Merriam's Pocket gopher

The Merriam's Pocket Gopher (Cratogeomis merriami)  have a furry pouch of skin on each cheek, used for carrying food. Its front incisors are very long and can cope with may types of plant food. The upper parts can be yellow, brows, or black; the underparts are paler.

Large pocket gopher

The giant pocket gopher (Orthogeomys grandis) is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is found in Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.


Like many other pocketr gophers, the large pocket gopher dis a large burrow system using its strong-clawed forefeet. It feeds on roots, bulbs, and other underground plant parts. Mainly solitary, the large pocket gopher forms groups of 1 male and 4 female during the breeding season. Two or more young are born to easch female.

Giant otter shrew

The giant otter shrew (Potamogale velox) is a semiaquatic, carnivorous tenrec.
This species, which is often mistaken for a small otter, has a slender body and a long tail. This tail is used to propel itself through the water. Mainly nocturnal and solitary, the Giant otter-shrew hunts primarily on shellfish, fish, frogs, and other freshwater animals.

Eastern Quoll

The eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus), also known as the eastern native cat, is a medium-sized carnivorous marsupial native to Australia It is considered to be extinct on mainland Australia, but it resides in Tasmania.


The Eastern Quoll hunts on the ground at night for mainly birds, small mammals, and lizards, though it also eats fruit, grasses, and occasionally carrion. Quolls occupy woody, shrubby habitats, as provided my mixed agriculture. Males are longer and heavier that females.

Quokka

The quokka, the only member of the genus Setonix, is a small macropod about the size of a domestic cat.^[4] Like other marsupials in the macropod family (such as kangaroos and wallabies), the quokka is herbivorous and mainly nocturnal.


The Quokka is rare on the Australia mainland, and most of its population thrives in 2 southwest islands where many of its introduced predators are absent. After resting in the day in dense verdure, it feeds at night on grasses, leaves, and fruit.According to a study, one of the quokka's favourite foods is  Guichenotia ledifolia, a small shrub species.

Mulgara

The Mulgara (Dasycerus cristicauda) lives in central Australia. Its fur is is off-white below, with a crest of black hairs on the tails's upper system toward the tip. It burrows range from small and simple to a system of tunnels with 4-6 opening. At night, the mulgara hunts lizards and large centepedes.

Calayan Raill

Discovered in 2004, this is one of the few species of grebes that has lost is ability to fly after island adaptation. It has uniformly blackish brown plumage, red legs, and a red bill. This species is restricted to the island of Calayan in the Northern Philippines, roaming on the tropical forest floor by coralline limestone singly or in small groups.

Sungrebe

This species of grebe belongs to the finfoot family, which is named after the lobes on its foot that allows it to swim as well as moving on land. The sungrebe(Heliornis fullica) is unique in that the male has skin pouches below each wing in which he carries the young. The bird has a slender body and a long tail.

Blue duck

This species of duck is unique due to its bright blue plumage, as its name suggests.

It is adapted for life in cold,clear streams. Tis main food are larva of aquatic insects such as caddisflies, mayflies, and midges. It feeds by dabbling at the surface, up-ending, and foraging along riverbed rocks and rivers.

Western Nimba Toad

The Western Nimba Toad(nimbaphrynoids occidentalis) lives in high, rocky crevices in the dry season. It has a highly unusual mode of reproduction: the eggs are fertilized and the young develop inside the mother. After 9 months of gestation, she gives birth by inflating air and pushing out to 4-12 toadlets.

Zebra Dwarf Boa

The Zebra Dwarf Boa is named for its banded pattern, which is caused by fused brown spots. This species belongs to a group of tropical American dwarf boas, most of which live on the ground. They have evolved into many species and reach their highest amount of diversity on Cuba. May other species of Dwarf Boa have yet to be discovered.

Pink pigeon

The pink pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri) is a species of pigeon in the family Columbidae endemic to Mauritius. The pink pigeons became nearly extinct in the 1990s and is still rare.

This large pigeon has a light pink body and usually brown wings. Its bright-colored bill is moderately long and has a hooked tip.


The species is currently classified as endangered.  Due to habitat destruction and introduced predators, the population had diminished to only 10 in 1991, but captive breeding and reintroduction has resulted in a population of about 450 in the wild in 2011.

Natal Midland Dwarf Chameleon

Unlike other chameleons, dwarf chameleons give birth to live young. The Natal Midland Dwarf chameleons(bradypoidon thamnobades) is a typical species, with a high casque covering its neck. Its color varies, but it is usually more colorful in the long-tailed males than in juveniles, which are often brown or gray.

