 35 to 38 mm.
Larvae feed on "Hedysarum mackenzii".


Amblypodia anita

Amblypodia anita, the purple leaf blue or leaf blue, is a lycaenid or blue butterfly found in South Asia and Southeast Asia, including Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Java. The species was first described by William Chapman Hewitson in 1862.


Chinese hare

The Chinese hare ("Lepus sinensis") is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It is found in China, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Taxonomy.
The Chinese hare was first described by John Edward Gray in 1832. The Korean hare ("Lepus coreanus") was at one time considered to be a subspecies of the Chinese hare but molecular studies of mtDNA have since shown that the Korean hare is in fact a separate species.
Description.
The Chinese hare is a small species growing to a length of about and a weight of with the females being rather larger than the males. The fur is short and coarse, the back and chest being chestnut-brown and the belly whitish. The large hind feet are furred, the tail is brown and the tips of the ears bear triangular black patches. It is distinguished from other "Lepus" species by the shape and details of its skull and teeth.
Distribution and habitat.
The Chinese hare is native to the provinces of Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Zhejiang in China. It also occurs on the island of Taiwan and in a separate small area of northeastern Vietnam.
Biology.
The Chinese hare has been little studied but like other hare species, the diet consists of grasses and other green plant material, buds, twigs and bark. It is mainly nocturnal and produces two types of faeces, moist and dry pellets. It eats the moist pellets immediately so as to extract the maximum nutritional value from its food. It does not live underground in a burrow but has a "form" or nest in long vegetation. A litter of about three precocial young are born in this and visited by the mother once a day for a few minutes to allow them to suckle. The mother's milk is particularly rich in protein and fat and the lactation period lasts for about three weeks. Various carnivores prey on the Chinese hare and it relies on its fast running speed to escape from predators.
Status.
The IUCN lists the Chinese hare in its Red List of Threatened Species as being of "Least Concern" as it has a wide range. However, in Vietnam it occurs in a heavily populated area and is at risk from hunting. In China, its population trend is unknown.


Himalayan prinia

The Himalayan prinia ("Prinia crinigera") is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It was formerly lumped in with the Chinese prinia ("P. striata") as the striated prinia.
It is found in the Indian Subcontinent and parts of China, with its range generally following the Himalayas. It is distributed in the countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal, and the Yunnan Province in China. Populations in Myanmar, most of China, and Taiwan are now considered to belong to "P. striata" following a 2019 study. Both "P. crinigera" and "P. striata" are sympatric in the Yunnan Province.
There are four known subspecies: "P. c. striatula", which is known from the mountains of Afghanistan and west Pakistan; "P. c. crinigera", which is distributed from north Pakistan to Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India; "P. c. yunnanensis", which is restricted to the northwestern Yunnan Province in China, and "P. c. bangsi" in the southeastern Yunnan Province. "P. c. bangsi" was formerly considered a subspecies of Deignan's prinia (formerly the brown prinia) until the 2019 study.


Oreobates sanctaecrucis

Ischnocnema sanctaecrucis is a frog species in the family Craugastoridae. It is endemic to Bolivia where it is known from the Santa Cruz and Cochabamba Departments. It is an uncommon, terrestrial frog inhabiting the Yungas forest (humid montane forest, including cloud forest, of the
Andean slopes); it tolerates disturbed habitats. It has been found under rocks; males have been observed perching on small secondary vegetation. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN. Its range includes the Carrasco and Amboró National Parks.
Description.
"Oreobates sanctaecrucis" are medium-sized among the "Oreobates"; adults measure in snout–vent length. The head is large and wider than long; the snout is short. The dorsum is pale brown to dark brown with cream flecks; the skin is granular, with round keratinized granules and small, sparse, low, flat warts.


Cretan frog

The Cretan frog ("Pelophylax cretensis") is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to Greece.
Description.
A medium-sized frog reaching up to 6.5 cm in length. The Cretan frog is generally light grey to brown and mottled with brown or olive-grey spots on its back, while the throat and underside of the body are whitish-grey. Occasionally, the upperparts of the Cretan frog may be grass-green with distinct brown spots. The insides of the hind legs are yellow, and the sides of the body may also have yellowish colouration. This species has a prominent dark brown fold of skin down the back.
Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rivers, intermittent rivers, swamps, freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, and plantations. It is threatened by habitat loss.


Perote pocket gopher

The Perote pocket gopher ("Cratogeomys perotensis"), or Cofre de Perote pocket gopher, is a species of pocket gopher in the family Geomyidae.
Range.
Endemic to Mexico, it is found in the mountains from southern Hildalgo south through Puebla and Veracruz to the volcanic edifices of Cofre de Perote and Pico de Orizaba, the former being the type locality.
Description.
This rodent is light to dark brown in color and weighs 400 to 650 g, with males being slightly larger. There are usually small white areas near the base of the tail. Its karyotype has 2n = 38 and FN = 72.
Habitat.
It inhabits Zacatonal grassland and temperate pine-oak woodlands at elevations from 2400 to 4000 m.
Taxonomic history.
Initially described as a species in 1895, "C. perotensis" was demoted to a subspecies of "C. merriami" in 1968. In 2005 it was split off again when found to be distinct in molecular, chromosomal and morphological characters. It subsumes the previously proposed taxa "C. estor" (Merriam, 1895), "C. merriami irolonis" (Nelson and Goldman, 1934), "C. irolonis" (Davis, 1944), and "C. merriami peraltus" (Goldman, 1937), and is part of the "C. castanops" species group.
Conservation status.
Although it occupies an area of less than 20,000 km2, "C. perotensis" is thought to be common and is not considered threatened.


