Barred antshrike

The barred antshrike ("Thamnophilus doliatus") is a passerine bird in the antbird family. It is found in the Neotropics from Tamaulipas, Mexico, through Central America, Trinidad and Tobago, and a large part of South America east of the Andes as far south as northern Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. There is one accepted record from southern Texas. It is found in a wide range of wooded habitats (even gardens and parks) in both humid and arid regions. Throughout a large part of its range, it is among the most common antbirds.
Taxonomy.
The barred antshrike was described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1764 and given the binomial name "Lanius doliatus". The type locality was subsequently designated as Surinam. The specific epithet is from New Latin "doliatus" meaning "barred". There are 12 recognised subspecies.
Description.
The barred antshrike is in length, and weighs . This species exhibits marked sexual dimorphism. The male of the nominate race is barred all over with black and white, and has a white-based black crest that is raised in display. The female is rufous above with a chestnut crest. The sides of her head and neck are streaked with black, and the underparts are rich buff. In both sexes, the legs are grey, the bill is black and the iris is pale yellow.
The subspecies vary primarily in the overall darkness and the amount of barring and hue of the underparts. For example, in the Tobagonian race "T. d. tobagensis", males are whiter below, and females darker, than in the nominate subspecies. The most distinctive subspecies is "T. d. capistratus" of the Caatinga in north-eastern Brazil, where males have uniform black crown (no white barring to the base) and females have streaked throat and faintly barred belly. It is also the only subspecies where the iris is deep maroon-red. It has been suggested that it should be considered a separate species, the Caatinga barred antshrike.
Behavior.
It is typically found as territorial pairs. The female lays two purple-marked creamy white eggs in a deep cup nest in a shrub, which are incubated by both sexes for 14 days to hatching. The chicks fledge in another 12–13 days.
The barred antshrike is an insectivore which feeds on ants and other arthropods at or near the ground; it sometimes follows columns of army ants, and will take small lizards and berries. It is a skulking species, which may be located by its chuckling "hu-hu-hu-hu-hu-hu" song, often performed as a duet by a pair of birds, or a growled "graaaaa".


Graytail skate

The graytail skate ("Bathyraja griseocauda"), or gray tail skate, is a large species of skate in the family Arhynchobatidae, native to the south-western Atlantic Ocean and south-eastern Pacific Ocean. It is listed as endangered by the IUCN. It was caught as part of a commercial fishery around the Falkland Islands and is a bycatch in several other fisheries.
Range and distribution.
In the Atlantic Ocean, the graytail skate is found off the coast of Argentina and in the waters surrounding the Falkland Islands. The northern extent of its range in the Atlantic is 37 degrees South. Its range extends very slightly past Cape Horn into the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Chile, but does not extend beyond a northern extent of 41 degrees South.
Although graytail skates have been found in waters as shallow as , they are most often found deeper than . They are found all over the continental shelf surrounding the Falkland Islands, but are found in highest concentration in the western, deeper shelf margin.
Individuals also segregate spatially by age class. Nursery grounds near the Falkland Islands are generally located at depths of 300-350m. Juveniles are found in deeper water, , but migrate either to the upper slope () or into deeper water (below ) after growing to in length.
The current population size of the graytail skate is not known. However the catch per unit effort has declined from 1993-2001, as well as a decrease in size. These indicators led to the partial closure of the fishery around the Falklands, although no assessments have been completed to gauge current status. The frequency of bycatch and slow growth rate have led fisheries scientists to believe the fisheries restriction has not reversed the decline.
Biology and description.
Recent reports indicate the graytail skate grows to a length of approximately , with a maximum reported length of . The disc width is generally less than the total length, growing to a maximum width of approximately . An earlier study found mature individuals to be considerably smaller. The dorsal surface is black-brown and is covered by denticles but lacks spines. The ventral surface is yellowish with dark spots near the tail. The tail has 19-27 large spines.
The graytail skate is a slow-growing species, growing per year. This is slower than most species in the genus "Bathyraja." The maximum observed age is 28 years. Sexual maturity is reached at approximately 18 years for females and 14 years for males. The sex ratio is slightly skewed toward female.
Like most skates, the graytail skate is oviparious, laying paired eggs with horn-like projections. It spawns year-round, although lays fewer eggs in the winter.
Younger individuals eat primarily amphipods and other crustaceans and polychaete worms. These disappear from the diet as the individual ages. Older individuals eat rajids, ray-finned fish, and cephalopods.
Taxonomy.
Initially classified in the genus "Raja", the graytail skate was reclassified as "Bathyraja" in 1971, a genus which did not exist in 1947. This classification was supported by a morphological phylogenetic analysis and genetically. It is closely related to the butterfly skate, "Bathyraja papilionifera", based on similarity of mtDNA fragments from Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I.
Fisheries.
The graytail skate was the largest component of the rajid catch in the Falkland Island from 1993 to 2001. It comprised 24.2% of the harvest, followed by the white-dotted skate, "B. albomaculata", and the broadnose skate, "B. brachyurops". It is also a bycatch in trawler fisheries targeting teleosts, and long line fisheries targeting patagonian toothfish. Fisheries may be based in the Falkland Islands, Argentia, or Chile.
Management.
The Falkland Islands instituted a management plan in 1994. The plan identifies two mix-species fisheries, one north and one south of the Falklands. Fishing for rajids in the north requires a license, while it has been prohibited in the south since 1996. As of 2005, Argentina had not instituted an elasmobranch management plan.


Platyptilia naminga

Platyptilia naminga is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. It is found in Chita Oblast, Russia.


Liolaemus chiliensis

Liolaemus chiliensis (Chilean tree iguana) is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae.
It is endemic to Chile and southwestern Neuquen Province, Argentina.
It occurs in open forests and ecotonal scrublands or scrub-steppes, chiefly in the Chilean Matorral ecoregion.
Description.
The Chilean tree iguana is a relatively large-sized lizard, reaching 25 cm (9.8 in) in total length. It is an oviparous species, and feeds mainly of insects and other invertebrates.
This species is sometimes kept as a pet, although such a practise violates conservation biology principles, since this species has such a limited range, and is thus vulnerable to habitat disruption and population declines.


Anomiopus caputipilus

Anomiopus caputipilus is a species of true dung beetle that is endemic to Goiás and Mato Grosso in Brazil. It occurs in cerrado above 700 m altitude. It may be a myrmecophile. It may be threatened by soy bean, cotton and sunflower plantations and cattle ranching.


Helicopsis conopsis

Helicopsis conopsis is a species of air-breathing land snail, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies.
This species is endemic to Morocco.


Odontobutis interrupta

Odontobutis interrupta is a species of freshwater sleeper endemic to South Korea.


Scarlet-headed blackbird

The scarlet-headed blackbird ("Amblyramphus holosericeus") is an icterid found in the South American wetlands.
Description.
This species is about 24 cm long. The bill is oddly shaped: long, slender, and very sharp, looking almost upturned. Adults of both sexes are described by their name. Juveniles have entirely black plumage; orange-red feathers first appear on their breast and throat, later spreading to the neck, head, and thighs. The song is given as "loud, clear, and melodic, a ringing 'cleer-cleer-clur, clulululu'." Calls are simpler but have a similar quality.
Scarlet-headed blackbirds occur in pairs in large reed beds in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil; Bolivia has an isolated population living at an altitudes of about 600 m. They often perch conspicuously on top of stems. They are uncommon, particularly away from the coast.
They eat mainly fruit, supplementing it with seeds and invertebrates, especially insects. They use their bill as a hammer to open food items.
Scarlet-headed blackbirds are monogamous, and territories are grouped together. The nest is an open cup placed in the crotch of a shrub or woven into vegetation, in which they lay two eggs.


Alsodes verrucosus

Alsodes verrucosus (common name: olive spiny-chest frog) is a species of frog in the family Alsodidae.
It is found in the Andes of Chile (Cautín and Puyehue) and Neuquén and Río Negro Provinces, Argentina. These frogs inhabit temperate "Nothofagus" forest where they occur under logs and near damp areas. Tadpoles develop in cold, deep streams.
It is threatened by habitat loss caused by logging.


Cicindela aurofasciata

Cicindela aurofasciata (sometimes called the "gold cross") is a species of tiger beetle endemic to India. It usually occurs in open grass dominated habitats and varies in size between 12 and 14 mm long. It is closely related to "Cicindela goryi" which was treated as a subspecies.
The larval stages build angular turrets.


Texas wolf

The Texas wolf ("Canis lupus monstrabilis") is an extinct subspecies of gray wolf, distinct from the Texas red wolf ("Canis lupus rufus"), whose range once included southern and western Texas and northeastern Mexico.
Description.
It was darker than its more northern cousins, and has a highly arched frontal bone.
Taxonomy.
It is recognized as a subspecies of "Canis lupus" in the taxonomic authority "Mammal Species of the World (2005)".


