recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Giant African Millipede

***Archispirostreptus gigas***, the **giant African millipede**, is the largest extant species of millipede, growing up to 38.5 centimetres (15.2 in) in length, 67 millimetres (2.6 in) in circumference. It has approximately 256 legs, although the number of legs changes with each molting so it can vary according to each individual.

It is a widespread species in lowland parts of East Africa, from Mozambique to Kenya, but rarely reaches altitudes above 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). It lives mostly in forests, but can also be found in areas of coastal habitat that contain at least a few trees. It is known in Zulu as *amashongololo*. It is also native to Southern Arabia, especially Dhofar.

In general, giant millipedes have a life expectancy of about 5–7 years. Giant millipedes have two main modes of defence if they feel threatened: curling into a tight spiral exposing only the hard exoskeleton, and secretion of an irritating liquid from pores on their body. This liquid can be harmful if introduced into the eyes or mouth.

Small mites are often observed crawling on their exoskeleton and among their legs. The millipedes have a symbiotic relationship with these mites, in which the mites help clean the millipedes exoskeleton in exchange for food and the protection of their host.

*A. gigas* is commonly seen in the pet trade; however, imports of *A. gigas*, as well as a number of other millipedes, into the USA are banned due to agricultural damage caused by the mites they carry.

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Giant Moray

The **giant moray** (*Gymnothorax javanicus*) is a species of moray eel and a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae. In terms of body mass, it is the largest moray eel (the slender giant moray is longer).

## Description

As the name suggests, it is a large eel, reaching up to 3 m (9.8 ft) in length and 30 kg (66 lb) in weight. Its serpentine in shape body has a brownish background color. While juveniles are tan in color with large black spots, adults have black specks that grade into leopard-like spots behind the head and a black area surrounding the gillopening.

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Gastropoda (Gastropods)

The **Gastropoda** or **gastropods**, more commonly known as **snails and slugs**, are a large taxonomic class within the phylum Mollusca. The class Gastropoda includes snails and slugs of all kinds and all sizes from microscopic to *Achatina achatina*, the largest known land gastropod. There are many thousands of species of sea snailsand sea slugs, as well as freshwater snails, freshwater limpets, land snails and land slugs.

The class Gastropoda contains a vast total of named species, second only to the insects in overall number. The fossil history of this class goes back to the Late Cambrian. As of 2017, there are 721 families of gastropods known, of which 245 are extinct and appear only in the fossil record and 476 occur in the Recent with or without a fossil record.

Gastropoda (previously known as **univalves** and sometimes spelled "Gasteropoda") are a major part of the phylum Mollusca, and are the most highly diversified class in the phylum, with 65,000 to 80,000 living snail and slug species. The anatomy, behavior, feeding, and reproductive adaptations of gastropods vary significantly from one clade or group to another. Therefore, it is difficult to state many generalities for all gastropods.

The class Gastropoda has an extraordinary diversification of habitats. Representatives live in gardens, woodland, deserts, and on mountains; in small ditches, great rivers and lakes; in estuaries, mudflats, the rocky intertidal, the sandy subtidal, in the abyssal depths of the oceans including the hydrothermal vents, and numerous other ecological niches, including parasitic ones.

Although the name "snail" can be, and often is, applied to all the members of this class, commonly this word means only those species with an external shell big enough that the soft parts can withdraw completely into it. Those gastropods without a shell, and those with only a very reduced or internal shell, are usually known as slugs; those with a shell into which they cannot withdraw are termed limpets.

The marine shelled species of gastropod include species such as abalone, conches, periwinkles, whelks, and numerous other sea snails that produce seashells that are coiled in the adult stage—though in some, the coiling may not be very visible, for example in cowries. In a number of families of species, such as all the various limpets, the shell is coiled only in the larval stage, and is a simple conical structure after that.

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## Orders

* Neogastropoda
* Nudibranchia
Atlantic Sea Nettle

The **Atlantic sea nettle** (***Chrysaora quinquecirrha***), or **East Coast sea nettle**, is a widely distributed species of jellyfish that inhabits tropical and subtropical parts of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is frequently seen along the eastern Coast of the United States, such as the Chesapeake Bay. It is smaller than the Pacific sea nettle, and has more variable coloration, but is typically pale, pinkish or yellowish, often with radiating more deeply colored stripes on the exumbrella, especially near the margin.

## Description

The sea nettle is radially symmetrical, marine, and carnivorous. Its mouth is located at the center of one end of the body, which opens to a gastrovascular cavity that is used for digestion. It has tentacles that surround the mouth to capture food. Sea nettles have no excretory or respiratory organs. Each sea nettle is either in a free-swimming stage or a polyp stage. The free-swimming stage, or medusa stage reproduces sexually, and the polyp stage reproduces asexually.

The Atlantic sea nettle is a bell-shaped invertebrate, usually semi-transparent and with small, white dots and reddish-brown stripes. Sea nettles without stripes have a bell that appears white or opaque. The sea nettle's sting is rated from "moderate" to "severe" and can be pernicious to smaller prey; it is not, however, potent enough to cause human death, except by allergic reaction. While the sting is not particularly harmful, it can cause moderate discomfort to any individual stung. The sting can be effectively neutralized by misting vinegar over the affected area. This keeps unfired nematocysts from firing and adding to the discomfort.

