recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Gila Monster

The **Gila monster** (*Heloderma suspectum*, /ˈhiːlə/ *HEE-lə*) is a species of venomous lizard native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. A heavy, typically slow-moving lizard, up to 60 cm (2.0 ft) long, the Gila monster is the only venomous lizard native to the United States and one of only two known species of venomous lizards in North America, the other being its close relative, the Mexican beaded lizard (*H. horridum*). Although the Gila monster is venomous, its sluggish nature means it represents little threat to humans. However, it has earned a fearsome reputation, and is sometimes killed despite being protected by state law in Arizona.

## Description

In this species, the largest extant lizard native to North America north of the Mexican border (non-natives like green iguanas are larger), snout-to-vent length is from 26 to 36 cm (10 to 14 in). The tail is about 20% of the body size and the largest specimens may reach 51 to 56 cm (20 to 22 in) in total length. Body mass is typically in the range of 350 to 700 g (0.77 to 1.54 lb), with 11 males having been found to average 468 g (1.032 lb). Reportedly, the very heaviest, largest specimens can weigh as much as 2,300 g (5.1 lb).

The Gila monster has one close living relative, the beaded lizard (*H. horridum*), as well as many extinct relatives in the Helodermatidae, the evolutionary history of which may be traced back to the Cretaceous period. The genus *Heloderma* has existed since the Miocene, when *H. texana* lived, and fragments of osteoderms from the Gila monster have been found in late Pleistocene (10,000–8,000 years ago) deposits near Las Vegas, Nevada. Because the helodermatids have remained relatively unchanged morphologically, they are occasionally regarded as living fossils. Although the Gila monster appears closely related to the monitor lizards (varanids) of Africa, Asia and Australia, their wide geographical separation and the unique features not found in the varanids indicate the Gila monster is better placed in a separate family.

The name "Gila" refers to the Gila River Basin in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Arizona, where the Gila monster was once plentiful. *Heloderma* means "studded skin", from the Ancient Greek words *helos* (ἧλος), "the head of a nail or stud", and *derma* (δέρμα), "skin". *Suspectum* comes from the describer, paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope, who suspected the lizard might be venomous due to the grooves in the teeth.

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Apis nigrocincta

***Apis nigrocincta*** is a species of honey bee that inhabits the Philippine island of Mindanao as well as the Indonesian islands of Sangihe and the Celebes or Sulawesi. The species is known to have queens with high mating frequencies, the most of any species of the tribe *Apini*.

It is a middle-sized species of the tribe *Apini*, compared to the larger *A. dorsata* or smaller *A. florea*.

## Description

The bees have a hind wing length ranging anywhere from 5.5 mm to 5.9 mm, and a hind wing width within the range of 1.35 mm to 1.5 mm. The bees have rust-colored scapes, legs, and cylpeuses, with reddish-tan hair color that covers most of the body.

*A. nigrocincta* has a proboscis characteristic to those of the tribe *Apis*. The proboscis is characterized by a tube around the glossa formed by the flat galae and basal segments of the labial palpi. Liquids are brought to the mouth through the tube by a back and forth movement of the glossa, capillary action, and suction through the mouth. The proboscis is stored in a large groove on the underside of the head, known as the proboscidial fossa, when not in use. Pollen is carried by scopal hairs on the underside of the abdomen or on the hind legs. Teeth and carinae are not present in the mandibles of workers. In females, the claws are cleft and ariola are present. The hind tibia and flabellum are similar to the tribe *Bombus*.

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Enteroctopodidae

**Enteroctopodidae** is a small family of octopuses. This family was formerly considered a subfamily of the family Octopodidae *sensu lato* but this family has now been divided into a number of separate families with Enteroctopodidae as one of them.

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## Genus and Species

* Enteroctopus
	+ E. dofleini (Giant Pacific Octopus)
Aedes mitchellae

***Aedes mitchellae*** mosquitoes were originally collected in southern Georgia and Florida in 1905 by entomologist Harrison Gray Dyar, Jr. The species' range extends through the coastal plains from the southeastern United States, north to New York and west to New Mexico with the greatest abundance in the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains.

## Description

The adults, which resemble *Aedes sollicitans*, are frequently captured in light traps. Adult females have been characterized as "severe biters" implying significance as a potential vector of arboviral diseases.

Larvae develop in fresh water in temporary rain-filled pools such as recently dug holes, puddles, temporary pools, and ditches, sometimes with emergent vegetation. In the extreme south they are reportedly found throughout the year following rains.

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Atlantic Stargazer

**Atlantic stargazer** (*Uranoscopus scaber*) is a marine, subtropical fish of family Uranoscopidae. Its body is suited for living on the sea floor, and is one of few fish capable of bioelectrogenesis, or the ability to generate an electric charge.

## Description

Typical of stargazers, its body is somewhat dorso-ventrally flattened, lacks a swimbladder, and have been found as large as 35.0 centimeters in length, but is usually between 20–30 cm. Its head and jaws are rotated upward, and has very large eyes and mouth. Its body is brown in color and can have numerous small light spots, with a lighter belly. It lives to about 5 or 6 years, and females are larger in size than males.