Greater weever

The greater weever ("Trachinus draco", Linnaeus 1758) is a benthic and demersal venomous marine fish of the family Trachinidae. The greater weever is widely distributed along the eastern Atlantic coastline from Norway to Morocco, extending to the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Seas.
"Trachinus draco" has been shown to occur in depths ranging from shallow water up to -150 meters where it inhabits mostly muddy or sandy grounds.
"Trachinus draco" is mostly and notoriously known for its venomous spines that can inflict serious injuries on humans through accidental stinging. Because of these spines and its potent venom it is classified as one of the most venomous fishes in the Mediterranean.
The name “weever” is thought to originate from the Anglo-Saxon word “wivre” which translates as “viper”.
Physical appearance.
"Trachinus draco" is an elongated and laterally flattened fish with upstanding eyes and a distinct superior mouth that is inclined upwards. The lower jaw is longer than the upper jaw. The head is compact flat and relatively big and the eyes sit almost on top of it. The upper rim of the eye has two to three small spines, in front of each eye. The five to seven spiny fin rays on its first dorsal fin and the thorns on each of the gill covers have venom glands at their basis.
Colouration.
On its dorsal side "Trachinus draco" is coloured in an greenish brown with a varying count of dark marks on the upper side of the head. The flank is hued in a yellowish brown with bright blue and yellow discontinuous stripes that run crooked to the front of the fish.
Additionally oblique black stripes can be found laterally. This pattern is described as tiger-like by Horst Müller.
Body dimensions.
The body dimensions of "Trachinus draco" are described very differently by different authors and seem to differ based on the geographical location were the study has been carried out.
In the Eastern Black Sea, the length distribution of mature fishes ranges from 10 cm up to a maximum of 25.8 cm for females and from 9.5 cm to 22.5 cm for males. The weight ranges from 6.96 g to 131.76 g for females and from 5.34 g to 75.84 g for males.
While the largest female recorded in the Eastern Black Sea was 25.8 cm long, the findings in other studies suggest, that "Trachinus draco" has a much bigger range in size than that found in this study. In the Algarve Coast of Southern Portugal the largest female found by Santos et al. had a total maximum length of 39.6 cm. But also in the Black Sea specimens have been observed, that outrange the largest female found by Ak & Genç in 2013. The largest female found by Ak et al. in the Black Sea had a total maximum length of 35 cm. For Ak & Genç it seems to be clear that many factors contribute to the varying size of "Trachinus draco" like “temperature, salinity, food (quantity, quality and size), sex, time of year and stage of maturity”.
Ecology and Behaviour.
Diet and feeding behaviour.
"Trachinus draco" is a so-called ambush predator that digs itself into fine sand during daytime only with its eyes and the tip of the dorsal fin exposed. There it lurks until prey emerges which is then attacked by the predator in a swift and sudden manner.
During the night time the greater weever is believed to swim around freely, even pelagically. This thesis is indirectly supported by the finding, that prey in the stomach of "T. draco" which were caught during daytime was already mostly digested. Subsequent the feeding activity of "T. draco" seems to be higher during night time.
"T. draco" is a carnivore that mainly feeds on Decapods, Bonefish (Teleostei) and Opossum shrimps (Mysida) as catches in the eastern-central Adriatic Sea suggest. To a lower extent their diet contains also Isopoda, Amphipoda, Cephalopoda and Shells (Bivalvia). In general the former make up to over 90% of the total Index of Relative Importance (IRI). The most common prey that could be identified to the rank of species, were decapods namely Liocarcinus depurator and Galathea strigosa and mysids namely Anchialina agilis.
But the compounds of the diet altered significantly with fish size. While the relatively small mysids were the most common prey for "T. draco" specimens under a size of 20 cm, their importance in the diet composition decreased with size, as the importance of amphipods did, too. On the other hand, the share of cephalopods and fishes increased with fish size.
The feeding habit of "T. draco" in the eastern Adriatic Sea differs very little over the year and decapods have been the most common prey through all seasons but peaked through summer and autumn while teleostei consumption peaked in winter.
In Danish waters on the other hand Merlangius merlangus and to smaller extent clupeoides were the main feeding source in the time of winter.
The frequency of empty stomachs, in the specimens found in the eastern Adriatic Sea was around 15% in general, but differed significantly through the year. In winter the frequency of empty stomachs was highest, with a maximum at around 43.3% and was lowest in summer with 6.8% and in autumn with 7.8%.
These findings were somewhat similar to those in Danish waters. In Kattegat the amount of empty stomachs has been observed in the months of January to April and is described as “very high, close to 100% in some month”.
Those findings may be due to the lower water temperature of around 12 to 13 °C and the therefore lowered metabolism and feeding activity respectively.
Aquarium experiments with stable light, temperature, salinity and sustained food supply on the contrary suggest an endogenous feeding pattern because even under such conditions the fishes refused to eat in the time from January to April and from October to March.
Reproduction and Spawning behaviour.
The reproduction period of "T. draco" seems to lasts from June to October. This very broad range is limited by the observations of Ole Bagge (2004) who states that his findings strongly indicate that the spawning time of "T. draco" is indeed restricted to the period between June and August with a peak in July. Bagge also says that there have been no findings of greater weever in spawning condition from September to May.
"T. draco" is an oviparous spawning fish that lays its eggs into the pelagic zone. The larvae have a size of about 4.8 mm to 6.8 mm  and hatch after approximately three months. The larvae and the eggs can both be found in the pelagic zone and the surface plankton. The larvae of "T. draco" may have a need for relatively warm water with a relatively low salinity to hatch in greater numbers.
"T. draco" is probably not territorial, even in the mating season. It has not been observed to carry out any form of parental care.
Toxicity.
Venomous apparatus.
The venomous apparatus of "T. draco" consists of one spine on each operculum and five to eight dorsal spines. The spines on the operculum point towards the cauda, or tail, and are slightly bent downwards. The opercular spines arise from the upper edge of the operculum and are connected to the operculum with one third of their complete length. The other two thirds of their length lies free along the operculum. The total length of the opercular spines is approximately 27 mm. The spine itself is “covered by an integumentary sheath”. If this sheath ruptures because there is force applied to the spine, it allows the venom to leak from the venom gland cells and to run through a deep groove along the spine and into the wound caused by the sting.
Each of the dorsal spines is covered in an individual integumentary sheet. The spines are connected through a fine interspinous membrane. The spines have different length and are by that arranged in a curve like manner. The spines observed by Russel & Emery (1960) had minimum lengths of 5 mm and maximum lengths of 29 mm and were quite heterogeneous in their appearance on a microscopic level. The dorsal spines are all bent very slightly towards the tail of the fish. The mechanism of envenomation is quite similar to that of the opercular spines.
Venom glands.
The glands producing "T. draco"’s venom are located in the derma of the fish. The venom glands are cased in connective tissue coated with a basal lamina which has a length of 0.1 μm. The venom glands are built up of polygonal cells with a long axis length of 40-50 μm.
These cells show a relatively heterogeneous cytoplasm with noticeable large vacuoles and heterogeneous granular (Verdiglione, Mammola, Gargano, & Montesi, 2003).
As in the tissue of the lesser weever (Echiichthys vipera / "Trachinus vipera") supporting cells can be found in "T. draco" which develop from epidermal cells. These supporting cells form pockets inside the venom glands which are filled with differentiated glandular cells. The supporting cells most probably play a role in the cohesiveness of the venom gland and in the regeneration of the glandular cells.
Toxin.
The potentially lethal protein component in the crude venom of "T. draco" is a 105 kDa polypeptide which is called Dracotoxin. The crude venom of "T. draco" has been shown to have membrane depolarizing and haemolytic characteristics. Those characteristics could be retraced to said single protein component. The depolarisation effect however could not be explained by well-established approaches. Neither does the depolarisation effect take place through Na+ or K+-channels nor through Na+-K+-ATPase activity.
The weever sting is often followed by first ischemic and subsequently hyperemic effects in the tissue surrounding the sting. These effects might be related to the high concentrations of histamines and catecholamines found in the venom.
While Church & Hodgson (2002) suggest a cholinesterase activity of the toxin itself, Haavaldsen & Fonnum (1963) interpreted their finding of a high concentration of cholinesterase in the venom as a sign for a cholinergic mechanism in the production of the venom because cholinesterase activity hasn't yet been described in the venoms of the animal kingdom.
As Russel & Emery (1960) stated, the toxin extract of "T. draco" has a greyish colour but is clear in its appearance. It is said to have a “fishy taste” and “ammoniacal odor”. The pH value of the extract seems to be 6.78 and is with that slightly sour.
The toxin of the closely related lesser weever T. vipera has been shown to contain 5-Hydroxy-Triptamine also called Serotonin but in the toxin of "T. draco" this finding could not be confirmed.
The toxicity of the venom was dependent on the way of extraction. The highest toxicity was measured in live fish which were shock frozen and laired in −70 °C-freezers. Under such conditions the minimal lethal dose for mice was 1.8 μg/g while at least 110 mg could be extracted from an average sized fish.
Relationship with humans.
The most common incident regarding humans is strongly connected with "T. draco"’ s typical behaviour: being burrowed in the sand of shallow waters. Especially in the summer it is quite possible for a careless bather to step, jump or fall on the venomous spines of the greater weever. The other occasion where humans are at risk to get stung by "T. draco" is when fishermen are handling the fish if caught in a net.
The venom of the greater weever is best-known for the excruciating pain it provokes a short period of time after the initial sting which can last from a few hours to days. There are in fact cases reported, in which victims of a weever sting were still affected by it after a period of 4 months, even if this seems to be a rare scenario. The pain can in some cases reach up to a 10/10 on the numeric rating scale. In a reported case from 1782, a fisherman who had been stung, amputated his own finger to relieve the pain.
Even if there are reported cases of fatal accidents with "T. draco", it is widely believed that those are due to secondary infections and sepsis rather than to the toxin itself.
Treatment.
There are as many recommended treatments for a sting of the greater weever as there are fishermen who were stung by them. These recommendations reach from the application of hot water or vinegar to more arcane methods like fish liver, tobacco juice or the suggestion of “burning the devilish weever, swear and pray”.
The modern medicine does in fact recommend the application of any kind of heat preferably to souse the affected limb into hot water (40-42 °C). Beside this first aid attempt to ease the pain it is recommended to clean the wound and to see a physician because antibiotics, further analgesics or even a tetanus prophylaxis might be appropriate.
Commercial Use.
Although the greater weever is sold commercially in France, where it is seen as a delicacy, it is often caught as by-catch.
If caught together with other by-catch fish it is often sold on markets in the category of mixed fish also called “morralla” or at least this is considered a practice in some parts of the Mediterranean.


