recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Mississippi Kite

The **Mississippi kite** (*Ictinia mississippiensis*) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Mississippi kites have narrow, pointed wings and are graceful in flight, often appearing to float in the air. It is not uncommon to see several circling in the same area.

## Description

Adults are gray with darker gray on their tail feathers and outer wings and lighter gray on their heads and inner wings. Males and females look alike, but the males are slightly paler on the head and neck. Young kites have banded tails and streaked bodies. It is 12 to 15 inches (30–37 cm) beak to tail and has a wingspan averaging 3 feet (91 cm). Weight is from 214 to 388 grams (7.6-13.7 oz). Their call is a high-pitched squeak, sounding similar to that of a squeaky toy.

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Latrodectus erythromelas

***Latrodectus erythromelas***, is a species of venomous spider of the genus *Latrodectus*, commonly called **widow spiders**. It is native to India and Sri Lanka.

## Description

Female is larger than male, average total length is about 8.8mm. Eyes are black, where eye region dark with blackish-red margins. Blackish carapace is much rounded and covered with fine hairs. Cephalothorax is also black in color and also covered with fine hair. On the dorsal surface of the cephalothorax, there is a prominent red stripe.

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Latrodectus lilianae

***Latrodectus lilianae*** is a species of widow spider commonly found in Portugal and Spain. It is marked with small, white and orange markings on its abdomen near its cephalothorax. It is primarily found in the steppes of the Iberian Peninsula, unlike its American cousins who reside closer to humans. The effect of its venom is currently unknown.

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Mustelidae (Mustelids)

The **Mustelidae** (from Latin *mustela*, weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, martens, mink, and wolverines, among others. **Mustelids** are diverse and the largest family in the order Carnivora. The internal classification is still disputed, with rival proposals containing between two and eight subfamilies. One study, published in 2008, questions the long-accepted Mustelinae subfamily, and suggests that the Mustelidae consist of four major clades and three much smaller lineages.

## Genus and Species

* Gulo
	+ G. gulo (Wolverine)
* Mustela
	+ M. nivalis (Least Weasel)
* Pteronura
	+ P. brasiliensis (Giant Otter)
* Taxidea
	+ T. taxus (American Badger)
Suliformes

The order **Suliformes** (dubbed "**Phalacrocoraciformes**" by *Christidis & Boles 2008*) is an order recognised by the International Ornithologist's Union. In regard to the recent evidence that the traditional Pelecaniformes is polyphyletic, it has been suggested that the group be split up to reflect the true evolutionary relationships.

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Siphonophorae (Siphonophores)

The **Siphonophorae** or **Siphonophora**, the **siphonophores**, are an order of the hydrozoans, a class of marine animals belonging to the phylum Cnidaria. According to the World Register of Marine Species, the order contains 188 species. Although a siphonophore may appear to be a single organism, each specimen is in fact a colonial organism composed of small individual animals called zooids that have their own special function for survival. Most colonies are long, thin, transparent pelagicfloaters. Some siphonophores superficially resemble jellyfish, such as the venomous Portuguese man o' war and the Indo-Pacific man o' war.

Another species of siphonophore, *Praya dubia*, is one of the longest animals in the world, with a body length of 40–50 m (130–160 ft). The term originates from the Greek *siphōn* "tube" + *pherein* "to bear".

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Phocidae (Earless Seals)

The **earless seals**, **phocids** or **true seals** are one of the three main groups of mammals within the seal lineage, Pinnipedia. All true seals are members of the family **Phocidae** /ˈfoʊsɪdiː/. They are sometimes called **crawling seals** to distinguish them from the fur seals and sea lions of the family Otariidae. Seals live in the oceans of both hemispheres and, with the exception of the more tropical monk seals, are mostly confined to polar, subpolar, and temperate climates. The Baikal seal is the only species of exclusively freshwater seal.

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## Genus and Species

* Halichoerus
	+ H. grypus (Grey Seal)
* Hydrurga
	+ H. leptonyx (Leopard Seal)
* Mirounga
	+ M. leonina (Southern Elephant Seal)
Siricidae (Horntails)

**Horntail** or **wood wasp** is the common name for any of the 150 non-social species of the family **Siricidae**, of the order Hymenoptera, a type of xylophagous sawfly. This family was formerly believed to be the sole living representative of the superfamily Siricoidea, a group well represented in Paleogene and Mesozoic times, but the family Anaxyelidae has been linked to this group. Siricidae has two sub families, Siricinae and Tremecinae. Siricinae infest needle-leaved trees and Tremecinae infest broad-leaved trees. There are ten living genera placed in the family, and an additional three genera described from fossils. The last tergite of the abdomen has a strong, projecting spike, thus giving the group its common name (the ovipositor is typically longer and also projects posteriorly, but it is not the source of the name). A typical adult horntail is brown, blue, or black with yellow parts, and may often reach up to 4 cm (1.6 in) long. The pigeon horntail(*Tremex columba*) can grow up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long (not counting the ovipositor), among the longest of all Hymenoptera.

Female horntails lay their eggs in trees. The larvae bore into the wood and live in the tree for up to two years, possibly more. They typically migrate to just under the bark before pupation.

