Saturday, February 24, 2018

Vaquita

Vaquita4 Olson NOAA.jpgThe Vaquita is a species of porpoise native to the Gulf of California. In Spanish, vaquita means little cow.  It is not only the world's smallest cetacean, but also the rarest. Less than 30 individuals remain, The species will be extinct until drastic acton is taken.

This species is distinguished from other species by the dark rings surrounding their eyes and patches on their lips. Their backs have a dark shade of grey that lightens as they get older. Female Vaquitas tend to grow larger than males.


Monday, February 19, 2018

Vanzolini’s bald-faced saki

The Vanzolini's bald-faced saki is a New World Monkey that lives in Western Brazil. It was assumed to be extinct until 2017, when it was rediscovered. Unlike other monkeys, it lacks a prehensile tail that allows it to easily swing through trees. Instead, they run on all fours across thin branches.

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/08/saki-vanzolini-monkey-amazon-rainforest-video-spd/

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Terror skink

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The Terror skink is a skink exclusively found in New Calendonia. It was assumed to be extinct until 1993, when the species was rediscovered. It is 50 cm in length, making it the second largest living reptilian predator on the island. It has curved teeth, suggesting predatory habits. This is unusual for skinks, which are omnivorous.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Night parrot

The night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) is a parrot native to Australia. It is known as being one of the most elusive birds in the world. It was known to be extinct since 1912.
However, the bird was sighted again in 1979. The bird's population size is unknown, though based on records it is thought to number between 50 and 249 mature individuals.

Pezoporus occidentalis.jpg

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Red Colobus

Red colobuses are Old World monkeys of the subgenus Piliocolobus in the genus Procolobus.
Red Colobus 7.jpg
They are found throughout Sub-Sahara Africa and prefer humid areas. However, the Zanzibar Red Coulobus , as pictured below lives in coastal thickets. Red colobuses are also highly sensitive to hunting and habitat destruction,and, of all 10 species, only the Central African red colobus (Procolobus foai) is not endangered.

Monday, February 12, 2018

Eriovixia gryffindori

The Eriovixia Gryffindori (R) pictured next to the Sorting Hat (L)The Eriovixia gryffindori, known as the sorting hat spider, bears an uncanny resemblance from the sorting hat from Harry Potter. It was discovered in 2017 in the western Ghat regions of India and was named after Godric Griffindor, the fictional owner of the hat. To hide from its predators, it mimics dried foliage. Not surprisingly, the find did not go unnoticed by JK Rowling, the author of the books.

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Uakari

Uakaris are unusual among primates because their tail length is substantially shorter than its body length. They have thick, dense fun on their bodies, but their heads are bald. These heads resemble skulls due to a lack of subcutaneous fat.                                                         Uakari male.jpg