Adelophryne baturitensis

Adelophryne baturitensis is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae. It is endemic to northeast Brazil and is known from its type locality, Serra de Baturité (or Maçico de Baturité) in the state of Ceará, as well as from Planalto da Ibiapaba in Ceará and Brejo dos Cavalos in Caruaru, Pernambuco state.
Description.
Adult males measure and adult females in snout–vent length. The head is longer than it is wide. The snout is truncate in dorsal view and rounded in profile. The tympanum is small but distinct. There is no supra-tympanic fold and the canthus rostralis is indistinct. The fingers have no webbing and only the fingers III–IV have small discs. The toes have no webbing but have small discs. The skin is smooth. The dorsal coloration is brown; there is a darker pattern starting from between the eyes. The snout and the sides are brown. There is a dark brown band running from the snout to the sides and tapering towards the groin. The limbs have cross-bands. The iris is gold.
Habitat and conservation.
"Adelophryne baturitensis" is a diurnal leaf-litter species that can be locally common; it can be found in dry or moist leaf-litter on the ground, in bromeliads, and stream margins in reasonably well-preserved closed forests, but also surviving in shaded coffee plantations, at elevations of above sea level. The Pernambuco locality is an Atlantic Rainforest remnant.
The species is threatened by habitat loss caused by logging, agriculture, and human settlement; it occurs in areas of good soil and climate, favoring agricultural expansion.


Purple-rumped sunbird

The purple-rumped sunbird ("Leptocoma zeylonica") is a sunbird endemic to the Indian Subcontinent. Like other sunbirds, they are small in size, feeding mainly on nectar but sometimes take insects, particularly when feeding young. They can hover for short durations but usually perch to suck nectar from flowers. They build a hanging pouch nest made up of cobwebs, lichens and plant material. Males are brightly coloured but females are olive above and yellow to buff below. Males are easily distinguished from the purple sunbird by the light coloured underside while females can be told apart by their whitish throats.
Description.
Purple-rumped sunbirds are tiny at less than 10 cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations for nectar feeding. Purple-rumped sunbirds are sexually dimorphic. The males have a dark maroon upperside with a blue-green crown that glistens at some angles, bright green shoulder patch and violet/purple rump patch which is generally hidden under the wings. The underparts are whitish with dark throat, maroon breast band and purple/violet patch in the throat which is visible in some angles. The iris is generally reddish in color. In the Western Ghats, it can overlap in some areas with the crimson-backed sunbird but the male of that species has reddish upperparts, a broader breast band and generally darker eyes. The female has a white throat followed by yellowish breast. The upperside is olive or brownish. The uppertail coverts are black and a weak supercilium may be visible. The nominate subspecies from Sri Lanka has a more bluish violet throat whereas the Indian form "flaviventris" (two other proposed populations "whistleri" from Maddur in Karnataka and "sola" from Pondicherry are subsumed) has a more pinkish tinge.
Their call is "ptsiee ptsit, ptsiee ptsswit" or a sharp twittering "tityou, titou, trrrtit, tityou...".
Distribution.
The purple-rumped sunbird is a common resident breeder in southern India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It is found in Gujarat to the west (possibly a recent expansion) and extending into Assam (Hailakandi) or Meghalaya in the east. Records from Myanmar are not certain. This species is found in a variety of habitats with trees, including scrub and cultivation and is usually absent from dense forest.
Behaviour and ecology.
They breed through the year and may have two broods, but mainly during the monsoons. The nest is made up of fine plant fibres, cobwebs and is studded on the exterior with lichens, bark pieces, flying seeds and other materials. The nest is constructed by the female alone although the male may fly alongside her. The nest is lined with soft fibres such as from the fuzz covering the seeds of "Calotropis". The nest is placed on the end of branch and the entrance usually faces a bush. Nests may sometimes be built close to buildings or under open porches. The female stays in the nest at night a couple of day before laying the eggs. The clutch consists of two eggs which are generally oval, pale greenish and white with spots and streaks, becoming more dense at the broad end. Sometimes, eggs may be plain grey without markings as well. When collecting cobwebs they are often seen at windows of homes, a time when they also sometimes end up tapping the window, possibly at their own reflection. The eggs are usually laid in the morning. The eggs are incubated by both the male and female. The incubation period varies from 14 to 16 days. The chicks fledge in about 17 days and continue to be fed by the male for a few days. Helpers, females or possibly juveniles from the previous brood may sometimes assist the parents in feeding the young. Old nests are sometimes reused. Cases of nests being parasitised by the grey-bellied cuckoo are known. In one case the cuckoo was fed by an adult sunbird as well as an adult common tailorbird.
They pollinate the flowers of many plant species such as "Bruguiera", "Woodfordia", "Hamelia" and "Sterculia". They tend to perch while foraging for nectar and do not hover as much as the syntopic Loten's sunbird. It has been noted that they maintain special scratching posts, where they get rid of pollen and nectar sticking to their head. When the flowers are too deep to probe, they sometimes pierce the base of the flower and rob the nectar, an action termed as "nectar theft" since the flower's primary purpose of attracting pollinators is foiled. They sometimes visit open crop fields and take honeydew exuded by leafhoppers.
Sunbird may indulge in dew-bathing, or bathing by sliding over drops of rain collected on large leaves.
They are generally bold and, although they are spooked by fast movements, casually approach people who are staying mostly still.
Like most birds they harbour specific protozoa species in their blood. A species "Haemoproteus raymundi" has been described from a specimen from Goa but the identification and taxonomic placement of this malaria-like protozoan is disputed.


Andinosaura stellae

Andinosaura stellae is a species of lizard in the family Gymnophthalmidae. It is endemic to Colombia.


Zeugodacus madhupuri

Zeugodacus madhupuri is a species of fruit fly that was discovered in Madhupur National Park.
A group of researchers from Bangladesh and the United States ran research project in Bangladesh from 2013. In September 2018 they found a new species of fruit fly in Madhupur National Park. The name of the fruit fly was named after Madhupur National Park as "Zeugodacus madhupuri".


Bokermannohyla ahenea

Bokermannohyla ahenea is a species of frogs in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to the Serra do Mar in São Paulo, Brazil. Its natural habitat is montane forest. While thought not to be rare, it is threatened by habitat loss caused by cattle pasture and agriculture including sugar, coffee and exotic trees. It has been recorded from the Serra da Bocaina National Park.


Oedipina taylori

Oedipina taylori, commonly known as Taylor's worm salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is found on the Pacific versant in south-eastern Guatemala, to central to north-eastern El Salvador and adjacent southern Honduras. Honduran populations might represent another species.
Etymology.
The specific name "taylori" honors Edward Harrison Taylor (1889–1978), an American herpetologist.
Description.
"Oedipina taylori" was described by in 1952 based on a single specimen. This specimen—the holotype—is an adult male that measured in snout–vent length (SVL). Its tail is incomplete but is presumed to have been several times the SVL. The limbs are short, with partially webbed hands and feet. The coloration is gun-metal blue. It resembles "Oedipina alfaroi" but it has less webbing in the digits and a reduced number of vomerine teeth.
Habitat and conservation.
Its natural habitats probably are lowland and mid-altitude forests, but it has also been found in many man-made habitats, e.g., in the rubble of a collapsed shack and on a patio in a small town. The holotype was found underneath a rotting log in an open forest. It has been recorded at elevations of above sea level. It appears to tolerate some degree of habitat change and loss.


Cornufer guppyi

Cornufer guppyi (common name: Shortland Island webbed frog or giant webbed frog) is a species of frog in the family Ceratobatrachidae. The species is named after British surgeon Henry B. Guppy who collected the holotype from the Shortland Islands. It is found in New Britain Island (Papua New Guinea) and in the Solomon Islands archipelago, where it is widespread, though it is missing from Makira island (San Cristobal).
Taxonomy.
"C. guppyi" is the type species and the sole representative of the subgenus "Discodeles" (formerly recognized as a genus).
Description.
"C. guppyi" is a large species of frog, with females growing as large as in snout–vent length and a weight of . The snout is rounded. The tympanum is round. The fingers and toes have moderately expanded terminal discs. The toes are fully webbed. The legs are long. Males have external vocal sacs. Preserved specimens show variable colouration, from light tan/almost white to greyish to dark reddish brown, with various darker brown or blackish brown marbling or blotching. The venter is light tan or whitish, often with some brown blotches or speckles.
Human interaction.
Humans mostly use "C. guppyi" for food purposes, and it is tracked down by listening to its calls during rain, with March being said to be the best time to find it. A whistle is sometimes used to find this frog because it will respond to the noise, and it is said that snapping a twig will fool the frog into thinking one of its legs has been broken. The frog "C. guppyi" is considered to be a sign of soil fertility if seen in a garden, and the tribes who hold this belief do not typically eat it. Its bones are also sometimes ground up and applied to skin to treat snake or centipede bites.
Habitat and conservation.
"C. guppyi" is a common species. It inhabits streams and small rivers in lowland rainforests up to elevations of above sea level. It also tolerates some habitat degradation and can be found in rural gardens and degraded forests. It is also known from caves. It can be locally impacted by habitat loss caused by logging, and by collection for human consumption and pet trade. It is also eaten by domestic dogs and cats.


Pseudorhabdosynochus lantauensis

Pseudorhabdosynochus lantauensis is a diplectanid monogenean parasitic on the gills of the longtooth grouper,
"Epinephelus bruneus". It was described in 1981 as "Cycloplectanum lantauensis" and later transferred to the genus "Pseudorhabdosynochus" by Kritsky & Beverley-Burton in 1986.
Description.
"Pseudorhabdosynochus lantauensis" is a small monogenean. 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.
Hosts and localities.
The type-host is the longtooth grouper, "Epinephelus bruneus" and the type-locality is near Hong-Kong. Other host fish species, such as the orange-spotted grouper "Epinephelus coioides" have been mentioned.
Life cycle.
The life-cycle of "Pseudorhabdosynochus lantauensis" has been described, as a parasite of the orange-spotted grouper "Epinephelus coioides", at a temperature of 30 °C. The adult lays 10-22 eggs/day. The eggs hatch within 2–4 days. The free-living and swimming larva, the oncomiracidium, is viable for 4-8 h and should find a host within this delay. After attachment, the oncomiracidium transforms into an adult in 4–7 days. The parasite produces eggs after 7 days. The life-cycle is thus complete in 13–20 days (at 30 °C).