The spiral groove on the ovipositor is visible on the photograph but not easily to the naked eye.

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## Genus and Species

* Sirex
	+ S. noctilio (Sirex Woodwasp)
Hymenoptera

**Hymenoptera** is a large order of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones.

Females typically have a special ovipositor for inserting eggs into hosts or places that are otherwise inaccessible. The ovipositor is often modified into a stinger. The young develop through holometabolism (complete metamorphosis)—that is, they have a worm-like larval stage and an inactive pupal stage before they mature.

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## Families

* Apidae
* Formicidae
* Pompiidae
* Siricidae
* Vespidae
Red Kite

The **red kite** (*Milvus milvus*) is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just outside in northern Iran. It is resident in the milder parts of its range in western Europe and northwest Africa, but birds from northeastern and central Europe winter farther south and west, reaching south to Turkey. Vagrants have reached north to Finland and south to Israel, Libya and Gambia.

## Description

Red kites are 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28 in) long with a 175–179 cm (69–70 in) wingspan; males weigh 800–1,200 g (28–42 oz), and females 1,000–1,300 g (35–46 oz). It is an elegant bird, soaring on long wings held at a dihedral, and long forked tail, twisting as it changes direction. The body, upper tail and wing coverts are rufous. The white primary flight feathers contrast with the black wing tips and dark secondaries. Apart from the weight difference, the sexes are similar, but juveniles have a buff breast and belly. Its call is a thin piping sound, similar to but less mewling than the common buzzard. There is a rare white leucistic form accounting for approximately 1% of hatchlings in the Welsh population but is at a disadvantage in the survival stakes.

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Mephitidae (Skunks)

**Skunks** are North and South American mammals in the family Mephitidae. Not related to polecats which are in the weasel family, the closest Old World relative to the skunk is the stink badger. The animals are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong unpleasant smell. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or ginger colored, but all have warning coloration.

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## Genus and Species

* Mephitis
	+ M. mephitis (Striped Skunk)
Ixodes neuquenensis

***Ixodes neuquenensis*** is a species of tick that lives on the monito del monte (*Dromiciops gliroides*), a nocturnal marsupial that lives in the temperate forests of southern South America. Due to the near-threatened status of its host, *Ixodes neuquenensis* is also at risk.

## Description

The females of *Ixodes neuquenensis* resemble other members of subgenus *Ixodes* but possess some distinct and notable morphological features. Two obvious spurs can be found on coxae II to IV. Two other species, *I. theilerae* from the Ethiopian ecozone and *I. turdus* from the Palaearctic ecozone, have two spurs on coxae II to IV as well but with differences in both shape and sizing. Female *Ixodes neuquenensis* also has very well-defined chitinous plaques on the alloscutum. Diagnostic features of the nymph of *Ixodes neuquenensis* include two spurs on coxae II to IV and the presence of chitnous plaques medial medial to coxae I. Though identification of the *Ixodes neuquenensis* larvae is more difficult, they can be separated from various other species by their triangular spurs on coxae II and III.

The males of this species have yet to be described and remain unknown.

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Latrodectus curacaviensis

***Latrodectus curacaviensis*** is a species of spider that belongs to the genus *Latrodectus*. They have a distinct hourglass mark with a black diamond shape and four red triangles in a square. Bites are rare but dangerous. The known range is the Lesser Antilles and South America.

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Physeteridae

**Physeteroidea** is a superfamily that, today, includes three extant species of whales: the sperm whale, in the genus *Physeter*, and the pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale, in the genus *Kogia*. In the past, these genera have sometimes been united in a single family, the **Physeteridae**, with the two *Kogia* species in the subfamily Kogiinae; however, recent practice is to allocate the genus *Kogia* to its own family, the **Kogiidae**, leaving the Physeteridae as a monotypic (single extant species) family, although additional fossil representatives of both families are known.

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## Genus and Species

* Physeter
	+ P. macrocephalus (Sperm Whale)
New World Hookworm

***Necator americanus*** is a species of hookworm (a type of helminth) commonly known as the New World hookworm. Like other hookworms, it is a member of the phylum Nematoda. It is a parasitic nematode that lives in the small intestine of hosts such as humans, dogs, and cats. Necatoriasis—a type of helminthiasis—is the term for the condition of being host to an infestation of a species of *Necator*. Since *N. americanus* and *Ancylostoma duodenale* (also known as Old World hookworm) are the two species of hookworms that most commonly infest humans, they are usually dealt with under the collective heading of "hookworm infection". They differ most obviously in geographical distribution, structure of mouthparts, and relative size.

*Necator americanus* has been proposed as an alternative to *Trichuris suis* in helminthic therapy.

## Description

This parasite has two dorsal and two ventral cutting plates around the anterior margin of the buccal capsule. It also has a pair of subdorsal and a pair of subventral teeth located close to the rear. Males are usually 7–9 mm long, whereas females are about 9–11 mm long. The typical lifespan of these parasites is three to five years. They can produce between 5,000 and 10,000 eggs per day.

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Sea Lamprey

The **sea lamprey** (*Petromyzon marinus*) is a parasitic lamprey native to the Northern Hemisphere.