Guianian lava lizard

The Guianan lava lizard (Tropidurus hispidus) is dark brown above and white below. Its flat shape allows it to hide in narrow cracks for protection against predators. The dark color of the lizard helps it to warm up quickly while basking in the sun, usually on vertical surfaces.

White-lipped pit viper

The white-lipped pit viper (Trimeresurus albolabris) is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Southeast Asia. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

This slender green snake, easily confused with other green vipers, has a wide, rounded head with prominent heat pits. It lives in a favored hunting place waiting for prey to come within range, then drawing back its head when its ready to strike.

Bearded barbet

The bearded barbet (Lybius dubius) is an African barbet. Barbets and toucans are a group of near passerine birds with a worldwide tropical distribution. The barbets get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills.

The bearded barbet has black upperparts and red underparts, with a black breastband and whithe flanks. It feeds on fruit, mainly wild figs.

Burchell's courser

The Burchell's courser (Cursorius rufus) is a wader in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae.


This species of wader is unique because it is the only one that can live in dry habitats. The Burchell's courser is rust brown, providing excellent camouflage in the country land, where it lives. When threatened, it stands upright to avoid detection and then runs away quickly.

Wrybill

The wrybill (Anarhynchus frontalis) is a species of plover endemic to New Zealand. It is sprecial because, unlike other birds, its beak is bent sideways.


The beak, as mentioned earlier, is useful when feeding on beaches, allowing it to flick stones aside while searching for prey. The plumage is soft gray above and white below, which is more strongly defined in males rather than females.

Morepork "More Pork!'

The morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae), also called the Tasmanian spotted owl, is a small brown owl found throughout New Zealand and Tasmania.


Many races of this species live throughout Australia, but all make a high-pitched boobook sound. But regardless of where it lives, the morepork rests in trees in day and feeds at night on  scarab and huhu beetles, moths and caterpillars, spiders, and grasshoppers.
The bird has almost 20 alternative names, including mopoke, boobook and ruru . Many of these names are onomatopoeic, as they emulate the bird's distinctive two-pitched call.

Galah

The galah /ɡəˈlɑː/ (Eolophus roseicapilla), also known as the rose-breasted cockatoo, galah cockatoo, roseate cockatoo or pink and grey, is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos, and it can be found in open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia.


Flocks of these noisy, abundant birds are found throughout Australia. Farming has increased its food supply, regarding it as a pest. The galah has a relatively small crest, and its gray back and pink underparts create an alternating effect as it veers through the air.

Paradoxical frog

A comparison between the tadpole and the adult.

The paradoxical frog, also known as the shrinking frog, is a species of hylid frog from South America.


In most frogs, the adult frog is bigger than the tadpole, but here the situation is reversed. The tadpole can live an unusually long life, and can grow up to 4 times bigger than the adult.

Rainbow Lorikeet

The rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) is a species of parrot found in Australia. 


This brightly colored lorikeet hat a stocky body and a long tail. Juveniles have dark brown bills, but adults have bright red or orange. Like most other lorikeets, this lorikeet has a  brush-tipped tongue adapted for gathering pollen from flowers.

Red-fan parrot

The red-fan parrot (Deroptyus accipitrinus), also known as the hawk-headed parrot, is an unusual New World parrot hailing from the Amazon Rainforest.

When excited or alarmed, it raises its blue-edged red neck feathers to form a fan. Its long, rounded tail is also a distinguishable feature. Usually seen alone or in small groups of up to 20 birds, it is often inconspicuous but is often heard before it comes in view.

Mauritius kestrel

The Mauritius kestrel (Falco punctatus) is a bird of prey from the family Falconidae endemic to the forests of Mauritius, where it is restricted to the southwestern plateau's forests, cliffs, and ravines.It is the most distinct of the Indian Ocean kestrels. 


It can reach a size between 26 and 30.5 cm. The weight is up to 250 grams. The males are slightly smaller than the females. Wingspan is approximately 45 cm and wings are rounded, unlike those of other falcons. The lifespan is approximately 15 years . The Mauritius kestrel hunts by means of short, swift flights through forests. Like all birds of prey, the Mauritius kestrel is carnivorous 

This bird nearly became extinct due to destruction of its natural habitat and cyclones. The recorded population dropped to an all-time low of only 4 individuals in 1974, but successful breeding programs have brought the population to 1000.

Bearded Vulture

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), also known as the lammergeier^[a] or ossifrage, is a bird of prey and the only member of the genus Gypaetus.

The Bearded Vulture is one of the world's largest Old World vultures, with huge wings and a lozenge-shaped tail — unusual among birds of prey. It feeds on carrion, but specializes in at feeding on bones, carrying large ones into the air and dropping them on rocks below. Once the bones have shattered they feed on the marrow inside.