Hestina nama

Hestina nama, the Circe, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in South Asia.


Highland tuco-tuco

The highland tuco-tuco ("Ctenomys opimus") is a species of rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. It is found in high grassland in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru where it lives in burrows.
Description.
Tuco-tucos live in burrows and have a number of adaptations to suit this lifestyle. The tail is short, the eyes are small and the external ears are short, while the claws on the front feet are large and strong. The fur of the highland tuco-tuco is longer and softer than other tuco-tucos. The head is dark-coloured, the upper parts are light brown or yellowish-grey and the flanks and underparts are paler. Fat is accumulated under the skin and males are larger than females. The front surface of the incisors are bright yellowish-orange.
Distribution and habitat.
The highland tuco-tuco lives on the eastern side of the Andes range in the southern half of South America. Its range includes southwestern Bolivia, northwestern Argentina, southern Peru and northern Chile, where it is present at altitudes ranging from above sea level. It is found in dry puna grassland where it digs its burrows in loose gravelly and sandy soils in both pristine and disturbed habitats.
Ecology.
This tuco-tuco lives alone in an extensive burrow it digs. Soil is loosened with the forelimbs and pushed backwards by the hind limbs. There is usually a main passage with short side passages every few metres, one or more chambers for storing food and others for nesting. Most activity is in the morning with the animal expanding the tunnel to reach the roots and stems on which it feeds, and only emerging from the burrow briefly to gather nearby food before retreating again. Litters of up to six young are born during summer.
Status.
"C. opimus" has a wide range and is a common species in some localities. In Peru it has been reported at densities of up to 17 individuals per acre. No particular threats have been identified and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".


Asaphocrita lunae

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


Ceylonese cylinder snake

The Ceylonese cylinder snake ("Cylindrophis maculatus") is a species of snake in the family Cylindrophiidae endemic to Sri Lanka. It is known from plains up to 1000m, localities include Gampola, Peradeniya, Kandy, Pallekele, and Elahera in the central hills and NIkaweratiya in the north-western part of the island.
Known as දෙපත් නයා () and වටඋල්ලා () in Sinhala, it is the first reptile discovered and documented by Sri Lanka. Its defense response consists of flattening posterior half of the body and curling posterior quarter of the body and tail forwards, with head usually concealed under body during this display.
Description.
"C. maculatus" has two series of large reddish-brown spots along the back, which are enclosed by a black network. The belly is white, variegated with black.
The dorsal scales are smooth, arranged in 19 or 21 rows. Ventrals number 189-212, and are almost twice as large as the contiguous dorsal scales; the anal scale is divided; the subcaudals number 4-6.
Adults may reach 35 cm (14 in) in total length.
Ecology.
A sub-fossorial, nocturnal snake, it rests under stones, decaying logs, amongst rocks and in leaf litter by day, emerging at night to feed on other snakes such as Dumeril's kukri snake, Boie's rough-sided snake, Trevelyan's earth snake, Gunther's rough-sided snake. Earthworms and insects have also been recorded in the diet.
Reproduction.
Ovoviviparous. Producing 1-15 live young at a time, measuring 105-191mm.


Pseudorhabdosynochus shenzhenensis

Pseudorhabdosynochus shenzhenensis is a species of diplectanid monogenean parasitic on the gills of the grouper "Epinephelus coioides". It was described in 2005.
Description.
"Pseudorhabdosynochus shenzhenensis" is a small monogenean, 0.3-0.5 mm in length. The species has the general characteristics of other species of "Pseudorhabdosynochus", with a flat body and a posterior haptor, which is the organ by which the monogenean attaches itself to the gill of is host. The haptor bears two squamodiscs, one ventral and one dorsal.
The sclerotized male copulatory organ, or "quadriloculate organ", has the shape of a bean with four internal chambers, as in other species of "Pseudorhabdosynochus".
The vagina includes a sclerotized part, which is a complex structure.
Etymology.
The name of the species, "shenzhenensis", refers to "the name of the city within which the type locality, Dapeng Bay, administratively belongs".
Hosts and localities.
The type-locality is Dapeng Bay, South China Sea, off Nan’ao, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China (23°25'N, 11°82'E), and the type-host is "Epinephelus coioides".


Adelphobates galactonotus

Adelphobates galactonotus (splash-backed poison frog or splashback poison frog) is a species of poison dart frog. It is endemic to the rainforest of the southern Amazon Basin in Brazil. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests. The eggs are laid on the ground, but the tadpoles are carried to temporary pools. Though it remains widespread and locally common, it is threatened by habitat loss and has already disappeared from some localities due to deforestation and flooding caused by dams. The species is relatively common in captivity and regularly bred, but the wild populations are still at risk from illegal collection.
The best known variants of this species are black below and yellow, orange or red above, but its color is extremely variable with some having whitish-mint or light blue upperparts, some having a mottled or spotted pattern above, and some being almost all whitish (popularly known as "moonshine" among captive frog keepers), yellow-orange or black. It has been speculated that some morphs were separate species, but genetic testing have revealed virtually no difference between them (including a distinctive variant from Cristalino State Park with a yellow-and-black netted pattern) and the distributions of the morphs do not follow a clear geographic pattern as expected if they were separate species. This relatively large poison dart frog has a snout-vent length of up to .


Giant wood rail

The giant wood rail ("Aramides ypecaha") is a species of bird in the family Rallidae.
Distribution.
It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Habitat.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and swamps.