Kuroshima Gastrodia

Plants > Orchids

The Kuroshima Gastrodia (Gastrodia kuroshimensis) is a remarkable achlorophyllous orchid discovered in 2016 by Japanese botanists on the remote island of Kuroshima. Completely devoid of green chlorophyll, this botanical marvel has abandoned photosynthesis entirely,...

Dumbara Pygmy Lizard

Reptiles > Agamas & Pygmy Lizards

The Dumbara Pygmy Lizard (Cophotis dumbara), also known as the Knuckles Pygmy Lizard, is an extraordinary arboreal agamid reptile endemic strictly to the high-elevation cloud forests of the Knuckles Mountain Range in central Sri Lanka. Recognized by its prehensile...

White-eyed River Martin

Birds > Swallows & Martins

The White-eyed River Martin (Pseudochelidon sirintarae) is one of the most enigmatic and critically endangered avian species in the world. First discovered in 1968 roosting in the vast reedbeds of Bung Boraphet lake in central Thailand and named in honor of Princess...

Blue-throated Hillstar

Birds > Hummingbirds

The Blue-throated Hillstar (Oreotrochilus cyanicollis) is an extraordinarily rare hummingbird formally discovered in 2017 and described in 2018 from the frigid, windswept alpine páramo of southwestern Ecuador. Living at elevations where freezing nightly temperatures...

Popa Langur

Mammals > Primates

The Popa Langur (Trachypithecus popa) is a critically endangered colobine primate formally described in 2020 after extensive genetic and historical skin investigations by international primatologists. Named after the sacred, extinct volcano Mount Popa in central...