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Burmese Python

The **Burmese python** (*Python bivittatus*) is one of the five largest species of snakes in the world (about the third-largest as measured either by length or weight). It is native to a large area of tropical South and Southeast Asia. Until 2009, it was considered a subspecies of *Python molurus*, but now is recognized as belonging to a distinct species.

They are often found near water and are sometimes semi-aquatic, but can also be found in trees. Wild individuals average 3.7 m (12.1 ft) long, but have been known to reach 5.74 m (18.8 ft).

## Description

Burmese pythons are dark-colored snakes with many brown blotches bordered in black down the back. The perceived attractiveness of their skin pattern contributes to their popularity with both reptile keepers and the leather industry. The pattern is similar in colour, but different in actual pattern from the African rock python (*Python sebae*), sometimes resulting in confusion of the two species outside of their natural habitats. The African rock python can generally be distinguished by its tighter pattern of markings, compared to the Burmese python, which has bolder patterns, similar to those seen on a giraffe.

In the wild, Burmese pythons grow to 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in) on average, while specimens of more than 4 m (13 ft 1 in) are uncommon. This species is sexually dimorphic in size; females average only slightly longer, but are considerably heavier and bulkier than the males. For examples, length-weight comparisons in captive Burmese pythons for individual females have shown: at 3.47 m (11 ft 5 in) length, a specimen weighed 29 kg (64 lb), a specimen of just over 4 m (13 ft 1 in) weighed 36 kg (79 lb), a specimen of 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in) weighed 40 kg (88 lb), and a specimen of 5 m (16 ft 5 in) weighed 75 kg (165 lb). In comparison, length-weight comparisons for males found: a specimen of 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) weighed 12 kg (26 lb), 2.97 m (9 ft 9 in) weighed 14.5 kg (32 lb), a specimen of 3 m (9 ft 10 in) weighed 7 kg (15 lb), and a specimen of 3.05 m (10 ft 0 in) weighed 18.5 kg (41 lb). In general, individuals over 5 m (16 ft 5 in) are rare. The record maximum length for Burmese pythons is held by a female named “Baby”, that lived at Serpent Safari, Gurnee, Illinois, for 27 years. Shortly after death, her actual length was determined to be 5.74 m (18 ft 10 in). Widely published data of specimens that were reported to have been even several feet longer are not verified. Dwarf forms occur on Java, Bali, and Sulawesi. On Bali, they reach an average length of 2 m (6 ft 7 in), and on Sulawesi, they achieve a maximum of 2.5 m (8.2 ft).

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Dog Tick

***Ixodes canisuga***, the **dog tick**, is a species of tick in the family Ixodidae that can be found in Russia and throughout Europe where it feeds on foxes, cats, dogs, horses, badgers and sheep. It has a thick cuticle which allows it to withstand dry conditions.

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Buff-tailed Bumblebee

***Bombus terrestris***, the **buff-tailed bumblebee** or **large earth bumblebee,** is one of the most numerous bumblebee species in Europe. It is one of the main species used in greenhouse pollination, and so can be found in many countries and areas where it is not native, such as Tasmania. Moreover, it is a eusocial insect with an overlap of generations, a division of labor, and cooperative brood care. The queen is monandrous which means she mates with only one male. *B. terrestris* workers learn flower colors and forage efficiently.

## Description

*B. terrestris* are pollen-storing bees that generally feed and forage on nectar and pollen. The queen is between 20–22 mm long, males range from 14–16 mm, and workers from 11–17 mm. Workers have white-ended abdomens, and look just like workers of the white-tailed bumblebee, *B. lucorum*, a close relative, apart from the yellowish bands of *B. terrestris* being darker in direct comparison. The queens of *B. terrestris* have the namesake buff-white abdomen tip ("tail"); this area is white as in the workers in *B. lucorum.* *B. terrestris* is unique compared to other bees in that their caste of workers exhibit a wide variation in worker size, with thorax sizes ranging from 2.3 to 6.9 mm in length and masses ranging from 68 to 754 mg.

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Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)

The **falcons** and **caracaras** are around 60 species of diurnal birds of prey that make up the family **Falconidae**. The family is divided into two subfamilies, Polyborinae, which includes the caracaras and forest falcons, and **Falconinae**, the falcons, kestrels and falconets (*Microhierax* and *Spiziapteryx*). They differ from the eagles of Accipitridae, in that falcons kill with their beaks instead of their taloned feet. They have a "tooth" on the side of their beak for this purpose.

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## Genus and Species

* Falco
	+ F. peregrinus (Peregrine Falcon)
Felidae (Cats)

The biological family **Felidae** is a lineage of carnivorans colloquially referred to as **cats**. A member of this family is also called a **felid**. The term "cat" refers both to felids in general and specifically to domestic cats. The characteristic features of cats have evolved to support a carnivorous lifestyle, with adaptations for ambush or stalking and short pursuit hunting. They have gracile and muscular bodies, strong flexible forelimbs and retractable claws for holding prey, dental and cranial adaptations for a strong bite, and often have characteristic striped or spotted coat patterns for camouflage. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they are dependent on nutrients in animal flesh for survival, and because of the large proportion of meat in their diet are sometimes referred to as hypercarnivores. Of the 13 terrestrial families in the order Carnivora, they are the strictest carnivores.