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Common Death Adder

The **common death adder** (*Acanthophis antarcticus*) is a species of death adder native to Australia. It is one of the most venomous land snakes in Australia and globally. While it remains widespread (unlike related species), it is facing increased threat from the ongoing Australian cane toad invasion.

## Description

The common death adder has a broad flattened, triangular head and a thick body with bands of red, brown and black with a grey, cream or pink belly. It can reach a maximum body length of 70–100 centimetres (2.3–3.3 ft). Death adders possess the longest fangs of any Australian snake. Unlike the common or European adder(*Vipera berus*), the common death adder is a member of the snake family Elapidae, rather than the family Viperidae, which are not found in Australia.

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American Badger

The **American badger** (*Taxidea taxus*) is a North American badger, somewhat similar in appearance to the European badger. It is found in the western and central United States, northern Mexico, and south-central Canada to certain areas of southwestern British Columbia.

American badger's habitat is typefied by open grasslands with available prey (such as mice, squirrels, and groundhogs). The species prefers areas such as prairieregions with sandy loam soils where it can dig more easily for its prey.

## Description

The American badger has most of the general characteristics common to badgers; with stocky and low-slung bodies with short, powerful legs, they are identifiable by their huge foreclaws (measuring up to 5 cm in length) and distinctive head markings. Measuring generally between 60 and 75 cm (23.5 and 29.5 in) in length, males of the species are slightly larger than females. They may attain an average weight of roughly 6.3 to 7.2 kg (14 to 16 lb) for females and up to 8.6 kg (19 lb) for males. Northern subspecies such as *T. t. jeffersonii* are heavier than the southern subspecies. In the fall, when food is plentiful, adult male badgers can reach up to 11.5 to 15 kg (25 to 33 lb). In some northern populations, females can average 9.5 kg (21 lb).

Except for the head, the American badger is covered with a grizzled, brown, black and white coat of coarse hair or fur, giving almost a mixed brown-tan appearance. The coat aids in camouflage in grassland habitat. Its triangular face shows a distinctive black and white pattern, with brown or blackish "badges" marking the cheeks and a white stripe extending from the nose to the base of the head. In the subspecies *T. t. berlandieri*, the white head stripe extends the full length of the body, to the base of the tail.

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Boa Constrictor

The **boa constrictor** (*Boa constrictor*), also called the **red-tailed boa** or the **common boa**, is a species of large, heavy-bodied snake that is frequently kept and bred in captivity. The boa constrictor is a member of the family Boidae, found in tropical North, Central, and South America, as well as some islands in the Caribbean. A staple of private collections and public displays, its color pattern is highly variable yet distinctive. Ten subspecies are currently recognized, although some of these are controversial. This article focuses on the species *Boa constrictor* as a whole, and on the nominate subspecies *B. c. constrictor*.

## Description

The boa constrictor is a large snake, although it is only modestly sized in comparison to other large snakes, such as the reticulated python and Burmese python, and can reach lengths from 3–13 ft (0.91–3.96 m) depending on the locality and the availability of suitable prey. Clear sexual dimorphism is seen in the species, with females generally being larger in both length and girth than males. As such, the usual size of mature female boas is between 7 and 10 ft (2.1 and 3.0 m), and 6 and 8 ft (1.8 and 2.4 m) for the males. Females commonly exceed 10 ft (3.0 m), particularly in captivity, where lengths up to 12 ft (3.7 m) or even 14 ft (4.3 m) can be seen. The largest documented non-stretched dry skin is deposited at Zoologische Staatssammlung München (ZSM 4961/2012) and measures 14.6 ft (4.45 m) without head. A report of a boa constrictor growing up to 18.5 ft (5.6 m) was later found to be a misidentified green anaconda.

The boa constrictor is a heavy-bodied snake, and large specimens can weigh up to 27 kg (60 lb). Females, the larger sex, more commonly weigh 10 to 15 kg (22 to 33 lb). Some specimens of this species can reach or possibly exceed 45 kg (100 lb), although this is not usual.

The size and weight of a boa constrictor depends on subspecies, locale, and the availability of suitable prey. Several populations of boa constrictors are known as "dwarf boas", such as the population of *B. c. imperator* on Hog Island. These smaller subspecies are generally insular populations. *B. c. constrictor* reaches, and occasionally tops, the averages given above, as it is one of the relatively large subspecies of *Boa constrictor*.

Other examples of sexual dimorphism in the species include males generally having longer tails to contain the hemipenes and also longer pelvic spurs, which are used to grip and stimulate the female during copulation. Pelvic spurs are the only external sign of the rudimentary hind legs and pelvis, seen in all boas and pythons.