Amolops bellulus

Amolops bellulus (common name: Pianma torrent frog) is a species of frog in the family Ranidae that is endemic to the Gaoligong Mountains. It is only known from the area of its type locality in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan, China, but it is expected to occur in the adjacent Myanmarian part of the mountains. "Amolops bellulus" lives in and near fast-flowing mountain streams. Its status is insufficiently known.


Ichthyophis monochrous

Ichthyophis monochrous, the Western Borneo caecilian or black caecilian, is a species of amphibian in the family Ichthyophiidae. It is endemic to northern Borneo and known from western Kalimantan (Indonesia) and Sarawak (Malaysia), likely occurring also in Brunei. It is a little-known species known from only a few specimens. It presumably inhabits tropical moist forest. Adults are likely subterranean.
Description.
"Ichthyophis monochrous" is a moderately slender caecilian. The holotype measures in length and about in width. The head is long and has visible eyes. Tail is short (3.8 mm) but distinct. The skin has about 247 ring-shaped folds (annuli) and is strongly glandular. In life the specimen is reported to have been violet-brown in colour.)


Rhododendron spinuliferum

Rhododendron spinuliferum is a species of "Rhododendron" native to Yunnan, southwestern Sichuan, and Guizhou China.
Taxonomy.
French botanist Adrien René Franchet described "Rhododendron spinuliferum" in 1895. Two subspecies are recognised. Within the genus "Rhododendron", it lies in the subgenus "Rhododendron" and section "Rhododendron". Analysis of its DNA shows it is most closely related to "R. triflorum", the two sister species have "R. keiskei" as the next closest relative. However, the section appears to be polyphyletic, with these species early offshoots of the section "Vireya".
Description.
"Rhododendron spinuliferum" grows as a shub ranging from high, occasionally reaching high. It has delicate oval or lanceolate (spear-shaped) leaves long by wide, with cuneate (wedge-shaped) bases and pointed tips. The red tube-shaped flowers appear from February to June. These tubular corollas and tapered ends are unusual for the genus.
Distribution and habitat.
The range is southwestern Sichuan, northeastern and western Yunnan at altitudes ranging from , in coniferous forests with "Keteleeria", or mixed conifer and deciduous forest with oak ("Quercus"), in shaded areas and thickets.
Cultivation and uses.
In cultivation, "Rhododendron spinuliferum" grows best in acidic soils of pH 4–6 with a shady aspect and significant organic material in the soil, although excess shade will result in few flowers and leggy habit. Readily propagated by seed or cuttings, it flowers in four to five years from seed.
Hybrids derived from this species include "R". 'Crossbill' ("spinuliferum" x "lutescens"). "R". 'Seta', A. M. ("spinuliferum" x "moupinense") and "R". 'Spinulosum' ("spinuliferum" x "racemosum").
"Rhododendron spinuliferum" has been used in Chinese traditional medicine to remove phlegm and treat asthma.


Haitian nesophontes

The Haitian nesophontes ("Nesophontes zamicrus") is an extinct species of mammal in the family Nesophontidae. It was endemic to Haiti.


Rough-toothed dolphin

The rough-toothed dolphin ("Steno bredanensis") is a species of dolphin that can be found in deep warm and tropical waters around the world.
The species was first described by Georges Cuvier in 1823. The genus name Steno, of which this species is the only member, comes from the Greek for 'narrow', referring to the animal's beak — which is a diagnostic characteristic of the species. The specific name honours van Breda, who studied Cuvier's writings. There are no recognised subspecies.
Description.
The rough-toothed dolphin is a relatively large species, with adults ranging from in length, and weighing between ; males are larger than females. Its most visible characteristic feature is its conical head and slender nose; other dolphins either have a shorter snout or a more visibly bulging melon on the forehead. As the common name for the species implies, the teeth are also distinctive, having a roughened surface formed by numerous narrow irregular ridges. They have been reported to have between nineteen and twenty-eight teeth in each quarter of the jaw.
The flippers are set back further along the body than in other similar dolphins, although, at sea this dolphin may be confused with spinner, spotted and bottlenose dolphins. The dorsal fin is pronounced, being from in height. The animal's flanks are a light gray, while the back and dorsal fin are a much darker gray. Older individuals often have distinctive pinkish, yellow, or white markings around the mouth and along the underside.
Population and distribution.
The distribution and population of the rough-toothed dolphin is poorly understood. They inhabit the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, and in the Mediterranean Sea, in warm temperate to tropical waters, with occasional reports from cooler environments. Live sightings are almost universally made far off-shore, beyond the continental shelf, in water at least deep.
Most of the research activity concerning the dolphin has been directed in the eastern Pacific, where a population estimate of 150,000 has been obtained. Fossils belonging to the genus "Steno" are known from Europe and date to the early to mid-Pliocene.
In the Mediterranean Sea, the species was once considered to be visiting from North Atlantic until recent findings revealed that there is a small but resident population in the eastern part of the sea.
Behaviour and diet.
Rough-toothed dolphins are typically social animals, although solitary individuals are also sighted. An average group has between ten and twenty members, but they can vary from as few as two to as many as ninety. Such groups are thought to be temporary assemblages, composed of smaller, more permanent groups of two to eight closely related individuals that occasionally join together with others. They have also been reported to school together with other species of dolphin, and with pilot whales, false killer whales, and humpback whales.
Rough-toothed dolphins have been reported to bow-ride on a number of occasions, although apparently they do not do so as frequently as many other dolphin species. They do, however, commonly "skim", by swimming with their heads and chin above the surface of the water. They are known to be able to dive to at least and be able to stay underwater for at least fifteen minutes. Their echolocation clicks are unusually brief, lasting no more than 0.2 seconds, and have a relatively low frequency, ranging from 2.7 to 256 kHz, with a maximum peak frequency of 25 kHz. They also make longer whistles with a frequency between 3 and 12 kHz.
Although details of their diet are sketchy, the stomach contents of stranded dolphins have included such fish such as silversides, sauries, houndfish, smelts, cutlassfish, and various squid and octopuses. Predators on rough-toothed dolphins are thought to include killer whales and sharks.
Reproduction.
Rough-toothed dolphins give birth to a single young, after an unknown period of gestation; it is also unknown whether or not they have a distinct breeding season. The young are about long at birth, and grow rapidly for the first five years of life. Females reach sexual maturity somewhere between six and ten years of age, and males between five and ten years.
Conservation.
The population is not believed to be threatened by human activities. A small number of individuals have been harpooned by Japanese whalers and pods are also slaughtered in the Taiji drive hunts. Others have been caught in seine nets by trawlers fishing for tuna. Less than a dozen rough-toothed dolphins live in dolphinaria around the world. The rough-toothed dolphin is covered by the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS) and the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS). The species is further included in the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Conservation of the Manatee and Small Cetaceans of Western Africa and Macaronesia (Western African Aquatic Mammals MoU) and the Memorandum of Understanding for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Their Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region (Pacific Cetaceans MoU).
There are two rough toothed dolphins located at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The facility is one of two that houses the species, in North America.


Brahminy kite

The brahminy kite ("Haliastur indus"), formerly known as the red-backed sea-eagle in Australia, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. They are found in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Australia. They are found mainly on the coast and in inland wetlands, where they feed on dead fish and other prey. Adults have a reddish-brown body plumage contrasting with their white head and breast which make them easy to distinguish from other birds of prey.
Taxonomy.
In 1760, French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson described and illustrated the Brahminy kite in the first volume of his "Oiseaux" based on a specimen collected in Pondicherry, India. He used the French name "L'aigle de Pondichery". The brahminy kite was included by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in his "Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux". It was also illustrated in a hand-coloured plate engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet in the "Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle" which was produced under the supervision of Edme-Louis Daubenton to accompany Buffon's text. Neither Brisson nor Buffon included a scientific name but in 1783 the Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert coined the binomial name "Falco indus" in his catalogue of the "Planches Enluminées". The brahminy kite is now placed with the whistling kite in the genus "Haliastur" that was erected by the English naturalist Prideaux John Selby in 1840.
Four subspecies are recognized:
Description.
The brahminy kite is distinctive and contrastingly coloured, with chestnut plumage except for the white head and breast and black wing tips. The juveniles are browner, but can be distinguished from both the resident and migratory races of black kites in Asia by the paler appearance, shorter wings, and rounded tail. The pale patch on the underwing carpal region is of a squarish shape and separated from "Buteo" buzzards.
The brahminy kite is about the same size as the black kite ("Milvus migrans") and has a typical kite flight, with wings angled, but its tail is rounded unlike the "Milvus" species, red kite, and black kite, which have forked tails. The two genera are, however, very close.
The call is a mewing "keeyew".
Distribution and status.
This kite is a familiar sight in the skies of Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and southeast Asia and as far south as New South Wales, Australia, through which region it is widespread and resident. They perform seasonal movements associated with rainfall in some parts of their range.
They are mainly seen in the plains, but can sometimes occur above 5000 feet in the Himalayas.
It is evaluated as being of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. However, the species is on the decline in some parts such as Java.
Behaviour.
The breeding season in South Asia is from December to April. In southern and eastern Australia, it is August to October, and April to June in the north and west. The nests are constructed of small branches and sticks with a bowl inside and lined with leaves, and are located in various trees, often mangroves. They show considerable site fidelity nesting in the same area year after year. In some rare instances, they have been seen to nest on the ground under trees. A clutch of two dull-white or bluish-white oval eggs measuring 52 x 41 mm is laid. Both parents take part in nest building and feeding, but likely only the female incubates. The incubation period is about 26 to 27 days.
It is primarily a scavenger, feeding mainly on dead fish and crabs, especially in wetlands and marshland, but occasionally hunts live prey such as hares and bats. They may also indulge in kleptoparasitism and attempt to steal prey from other birds. Brahminy kites have even been recorded taking advantage of Irrawaddy dolphins herding fish to the surface, in the Mekong River. A rare instance of a bird feeding on honey at the hive of "Apis florea" has been recorded.
Young birds may indulge in play behaviour, dropping leaves and attempting to catch them in the air. When fishing over water, they may sometimes land in the water, but manage to swim and take off without much trouble.
They roost communally on large and isolated trees and as many as 600 have been seen at one location.
They may mob larger raptors such as the "Aquila" eagles. In some incidents where brahminy kites mobbed steppe eagles ("Aquila rapax"), they were attacked and injured or killed.
A number of ectoparasitic bird lice in the genera "Kurodaia", "Colpocephalum", and "Degeeriella" have been reported.
In culture.
Known as elang bondol in Indonesia, the brahminy kite is the official mascot of Jakarta. In Hinduism, it is considered as the contemporary representation of Garuda, the sacred bird of Vishnu. In Malaysia, the island of Langkawi is named after the bird ("kawi" denoting an ochre-like stone used to decorate pottery, and a reference to the bird's primary plumage colour).
A fable from central Bougainville Island relates how a mother left her baby under a banana tree while gardening, and the baby floated into the sky crying and transformed into "Kaa'nang", the brahminy kite, its necklace becoming the bird's feathers.
For the Ibans of the Upper Rajang, Sarawak, Borneo, a brahminy kite is believed to be the manifestation of Singalang Burung when he comes down to earth. Singalang Burung is the ultimate deity of incomparable qualities and superior abilities in every dimension. He is also known as the god of war.