Living cats belong to two subfamilies, the Pantherinae and Felinae. The former comprises the "big cats" (the tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard and Sunda clouded leopard). Felinae comprises all the non-pantherine cats, which range in size from the small rusty-spotted cat to the big cat–sized puma and includes such diverse forms as the lynx, ocelot, serval and cheetah, as well as the domestic cat.

The first cats emerged during the Oligocene, about 25 million years ago, with the appearance of *Proailurus* and *Pseudaelurus*. The latter species complexwas ancestral to two main lines of felids, the cats in the extant subfamilies and a third major group of extinct cats, which are assigned to the subfamily Machairodontinae. The machairodonts included the saber-toothed cats such as the *Smilodon*. The "false sabre toothed cats", the Barbourofelidae and Nimravidae, are not true cats, but are closely related and together with Felidae and other cat-like carnivores (hyaenas, viverrids and mongooses) make up the feliform carnivores.

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## Genus and Species

* Lynx
	+ L. lynx (Eurasian Lynx)
* Panthera
	+ P. leo (Lion)
	+ P. onca (Jaguar)
	+ P. pardus (Leopard)
	+ P. tigris (Tiger)
* Puma
	+ P. concolor (Cougar)
European Fire-bellied Toad

The **European fire-bellied toad** (*Bombina bombina*) is a fire-bellied toad native to mainland Europe.

## Description

European fire-bellied toads have a bright lime green dorsal traversed by black spots, and orange to bright red bellies with black bars and stripes. The skin is mildly bumpy, the eyes set high to suit a semi-aquatic life style, and also well webbed back feet. Color and body variations will be described for each of the other 3 species commonly sold as or mistaken for Oriental fire-bellied toads. They are the largest of the bombina family. They are commonly darker than Fire-bellied toads from Asia.

The European fire-bellied toad is 26–60 mm long and may weigh 2-13.9 g. The body is depressed. Above, the skin is densely covered in low tubercles with black horny spines. There are no parotids behind the eyes but paired and arched gland complexes at the neck. The eardrums are not visible. Inner vocal sacs are present at the throat and webbings are well developed at the hind feet. The pupils are heart-shaped. The body colour is grey, brown or green with dark spots on the upper side and blackish with larger orange or red and smaller white spots on the underside. The skin produces a poison to protect itself from bacteria and fungi or the animal from vertebrates. This poison is irritating to mucous membranes. The eggs are brown above and lighter below. They are 1.4-1.8 mm large coated with a transparent jelly of 5–8 mm in diameter. Tadpoles may reach a length of 55 mm and are brownish above with two longitudinal pale bands along the backbone. The mouth field is triangular and the flipper is reticulated.

When they shed their skin, they bloat themselves and make a coughing sound, then start to tear the old skin off with their mouth, and eat it for nutrition, to reveal newer, brighter skin.

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Echinoidea (Sea Urchins)

**Sea urchins** or **urchins** (/ˈɜːrtʃɪnz/) are spiny, globular animals, echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species inhabit all oceans, and zones from the intertidal to 5,000 metres (16,000 ft; 2,700 fathoms) deep. Their tests (hard shells) are round and spiny, typically from 3 to 10 cm (1.2 to 3.9 in) across. Sea urchins move slowly, crawling with their tube feet, and defended by their sharp spines, which are sometimes toxic. They feed primarily on algae but also eat slow-moving or sessile animals. Their predators include sea otters, starfish, wolf eels, and triggerfish. The name "urchin" is an old word for hedgehog, which sea urchins resemble; they have archaically been called **sea hedgehogs**. The name is derived from Old French *herichun*, from Latin *ericius*, hedgehog.

Like other echinoderms, urchins have fivefold symmetry as adults, but their pluteus larvae have bilateral (mirror) symmetry, indicating that they belong to the Bilateria, the large group of animal phyla that includes chordates, arthropods, annelids and molluscs. They are widely distributed across all the oceans, all climates from tropical to polar, and inhabit most marine habitats from rocky shores to hadal zone depths. Echinoids have a rich fossil record dating back to the Ordovician, some 450 million years ago. Their closest relatives are the sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea) among the echinoderms, which are deuterostomes, along with the chordates.

Humans often notice sea urchins when swimmers are injured by the animals' sharp and sometimes poisonous spines. The animals have been studied since the 19th century as model organisms in developmental biology, as their embryos were easy to observe; this has continued with studies of their genomes because of their unusual fivefold symmetry and relationship to chordates. Species such as the slate pencil urchin are popular in aquariums, where they are useful for controlling algae. Fossil urchins have been used as protective amulets.

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## Orders

* Camarodonta
* Diadematoida
Eastern Coral Snake

***Micrurus fulvius***, commonly known as the **eastern coral snake**, **common coral snake**, **American cobra**, and more, is a species of venomous snake in the familyElapidae. The species is endemic to the southeastern United States. It should not be confused with the scarlet snake (*Cemophora coccinea*) or scarlet kingsnake(*Lampropeltis elapsoides*), which are harmless mimics. No subspecies are currently recognized.