## Description

The sea lamprey has an eel-like body without paired fins. Its mouth is jawless, round and sucker-like, and as wide or wider than the head; sharp teeth are arranged in many consecutive circular rows. There are 7 branchial openings behind the eye. They are olive or brown-yellow on the dorsal and lateral part of the body, with some black marblings, with lighter coloration on the belly. Adults can reach a length of up to 120 cm (47 in) and a body weight up to 2.3 kg (5.1 lb).

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Grey Seal

The **grey seal** (*Halichoerus grypus*, meaning "hooked-nosed sea pig") is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is a large seal of the family Phocidae or "true seals". It is the only species classified in the genus ***Halichoerus***. Its name is spelled **gray seal** in the US; it is also known as **Atlantic seal** and the **horsehead seal**.

## Description

It is a large seal, with bulls in the eastern Atlantic populations reaching 2.5–3.3 m (8.2–10.8 ft) long and weighing 170–310 kg (370–680 lb); the cows are much smaller, typically 1.6–2.0 m (5.2–6.6 ft) long and 100–190 kg (220–420 lb) in weight. Individuals from the western Atlantic are often much larger, males reaching 400 kg (880 lb) and females weighing up to 250 kg (550 lb). It is distinguished from the harbor seal by its straight head profile, nostrils set well apart, and fewer spots on its body. Gray seals lack external ear flaps and characteristically have large snouts. Bull Greys have larger noses and a less curved profile than common seal bulls. Males are generally darker than females, with lighter patches and often scarring around the neck. Females are silver grey to brown with dark patches.

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Pythonidae (Pythons)

The **Pythonidae**, commonly known simply as **pythons**, from the Greek word *python* (πυθων), are a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia. Among its members are some of the largest snakes in the world. Eight genera and 31 species are currently recognized.

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## Genus and Species

* Python
	+ P. bivittatus (Burmese Python)
	+ P. reticulatus (Reticulated Python)
	+ P. sebae (African Rock Python)
Hyperoartia

**Hyperoartia** or **Petromyzontida** is a disputed group of vertebrates that includes the modern lampreys and their fossil relatives. Examples of hyperoartians from early in their fossil record are *Endeiolepis* and *Euphanerops*, fish-like animals with hypocercal tails that lived during the Late Devonian Period. Some paleontologistsstill place these forms among the "ostracoderms" (jawless armored fishes) of the class Anaspida, but this is increasingly considered an artificial arrangement based on ancestral traits.

Placement of this group among the jawless vertebrates is a matter of dispute. While today enough fossil diversity is known to make a close relationship among the "ostracoderms" unlikely, this has muddied the issue of the Hyperoartia's closest relatives. Traditionally the group was placed in a superclass Cyclostomata together with the Myxini (hagfishes). More recently, it has been proposed that the Myxini are more basal among the skull-bearing chordates, while the Hyperoartia are retained among vertebrates. But even though this may be correct, the lampreys represent one of the oldest divergences of the vertebrate lineage, and whether they are better united with some "ostracoderms" in the Cephalaspidomorphi, or not closer to these than to e.g. to other "ostracoderms" of the Pteraspidomorphi, or even the long-extinct conodonts, is still to be resolved. Even the very existence of the class Hyperoartia is disputed, with some analyses favoring a treatment of the "basal Hyperoartia" as a monophyletic lineage Jamoytiiformes that may in fact be very close to the ancestral jawed vertebrates.

The only hyperoartians surviving today are lampreys, classified in the Petromyzontiformes. The discovery of the fossil *Priscomyzon* pushed back the oldest known occurrence of true lampreys to the Late Devonian. The evidence of phylogeny, however, suggests the lamprey lineage diverged much earlier from other vertebrates, rather than arising from among the "ostracoderms". The origin of Hyperoartia may therefore extend back to the early Paleozoic, if not earlier.

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Psittaciformes (Parrots)

**Parrots**, also known as **psittacines** /ˈsɪtəsaɪnz/, are birds of the roughly 393 species in 92 genera that make up the order **Psittaciformes**, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoidea ("true" parrots), the Cacatuoidea (cockatoos), and the Strigopoidea (New Zealand parrots). Parrots have a generally pantropical distribution with several species inhabiting temperate regions in the Southern Hemisphere, as well. The greatest diversity of parrots is in South America and Australasia.

Characteristic features of parrots include a strong, curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. Most parrots exhibit little or no sexual dimorphism in the visual spectrum. They form the most variably sized bird order in terms of length. The most important components of most parrots' diets are seeds, nuts, fruit, buds, and other plant material. A few species sometimes eat animals and carrion, while the lories and lorikeets are specialised for feeding on floral nectar and soft fruits. Almost all parrots nest in tree hollows (or nest boxes in captivity), and lay white eggs from which hatch altricial (helpless) young.

Parrots, along with ravens, crows, jays, and magpies, are among the most intelligent birds, and the ability of some species to imitate human voicesenhances their popularity as pets. Trapping wild parrots for the pet trade, as well as hunting, habitat loss, and competition from invasive species, has diminished wild populations, with parrots being subjected to more exploitation than any other group of birds. Measures taken to conserve the habitats of some high-profile charismatic species have also protected many of the less charismatic species living in the same ecosystems.

