Fungi > Morchellaceae & Morels
The Steppe Morel (Morchella steppicola) is a rare and ecologically remarkable ascomycete fungus uniquely adapted to the open, treeless semi-arid grasslands of the Eurasian steppe. Unlike virtually all other morel species, which form symbiotic or saprotrophic...
Fish > Macrouridae & Grenadiers
The Hadal Grenadier (Coryphaenoides yaquinae), also known as the Yaquina rattail, is an enigmatic deep-sea gadiform fish that reigns as one of the deepest-dwelling apex scavengers in the global oceans. Inhabiting the perpetual, icy blackness of the North Pacific abyss...
Reptiles > Varanidae & Monitor Lizards
Spencer’s Goanna (Varanus spenceri), also celebrated as Spencer’s Monitor, is a heavily built, terrestrial monitor lizard endemic exclusively to the vast, open cracking-clay plains of northeastern Australia. Engineered to thrive in one of the most...
Fungi > Phallaceae & Stinkhorns
The Orange Stinkhorn (Phallus rubicundus) is a vividly colored, bizarre saprotrophic fungus celebrated across the tropics and subtropics for its striking fiery hue and pungent carrion-mimicking odor. Emerging rapidly from subterranean egg-like structures buried in...
Fungi > Pyronemataceae & Cup Fungi
The Glazed Cup Fungus (Humaria hemisphaerica), also commonly called the hairy fairy cup, is an exquisite ascomycete fungus that adorns damp woodland floors and mossy embankments across temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Resembling a delicate porcelain...