## Description

*Micrurus fulvius* is generally less than 80 cm (31 in) in total length (including tail). The maximum reported total lengths are 121.8 cm (48.0 in) for a specimen in Florida (Niell, 1958) and 129.5 cm (51.0 in) (Roze, 1996). Males have longer tails than females, but females reach a greater total length.

The dorsal scales are smooth, and are in 15 rows at midbody. The ventral scales number 197-217 in males and 219-233 in females. There are 40-47 subcaudals in males and 30-37 in females. The anal plate is divided.

The color pattern consists of a series of rings that encircle the body: wide red and black rings separated by narrow yellow rings. The head is black from the rostral to just behind the eyes. The red rings are usually speckled with black. People who live in its natural range are often taught a folk rhyme as children such as: "Red next to black, safe from attack; red next to yellow, you're a dead fellow," or "Red touching black, friend of Jack; red touching yellow, you're a dead fellow", or simply "red and yellow kill a fellow". These rhymes are useful in teaching children to distinguish king snakes (*Lampropeltis* ssp.), which are considered helpful predators of vermin such as rats and mice, from this much more dangerous snake that should only be handled by an experienced biologist or herpetologist. However, this rhyme is only applicable to the United States species, and cannot be used reliably in the Caribbean, or Central or South America.

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Chrysops sepulcralis

***Chrysops sepulcralis*** is a species of 'horse flies' belonging to the family Tabanidae.

It is a Palearctic species with a limited distribution in Europe.

## Description

The abdomen is black, dorsally and ventrally, and without a conspicuous yellow pattern. The frons and face are almost entirely bare, shining brown.

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Giant Whip Scorpion

***Mastigoproctus giganteus***, the **giant whip scorpion**, also called the **giant vinegarroon** or **grampus**, is a species of whip scorpions in the family Thelyphonidae.

## Description

This species can grow to be 40–60 millimetres (1.6–2.4 in) long, excluding the tail. They have six legs used for movement, two long, thin front legs that they use to feel around for prey and detect vibrations, and two large pedipalps modified into claws that they use to crush their prey. They have a long, thin, whip-like tail, the origin of the common name whipscorpion. From the base of this tail they can spray a substance composed of 85% acetic acid in order to defend themselves. Acetic acid is the main component of vinegar, so the spray smells strongly of vinegar, leading to the common name "vinegarroon".

*Mastigoproctus giganteus* have eight eyes: two in a pair on the front of the head and three on each side of the head. These eyes are very weak, so *Mastigoproctus giganteus* navigates mostly by feeling with its long front legs, tail, and pedipalps.

It lives in the southern US and in Mexico. *Mastigoproctus giganteus* preys on various insects, worms, and slugs.

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Common Desert Centipede

***Scolopendra polymorpha***, the **common desert centipede**, **tiger centipede**, **banded desert centipede**, or **Sonoran Desert centipede**, is indigenous to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico, north to the Pacific coast. It inhabits dry grasslands, forest, and desert; in these habitats, the centipedes generally take up residence under rocks, though they have been observed creating burrows in suitable environments and inside rotting logs.

## Description

Their bodies generally reach 4–7 in (10–18 cm) in length. Coloration is variable, hence the species name *polymorpha* which means "many forms", and alternative common names like "multicolored centipede". The body segments have one dark lateral stripe, so they are also known as the tiger centipede or tiger-striped centipede. Generally, this species has a darker brown-, red-, or orange-colored head and lighter brown, tan, or orange body segments with yellow legs. Its antennae have seven or more smooth segments.

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Franklin's Bumblebee

**Franklin's bumblebee** (*Bombus franklini*) is known to be one of the most narrowly distributed bumblebee species, making it a critically endangered bee of the western United States. It is known only from a 190-by-70-mile (310 by 110 km) area in southern Oregon and northern California, between the Coast and Sierra-Cascade mountain ranges. It was also abundant in southwest Washington. It was last seen in 2006. Franklin's bumblebee is known to collect and nectar pollen from several wildflowers, such as lupine, California poppy, and horsemint, which causes it to be classified as a generalist forager.

## Description

Franklin's bumblebee is distinguished from other bumblebees by a solid black abdomen, with yellow anteriorly on the thorax in a U-shaped design. Females have black hair on their faces and the vertices, with some light hairs mixed above and below their antennal bases, while most similar bumblebee species have yellow. Males of this species are similar except their malar spaces are long and wide, the hair on males' faces is yellow, and tergum 6 has some pale hairs laterally.

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Common Krait

The **common krait** (*Bungarus caeruleus*), also known as **Indian krait** or **blue krait**) is a species of venomous snake of the genus *Bungarus* found in the jungles of the Indian subcontinent. It is a member of the "big four" species, inflicting the most snakebites on humans in India.

## Description

The average length is 0.9 m (3.0 ft), but they can grow to 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in). Males are longer, with proportionately longer tails. The head is flat and the neck hardly evident. The body is cylindrical, tapering towards the tail. The tail is short and rounded. The eyes are rather small, with rounded pupils, indistinguishable in life. The head shields are normal, with no loreals; four shields occur along the margin of the lower lip; the third and fourth supraoculars touch the eye. The scales are highly polished, in 15-17 rows; the vertebral row is distinctly enlarged and hexagonal. Ventrals number 185-225 and caudals 37-50, entire.