Amphisbaena maranhensis

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


Siberian chipmunk

The Siberian chipmunk or common chipmunk appears across northern Asia from central Russia to China, Korea, and Hokkaidō in northern Japan. Imported from South Korea and introduced in Europe as a pet in the 1960s, it is the only chipmunk found outside North America.
It is usually classified using the Latin name "Tamias sibiricus", but has also been classified as the only living member of the genus "Eutamias".
Description.
Although these animals can exhibit slight variations in coloration in different geographic regions, they possess several common characteristics. Typically the Siberian chipmunk has 4 white stripes and 5 dark stripes along the back. It is 18–25 cm long, a third of which is the tail. The weight of adults depends on the time of year and food availability. Even though the Siberian chipmunk normally grows to 50–150 grams, this species is relatively small compared to other Sciuridae, such as the red squirrel. The Siberian chipmunks are not known to exhibit sexual dimorphism, and size and body proportions are the only way to distinguish younger chipmunks from older ones. Their small size may contribute to their relatively short lives, which tend to range from 2 to 5 years in the wild. However, in captivity they have the potential to live anywhere from 6 to 10 years.
Distribution.
This species is native to Russia in northern European, Siberia to Sakhalin and Kunashir, extreme eastern Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia, northern and central China, Korea, and in Japan in Hokkaido, Iturup, Rishiri, Rebun, Teuri, and Yagishiri. It has been introduced at one confirmed locality, Karuizawa, on Honshu.
During the 1960s, South Korea began to export these animals to Europe as pets. Between 1960 and 1980, South Korea exported more than 200,000 individuals to Europe.
In the 1970s there were sightings in parks in Europe, and a number of small populations have become resident in suburban forests and urban parks in Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Austria. This is mostly caused by owners releasing these animals because they no longer wanted them as pets, or the owners purposefully freed the chipmunks to live naturally in the wild. Other Siberian chipmunks escaped from captivity and inhabited the forested areas of Europe. The Dutch chipmunks for example are escapees from a former zoo in Tilburg. When the zoo was shut down and all animals were moved away, many chipmunks got forgotten due to their underground residence. While thousands of animals were introduced to new environments, they are not very invasive and are naturally slow spreading, 200 to 250 meters per year, prevented them from rapidly moving to areas far beyond where they escaped. In 2009, 22 introduced populations in Europe, and 11 in France, were identified in forests and urban parks since the 1970s (not all may still be extant).
Habitat.
The Siberian chipmunk can survive in a variety of habitats and conditions. They are usually found in coniferous forests, stony areas within forests and mountains, habitats filled with shrub, along waterways or roads, or other small patches of agricultural land. In Europe, the introduced populations usually live in deciduous forests, mixed deciduous and coniferous forests, or urban areas with greenery. "Tamias sibiricus" is able to survive in various environmental conditions, anywhere from 29°N to 69°N and −65 °C to 30 °C. However, this species has a low ability of dispersal, and since they are mainly introduced into woody forests or urban areas with greenery, they have less potential to be naturally dispersed to other regions. Also they have trouble overcoming man-made and naturally occurring obstacles, like roads or swamps.
The Siberian chipmunk lives in loose colonies, where every individual has its own territory. The territory ranges from 700 to 4000 m2 and is larger for females than males and is also larger in autumn than spring. The Siberian chipmunk marks its territory with urine and oral glands inside of its cheeks. This method illustrates one way in which this species communicates with one another.
Behaviour.
Siberian chipmunks usually live solitary lives, but during the winter they create a burrow, which they often share with another chipmunk. Its burrow, which can be 2.5 m long and 1.5 m deep, consists of a nest chamber, several storage chambers and chambers for the waste. During this winter season, these chipmunks store 3–4 kg of food in order to survive underground until April or May. In addition to the pairing off during hibernation, they also use a complex voice communication system to interact. They have two vocal sounds, a fast, sharp sound for when they are frightened and a deep croak sound that is thought to be used for mating.
Chipmunks with a more active and curious behaviour, based on trappability of marked individuals, have a greater amount of ticks.
Reproduction.
It is known that they are iteroparous, viviparous, and their breeding season usually occurs after hibernation in mid April. They tend to breed only once or twice a year, and the number of offspring varies from 3 to 8. The young are born blind and naked, and they weigh between 3-5 grams. After the 28- to 35-day gestation period, the offspring open their eyes about 20 to 25 days after birth. The females are responsible for caring for the young, and they teach them how to forage around 6 weeks. Then the offspring complete the weaning stage around 7 weeks, and they reach the independent stage around 8 weeks. Adult body mass is reached at around 3 to 4 months, and by 9 months, both the male and the female reach sexual maturity.
Diet.
Siberian chipmunks are omnivores that store or cache food. Normally, they eat pine seeds, along with different deciduous and coniferous tree seeds. In addition to seeds, they eat herb roots, insects, molluscs, birds, reptiles, grains, fruit, and fungus.
Ecology.
Siberian chipmunks are essential food sources for other animals, such as diurnal raptors, weasels, and small cats. Other known predators include hawks, owls, and foxes. They evade being preyed upon by these animals by being alert, hiding in their burrows, and using their camouflaged fur to blend in with surroundings. They distribute seeds and fungal spores, and other animals feed off their stored food. They may help control forest tree pests. In Russia, they eat approximately 50 percent of the forest nuts. In Belgium, these chipmunks have been blamed for preying upon low-nesting birds.
If the species were introduced to Britain, it is possible that Siberian chipmunks may compete with other small animals, such as the red squirrel, wood mouse, and bank vole.
Relationship to humans.
Some people keep Siberian chipmunks as pets or sell them for their fur or other body parts. Siberian chipmunks may eat crops and damage gardens. In Russia they can cause serious economic damage in regards to grain fields and orchards.
It can carry Lyme disease, "Borrelia burgdorferi", a vector-borne disease that can be transmitted through ticks. In a study in a park near Paris where the species had established itself, in comparison to bank voles and wood mice, the Siberian chipmunks had a much higher infection load than their native counterparts, and being more diseased, were theorised to contribute to more infected questing nymph ticks, and thus potentially expose humans to greater risk.


Pyrenaearia velascoi

Pyrenaearia velascoi 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.


Dismorphia arcadia

Dismorphia arcadia is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found from Colombia to Bolivia.
The wingspan is about .
Subspecies.
The following subspecies are recognised:


Manx shearwater

The Manx shearwater ("Puffinus puffinus") is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. The scientific name of this species records a name shift: Manx shearwaters were called Manks puffins in the 17th century. Puffin is an Anglo-Norman word (Middle English "pophyn") for the cured carcasses of nestling shearwaters. The Atlantic puffin acquired the name much later, possibly because of its similar nesting habits.
Taxonomy.
The shearwaters form part of the family Procellariidae, a widespread group containing nearly 100 species of medium to large seabirds. They have long, narrow wings and the characteristic “tube nose”. Although it was considered a monotypic species, recently an endemic subspecies for the Canary Islands has been proposed "P. puffinus canariensis". The large genus "Puffinus" includes several species formerly considered to be subspecies of the Manx shearwater, including the yelkouan shearwater, Balearic shearwater, Hutton's shearwater, black-vented shearwater, fluttering shearwater, Townsend's shearwater and the Hawaiian shearwater. Of these, the Hawaiian and possibly Townsend's shearwaters seem to be most closely related to the Manx shearwater.
Three extinct species appear to be closely related to the Manx shearwater, the lava shearwater, the dune shearwater and Scarlett's shearwater. DNA recovered from the lava shearwater of the Canary Islands suggests that it is the Manx shearwater's sister species despite being significantly smaller.
The Manx shearwater was first described by Danish zoologist Morten Thrane Brünnich as "Procellaria puffinus" in 1764. The current scientific name "Puffinus" derives from "puffin" and its variants, such as poffin, pophyn, and puffing, which referred to the cured carcass of the fat nestling of the shearwater, a former delicacy. The original usage dates from at least 1337, but from as early as 1678, the term gradually came to be used for another seabird, the Atlantic puffin. The current English name was first recorded in 1835 and refers to the former nesting of this species on the Isle of Man.
Description.
The Manx shearwater is with a wingspan and weighs . It has the typically "shearing" flight of the genus, dipping from side to side on stiff wings with few wingbeats, the wingtips almost touching the water. This bird looks like a flying cross, with its wings held at right angles to the body, and it changes from black to white as the black upper parts and white under sides are alternately exposed as it travels low over the sea.
Voice.
This shearwater is mainly silent at sea, even when birds are gathered off the breeding colonies. It calls on its nocturnal visits to the nesting burrows in flight, on the ground, and in the burrows, although moonlight depresses the amount of calling. The vocalisations largely consists of a raucous series of croons, howls, and screams, typically in groups of a few syllables, which become weaker and throatier. The male has some clear ringing and shrieking tones absent from the harsher repertoire of the female, the difference being obvious when a pair duets. Females can recognise the voice of their mates, but not of their young. They do not provide postnesting care, and a chick in their burrow is likely their own, so voice identification is not needed.
Vision.
The vision of the Manx shearwater has a number of adaptations to its way of life. Like other tube-nosed seabirds, it has a long, narrow area of visual sensitivity containing the fovea across the retina of the eye. This region is characterised by the presence of ganglion cells that are regularly arrayed and larger than those found in the rest of the retina. This feature helps in the detection of items in a small area projecting below and around the bill. It may assist in the detection of prey near the sea surface as a bird flies low over it.
Since it visits its breeding colony at night, a shearwater has adaptations for nocturnal vision, too. In the shearwater's eyes, the lens does most of the bending of light necessary to produce a focused image on the retina. The cornea, the outer covering of the eye, is relative flat, so of low refractive power. In a diurnal bird like a pigeon, the reverse is true; the cornea is highly curved and is the principal refractive component. The ratio of refraction by the lens to that by the cornea is 1.6 for the shearwater and 0.4 for the pigeon. The shorter focal length of shearwater eyes give them a smaller, but brighter, image than is the case for pigeons. Although the Manx shearwater has adaptations for night vision, the effect is small, and these birds likely also use smell and hearing to locate their nests.
Distribution and habitat.
The Manx shearwater is entirely marine, typically flying within of the sea surface. It nests in burrows on small islands, which it visits only at night. Its nesting colonies are in the north Atlantic Ocean in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, France, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, the Azores, Canary Islands, and Madeira. The most important colonies, with a total of more than 300,000 pairs, are on islands off Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Three-quarters of the British and Irish birds breed on just three islands; Skomer, Skokholm, and Rùm. Around 7000–9000 pairs breed in Iceland, with at least 15,000 pairs on the Faeroes. Other populations are of at most a few hundred pairs. The northeast of North America has recently been colonised from Newfoundland and Labrador to Massachusetts; although breeding was first recorded in 1973, populations remain small. Records in the northeast Pacific are increasing, and breeding has been suspected in British Columbia and Alaska.
During the breeding season birds regularly commute between their colony and offshore feeding grounds that can be up to 1,500 km away. For example, adult Manx shearwaters rearing their chick on the west coast of Ireland have been observed to travel all the way to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to feed when the conditions are right.
The breeding colonies are deserted from July to March, when the birds migrate to the South Atlantic, wintering mainly off Brazil and Argentina, with smaller numbers off southwest South Africa.
The journey south can be over , so a 50-year-old bird has probably covered over a million km (600,000 mi) on migration alone. The migration also appears to be quite complex, containing many stopovers and foraging zones throughout the Atlantic Ocean. Ornithologist Chris Mead estimated that a bird ringed in 1957 when aged about 5 years and still breeding on Bardsey Island off Wales in April 2002 had flown over 8 million km (5 million mi) in total during its 50-year life.
Manx shearwaters are able to fly directly back to their burrows when released hundreds of kilometres away, even inland.
Behaviour.
Manx shearwaters are long-lived birds. A Manx shearwater breeding on Copeland Island, Northern Ireland, was as of 2003/04, the oldest known living wild bird in the world: ringed as an adult (at least 5 years old) in July 1953, it was retrapped in July 2003, at least 55 years old.
This is a gregarious species, which can be seen in large numbers from boats or headlands, especially on migration in autumn. It is silent at sea, but at night, the breeding colonies are alive with raucous cackling calls.
Breeding.
Although shearwaters return to the breeding colonies from March onwards, the females often then leave again for 2–3 weeks before egg-laying in early May. Males return to the colonies in which they were hatched, but up to half of females may move elsewhere. The nest is a burrow, often previously excavated by a European rabbit, although shearwaters can dig their own holes. Suitable holes under rocks may also be used. The burrows may be reused in subsequent years.
The single white egg averages and weighs , of which 7% is shell.
Food and feeding.
The Manx shearwater feeds on small fish (herrings, sprats, and sand eels), crustaceans, cephalopods, and surface offal. The bird catches food off the surface or by pursuit diving, and forages alone or in small flocks. It can be attracted by feeding cetaceans, but rarely follows boats or associates with other shearwater species.
Tube-nosed seabirds can detect food items at a distance of several tens of kilometres using their sense of smell to detect offal and compounds such as dimethyl sulfoxide produced when phytoplankton is consumed by krill. They track across the wind until they find a scent and then follow it upwind to its origin.
Rafting.
Manx shearwaters engage in a behaviour termed "rafting", where birds sit, often in large groups of more than 10,000, on the water adjacent to their Skomer Island, breeding colony before and after visiting their chicks. Rafts move closer to the island during the night and further away in the morning which produces a "halo" effect - where no birds are found close to the island during daylight. These day-night cycles of rafting distributions are prominent for Manx shearwaters around Skomer Island and might provide a way of waiting for dusk that reduces predation risk.
Predators and parasites.
Because of their lack of mobility on land, Manx shearwaters are vulnerable to attack by large gulls, such as the great black-backed gull, and great skua. Birds of prey such as the peregrine falcon and golden eagle are also recorded as killing adult birds.
Rats and cats are a serious problem where they are present; the large shearwater colony on the Calf of Man was destroyed by rats that arrived from a shipwreck in the late 18th century. European hedgehogs eat the eggs of nesting seabirds where they have been introduced. Red deer have been recorded killing and eating young shearwaters on at least Foula, Skokholm, and Rùm; on the latter island, 4% of the chicks are killed by deer, and sheep have also been involved. The reason for the carnivorous behaviour is thought to be a need for extra calcium.
Manx shearwaters frequently carry feather lice (Mallophaga) most of which are either the feather-eaters in the groups Ischnocera, or Amblycera, which also consume blood. The most common are the ischnocerans "Halipeurus diversus" and "Trabeculus aviator". The nests of breeding birds frequently contain the shearwater flea; "Ornithopsylla laetitiae" is also commonly present, which shares a common ancestry with North American rabbit fleas. Where their burrows are near those of Atlantic puffins, the tick "Ixodes uriae" is common. The mite "Neotrombicula autumnalis" is often present, and has been implicated in spreading puffinosis. Puffinosis is a viral disease of in which young birds get blisters on their feet, conjunctivitis, and problems with movement. The death rate can reach 70% in infected birds. Internal parasites include the tapeworm "Tetrabothrius cylindricus".
Status.
The European population of the Manx shearwater has been estimated at 350,000–390,000 breeding pairs or 1,050,000–1,700,000 individual birds, and makes up 95% of the world total numbers. Although this species' population now appears to be declining, the decrease is not rapid or large enough to trigger conservation vulnerability criteria. Given its high numbers, this shearwater is therefore classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being of least concern.
In the north of its range, numbers are stable and the range is expanding, but human activities are affecting populations in the Macaronesian islands in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. These include birds stranded when dazzled by artificial lighting. As with other shearwaters and petrels, newly fledged Manx shearwaters are susceptible to grounding in built-up areas due to artificial light. The moon cycle and strong onshore winds largely influence grounding events in west Scotland, and visibility conditions to a lesser extent. Around 1000–5000 chicks a year are legally taken for food in the Faroes. Introduced mammals are a problem, although populations can recover when rats and cats are removed from islands. Rabbits may try to occupy burrows, but also dig new tunnels.
In culture.
The large chicks of the Manx shearwater are very rich in oil from their fish diet and have been eaten since prehistoric times. They are easily extricated from their burrows, and the annual crop from the Calf of Man may have been as high as 10,000 birds per year in the 17th century. The young birds were also eaten in Ireland, Scotland, and the Scottish islands.
The eerie, nocturnal cries of nesting shearwaters and petrels has led to associations with the supernatural. The breeding colonies at Trollaval on Rùm and Trøllanes and Trøllhøvdi in the Faroe Islands are believed to have acquired their troll associations from the night-time clamour.


Amblyptilia forcipata

Amblyptilia forcipata is a moth of the family Pterophoridae that is known from India (Sikkim and Darjeeling).
The wingspan is .


Summit rat

The summit rat ("Rattus baluensis") is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only on Mount Kinabalu and Mount Tambuyukon, Malaysia, and has been recorded at altitudes of 2,040 to 2,477 m on Mt. Tambuyukon and 2,670 to 3,426 m on Mt. Kinabalu. They are most abundant in higher altitude dwarf forest and montane scrubland. The rat populations from these two peaks were connected in the Holocene. However, nowadays they are genetically isolated despite they are only 18 km apart. With current predictions of Global warming, the suitable habitat for "Rattus baluensis" is expected to shift around 500 m upwards. This will put the population in Mount Tambuyukon at risk. However, the population in Mount Kinabalu will likely survive in its upper slopes.
Genetic analysis situate its origin in a local population of Rattus tiomanicus from northern Borneo at around 300-400 thousand years ago.
The summit rat has a mutualistic relationship with a species of giant pitcher plant, "Nepenthes rajah". Like the treeshrew "Tupaia montana", it defecates into the plant's traps while visiting them to feed on sweet, fruity secretions from glands on the pitcher lids.


Amphisbaena myersi

Amphisbaena myersi is a species of worm lizard in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to Suriname.
Etymology.
The specific name, "myersi", is in honor of American herpetologist .
Geographic range.
"A. myersi" is found in Para District, northern Suriname.
Habitat.
The preferred habitat of "A. myersi" is forest.
Reproduction.
"A. myersi" is oviparous.


Aquiloeurycea scandens

Aquiloeurycea scandens, commonly known as the Tamaulipas false brook salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Mexico and known from the El Cielo Biosphere in southern Tamaulipas. There are also reports from San Luis Potosí and Coahuila, but these may well refer to other, as yet unnamed species.
Its natural habitat is caves. Within the El Cielo Biosphere its habitat is well protected. It was once fairly common, but has not been seen after mid-1980s. Whether this reflects a genuine decline or low survey effort is not known.