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Lagomorpha (Lagomorphs)

The **lagomorphs** are the members of the taxonomic order **Lagomorpha**, of which there are two living families: the Leporidae (hares and rabbits) and the Ochotonidae(pikas). The name of the order is derived from the Ancient Greek *lagos* (λαγώς, "hare") +*morphē* (μορφή, "form"). There are about eighty-seven species of lagomorph, including about twenty-nine species of pika, twenty-eight species of rabbit and cottontail, and thirty species of hare.

Lagomorphs share a common ancestor with rodents, together forming the clade Glires (Latin: “dormice”). Like the ancestors of most modern mammalian groups, this most recent common ancestor lived after the last great extinction event, the one 66 million years ago that drove all dinosaurs extinct except for birds. Early lagomorphs arose perhaps in Asia and spread across the northern hemisphere. Later, rodents came to dominate more environmental niches, and lagomorphs seem to have been in decline.

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Colossal Squid

The **colossal squid** (*Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni*, from Greek *mesos* (middle), *onycho* (claw, nail), and *teuthis* (squid)), sometimes called the **Antarctic** or **giant cranch squid**, is believed to be the largest squid species in terms of mass. It is the only known member of the genus *Mesonychoteuthis*. It is known from only a few specimens, and current estimates put its maximum size at 12–14 m (39–46 ft) long and weighing possibly up to 750 kg (1,650 lb), based on analysis of smaller and immature specimens, making it the largest known invertebrate.

## Description

Unlike the giant squid, whose arms and tentacles have only suckers lined with small teeth, the colossal squid's limbs are also equipped with sharp hooks: some swivelling, others three-pointed. Its body is wider and stouter, and therefore heavier, than that of the giant squid. Colossal squid are believed to have longer mantlesthan the giant squid, but shorter tentacles.

The squid exhibits abyssal gigantism. The beak of *M. hamiltoni* is the largest known of any squid, and more robust than that of the giant squid. The colossal squid also has the largest eyes documented in the animal kingdom; a partly collapsed specimen measured 27 cm (11 in) in diameter, with a 9 cm (3.5 in) pupil. The eye was estimated to be 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 in) when the squid was alive.

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Ixodes kaiseri

***Ixodes kaiseri*** is an Old World species of ixodid tick that parasitizes badgers, foxes, steppe polecats, raccoon dogs, and common hedgehogs in forest habitats and along heavily overgrown riverbanks and depressions in steppe habitats; they have also been collected from domestic dogs visiting these habitats. The specific epithethonors the scientific contributions of Dr. Makram N. Kaiser.

*I. kaiseri* occurs in Moldavia, southern Ukraine and Crimea, Romania, Egypt and Israel, with single finds recorded from the northern Caucasus, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Its range overlaps that of *Ixodes crenulatus*, with corresponding developmental stages found together on the same hosts.

All developmental stages of *I. kaiseri* are found on its host animals from March through October, with hosts highly infested in March and April after hibernation and all tick developmental stages, most in a fed condition, present. Males are rarely found on hosts, suggesting that in this species, as in other burrow-inhabiting ixodids, the adult males do not feed, and copulation occurs in the burrows.

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Milleporidae (Fire Corals)

**Fire corals** are colonial marine organisms that exhibit physical characteristics similar to that of coral. The name *coral* is somewhat misleading, as fire corals are not true corals but are instead more closely related to *Hydra* and other hydrozoans, making them *hydrocorals*. Their species are classified as members of the monotypic genus Millepora and the monotypic family Milleporidae in the class Hydrozoa.

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## Genus and Species

* Millepora
	+ M. alcicornis (Sea Ginger)
Orthoptera

**Orthoptera** is an order of insects that comprises the grasshoppers, locusts and crickets, including closely related insects such as the katydids and wetas. The order is subdivided into two suborders: Caelifera – grasshoppers, locusts and close relatives; and Ensifera – crickets and close relatives.

More than 20,000 species are distributed worldwide. The insects in the order have incomplete metamorphosis, and produce sound (known as a "stridulation") by rubbing their wings against each other or their legs, the wings or legs containing rows of corrugated bumps. The tympanum or ear is located in the front tibia in crickets, mole crickets, and katydids, and on the first abdominal segment in the grasshoppers and locusts. These organisms use vibrations to locate other individuals.

Grasshoppers and other orthopterans are able to fold their wings, placing them in the group Neoptera.

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Myliobatiformes

**Myliobatiformes** is one of the four orders of batoids, cartilaginous fishes related to sharks. They were formerly included in the order Rajiformes, but more recent phylogenetic studies have shown the myliobatiforms to be a monophyletic group, and its more derived members evolved their highly flattened shapes independently of the skates.

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Salamandridae (True Salamanders and Newts)

**Salamandridae** is a family of salamanders consisting of **true salamanders** and **newts**. Currently, 74 species (with more expected) have been identified in the Northern Hemisphere - Europe, Asia, the northern tip of Africa, and North America. Salamandrids are distinguished from other salamanders by the lack of rib or costal grooves along the sides of their bodies and by their rough skin.