Colouration is generally black or bluish black, with about 40 thin, white crossbars which may be indistinct or absent anteriorly. The pattern, however, is complete and well defined in the young, which are marked with conspicuous crossbars even anteriorly; in old individuals, the narrow white lines may be found as a series of connected spots, with a prominent spot on the vertebral region. A white preocular spot may be present; the upper lips and the belly are white.

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Dasyatidae (Whiptail Stingrays)

The **whiptail stingrays** are a family, the **Dasyatidae**, of rays in the order Myliobatiformes. They are found worldwide in tropical to temperate marine waters, and a number of species have also penetrated into fresh water in Africa, Asia, and Australia. Members of this family have flattened pectoral fin discs that range from oval to diamond-like in shape. Their common name comes from their whip-like tails, which are much longer than the disc and lack dorsal and caudal fins. All whiptail stingrays, except the porcupine ray (*Urogymnus asperrimus*), have one or more venomous stings near the base of the tail, which is used in defense. They range in size from 0.18 to 2.0 m (0.59 to 6.56 ft) or more across.

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## Genus and Species

* Dasyatis
	+ D. pastinaca (Common Stingray)
Giant Spitting Cobra

***Naja ashei***, commonly known as **Ashe's spitting cobra** or the **giant spitting cobra**, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Africa. It is the world's largest species of spitting cobra.

## Description

*N. ashei*, the largest spitting cobra, averages around 1.3–2.0 m (4.3–6.6 ft) in total length (including tail). The largest specimen of this species to date, caught in Kenya, was 2.7 m (8.9 ft) in total length. Some *N. nigricollis* may also reach such sizes, but this is very exceptional, whereas on the Kenyan coast, specimens of *N. ashei* of more than 2 m (6.6 ft) are not uncommon.

*N. ashei* is very heavily built with a big head. Its colour varies in different shades of brown from light grey through pale mustard to dark brown. It is pale in colour along the belly, sometimes with slight speckling or blotches, with a dark brown throat band. It has 17 to 25 midbody dorsal scale rows, 176 to 219 ventrals, and 51 to 69 subcaudals, with an entire anal scale across the vent.

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Fire Salamander

The **fire salamander** (*Salamandra salamandra*) is possibly the best-known salamander species in Europe.

It is black with yellow spots or stripes to a varying degree; some specimens can be nearly completely black while on others the yellow is dominant. Shades of red and orange may sometimes appear, either replacing or mixing with the yellow according to subspecies. Fire salamanders can have a very long lifespan; one specimen lived for more than 50 years in Museum Koenig, a German natural history museum.

## Description

Fire salamanders live in central European forests and are more common in hilly areas. They prefer deciduous forests, since they like to hide in fallen leaves and around mossy tree trunks. They need small brooks or ponds with clean water in their habitat for the development of the larvae. Whether on land or in water, fire salamanders are inconspicuous. They spend much of their time hidden under wood or other objects. They are active in the evening and the night, but on rainy days they are active in daytime as well.

The diet of the fire salamander consists of various insects, spiders, earthworms and slugs, but they also occasionally eat newts and young frogs. In captivity, they eat crickets, mealworms, waxworms and silkworm larvae. Small prey will be caught within the range of the vomerine teeth or by the posterior half of the tongue, to which the prey adheres. It weighs about 40 grams. The fire salamander can grow to be 15–25 centimetres (5.9–9.8 in) long.

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Deer Tick

***Ixodes scapularis*** is commonly known as the **deer tick** or **black-legged tick** (although some people reserve the latter term for *Ixodes pacificus*, which is found on the West Coast of the USA), and in some parts of the USA as the **bear tick**. It is a hard-bodied tick (family Ixodidae) of the eastern and northern Midwestern United States. It is a vector for several diseases of animals, including humans (Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, Powassan virus disease, etc.) and is known as the deer tick owing to its habit of parasitizing the white-tailed deer. It is also known to parasitize mice, lizards, migratory birds, etc. especially while the tick is in the larval or nymphal stage.

## Description

The image shown here—and in fact, most images of *Ixodes scapularis* that are commonly available—show an adult that is unengorged, that is, an adult that has not had a blood meal. This is natural, since ticks are generally removed immediately upon discovery to minimize the chance of disease. However, the abdomen that holds blood is so much larger when engorged and looks so different from the rest of the tick that it would be easy to assume that an engorged specimen of *Ixodes scapularis* is an entirely different tick (see photo below).

When the deer tick has consumed a blood meal, its abdomen will be a light grayish-blue color, whereas the tick itself is chiefly black. In identifying an engorged tick, it is helpful to concentrate on the legs and upper part of the body.

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Cat Flea

The **cat flea** (scientific name ***Ctenocephalides felis***) is an extremely common parasitic insect whose principal host is the domestic cat, although a high proportion of the fleas found on dogs also belong to this species (this despite the widespread existence of a separate and well-established "dog" flea, *Ctenocephalides canis*).