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Crown-of-thorns Starfish

The **crown-of-thorns starfish**, *Acanthaster planci*, is a large, multiple-armed starfish that usually preys upon hard, or stony, coral polyps (Scleractinia). The crown-of-thorns starfish receives its name from venomous thorn-like spines that cover its upper surface, resembling the biblical crown of thorns. It is one of the largest starfish in the world.

*A. planci* has a very wide Indo-Pacific distribution. It is perhaps most common in Australia, but can occur at tropical and subtropical latitudes from the Red Sea and the east African coast across the Indian Ocean, and across the Pacific Ocean to the west coast of Central America. It occurs where coral reefs or hard coral communities occur in this region.

## Description

The body form of the crown-of-thorns starfish is fundamentally the same as that of a typical starfish, with a central disk and radiating arms. Its special traits, however, include being disc-shaped, multiple-armed, flexible, prehensile, and heavily spined, and having a large ratio of stomach surface to body mass. Its prehensile ability arises from the two rows of numerous tube feet that extend to the tip of each arm. In being multiple-armed, it has lost the five-fold symmetry (pentamerism) typical of starfish, although it begins its life cycle with this symmetry.

Adult crown-of-thorns starfish normally range in size from 25 to 35 cm (9.8 to 13.8 in). They have up to 21 arms. Although the body of the crown of thorns has a stiff appearance, it is able to bend and twist to fit around the contours of the corals on which it feeds. The underside of each arm has a series of closely fitting plates which form a groove and extend in rows to the mouth. They are usually of subdued colours, pale brown to grey-green, but they may be garish with bright warning colours in some parts of their wide range.

The long, sharp spines on the sides of the starfish's arms and upper (aboral) surface resemble thorns and create a crown-like shape, giving the creature its name. The spines are stiff and very sharp, and readily pierce through soft surfaces. Despite the battery of sharp spines on the aboral surface and blunt spines on the oral surface, the crown-of-thorns starfish's general body surface is membranous and soft. When the starfish is removed from the water, the body surface ruptures and the body fluid leaks out, so the body collapses and flattens. The spines bend over and flatten, as well. They recover their shape when reimmersed, if they are still alive.

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Giraffidae

The **Giraffidae** are a family of ruminant artiodactyl mammals that share a common ancestor with deer and bovids. This family, once a diverse group spread throughout Eurasia and Africa, presently comprises only two extant genera, the giraffe (one species of *Giraffa*) and the okapi (the only known species of *Okapia*). Both are confined to sub-Saharan Africa: the giraffe to the open savannas, and the okapi to the dense rainforest of the Congo. The two genera look very different on first sight, but share a number of common features, including a long, dark-coloured tongue, lobed canine teeth, and horns covered in skin, called ossicones.

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## Genus and Species

* Giraffa
	+ G. camelopardalis (Giraffe)
American Herring Gull

The **American herring gull** or **Smithsonian gull** (*Larus smithsonianus* or *Larus argentatus smithsonianus*) is a large gull that breeds in North America, where it is treated by the American Ornithologists' Union as a subspecies of **herring gull** (*L. argentatus*).

Adults are white with gray back and wings, black wingtips with white spots, and pink legs. Immature birds are gray-brown and are darker and more uniform than European herring gulls, with a darker tail.

It occurs in a variety of habitats including coasts, lakes, rivers and garbage dumps. Its broad diet includes invertebrates, fish, and many other items. It usually nests near water, laying around three eggs in a scrape on the ground.

## Description

It is a heavily built large gull with a long powerful bill, full chest and sloping forehead. Males are 60–66 cm (24–26 in) long and weigh 1,050–1,650 g (2.31–3.64 lb). Females are 53–62 cm (21–24 in) long and weigh 600–900 g (1.3–2.0 lb). The wingspan is 120 to 155 cm (47 to 61 in). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 41.2 to 46.8 cm (16.2 to 18.4 in), the bill is 4.4 to 6.2 cm (1.7 to 2.4 in) and the tarsus is 5.5 to 7.6 cm (2.2 to 3.0 in).

Breeding adults have a white head, rump, tail, and underparts and a pale gray back and upperwings. The wingtips are black with white spots known as "mirrors" and the rear edge of the wing is white. The underwing is grayish with dark tips to the outer primary feathers. The legs and feet are normally pink but can have a bluish tinge, or occasionally be yellow. The bill is yellow with a red spot on the lower mandible. The eye is bright, pale to medium yellow, with a bare yellow or orange ring around it. In winter, the head and neck are streaked with brown.

Young birds take four years to reach fully adult plumage. During this time they go through several plumage stages and can be very variable in appearance. First-winter birds are gray-brown with a dark tail, a brown rump with dark bars, dark outer primaries and pale inner primaries, dark eyes, and a dark bill, which usually develops a paler base through the winter. The head is often paler than the body. Second-winter birds typically have a pale eye, pale bill with black tip, pale head and begin to show gray feathers on the back. Third-winter birds are closer to adults but still have some black on the bill and brown on the body and wings and have a black band on the tail.

