Short-spined Crown-of-Thorns Starfish

Invertebrates > Starfish & Echinoderms

The Short-spined Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster brevispinus) is an intriguing, little-known echinoderm of the Indo-West Pacific. Unlike its infamous reef-destroying shallow-water cousin (Acanthaster planci), this multi-armed starfish inhabits deeper,...

Spade-toothed Whale

Mammals > Cetaceans

The Spade-toothed Whale (Mesoplodon traversii) is universally regarded as the rarest and most enigmatic large mammal on planet Earth. For over 140 years, this deep-diving beaked whale was known only from a few skeletal bone fragments discovered in New Zealand and...

Holden’s Pitcher Plant

Plants > Pitcher Plants

Holden’s Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes holdenii) is an extraordinary carnivorous tropical pitcher plant discovered and described in 2010 from the rugged, remote sandstone peaks of the Cardamom Mountains in southwestern Cambodia. Named in honor of wildlife...

Zombie Frog

Amphibians > Frogs & Toads

The Zombie Frog (Synapturanus zombie) is an extraordinary fossorial microhylid frog scientifically discovered and described in 2021 from the pristine lowland rainforests of the Guiana Shield in northern South America. Earning its evocative name from researchers who...

Vulcan Skink

Reptiles > Lizards

The Vulcan Skink (Lipinia vulcania) is an exquisite, slender arboreal lizard endemic to the mist-shrouded volcanic peaks of Negros Island in the central Philippines. Originally discovered on the fertile, ash-draped slopes of active volcano Mount Canlaon—from which it...