## Description

The cat flea belongs to the insect order Siphonaptera (Ancient Greek *siphono-* "tube" or "siphon" + *a* "not" + *ptera* "wing", the tube-drinking wingless insects) which in its adult stage is an obligatory hematophage. Adults of both sexes range from 1–2 mm long and are usually a reddish-brown colour, although the abdomens of gravid females often swell with eggs causing them to appear banded in cream and dark brown. Like all fleas, the cat flea is compressed laterally allowing it to slip between the sometimes dense hairs of its host just above the top layer of the skin, resulting in an extremely thin insect that may be difficult to observe even if the host's coat is pure white.

The cat flea affects both the cat and the dog worldwide. The cat flea can also maintain its life cycle on other carnivores and on omnivores, but these are only chosen when more acceptable hosts become unavailable. Adult cat fleas do not willingly leave their hosts, and inter-animal transfer of *adult* fleas is rare except in animals that share sleeping quarters. A flea which becomes separated from its host will often die within hours from starvation.

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Elephantidae (Elephants and Mammoths)

**Elephantidae** is a family of large, herbivorous mammals collectively called elephants and mammoths. These are terrestrial large mammals with a snout modified into a trunk and teeth modified into tusks. Most genera and species in the family are extinct. Only two genera, *Loxodonta* (African elephants) and *Elephas* (Asiatic elephants), are living.

The family was first described by John Edward Gray in 1821, and later assigned to taxonomic ranks within the order Proboscidea. *Elephantidae* have also been revised by various authors to include or exclude other extinct proboscidean genera.

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## Genus and Species

* Loxodonta
	+ L. africana (African Bush Elephant)
Beloniformes

**Beloniformes** is an order composed of six families (and about 264 species) of freshwater and marine ray-finned fish.

With the exception of the Adrianichthyidae, these are streamlined, medium-sized fishes that live close to the surface of the water, feeding on algae, plankton, or smaller animals including other fishes. Most are marine, though a few needlefish and halfbeaks inhabit brackish and fresh waters.

The order is sometimes divided up into two suborders, the Adrianichthyoidei and the Belonoidei. The Adrianichthyoidei contain only a single family, the Adrianichthyidae. Originally, the Adrianichthyidae were included in the Cyprinidontiformes and assumed to be closely related to the killifish, but a closer relationship to the beloniforms is indicated by various characteristics including the absence of the interhyal, resulting in the upper jaw being fixed or not protrusible. The Belonoidei may also be further subdivided into two superfamilies, the Scomberesocoidea and the Exocoetoidea. The Scomberesocoidea contain the Belonidae and Scomberesocidae, while the Exocoetoidea comprise the Exocoetidae and Hemiramphidae. However, newer evidence shows the flyingfishes are nested within the halfbeaks, and the needlefish and sauries are nested within the subfamily Zenarchopterinae of the family Hemiramphidae, which has been recognized as its own family. The sauries are also nested within the family Belonidae.

The beloniforms display an interesting array of jaw morphologies. The basal condition in the order excluding the ricefishes is an elongated lower jaw in juveniles and adults as represented in halfbeaks. In the needlefish and sauries, both jaws are elongated in the adults; the juveniles of most species develop through a "halfbeak stage" before having both jaws elongated. The elongated lower jaw is lost in adults and is lost in most juveniles in the flyingfishes and some halfbeak genera.

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Anthozoa (Coral)

**Corals** are marine invertebrates in the class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria. They typically live in compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.

A coral "group" is a colony of myriad genetically identical polyps. Each polyp is a sac-like animal typically only a few millimeters in diameter and a few centimeters in length. A set of tentacles surround a central mouth opening. An exoskeleton is excreted near the base. Over many generations, the colony thus creates a large skeleton characteristic of the species. Individual heads grow by asexual reproduction of polyps. Corals also breed sexually by spawning: polyps of the same species release gametes simultaneously over a period of one to several nights around a full moon.

Although some corals are able to catch small fish and plankton using stinging cells on their tentacles, most corals obtain the majority of their energy and nutrients from photosynthetic unicellular dinoflagellates in the genus *Symbiodinium* that live within their tissues. These are commonly known as zooxanthellae. Such corals require sunlight and grow in clear, shallow water, typically at depths less than 60 metres (200 ft). Corals are major contributors to the physical structure of the coral reefs that develop in tropical and subtropical waters, such as the enormous Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia.

Other corals do not rely on zooxanthellae and can live in much deeper water, with the cold-water genus *Lophelia* surviving as deep as 3,300 metres (10,800 ft). Some have been found on the Darwin Mounds, north-west of Cape Wrath, Scotland, and others as far north as off the coast of Washington State and the Aleutian Islands.

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Brazilian Wandering Spider

***Phoneutria fera*** is a species of spider in the family Ctenidae found in South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Suriname and Guyana). It is commonly known as the **Brazilian wandering spider** as well as the banana spider, although these names are applied to other species in the genus *Phoneutria*, particularly *Phoneutria nigriventer*.

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Black Fat-tailed Scorpion

The **Black fat–tailed scorpion** (***Androctonus bicolor***) is a scorpion species, belonging to the family Buthidae. It is black in color and can grow up to 9 cm.