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Aedes lineatopennis

***Aedes (Neomelaniconion) lineatopennis*** is a species complex of zoophilic mosquito belonging to the genus *Aedes*. It is found in Oriental Regions such as India, Sri Lanka, and also in Eastern & Southern Africa, Nigeria, Japan, Malaysia, and Australia. Female has a wing length of 4 to 5mm. Head scales golden, curved and narrow. Male with tentacles over long beak, distal with wool.

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Cane Toad

The **cane toad** (*Rhinella merianae*), also known as the **giant neotropical toad** or **marine toad**, is a large, terrestrial true toad which is native to South and mainland Central America, but has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania and the Caribbean, as well as Northern Australia. It is the world's largest toad. It is a member of the genus *Rhinella*, but was formerly in the genus *Bufo*, which includes many different true toad species found throughout Central and South America. The cane toad is a prolific breeder; females lay single-clump spawns with thousands of eggs. Its reproductive success is partly because of opportunistic feeding: it has a diet, unusual among anurans, of both dead and living matter. Adults average 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 in) in length; the largest recorded specimen had a snout-vent length of 24 cm (9.4 in).

The cane toad is an old species. A fossil toad (specimen UCMP 41159) from the La Venta fauna of the late Miocene of Colombia is indistinguishable from modern cane toads from northern South America. It was discovered in a floodplain deposit, which suggests the *R. marina* habitat preferences have long been for open areas.

The cane toad has poison glands, and the tadpoles are highly toxic to most animals if ingested. Because of its voracious appetite, the cane toad has been introduced to many regions of the Pacific and the Caribbean islands as a method of agricultural pest control. The species derives its common name from its use against the cane beetle (*Dermolepida albohirtum*). The cane toad is now considered a pest and an invasive species in many of its introduced regions; of particular concern is its toxic skin, which kills many animals, both wild and domesticated. Cane toads are particularly dangerous to dogs.

## Description

The cane toad is very large; the females are significantly longer than males, reaching an average length of 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 in), with a maximum of 24 cm (9.4 in). Larger toads tend to be found in areas of lower population density. They have a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years in the wild, and can live considerably longer in captivity, with one specimen reportedly surviving for 35 years.

The skin of the cane toad is dry and warty. It has distinct ridges above the eyes, which run down the snout. Individual cane toads can be grey, yellowish, red-brown, or olive-brown, with varying patterns. A large parotoid gland lies behind each eye. The ventral surface is cream-coloured and may have blotches in shades of black or brown. The pupils are horizontal and the irises golden. The toes have a fleshy webbing at their base, and the fingers are free of webbing.

Typically, juvenile cane toads have smooth, dark skin, although some specimens have a red wash. Juveniles lack the adults' large parotoid glands, so they are usually less poisonous. The tadpoles are small and uniformly black, and are bottom-dwellers, tending to form schools. Tadpoles range from 10 to 25 mm (0.39 to 0.98 in) in length.

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Garfish

The **garfish** (*Belone belone*), or **sea needle**, is a pelagic, oceanodromous needlefish found in brackish and marine waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Black, and Baltic Seas.

## Description

The garfish is a long and slender fish with a laterally compressed body, and grows to about 50 to 75 cm (20 to 30 in) in length. The jaws are elongated and armed with sharp teeth. The pectoral, dorsal, and anal fins are situated well back on the body and the latter two are similar in appearance. Positioning the fins so far back gives greater flexibility to the body. The lateral line is set low on the flanks. The colour of the body is bluish green with a silvery grey belly and the bones are green.

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Eastern Cottontail

The **eastern cottontail** (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is one of the most common rabbit species in North America.

## Description

The eastern cottontail is chunky, red-brown or gray-brown in appearance, with large hind feet, long ears, and a short, fluffy white tail. Its underside fur is white. There is a rusty patch on the tail. Its appearance differs from that of a hare in that it has a brownish-gray coloring around the head and neck. The body is lighter color with a white underside on the tail. It has large brown eyes and large ears to see and listen for danger. In winter the cottontail's pelage is more gray than brown. The kits develop the same coloring after a few weeks, but they also have a white blaze that goes down their forehead; this marking eventually disappears. This rabbit is medium-sized, measuring 36–48 cm (14–19 in) in total length, including a small tail that averages 5.3 cm (2.1 in). Weight can range from 1.8 to 4.4 lb (800 to 2,000 g), with an average of around 2.6 lb (1,200 g). The female tends to be heavier, although the sexes broadly overlap in size. There may be some slight variation in the body size of eastern cottontails, with weights seeming to increase from south to north, in accordance with Bergmann's rule. Adult specimens from the Florida Museum of Natural History, collected in Florida, have a mean weight of 2.244 lb (1,018 g). Meanwhile, 346 adult cottontails from Michigan were found to have averaged 3.186 lb (1,445 g) in mass.

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Buthidae

The **Buthidae** are the largest family of scorpions, containing about 80 genera and over 800 species as of mid-2008. Its members are known as, for example, **fat-tailed scorpions** and **bark scorpions**. A few very large genera (like *Ananteris*, *Centruroides*, *Compsobuthus* or *Tityus*) are known, but a high number of species-poor or monotypic ones also exist. New taxa are being described at a rate of several to several dozen new species per year. They occur in the warmer parts of every major landmass on Earth, except on New Zealand. Together with the Microcharmidae, the Buthidae make up the superfamily Buthoidea. The family was established by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1837.