With a few exceptions, salamandrids have patterns of bright and contrasting colours. They have four well-developed limbs, with four toes on the fore limbs, and (in most cases) five toes on the hind limbs. They vary from 7 to 30 cm (3 to 12 in) in length.

The alpine salamander and Lanza's alpine salamander give birth to live young, without a tadpole stage, but the other species lay their eggs in water. Some newts are neotenic, being able to reproduce before they are fully metamorphosed.

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## Genus and Species

* Pleurodeles
	+ P. walti (Iberian Ribbed Newt)
* Salamandra
	+ S. Salamandra (Fire Salamander)
* Taricha
	+ T. granulosa (Rough-skinned Newt)
Greater Rhea

The **greater rhea** (*Rhea americana*) is a flightless bird found in eastern South America. Other names for the greater rhea include the **grey**, **common**, or **American rhea**; **ñandú** (Guaraní and Spanish); or **ema** (Portuguese). One of two species in the genus Rhea, in the family Rheidae, the greater rhea is endemic to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It inhabits a variety of open areas, such as grasslands, savanna or grassy wetlands. Weighing 20–27 kilograms (44–60 lb), the greater rhea is the largest bird in South America. In the wild, the greater rhea has a life expectancy of 10.5 years. It is also notable for its reproductive habits, and for the fact that a group has established itself in Germany in recent years. The species is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

## Description

The adults have an average weight of 20–27 kg (44–60 lb) and often measure 127 to 140 cm (50 to 55 in) long from beak to tail; they usually stand about 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) tall, with a typical range of 1.4 to 1.7 m (4 ft 7 in to 5 ft 7 in), to the top of the head. The males are generally bigger than the females. Despite the delineation of this species as the "greater rhea" versus the *lesser rhea*, some data on body masses indicates that both species average about 23 kg (51 lb) in weight, but even at mass parity that greater species appears larger and is taller due to its longer legs and neck, whereas the lesser rhea is more compact and more so resembles an outsized, long-necked turkey in build. Elsewhere, the lesser rhea has been cited with a lower average weight of 16 kg (35 lb). In some areas, male greater rheas weights of up to 35 kg (77 lb) are not uncommon and even females of up to 30 kg (66 lb) have been weighed, both weights higher than the maximum known mass for the lesser rhea. Large males can weigh up to 40 kg (88 lb), stand nearly 1.83 m (6.0 ft) tall and measure over 150 cm (59 in) long, although this is uncommon.

The head and bill are fairly small, the latter measuring 8–10.4 cm (3.1–4.1 in) in length. The legs are long, with the tarsus measuring between 33.5 and 37 cm (13.2 and 14.6 in), and strong and have 22 horizontal plates on the front of the tarsus. They have three toes, and the hind toe is absent. The wings of the American rhea are rather long; the birds use them during running to maintain balance during tight turns, and also during courtship displays.

Greater rheas have a fluffy, tattered-looking plumage, that is gray or brown, with high individual variation, The head, neck, rump, and thighs are feathered. In general, males are darker than females. Even in the wild—particularly in Argentina—leucistic individuals (with white body plumage and blue eyes) as well as albinos occur. Hatchling greater rheas are grey with dark lengthwise stripes.

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Nymphalidae

The **Nymphalidae** are the largest family of butterflies with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world, belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea. These are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called **brush-footed butterflies** or **four-footed butterflies**, because they are known to stand on only four legs while the other two are curled up; in some species, these forelegs have a brush-like set of hairs, which gives this family its other common name. Many species are brightly coloured and include popular species such as the emperors, monarch butterfly, admirals, tortoiseshells, and fritillaries. However, the under wings are, in contrast, often dull and in some species look remarkably like dead leaves, or are much paler, producing a cryptic effect that helps the butterflies blend into their surroundings.

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## Genus and Species

* Danaus
	+ D. plexippus (Monarch Butterfly)
Siphonaptera (Fleas)

**Fleas** are small flightless insects that form the order **Siphonaptera**. As external parasites of mammals and birds, they live by consuming the blood of their hosts. Adults are up to about 3 mm (0.12 in) long and usually brown. Bodies flattened sideways enable them to move through their host's fur or feathers; strong claws prevent them from being dislodged. They lack wings, and have mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood and hind legs adapted for jumping. The latter enable them to leap a distance of some 50 times their body length, a feat second only to jumps made by froghoppers. Larvae are worm-like with no limbs; they have chewing mouthparts and feed on organic debris.

Over 2,500 species of fleas have been described worldwide. The Siphonaptera are most closely related to the snow scorpionflies (Boreidae), placing them within the endopterygote insect order Mecoptera.

Fleas arose in the early Cretaceous, most likely as ectoparasites of mammals, before moving on to other groups including birds. Each species of flea is more or less a specialist on its host animal species: many species never breed on any other host, though some are less selective. Some families of fleas are exclusive to a single host group: for example, the Malacopsyllidae are found only on armadillos, the Ischnopsyllidae only on bats, and the Chimaeropsyllidae only on elephant shrews. The oriental rat flea, *Xenopsylla cheopis*, is a vector of *Yersinia pestis*, the bacterium which causes bubonic plague. The disease was spread by rodents such as the black rat, which were bitten by fleas that then infected humans. Major outbreaks included the Plague of Justinian and the Black Death, both of which killed a sizeable fraction of the world's population.