## Description

Black fat–tailed scorpions come from the family Buthidae, which is the largest of the scorpion family. They can be identified by their hefty physique. They tend to move very fast, and are of an aggressive nature. Black fat–tailed scorpions can live for up to 5 years. Adults can reach up to 40-60 millimeters, 80 millimeters being the maximum. These scorpions typically possess black and brown coloration. These scorpions enjoy making scrapes with wood and rocks, and are nocturnal, thus they hide in crevices or certain objects during the day. They stay in shade to retain moisture (that they obtain from prey) in their bodies, as they are susceptible to losing moisture due to their environmental preference.

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Chrysops viduatus

***Chrysops viduatus*** is a species of 'horse flies' belonging to the family Tabanidae.

It is a Palearctic species with a limited distribution in Europe.

## Description

The middle tibiae of *C. viduatus* are distinctly yellow-brown. The second abdominal segment is yellow with a well-defined quadrate black spot.

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Cranchiidae (Glass Squid)

The family **Cranchiidae** comprises the approximately 60 species of **glass squid**, also known as **cockatoo squid**, **cranchiid**, **cranch squid**, or **bathyscaphoid squid**. Cranchiid squid occur in surface and midwater depths of open oceans around the world. They range in mantle length from 10 cm (3.9 in) to over 3 m (9.8 ft), in the case of the colossal squid. The common name, glass squid, derives from the transparent nature of most species. Cranchiid squid spend much of their lives in partially sunlit shallow waters, where their transparency provides camouflage. They are characterised by a swollen body and short arms, which bear two rows of suckers or hooks. The third arm pair is often enlarged. Many species are bioluminescent organisms and possess light organs on the undersides of their eyes, used to cancel their shadows. Eye morphology varies widely, ranging from large and circular to telescopic and stalked. A large, fluid-filled chamber containing ammonia solution is used to aid buoyancy. This buoyancy system is unique to the family and is the source of their common name "bathyscaphoid squid", after their resemblance to a bathyscaphe. Often the only organ that is visible through the transparent tissues is a cigar-shaped digestive gland, which is the cephalopod equivalent of a mammalian liver. This is usually held in a vertical position to reduce its silhouette and a light organ is sometimes present on the lower tip to further minimise its appearance in the water.

Like most squid, the juveniles of cranchiid squid live in surface waters, descending to deeper waters as they mature. Some species live over 2 km below sea level. The body shape of many species changes drastically between growth stages, and many young examples could be confused for different species altogether.

Cranchiid squid represent no interest to commercial fisheries.

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## Genus and Species

* Mesonychoteuthis
	+ M. hamiltoni (Colossal Squid)
Glossinidae (Tsetse Flies)

**setse** (/ˈsiːtsi/ *SEET-see*, US: /ˈtsiːtsi/ *TSEET-see* or UK: /ˈtsɛtsi/ *TSET-see*), sometimes spelled **tzetze** and also known as **tik-tik** flies, are large biting flies that inhabit much of tropical Africa. Tsetse flies include all the species in the genus ***Glossina***, which are placed in their own family, **Glossinidae**. The tsetse are obligate parasites that live by feeding on the blood of vertebrate animals. Tsetse have been extensively studied because of their role in transmitting disease. They have a prominent economic impact in sub-Saharan Africa as the biological vectors of trypanosomes, which cause human sleeping sickness and animal trypanosomiasis. Tsetse are multivoltine and long-lived, typically producing about four broods per year, and up to 31 broods over their lifespans.

Tsetse can be distinguished from other large flies by two easily observed features. Tsetse fold their wings completely when they are resting so that one wing rests directly on top of the other over their abdomens. Tsetse also have a long proboscis, which extends directly forward and is attached by a distinct bulb to the bottom of their heads.

Fossilized tsetse have been recovered from the Florissant Fossil Beds in Colorado, laid down some 34 million years ago. Twenty-three extant species of tsetse flies are known from Africa.

Tsetse were absent from much of southern and eastern Africa until colonial times. The accidental introduction of rinderpest in 1887 killed most of the cattle in these areas, and the resulting famine removed much of the human population. Thorny bush ideal for tsetse quickly grew up, and was populated by wild mammals. Tsetse and sleeping sickness soon colonised the whole region, effectively excluding farming and animal husbandry. Hunters and conservationists supposed that the empty, game-rich land was typical of primeval Africa. Large areas were turned over to reserves, first for game hunting and later for conservation. Sleeping sickness was described by conservationists as "the best game warden in Africa".

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## Genus and Species

* Glossina
	+ G. austeni
	+ G. caliginea
	+ G. fusca
		- G. f. fusca
	+ G. fuscipes
		- G. f. fuscipes
		- G. f. martinii
		- G. f. quanzensis
	+ G. fuscipleuris
	+ G. frezili
	+ G. haningtoni
	+ G. longipennis
	+ G. medicorum
	+ G. morsitans
	+ G. nashi
	+ G. nigrofusca
		- G. n. nigrofusca
	+ G. pallicera
		- G. p. pallicera
		- G. p. newsteadi
	+ G. pallidipes
	+ G. palpalis
		- G. p. palpalis
		- G. p. gambiensis
	+ G. severini
	+ G. schwetzi
	+ G. swynnertoni
	+ G. tabaniformis
	+ G. tachinoides
	+ G. vanhoofi
Aboriginal Cockroach

The **aboriginal cockroach** (*Periplaneta aboriginea*) is a species of cockroach belonging to the family Blattidae. Unlike the related (and misnamed) Australian cockroach, this is an Australian native endemic, only recorded from the northern part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, as far north as the Cape York Peninsula.