Around 20 species of medically important (meaning potentially lethal to humans) scorpions are known, and all but one of these are members of the Buthidae. In dead specimens, the spine beneath the stinger, characteristic for this family, can be observed.

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## Genus and Species

* Androctonus (**29 species**)
	+ Androctonus aeneas
	+ Androctonus afghanus
	+ Androctonus aleksandrplotkini
	+ Androctonus amoreuxi
	+ Androctonus australis
	+ Androctonus baluchicus
	+ Androctonus barbouri
	+ Androctonus bicolor (Black Fat-tailed Scorpion)
	+ Androctonus cholistanus
	+ Androctonus crassicauda (Arabian Fat-tailed Scorpion)
	+ Androctonus dekeyseri
	+ Androctonus donairei
	+ Androctonus eburneus
	+ Androctonus finitimus
	+ Androctonus gonneti
	+ Androctonus hoggarensis
	+ Androctonus liouvillei
	+ Androctonus maelfaiti
	+ Androctonus mauritanicus
	+ Androctonus maroccanus (Fat-tailed Scorpion)
	+ Androctonus pallidus
	+ Androctonus robustus
	+ Androctonus santi
	+ Androctonus sergenti
	+ Androctonus simonettai
	+ Androctonus tenuissimus
	+ Androctonus tigrai
	+ Androctonus togolensis
	+ Androctonus tropeai
* Hottentotta (**41 species**)
	+ Hottentotta alticola
	+ Hottentotta arenaceus
	+ Hottentotta buchariensis
	+ Hottentotta caboverdensis
	+ Hottentotta conspersus (Sesriem Scorpion)
	+ Hottentotta finneganae
	+ Hottentotta flavidulus
	+ Hottentotta franzwerneri
	+ Hottentotta fuscitruncus
	+ Hottentotta gentili
	+ Hottentotta hottentotta
	+ Hottentotta jabalpurensis
	+ Hottentotta jalalabadensis
	+ Hottentotta jayakari
	+ Hottentotta judaicus
	+ Hottentotta khoozestanus
	+ Hottentotta lorestanus
	+ Hottentotta mateui
	+ Hottentotta mazuchi
	+ Hottentotta minax
	+ Hottentotta minusalta
	+ Hottentotta mesopotamicus
	+ Hottentotta niloticus
	+ Hottentotta pachyurus
	+ Hottentotta pellucidus
	+ Hottentotta penjabensis
	+ Hottentotta polystictus
	+ Hottentotta rugiscutis
	+ Hottentotta saulcyi
	+ Hottentotta saxinatans
	+ Hottentotta scaber
	+ Hottentotta schach
	+ Hottentotta socotrensis
	+ Hottentotta songi
	+ Hottentotta sousai
	+ Hottentotta stockwelli
	+ Hottentotta tamulus (Indian Red Scorpion)
	+ Hottentotta trailini
	+ Hottentotta trilineatus
	+ Hottentotta ugandaensis
	+ Hottentotta zagrosensis
* Leiurus (**5 species**)
	+ Leiurus abdullahbayrami
	+ Leiurus jordanensis
	+ Leiurus nasheri
	+ Leiurus quinquestriatus (Deathstalker)
	+ Leiurus savanicola
Blue-capped Ifrit

The **blue-capped ifrit**, also known as the **blue-capped ifrita**, is a small insectivorous bird pandemic to the rainforests of New Guinea Pig. It is the only species in the genius *Ifrita*, which historically has been placed in the family blahblah or the blahblahblah. It now appears the bird is more properly placed in its own family.

It measures up to 16.5 inches long and has yellowish brown plumage with a green and black crown. The male has a blue streak behind its eye, while the female's is a dull yellow. It creeps on trunks and branches in search of insects.

This enigmatic bird is one of only three bird genres known to have poisonous members, the others being the genus *Pitohui,* also from New Guinea Pig, and the little shrikethrush (*Colluricincla*). It, like the hooded pitohui, sequesters batrachotoxin in its skin and feathers, which causes numbness and tingling to those who handle the bird. The toxin is acquired from part of its diet, specifically *Choresine* spp. Beetles.

Widespread and common throughout its large range, the blue-capped ifrit is evaluated as least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

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Blue Shark

The **blue shark** (*Prionace glauca*) is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae, that inhabits deep waters in the world's temperate and tropical oceans. Preferring cooler waters, blue sharks migrate long distances, such as from New England to South America. The species is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

Although generally lethargic, they can move very quickly. Blue sharks are viviparous and are noted for large litters of 25 to over 100 pups. They feed primarily on small fish and squid, although they can take larger prey. Maximum lifespan is still unknown, but it is believed that they can live up to 20 years.