Fleas appear in human culture in such diverse forms as flea circuses, poems like John Donne's erotic *The Flea*, works of music such as by Modest Mussorgsky, and a film by Charlie Chaplin.

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Sea Ginger

***Millepora alcicornis***, or **sea ginger**, is a species of colonial fire coral with a calcareous skeleton. It is found on shallow water coral reefs in the tropical west Atlantic Ocean. It shows a variety of different morphologies depending on its location. It feeds on plankton and derives part of its energy requirements from microalgae found within its tissues. It is an important member of the reef building community and subject to the same threats as other corals. It can cause painful stings to unwary divers.

## Description

The morphology of *Millepora alcicornis* is very variable. Most colonies probably start as encrusting forms and adopt a branching structure as they grow. The encrustations can become established on a variety of structures, not only on coral reefs and rocks but also on dead corals and the hulls of wrecked ships. Later development is in the form of plates or blades in habitats with much water movement such as the surf-pounded outer edges of reefs. In calmer waters, such as in deep lagoons or more sheltered parts of the reef, a more upright, leafy or branched structure develops which can grow to 50 centimetres (20 in) tall. N word. The habit of growth is also influenced by the inclination of the surface on which the fire coral grows. On vertical surfaces, the encrusting bases are larger with longer perimeters and the density of branching is lower than it is on horizontal surfaces. The cylindrical branches usually grow in a single plane and span a range of hues from brown to pale, cream-like yellow, while branch tips are white.

Embedded in the calcareous skeleton are numerous microscopic polyps. They are connected internally by a system of canals and are concealed behind pores in the skeleton, the surface of which is smooth and lacks the corallites of true stony corals. The polyps have specialist functions, the gastrozooids processing and digesting the food caught by the dactylzooids which are grouped around them. The gastrozooids are small and plump and extend four to six tentacle stubs through their pores but are otherwise invisible. The dactylzooids have hairlike tentacles covered in cnidoblasts. Stings from the cnidocysts immobilize an item of prey and the tentacles thrust it through the mouth of an adjacent gastrozooid, from where it passes into the stomach for digestion. The polyps also extrude the coenosteum, the calcareous material of which the skeleton is composed. The coenosteum contains certain symbiotic microalgae called zooxanthellae. These are photosynthetic organisms which provide their hosts with energy and in return benefit from a protective environment in a well lit position. About 75% of the fire coral's energy requirements are provided by the zooxanthellae.

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Phthiraptera (Lice)

**Louse** (plural: **lice**) is the common name for members of the order Phthiraptera, which contains nearly 5,000 species of wingless insect. Lice are obligate parasites, living externally on warm-blooded hosts which include every species of bird and mammal, except for monotremes, pangolins, and bats. Lice are vectors of diseases such as typhus.

Chewing lice live among the hairs or feathers of their host and feed on skin and debris, while sucking lice pierce the host's skin and feed on blood and other secretions. They usually spend their whole life on a single host, cementing their eggs, which are known as nits, to hairs or feathers. The eggs hatch into nymphs, which moult three times before becoming fully grown, a process that takes about four weeks.

Humans host three species of louse, the head louse, the body louse and the pubic louse. The body louse has the smallest genome of any known insect; it has been used as a model organism and has been the subject of much research.

Lice were ubiquitous in human society until at least the Middle Ages. They appear in folktales, songs such as *The Kilkenny Louse House*, and novels such as James Joyce's *Finnegans Wake*. They commonly feature in the psychiatric disorder delusional parasitosis. A louse was one of the early subjects of microscopy, appearing in Robert Hooke's 1667 book, *Micrographia*.

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Sphyrnidae (Hammerhead Sharks)

The **hammerhead sharks** are a group of sharks in the family **Sphyrnidae**, so named for the unusual and distinctive structure of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a "hammer" shape called a cephalofoil. Most hammerhead species are placed in the genus ***Sphyrna***, while the winghead shark is placed in its own genus, ***Eusphyra***. Many, but not necessarily mutually exclusive functions have been proposed for the cephalofoil, including sensory reception, manoeuvering, and prey manipulation. Hammerheads are found worldwide in warmer waters along coastlines and continental shelves. Unlike most sharks, hammerheads usually swim in schools during the day, becoming solitary hunters at night. Some of these schools can be found near Malpelo Island in Colombia, Cocos Island off Costa Rica, and near Molokai in Hawaii. Large schools are also seen in the waters off southern and eastern Africa.