Ensis macha

Ensis macha, or navaja or navajuela as it is called in Spanish, is a bivalve mollusc of the family Pharidae. It inhabits the coasts of Peru, Chile and southern Argentina. It is different from the clam colloquially known as the macha in Chile.
"Ensis macha" lives in sand or muddy sediments in the subtidal zone, where it can burrow to a depth of up to 13 metres. "Ensis macha" is one of the world's economically most significant "Ensis" species, with a total catch of 6,000 tons in Chile in 1999.


Elachista sicula

Elachista sicula is a moth of the family Elachistidae. It is found on Sicily.
The larvae feed on "Briza maxima", "Bromus erectus" and "Lagurus ovatus". They mine the leaves of their host plant.


Tricia (elephant)

Tricia (born 24 January 1957) is an Asian elephant currently residing at the Perth Zoo in Perth, Western Australia. She is known as one of the oldest elephants in captivity in the world. Tricia was born in Vietnam in 1957 and came to Perth in 1963. She is named after Tricia Reschke, who was Miss Australia in 1962, as part of a newspaper competition. In 2018, Perth Zoo announced that it would no longer house any elephants after Tricia dies.
Artwork.
Tricia and the other elephants at the Perth Zoo make artwork with their trunks, the proceeds of which go to charity. The elephants paint either by holding paintbrushes in their trunks or blowing paint onto canvas with their snouts. In 2016, a Change.org petition was started by an animal rights activist to stop the elephant-created artwork, claiming that the trainers used bullhooks. The Perth Zoo has refuted these claims. Tricia's likeness has been captured by artist Ross Potter for the Animaze exhibit at the Fremantle Arts Centre.


List of Lepidoptera of Cyprus

Lepidoptera of Cyprus consist of both the butterflies and moths recorded from Cyprus.


Spialia rosae

Spialia rosae is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found only in Spain.
The larvae feed on roses.


Lodderena ornata

Lodderena ornata is a species of minute sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Skeneidae.
Description.
The size of the shell is 0.8 mm.
Distribution.
This marine species occurs in the Atlantic Ocean off the Cape Verde Islands, the Gulf of Guinea, off Brazil; in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. It has also been reported in the Indian Ocean.


Fauna of Kazakhstan

Fauna of Kazakhstan may refer to:


Odorrana versabilis

Odorrana versabilis is a species of frog in the family Ranidae that is endemic to China.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and rivers. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN.


Micrablepharus maximiliani

 Micrablepharus maximiliani is a species of lizard in the family Gymnophthalmidae. It is found in Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru.


Aethes acerba

Aethes acerba is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in Henan, China.
The wingspan is 13.5−14 mm. The ground colour of the forewings is yellowish white, sparsely mixed with small brown spots at the costal margin. The hindwings are grey.
Etymology.
The species name refers to the aculeate distal one-fourth of the phallus and is derived from the Latin "acerbus" (meaning aculeate or having prickles or sharp points).


Neocrepidodera adelinae

Neocrepidodera adelinae is a species of flea beetle from a leaf beetle family that is endemic to Italy.


Choeradoplana iheringi

Choeradoplana iheringi is a species of Brazilian land planarian in the subfamily Geoplaninae.
Description.
"Choeradoplana iheringi" is a small to medium-sized land planarian up to in length when crawling. The dorsum varies from light to medium brown covered by spots of a darker color. A thin median longitudinal stripe may appear in some specimens, formed by the absence of spots on the middle of the body. The venter is light brown. The anterior is constantly rolled backwards due to the presence of a cephalic retractor muscle and has two cushions on the ventral side, separated by a longitudinal groove.
The numerous eyes are distributed marginally along the whole body, except for the apex of the anterior end, where they are absent.
Externally, the darker specimens of "C. iheringi" are very similar to the related species "Choeradoplana benyai", with which they co-occur in southern Brazil.
Distribution.
"Choeradoplana iheringi" is a relatively common species in conserved areas of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, occurring from Minas Gerais to Rio Grande do Sul.


Rusty-backed antwren

The rusty-backed antwren ("Formicivora rufa") is a species of bird in the family Thamnophilidae.
It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Suriname.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, and heavily degraded former forest.


Hemorrhois nummifer

The Coin-marked snake (Hemorrhois nummifer or Coluber nummifer) is a species of snake belonging to the family Colubridae.
Geographic range.
The coin-marked snake, or leaden-colored racer, is found in Armenia, the North Caucasus, Cyprus, northeast Egypt, Greece (in the Aegean islands including Kalymnos, Kos, and Lipsi), northeastern Iran, northern Iraq, northern and central Israel, Jordan, eastern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Russia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Description.
This species can grow to a meter and a half in length and is harmless to humans. Bright brown spots on its back are likened to the shape of coins (hence the name). It is sometimes mistaken for vipers, but lacks the squat body plan and connected spots found in regional venomous species.
This snake is a diurnal, actively foraging predator with a diet consisting mainly of rodents, lizards, birds and other snakes.


Bryophryne

Bryophryne is a genus of craugastorid frogs. These frogs are endemic to southeastern Peru in the Cusco Region, with an undescribed species from the Puno Region. Their range is separated from that of "Phrynopus" by the Apurímac River valley.
Taxonomy.
"Bryophryne" was erected in 2008 to accommodate two species that were in "Phrynopus" at that time; subfamily Holoadeninae was erected at the same time and placed in Strabomantidae. However, Strabomantidae has been put in synonymy of Craugastoridae. Nevertheless, the AmphibiaWeb keeps Holoadeninae (and by implication, "Bryophryne") in Strabomantidae.
Description.
"Bryophryne" are smallish frogs, reaching maximum snout–vent length of in "Bryophryne cophites". Head is narrower than the body. Differentiated tympanic membrane, tympanic annulus, columella, and cavum tympanicum are absent. Dorsum is finely areolate whereas venter is coarsly areolate.
Species.
The following species are recognised in the genus "Bryophryne":
A recent proposal was suggested that "Bryophryne" be divided, with three species from southern Peru being assigned to the new genus "Qosqophryne". The species are "Bryophryne flammiventris", "Bryophryne gymnotis", and "Bryophryne mancoinca". A phylogenetic analysis found "Qosqophryne" as sister to the genus "Microkayla" and that this clade was more closely related to "Noblella" and "Psychrophrynella" than to other species in "Bryophryne".


Batrachyla leptopus

Batrachyla leptopus is a species of frog in the family Batrachylidae.
It is found in Argentina and Chile.
Its natural habitats are subantarctic forest, temperate forest, temperate shrubland, swampland, intermittent freshwater marshes, rural gardens, and open excavations.
It is threatened by habitat loss.


Oxychilus oglasicola

Oxychilus oglasicola is a species of small air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Oxychilidae, a family of glass snails.
This species is endemic to Italy, and is threatened by habitat loss.


Agyneta frigida

Agyneta frigida is a species of sheet weaver found in Colombia. It was described by Millidge in 1991.


Chalcides manueli

Chalcides manueli, commonly known as Manuel's skink, is a species of lizard in the subfamily Scincinae of the family Scincidae.
Geographic range.
"C. manueli" is endemic to Morocco.
Etymology.
The specific name, "manueli", is in honor of Albert Manuel of Rabat who helped Hediger to organize an expedition to Morocco.
Reproduction.
Adult females of "C. manueli" give birth to live young.
Conservation status.
"C. manueli" is somewhat rare throughout its distribution and is affected by deforestation, desertification, and overgrazing. It is likely that the species is in decline, and its range is severely fragmented.


Rhabdophis flaviceps

Rhabdophis flaviceps, the orangeneck keelback, orange-lipped keelback, or yellow-headed keelback, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. It is found in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.


Pyrenaearia cotiellae

Pyrenaearia cotiellae is a species of land snail in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies. It is endemic to Spain, where it is known only from the Cotiella mountain range in the Spanish Pyrenees.
This snail has been recorded in only one location, living in elevations that range between 2000 and 2900 meters. Its total range is less than 20 square kilometers. It lives in rocky habitat, hiding in cracks in limestone. It is active when conditions are moist, and inactive in dry or snowy conditions. The population is probably stable, but it may be threatened by habitat alteration caused by climate change.


Fringed fruit-eating bat

The fringed fruit-eating bat ("Artibeus fimbriatus"), is a species of bat native to South America.
Distribution and habitat.
It is found in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.
Fringed fruit-eating bats inhabit regions with tropical climates and thrive in areas with little rainfall and sunny days. This species is dependent on abiotic factors in the wild.
Behaviour and ecology.
Breeding.
Their reproduction process is dependent on both the time of day and climatic factors. The process begins in warmer seasons with longer hours of daylight.
Feeding.
For scavenging, they mainly feed on fruits and seeds, but predominately eat ficus and leafy bushes.
Threats.
While not currently threatened with extinction, changes to the forests and forest community may lead to a steadily decline in the bat population.


Agobardus

Agobardus is a genus of jumping spiders that was first described by Eugen von Keyserling in 1885.
Species.
 it contains sixteen species and one subspecies, found only in the Caribbean:


List of Lepidoptera of the Pitcairn Islands

The Lepidoptera of the Pitcairn Islands consist of both the butterflies and moths recorded from the Pitcairn Islands, consisting of Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno.


Broad-billed warbler

The broad-billed warbler ("Tickellia hodgsoni") is a species of bush warbler (family Cettiidae). It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, and belongs to the monotypic genus Tickellia.
It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.


Leucos ylikiensis

Leucos ylikiensis is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found only in Greece, in the Kifissos drainage and Lake Yliki. The other known population, in Lake Paralimni, was extirpated when the lake was drained. "L. ylikiensis" was described as a distinct species in 1991. It is threatened by habitat loss.


Chihuahuan mouse

The Chihuahuan mouse ("Peromyscus polius") is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.
It is found only in Mexico.