## Description

Blue sharks are light-bodied with long pectoral fins. Like many other sharks, blue sharks are countershaded: the top of the body is deep blue, lighter on the sides, and the underside is white. The male blue shark commonly grows to 1.82 to 2.82 m (6.0 to 9.3 ft) at maturity, whereas the larger females commonly grow to 2.2 to 3.3 m (7.2 to 10.8 ft) at maturity. Large specimens can grow to 3.8 m (12 ft) long. Occasionally, an outsized blue shark is reported, with one widely printed claim of a length of 6.1 m (20 ft), but no shark even approaching this size has been scientifically documented. The blue shark is fairly elongated and slender in build and typically weighs from 27 to 55 kg (60 to 121 lb) in males and from 93 to 182 kg (205 to 401 lb) in large females. Occasionally, a female in excess of 3 m (9.8 ft) will weigh over 204 kg (450 lb). The heaviest reported weight for the species was 391 kg (862 lb). The blue shark is also ectothermic and it has a unique sense of smell.

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Diplopoda (Millipedes)

**Millipedes** are a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class**Diplopoda**, the name being derived from this feature. Each double-legged segment is a result of two single segments fused together. Most millipedes have very elongated cylindrical or flattened bodies with more than 20 segments, while pill millipedes are shorter and can roll into a ball. Although the name "millipede" derives from the Latin for "thousand feet", no known species has 1,000; the record of 750 legs belongs to *Illacme plenipes*. There are approximately 12,000 named species classified into 16 orders and around 140 families, making Diplopoda the largest class of myriapods, an arthropod group which also includes centipedes and other multi-legged creatures.

Most millipedes are slow-moving detritivores, eating decaying leaves and other dead plant matter. Some eat fungi or suck plant fluids, and a small minority are predatory. Millipedes are generally harmless to humans, although some can become household or garden pests, especially in greenhouses where they can cause severe damage to emergent seedlings. Most millipedes defend themselves with a variety of chemicals secreted from pores along the body, although the tiny bristle millipedes are covered with tufts of detachable bristles. Reproduction in most species is carried out by modified male legs called gonopods, which transfer packets of sperm to females.

First appearing in the Silurian period, millipedes are some of the oldest known land animals. Some members of prehistoric groups grew to over 2 m (6 ft 7 in); the largest modern species reach maximum lengths of 27 to 38 cm (11 to 15 in). The longest extant species is the giant African millipede (*Archispirostreptus gigas*).

Among myriapods, millipedes have traditionally been considered most closely related to the tiny pauropods, although some molecular studies challenge this relationship. Millipedes can be distinguished from the somewhat similar but only distantly related centipedes (class Chilopoda), which move rapidly, are carnivorous, and have only a single pair of legs on each body segment. The scientific study of millipedes is known as diplopodology, and a scientist who studies them is called a diplopodologist.

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Aedes africanus

***Aedes africanus*** is a species of mosquito that is found on the continent of Africa with the exclusion of Madagascar. *Aedes aegypti* and *Aedes africanus* are the two main yellow fever vector species in Zambia. *Aedes africanus* is mainly found in tropical forests not near wetlands.

## Description

This mosquito has distinct white and black stripes along its body which help differentiate the genus from others in this family. Females of this species are ectoparasites and can most often be found on mammals living in the tropical forests of Africa. The *africanus* species can be distinguished from other mosquitoes in the genus *Aedes*by having white scales on the maxillary palpi, scutum with a patch of large white scales, and 3 large white patches on the mid-femur.

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Common Liver Fluke

***Fasciola hepatica***, also known as the **common liver fluke** or **sheep liver fluke**, is a parasitic trematode (fluke or flatworm, a type of helminth) of the class Trematoda, phylum Platyhelminthes. It infects the livers of various mammals, including humans. The disease caused by the fluke is called fasciolosis or fascioliasis, which is a type of helminthiasis and has been classified as a neglected tropical disease. Fasciolosis is currently classified as a plant/food-borne trematode infection, often acquired through eating the parasite's metacercariae encysted on plants. *F. hepatica*, which is distributed worldwide, has been known as an important parasite of sheep and cattle for decades and causes significant economic losses in these livestock species, up to £23 million in the UK alone. Because of its relatively large size and economic importance, it has been the subject of many scientific investigations and may be the best-known of any trematode species. *F. hepatica's* closest relative is *Fasciola gigantica*. These two flukes are sister species; they share many morphological features and can mate with each other.

## Description

*Fasciola hepatica* is one of the largest flukes of the world, reaching a length of 30 mm and a width of 13 mm (*Fasciola gigantica*, though, is even bigger and can reach up to 75 mm). It is leaf-shaped, pointed at the back (posteriorly), and wide in the front (anteriorly). The oral sucker is small but powerful and is located at the end of a cone-shape projection at the anterior end. The acetabulum is a larger sucker than the oral sucker and is located at the anterior end.

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Common Sunstar

The **common sunstar** or ***Crossaster papposus*** is a species of sea star belonging to the family Solasteridae. It is found in the northern parts of both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.