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## Genus and Species

* Sphyrna
	+ S. mokarran (Great Hammerhead)
	+ S. zygaena (Smooth Hammerhead)
Proboscidea

The **Proboscidea** (from the Greek προβοσκίς and the Latin *proboscis*) are a taxonomic order of afrotherian mammals containing one living family, Elephantidae, and several extinct families. This order, first described by J. Illiger in 1811, encompasses the trunked mammals. In addition to their enormous size, later proboscideans are distinguished by tusks and long, muscular trunks; these features were less developed or absent in the smaller early proboscideans. Beginning in the mid Miocene, most members of this order were very large animals. The largest land mammal of all time may have been a proboscidean; *Palaeoloxodon namadicus*, which may have weighed up to 22 t (24.3 short tons), with a shoulder height of up to 5.2 metres (17.1 ft), surpassing several sauropod dinosaurs (in height).

The earliest known proboscidean is *Eritherium*, followed by *Phosphatherium*, a small animal about the size of a fox. These both date from late Paleocenedeposits of Morocco.

Proboscideans diversified during the Eocene and early Oligocene. Several primitive families from these epochs have been described, including Numidotheriidae, Moeritheriidae, and Barytheriidae in Africa. (Anthracobunidae from the Indian subcontinent has also been included, but was excluded from Proboscidea by Shoshani & Tassy (2005) and has more recently been assigned to Perissodactyla.) These were followed by the earliest Deinotheriidae, or "hoe tuskers", which thrived during the Miocene and into the early Quaternary. Proboscideans from the Miocene also included *Stegolophodon*, an early genus of the disputed family Stegodontidae; the diverse family of Gomphotheriidae, or "shovel tuskers", such as *Platybelodon* and *Amebelodon*; and the Mammutidae, or mastodons.

Most families of Proboscidea are now extinct, many since the end of the last glacial period. Recently extinct species include the last examples of gomphotheres in Central and South America, the American mastodon of family Mammutidae in North America, numerous stegodonts once found in Asia, the last of the mammoths, and several island species of dwarf elephants.

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Scorpiones (Scorpions)

**Scorpions** are predatory arachnids of the order **Scorpiones**. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping pedipalps and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger. Scorpions range in size from 9 mm / 0.3 in. (*Typhlochactas mitchelli*) to 23 cm / 9 in. (*Heterometrus swammerdami*).

The evolutionary history of scorpions goes back to the Silurian era 430 million years ago. They have adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions and can now be found on all continents except Antarctica. Scorpions number about 1750 described species, with 13 extant (living) families recognised to date. The taxonomy has undergone changes and is likely to change further, as genetic studies are bringing forth new information.

All scorpions have a venomous sting, but the vast majority of the species do not represent a serious threat to humans and in most cases healthy adults do not need any medical treatment after being stung. Only about 25 species are known to have venom capable of killing a human. In some parts of the world with highly toxic species human fatalities regularly occur, primarily in areas with limited access to medical treatment.

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Golden-belted Bumblebee

***Bombus balteatus***, the **golden-belted bumble bee**, is a species of bumblebee with a boreal and high altitude distribution in northern Eurasia and North America.

## Description

*Bombus balteatus* is a long-tongued bumblebee. Often the tongue length reaches two-thirds or more the length of the body. This morphological feature allows them to specialize on flowers with long corollas. In North America, workers can be identified by a distinctive black abdomen pattern and robust body.

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Otariidae (Eared Seals)

An **eared seal** or **otariid** or **otary** is any member of the marine mammal family **Otariidae**, one of three groupings of pinnipeds. They comprise 15 extant species in seven genera (another species became extinct in the 1950s) and are commonly known either as sea lions or fur seals, distinct from true seals (phocids) and the walrus(odobenids). Otariids are adapted to a semiaquatic lifestyle, feeding and migrating in the water, but breeding and resting on land or ice. They reside in subpolar, temperate, and equatorial waters throughout the Pacific and Southern Oceans and the southern Indian and Atlantic Oceans. They are conspicuously absent in the north Atlantic.

The words 'otariid' and 'otary' come from the Greek *otarion* meaning "little ear", referring to the small but visible external ear flaps (pinnae), which distinguishes them from the phocids.

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## Genus and Species

* Zalophus
	+ Z. californianus (California Sea Lion)
Hominidae (Great Apes)

The **Hominidae** (/hɒˈmɪnɪdiː/), whose members are known as **great apes** or **hominids**, are a taxonomic family of primates that includes eight extant species in four genera: *Pongo*, the Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutan; *Gorilla*, the eastern and western gorilla; *Pan*, the common chimpanzee and the bonobo; and *Homo*, which includes modern humans and its extinct relatives (e.g., the Neanderthal), and ancestors, such as *Homo erectus*.

Several revisions in classifying the great apes have caused the use of the term **"hominid"** to vary over time. Its original meaning referred only to humans (*Homo*) and their closest extinct relatives. That restrictive meaning has now been largely assumed by the term **"hominin"**, which comprises all members of the human clade after the split from the chimpanzees (*Pan*). See below for a fuller discussion of related and very similar terms, at Terminology. The current, 21st-century meaning of "hominid" includes all the great apes including humans. Usage still varies, however, and some scientists and laypersons still use "hominid" in the original restrictive sense; the scholarly literature generally shows the traditional usage until around the turn of the 21st century.