Egyptian Vulture

The Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), also called the white scavenger vulture or pharaoh's chicken, is the only member of the genus Neophron. It is widely distributed; the Egyptian vulture is found from southwestern Europe and northern Africa to India. They are the smallest Old World vulture.

Egyptian Vultures scavenge many types of food, but are known for using stones to break open eggs of other birds. Due to their small size, they have difficulty competing with other vultures at carcasses and are often the last to feed. 


In Culture

A southern Indian temple at Thirukalukundram near Chengalpattu was famed for a pair of birds that reputedly visited the temple for "centuries" (even though they do not visit it anymore). These birds were ceremonially fed by the temple priests and arrived before noon to feed on offerings made from rice, wheat, ghee, and sugar. Although normally punctual, the failure of the birds to turn up was attributed to the presence of "sinners" among the onlookers. Legend has it the vultures (or "eagles") represented eight sages who were punished by Shiva, with two of them leaving in each of a series of epochs.

Flightless cormorant

The flightless cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi), also known as the Galapagos cormorant, is a cormorant native to the Galapagos Islands, and an example of the highly unusual fauna there. It is unique in that it is the only cormorant that is unable to to fly. This was probably caused by the lack of ground predators on the Galapagos, making flight useless.

The Flightless cormorant is the largest living species of cormorant, 89–100 cm (35–39.5 in) in length and weighing 2.5 –4kg.

Turtle frog

Myobatrachus gouldii, the turtle frog, is a Western Australian frog.

The turtle frog is located at Perth. Since its area is semi-arid, its features are adapted to survive at that area.   It has a small head, short limbs, and a round body, up to 45 millimeters long.This frog skips the tadpole stage.  They hatch out of the eggs as a miniature adult. 

Markhor

The markhor is a large species of wild goat that is found in northeastern Afghanistan, northern and central Pakistan, Kashmir in northern India, southern Tajikistan, southern Uzbekistan and in the Himalayas.

This reddish gray goat has a short, smooth coat in the summer, but it gets longer and shaggier in the winter. A full grown male is almost twice as heavy compared to the female, and has a shaggy mane of dark hair extending to the knees.Its spectacular spiraled horns reach 1.6m tall in the make, but only 0.254m in the female. Active in the early morning and late afternoon, the markhor rarely ventures above the snow line.

Onager

The onager (Equus hemionus) is a species of the family Equidae (horse family) native to Asia.
The onager has a tawny, gray coat with a dark stripe running down its back. The lower portion of the limbs allow it to run swiftly across long distances. Mature males kick and bite their enemy rivals to occupy breeding territory. 
The greatest threat facing the onager is poaching for meat and hides, and in some areas for use in traditional medicine. It is the one of highest threats for the Mongolian wild ass. The extreme isolation of many subpopulations also threatens the species, as genetic problems can result from inbreeding. Overgrazing by livestock reduces food availability, and herders also reduce the availability of water at springs. The cutting down of nutritious shrubs and bushes exacerbates the problem. Furthermore, a series of drought years could have devastating effects on this beleaguered species.

Habitat loss and fragmentation are also major threats to the onager, a particular concern in Mongolia as a result of the increasingly dense network of roads, railway lines, and fences required to support mining activities.

The Asiatic wild ass is vulnerable to diseases, as well. A disease known as the "South African horse sickness" caused a major decline to the Indian wild ass population in the 1960s. Fortunately, the subspecies is no longer under threat to such disease and is continuously increasing their numbers.

Fishing cat

The  fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is found in south east Asia.   The fishing cat has a  long body with short legs. It is almost  twice the size of a house cat. Its fur is olive-gray with brown spots running along its belly.   It is a semiaquatic hunter that feeds on inscests, crabs, crayfish, and shellfish. Its toes are slightly webbed and its teeth are not suitable for grasping slippery prey. It scoops prey from the water with its paws, often diving, and sometimes it suddenly surfaces under a waterbird.Its fur is olive-gray with brown spots running along its belly.
 Fishing cats are threatened by destruction of wetlands, which are increasingly being polluted and converted for agricultural use and human settlements. In Andhra Pradesh, target killing is prevalent in some areas where there is human/animal conflict. Over-exploitation of local fish stocks and retaliatory killing are also significant threats. 

Cuban soledon

The Cuban solenodon (Solenodon cubanus), is a species only found in  Cuba.

It was discovered by a German scientist Wilhelm Peters. It is a nocturnal burrower and hence it is rarely seen. It was declared extinct in 1970 but was rediscovered in 1974.It diet include insects, roots and fruits.  It has small eyes, brown to black hair and resembles a shrew.