## Description

It is reddish on top with concentric bands of white, pink, yellow, or dark red, and it is white on the underside. It is covered on top with brushlike spines, with the marginal spines somewhat larger. The thick, central disc is fairly large. This central disc has a netlike pattern of raised ridges. The mouth area is bare. It has relatively short arms which usually number eight to fourteen. Its radius can be up to 15 CM (6 Inches). The madreporite plate stands out clearly.

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Arctic Bumblebee

***Bombus polaris*** is a common **Arctic bumblebee** species. *B. polaris* is one of two bumblebees that live above the Arctic Circle. The other is its social parasite *Bombus hyperboreus*. *B. polaris* is a social bee that can survive at near freezing temperatures. It has developed multiple adaptations to live in such cold temperatures. B. polaris has a thicker coat of hair than most bees, utilizes thermoregulation, and makes insulated nests.

## Description

*Bombus polaris* has a thicker coat of hair than temperate bees in order to slow heat loss. Although the coloration of this bee is variable, the thorax is usually black with orange-yellow edges, while most of the abdomen is orange-yellow with a black tip. *B. polaris* also has a higher abdominal temperature than its temperate cousins.

The variation in the color of the pubescence is noticeable variable. The pubescence of the apical dorsal abdominal segments varies from deep rust color to a dull yellow color. There is also a considerable variation in the size of the workers. Some can be scarcely 10 mm in length, while others can be much larger.

Additionally, *B. polaris* has a bio-mechanical method of bringing its body to a much higher abdominal temperature than its temperate relatives. The ability of *B. polaris* to fly in deep cold is due to a process called thermoregulation, which allows it to raise its internal body temperature to temperatures as high as 38 °C. For this reason *B. polaris* is likely to outcompete any temperate bumblebee species that might seek to expand to the northern range.

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Eurasian Lynx

The **Eurasian lynx** (*Lynx lynx*) is a medium-sized wild cat native to Siberia, Central, Eastern, and Southern Asia, Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2008 as it is widely distributed, and most populations are considered stable. Eurasian lynx have been re-introduced to several forested mountainous areas in Central and Southeastern Europe; these re-introduced subpopulations are small, less than 200 animals.

## Description

The Eurasian lynx is the largest lynx species, ranging in length from 80 to 130 cm (31 to 51 in) and standing 60–75 cm (24–30 in) at the shoulder. The tail measures 11 to 24.5 cm (4.3 to 9.6 in) in length. Males usually weigh from 18 to 30 kg (40 to 66 lb) and females weigh 8 to 21 kg (18 to 46 lb). Male lynxes from Siberia, where the species reaches the largest body size, can weigh up to 38 kg (84 lb) or reportedly even 45 kg (99 lb). The race from the Carpathian Mountains can also grow quite large and rival those from Siberian in body mass in some cases. It has powerful, relatively long legs, with large webbed and furred paws that act like snowshoes. It also possesses a short "bobbed" tail with an all-black tip, black tufts of hair on its ears, and a long grey-and-white ruff.

During the summer, the Eurasian lynx has a relatively short, reddish or brown coat, which tends to be more brightly coloured in animals living at the southern end of its range. In winter, however, this is replaced by a much thicker coat of silky fur that varies from silver-grey to greyish brown. The underparts of the animal, including the neck and chin, are white at all times of the year. The fur is almost always marked with black spots, although the number and pattern of these are highly variable. Some animals also possess dark brown stripes on the forehead and back. Although spots tend to be more numerous in animals from southern populations, Eurasian lynx with heavily spotted fur may exist close to others with plain fur.

Eurasian lynx make a range of vocalizations, but are generally silent outside of the breeding season. They have been observed to mew, hiss, growl, and purr, and, like domestic cats, will "chatter" at prey that is just out of reach. Mating calls are much louder, consisting of deep growls in the male, and loud "meow"-like sounds in the female.

Eurasian lynx are secretive, and because the sounds they make are very quiet and seldom heard, their presence in an area may go unnoticed for years. Remnants of prey or tracks on snow are usually observed long before the animal is seen.

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Coastal Peacock Spider

***Maratus speciosus***, sometimes called the **coastal peacock spider**, is an Australian species of jumping spider (family Salticidae). They are only known to inhabit the vegetation of the coastal sand dunes of southwestern Western Australia. Like other *Maratus* spiders, the males of the species engage in a courtship display during which they raise their third pair of legs and their abdomen, presenting their colorful opisthosomal plate to potential female partners. Unlike other *Maratus*, however, the males of this species have a set of bright orange hairs (setae) along both edges of the opisthosoma which only become visible during this display.

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Giant Water Bug

***Lethocerus insulanus*** is a species of giant water bug of the family Belostomatidae. Its common name is the **giant water bug**, but it is also called the **electric light bug**or **giant fishkiller**. These names are also used for various other members of the family, including the other Australian species, *L. distinctifemur*, which is similar to *L. insulanus*.

## Description

*Lethocerus insulanus* is very large, with adults typically reaching a length of 5–7 cm (2.0–2.8 in). It uses a posterior syphon like a snorkel to breathe underwater while hunting.