Within the taxon Hominidae, a number of extant and known extinct, that is, fossil, genera are grouped with the humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas in the subfamily Homininae; others with orangutans in the subfamily Ponginae (see classification graphic below). The most recent common ancestor of all Hominidae lived roughly 14 million years ago, when the ancestors of the orangutans speciated from the ancestral line of the other three genera. Those ancestors of the family Hominidae had already speciated from the family Hylobatidae (the gibbons), perhaps 15 million to 20 million years ago.

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## Genus and Species

* Pan
	+ P. troglodytes (Common Chimpanzee)
Green Anaconda

The **green anaconda** (*Eunectes murinus*), also known as the **common anaconda** and **water boa**, is a non-venomous boa species found in South America. It is the heaviest and one of the longest known extant snake species. The term *anaconda* often refers to this species, though the term could also apply to other members of the genus *Eunectes*.

The green anaconda's scientific name is derived from the Greek εὐνήκτης, meaning "good swimmer", and the Latin *murinus*, meaning "of mice", for being thought to prey on mice.

## Description

The green anaconda is the world's heaviest and one of the world's longest snakes, reaching 5.21 m (17.1 ft) long. More typical mature specimens reportedly can range up to 5 m (16.4 ft), with the females, at around a mean length of 4.6 m (15.1 ft), being generally much larger in adulthood than the male, which averages around 3 m (9.8 ft). Weights are less well studied, though will reportedly range from 30 to 70 kg (66 to 154 lb) in an average-range adult. It is the largest snake native to the Americas. Although it is slightly shorter than the reticulated python, it is far more robust: the bulk of a 4.5m green anaconda would be comparable to a 7.4m reticulated python. *Eunectes murinus* is probably the heaviest extant species of snake or squamate in the world, perhaps only rivaled by the Komodo dragon. Reports of anacondas 35–40 feet or even longer also exist, but such claims need to be regarded with caution, as no specimens of such lengths have ever been deposited in a museum and hard evidence is lacking. A $50,000 cash reward is offered for anyone who can catch an anaconda 30 ft (9.1 m) or longer, but the prize has not been claimed yet. The longest (and heaviest) verified specimen encountered by Dr. Jesús Antonio Rivas, who had examined thousands of anacondas, was a female measuring 5.21 m (17.1 ft) long and weighing 97.5 kg (215 lb).

Close-up of head

The color pattern consists of olive green background overlaid with black blotches along the length of the body. The head is narrow compared to the body, usually with distinctive orange-yellow striping on either side. The eyes are set high on the head, allowing the snake to see out of the water while swimming without exposing its body.

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Splash-back Poison Frog

The **splash-back poison frog** (*Ranitomeya variabilis*), also referred to as the **variable poison frog** or **Zimmermann's poison frog**, is a small species of poison dart frog known from the upper Huallaga River drainage of San Martín Region, Peru. It is semi-arboreal, living in the forest understory and canopy. Like other poison frogs, it contains alkaloid poisons. The mimic poison frog is a Müllerian mimic of this species.

The species was formerly considered to be synonym of *Ranitomeya ventrimaculata*.

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Red Kangaroo

The **red kangaroo** (*Macropus rufus*) is the largest of all kangaroos, the largest terrestrial mammal native to Australia, and the largest extant marsupial. It is found across mainland Australia, avoiding only the more fertile areas in the south, the east coast, and the northern rainforests.

## Description

This species is a very large kangaroo with long, pointed ears and a squared-off muzzle. They are sexually dimorphic as the males have short, red-brown fur, fading to pale buff below and on the limbs. Females are smaller than males and are blue-grey with a brown tinge, pale grey below, although arid zone females are coloured more like males. It has two forelimbs with small claws, two muscular hind-limbs, which are used for jumping, and a strong tail which is often used to create a tripod when standing upright. The red kangaroo's legs work much like a rubber band, with the Achilles tendon stretching as the animal comes down, then releasing its energy to propel the animal up and forward, enabling the characteristic bouncing locomotion. The males can cover 8–9 m (26.2–29.5 ft) in one leap while reaching heights of 1.8–3 m (5.9–9.8 ft), though the average is 1.2–1.9 m (3.9–6.2 ft)

Males grow up to a head-and-body length of 1.3–1.6 m (4.3–5.2 ft) with a tail that adds a further 1.2 to the total length. Females are considerably smaller, with a head-and-body length of 85–105 cm (33–41 in) and tail length of 65–85 cm (26–33 in). Females can weigh from 18 to 40 kg (40 to 88 lb), while males typically weigh around twice as much at 55 to 90 kg (121 to 198 lb). The average red kangaroo stands approximately 1.5 m (4.9 ft) tall to the top of the head in upright posture. Large mature males can stand more than 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall, with the largest confirmed one having been around 2.1 m (6.9 ft) tall and weighed 91 kg (201 lb).

The red kangaroo maintains its internal temperature at a point of homeostasis about 36 °C (97 °F) using a variety of physical, physiological, and behavioural adaptations. These include having an insulating layer of fur, being less active and staying in the shade when temperatures are high, panting, sweating, and licking its forelimbs.

The red kangaroo's range of vision is approximately 300° (324° with about 25° overlap), due to the position of its eyes.

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