Winter flounder

The winter flounder ("Pseudopleuronectes americanus"), also known as the black back, is a right-eyed ("dextral") flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is native to coastal waters of the western north Atlantic coast, from Labrador, Canada to Georgia, United States, although it is less common south of Delaware Bay. It is the most common near-shore (shallow-water) flounder in the waters from Newfoundland down through Massachusetts Bay, reaching a maximum size around 61 cm in length and 2.25 kg in weight. The species grows larger on Georges Bank, where they can reach a length of 70 cm and weight of 3.6 kg. Although winter flounder historically supported large commercial and recreational fisheries, biomass and landings have decreased since the 1980s.
Life cycle.
Winter flounder lay up to 3.3 million demersal, adhesive eggs that are retained within their spawning grounds. Depending on temperature, larvae of approximately 3 mm in length hatch in two to three weeks. These larvae are planktonic at first, but transition to a bottom-oriented lifestyle over time. Around five to six weeks after hatching, the left eye of the larval flounder begins to migrate to the right side of the body. The “flounder-like” juveniles then settle onto the seafloor and move into saltwater coves, coastal salt ponds, estuaries, and protected bays, where they may grow up to 100 mm within the first year. Adult winter flounder may grow as large as 70 cm and reach ages of 15+ years. Growth varies across their distribution, with northern populations generally growing slower than those at the southern end of their range.
Taxonomy.
The winter flounder is one of five species in the genus Pseudopleuronectes along with the Yellow-striped flounder, Cresthead flounder, Marbled flounder, and Dark flounder. It is the only congener to inhabit the Atlantic Ocean.
Winter flounder can be differentiated from the commonly co-occurring Summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) by their small teeth and eyes nearly always positioned on the right side of their bodies. Meanwhile, Summer flounder have their eyes on the left side of their bodies and possess large, conspicuous teeth.
Feeding and diet.
Larval Winter flounder are known to feed on nauplii, harpacticoids, calanoids, polychaetes, invertebrate eggs, and phytoplankton. As they grow, copepods, amphipods, and polychaetes all become more important elements of their diet. Adult winter flounder are opportunistic sight-feeders that target annelids, crustaceans, bivalves, and fish depending upon prey availability.
Reproduction.
Winter flounder reach sexual maturity at about two to three years of age and a total length of 25–30 cm, with variance across their range. Mature adults (excluding those on Georges Bank) generally migrate in two phases, where adults enter shallow estuaries in the late fall and early spring to spawn in late winter or early spring before returning to deeper parts of the estuary or offshore waters. However, these migration patterns may be altered or individuals may stay inshore year round if temperatures remain at 15 °C or lower or if enough food is available. Genetic analyses and tagging studies indicate that there is little mixing between the Winter flounder populations in the Gulf of Maine, South of Cape Cod, and on Georges Bank.
Fisheries.
Winter flounder are highly regarded for their delicious white meat and are sometimes called lemon sole in the U.S. They once supported large commercial and recreational fisheries, with peak harvests of 40.3 million pounds and 16.4 million pounds respectively. However, landings in both sectors have declined since the 1980s to 6 million pounds and 77,000 pounds respectively in 2013.
Winter flounder are managed as three stock units in U.S. coastal waters; Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic (SNE), Georges Bank (GB), and Gulf of Maine (GOM), where the status of each stock is as follows: SNE- overfished, overfishing is not occurring; GB- not overfished and overfishing is not occurring; GOM- unknown if they are overfished, overfishing is not occurring. Despite continued management efforts, habitat degradation, heavy fishing pressure, low genetic variability, and possibly climate change are combining to hinder the recovery of depleted Winter flounder populations.


Blue-throated blue flycatcher

The blue-throated blue flycatcher ("Cyornis rubeculoides") is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. It resembles "Cyornis tickelliae" but easily separated by the blue throat. The habitat of this species is a thicker forest than other species of flycatchers. The blue-throated flycatcher is found in much of the Indian Subcontinent, all through the Himalayas, the plains and Western Ghats of India in the cold months, and also extends eastwards into Bangladesh, and to Arakan and the Tenasserim Hills in Myanmar.
Description.
Adult males have blue throats and orange breasts with a well defined white belly and flanks. Females have an olive head and upperparts with a poorly defined creamy-orange chest and a white belly.


Attulus terebratus

Attulus terebratus is a species of spiders from the family Salticidae, found in all European countries except for Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and the former Yugoslavian states. It is also commonly found in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Turkey.
Description.
This species has eight legs, and eight eyes. It has a black coloured body, with brownish legs.


Colombian small-eared shrew

The Colombian small-eared shrew ("Cryptotis colombiana") is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Colombia, where it is known from the Cordillera Central in Antioquia Department at elevations from 1750 to 2800 m. It is found in montane forest and cultivated areas. It resembles "C. brachyonyx".


Phrynocephalus forsythii

Phrynocephalus forsythii, Forsyth's toadhead agama, is a species of agamid lizard endemic to China.


Cyrtodesmus depressus

Cyrtodesmus depressus is a species of millipede in the family Cyrtodesmidae that can be found in San Vito, Costa Rica, where it was found on 17–18 April 1972 by Harold F. Loomis.
Description.
The males of the species are long and wide, while females are a bit bigger. The convex of dorsum is moderate. Their metazonites and keels are dirty but not everywhere. The tubercles is one of such examples, which also have a shining area. The first segment is almost hidden by the second one, with segments 3-17 are flaring outward. The second segment have keels which are expanded. Their margins are not lobed and therefore are not undulated either. Segment 15 is almost straight and has no visible marginal lobes. The last segment has 2 tubercles which are submedian.
The gonopods look a lot like those of "C. hispidulosus", with only two differences; the current species does not have spicules and has limited organic coating. It also has a hidden outer joint, with a lateral surface and large tubercle which is also rounded. They also have two small and transverse tubercles which are located on the sternum of their ninth row of legs. It has a large anterior marginal lobe which is located on each angle from the outside. Their surface is quite swollen from both sides and covered with tubercles which are sharp and conical in shape. The tubercles themselves are small, low, are poorly defined, and not numerous. The species also have 3 tubercles with blunt ends. Their convex dorsum has a broad and joint coxal, which is ventral and is a little higher than the coxae of the adjacent legs. The females have a nearly straight ventral crest on the third segment which is rising from the sides. "Cyrtodesmus depressus" has a supplementary margin identical to that of C. dentatus.


Aplastodiscus weygoldti

Aplastodiscus weygoldti is a species of frog in the family Hylidae.
It is endemic to Brazil.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and rivers.
It is threatened by habitat loss.


Streaked scrub warbler

The streaked scrub warbler ("Scotocerca inquieta"), also known as simply the scrub warbler, is a small passerine bird. It is the only member of the family Scotocercidae, although some taxonomic authorities expand the family to include the closely-related Cettiidae and Erythrocercidae as well. It is found in Africa and south-western Asia. It is a bird of desert fringes, frequenting scrubby areas, ravines and gorges, and is mainly resident, although local movements can occur outside the breeding season.
Description.
The streaked scrub warbler is a small, skulking desert warbler which cocks its tail over its back. The adults are grey brown above, finely streaked with dark brown. They have a broad pale supercilium and a thin black eyestripe. The underparts are whitish with reddish flanks and vent, the breast is finely streaked. The tail is graduated and dark brown with a white tip. Juveniles are duller.
Voice.
The song of the streaked scrub warbler is distinctive and is rendered as ""zit-zit dweedle-doolredle-doleed"
Habitat.
The streaked scrub warbler is a bird of open desert with a sparse cover of scrub, especially wadi beds with a denser cover than the surrounding desert, as well as scree areas with bushes in ravines and gorges.
Distribution and subspecies.
There are currently eight recognised subspecies of streaked scrub warbler:
Habits.
The streaked scrub warbler nests in low scrub up to 1.5m above the ground, the nest is a domed structure made of grass and twigs and lined with feathers, fur and plant down. It has 1-2 side entrances, if there is a second it is used only as an exit. The clutch size averages 3–5 but varies from 2–5, incubation is roughly two weeks with another two weeks before the young fledge. Its main food is insects but it will also eat seeds which may be very important in winter. It forages on the ground, fossicking through leaf litter and other debris under bushes, and into cavities but will also feed up in the vegetation at times.
Taxonomy.
The streaked scrub warbler was formerly placed in the family Cisticolidae, and then in its own family. D. Winkler et al. now place this species and those included by IOC in Cettiidae and Erythrocercidae in an enlarged family Scotocercidae.
Some authorities have split the streaked scrub warbler into two species, the Saharan scrub warbler ("Scotocerca saharae", including subspecies "saharae" and "theresae") and the Levant scrub warbler ("Scotocerca inquieta", including all other subspecies), an approach which has been followed in the most recent version of the Collins Bird Guide.
Status.
The streaked scrub warbler has a very wide range and is scarce in some places and common in others. No particular threats have been identified and the population is believed to be steady or declining slightly. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".


Chikunia nigra

Chikunia nigra is a species of spider of the genus "Chikunia". It is found in Sri Lanka to Taiwan, and Indonesia.


Lancer dragonet

The Lancer dragonet ("Callionymus bairdi"), Baird's dragonet, coral dragonet or St Helena dragonet, is a species of dragonet native to the warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean where it occurs at depths of from . In the western Atlantic it occurs from Cape Hatteras southwards along the east coast of North America. including Bermuda and the Bahamas, into the Gulf of Mexico and throughout the Caribbean Sea. It has also been recorded from Ilha da Trindade off Brazil. In the eastern Atlantic it has been recorded from the Cape Verde Islands, Ascension Island, St. Helena, and Sao Tome e Principe in the Gulf of Guinea. This species grows to a length of TL.
"Callionymus bairdi" is found over sandy bottoms but also over substrates of rocky-rubble. It occurs in shallow reefs as well as in beds of "Thalassia testudinum". It is a sexually dimorphic species. The juveniles occur shallower than 15m.
The specific name honours the U.S. ornithologist and ichthyologist Spencer Fullerton Baird (1823-1887).