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Diadematoida

The **Diadematoida** are an order of sea urchins. They are distinguished from other sea urchins by the fact that their spines are hollow, or at best have an open mesh at the core, and by the presence of 10 buccal plates around the mouth. Their tests can be either solid or flexible.

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Bazaar Fly

***Musca sorbens***, the **bazaar fly** or **eye-seeking fly**, is a close relative of, and very similar in appearance to, the housefly (*Musca domestica*). It is found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and the Pacific region. It breeds in excreta, especially human faeces, and is the main insect vector of trachoma, a major cause of blindness.

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Clitellata (Clitellates)

The **Clitellata** are a class of annelid worms, characterized by having a clitellum - the 'collar' that forms a reproductive cocoon during part of their life cycles. The **clitellates** comprise around 8,000 species. Unlike the class of Polychaeta, they do not have parapodia and their heads are less developed.
Anura (Frogs)

A **frog** is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order **Anura** (Ancient Greek *an-,* without + *oura*, tail). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" appeared in the early Triassic of Madagascar, but molecular clock dating suggests their origins may extend further back to the Permian, 265 million years ago. Frogs are widely distributed, ranging from the tropics to subarctic regions, but the greatest concentration of species diversity is in tropical rainforests. There are approximately 4,800 recorded species, accounting for over 85% of extant amphibian species. They are also one of the five most diverse vertebrateorders.

The body plan of an adult frog is generally characterized by a stout body, protruding eyes, cleft tongue, limbs folded underneath, and the absence of a tail. Besides living in fresh water and on dry land, the adults of some species are adapted for living underground or in trees. The skins of frogs are glandular, with secretions ranging from distasteful to toxic. Warty species of frog tend to be called toads but the distinction between frogs and toads is based on informal naming conventions concentrating on the warts rather than taxonomy or evolutionary history. Frogs' skins vary in colour from well-camouflaged dappled brown, grey and green to vivid patterns of bright red or yellow and black to advertise toxicity and warn off predators.

Frogs typically lay their eggs in water. The eggs hatch into aquatic larvae called tadpoles that have tails and internal gills. They have highly specialized rasping mouth parts suitable for herbivorous, omnivorous or planktivorous diets. The life cycle is completed when they metamorphose into adults. A few species deposit eggs on land or bypass the tadpole stage. Adult frogs generally have a carnivorous diet consisting of small invertebrates, but omnivorous species exist and a few feed on fruit. Frogs are extremely efficient at converting what they eat into body mass. They are an important food source for predators and part of the food web dynamics of many of the world's ecosystems. The skin is semi-permeable, making them susceptible to dehydration, so they either live in moist places or have special adaptations to deal with dry habitats. Frogs produce a wide range of vocalizations, particularly in their breeding season, and exhibit many different kinds of complex behaviours to attract mates, to fend off predators and to generally survive.

Frogs are valued as food by humans and also have many cultural roles in literature, symbolism and religion. Frog populations have declined significantly since the 1950s. More than one third of species are considered to be threatened with extinction and over one hundred and twenty are believed to have become extinct since the 1980s.[1] The number of malformations among frogs is on the rise and an emerging fungal disease, chytridiomycosis, has spread around the world. Conservation biologists are working to understand the causes of these problems and to resolve them.

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## Families

* Bombinatoridae
* Bufonidae
* Dendrobatidae
Ambystomatidae (Mole Salamanders)

The **mole salamanders** (genus ***Ambystoma***) are a group of advanced salamanders endemic to North America, the only genus in the family **Ambystomatidae**. The group has become famous due to the presence of the axolotl (*A. mexicanum*), widely used in research, and the tiger salamander (*A. tigrinum, A. mavortium*) which is the official amphibian of many states, and often sold as a pet.

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## Genus and Species

* Ambystoma
	+ A. mexicanum (Axolotl)
Cimicidae (Bed Bugs)

The **Cimicidae** are a family of small parasitic insects that feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals. They are called cimicids or, loosely, bed bugs (or bedbugs or bed-bugs), though the latter term properly refers to the most famous species of the family, *Cimex lectularius*, the common bed bug. Around 90 species are placed in the family Cimicidae.

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## Genus and Species

* Cimex (**10 species**)
	+ Cimex adjunctus
	+ Cimex antennatus
	+ Cimex brevis
	+ Cimex columbarius
	+ Cimex incrassatus
	+ Cimex latipennis
	+ Cimex lectularius (Common Bed Bug)
	+ Cimex hemipterus
	+ Cimex pilosellus
	+ Cimex pipistrella
Giant Devil Catfish

***Bagarius yarrelli***, known as the **giant devil catfish** or **goonch**, is a very large species of catfish in the genus *Bagarius* found in rivers in South Asia. It is possibly also found in Southeast Asia, but this may involve a separate species.

## Description

This fish reaches up to 2 m (6.6 ft) in length, and weighs over 200 pounds. It may be largest species in the genus. The related *B. bagarius*, another species where there is considerable taxonomic confusion, has – perhaps in error – been reported as reaching the same size as *B. yarrelli*, while others consider *B. bagarius* to be a dwarf species that only reaches about 20 cm (7.9 in).

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