This species, which is capable of flight, is usually found underneath tree bark.

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Aedes bahamensis

***Aedes bahamensis***, also known as *Howardina bahamensis*, is a mosquito native to the Caribbean and Bahamas, which was first discovered in two counties of southern Florida in 1986. The females of the species do not require a blood meal to produce eggs, although they will bite if starved of nectar or in order to produce a second brood. They are thought to be capable of transmitting St. Louis encephalitis.

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Coleoptera (Beetles)

**Beetles** are a group of insects that form the order **Coleoptera**, in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings is hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 species, is the largest of all orders, constituting almost 40% of described insects and 25% of all known animal life-forms; new species are discovered frequently. The largest of all families, the Curculionidae (weevils) with some 70,000 member species, belongs to this order. They are found in almost every habitat except the sea and the polar regions. They interact with their ecosystems in several ways: beetles often feed on plants and fungi, break down animal and plant debris, and eat other invertebrates. Some species are serious agricultural pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, while others such as Coccinellidae (ladybirds or ladybugs) eat aphids, scale insects, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects that damage crops.

Beetles typically have a particularly hard exoskeleton including the elytra, though some such as the rove beetles have very short elytra while blister beetles have softer elytra. The general anatomy of a beetle is quite uniform and typical of insects, although there are several examples of novelty, such as adaptations in water beetles which trap air bubbles under the elytra for use while diving. Beetles are endopterygotes, which means that they undergo complete metamorphosis, with a series of conspicuous and relatively abrupt changes in body structure between hatching and becoming adult after a relatively immobile pupal stage. Some, such as stag beetles, have a marked sexual dimorphism, the males possessing enormously enlarged mandibles which they use to fight other males. Many beetles are aposematic, with bright colours and patterns warning of their toxicity, while others are harmless Batesian mimics of such insects. Many beetles, including those that live in sandy places, have effective camouflage.

Beetles are prominent in human culture, from the sacred scarabs of ancient Egypt to beetlewing art and use as pets or fighting insects for entertainment and gambling. Many beetle groups are brightly and attractively coloured making them objects of collection and decorative displays. Over 300 species are used as food, mostly as larvae; species widely consumed include mealworms and rhinoceros beetle larvae. However, the major impact of beetles on human life is as agricultural, forestry, and horticultural pests. Serious pests include the boll weevil of cotton, the Colorado potato beetle, the coconut hispine beetle, and the mountain pine beetle. Most beetles, however, do not cause economic damage and many, such as the lady beetles and dung beetles are beneficial by helping to control insect pests.

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## Families

* Carabidae
* Cerambycidae
* Meloidae
* Staphylinidae
Dasyuromorphia

The order **Dasyuromorphia** (meaning "hairy tail") comprises most of the Australian carnivorous marsupials, including quolls, dunnarts, the numbat, the Tasmanian devil, and the thylacine. In Australia, the exceptions include the omnivorous bandicoots (order Peramelemorphia) and the marsupial moles (which eat meat but are very different and are now accorded an order of their own, Notoryctemorphia). Numerous South American species of marsupials (orders Didelphimorphia, Paucituberculata, and Microbiotheria) are also carnivorous.

There are four families: one with just a single living species (the numbat), two with only extinct species (including the thylacine and *Malleodectes*), and one, the Dasyuridae, with about 70 living members.

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Alestidae

**African tetras** (family **Alestidae**, formerly spelled **Alestiidae**) are a group of characiform fish exclusively found in Africa. This family contains about 18 genera and 119 species. Among the best known members are the Congo tetra, and African tigerfish.

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## Genus and Species

* Hydrocynus
	+ H. forskahlii (Elongate Tigerfish)
Castor Bean Tick

***Ixodes ricinus***, the **castor bean tick**, is a chiefly European species of hard-bodied tick. It may reach a length of 11 mm (0.43 in) when engorged with a blood meal, and can transmit both bacterial and viral pathogens such as the causative agents of Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis.

## Description

In common with other species of *Ixodes*, *I. ricinus* has no eyes and is not ornate; it has no festoons (wrinkles along the posterior margin). The palpi are longer than they are wide, and an anal groove is above the anus. It has a hard dorsal shield which covers the entire opisthosoma (abdomen), but only part of it in females and nymphs. *I. ricinus* is the largest of the three common species of *Ixodes* in the British Isles (the other two being *I. canisuga*, the British dog tick, and *I. trianguliceps*, the vole tick). Adult males are 2.4–2.8 mm (0.09–0.11 in) long, and unfed nymphs are 1.3–1.5 mm (0.05–0.06 in) long; females are 3.0–3.6 mm (0.12–0.14 in) long before feeding and 11 mm (0.43 in) long when engorged.

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