Plants > Sapindaceae & Soapberries
The Transvaal Red Balloon (Erythrophysa alata), known locally in southern Africa as the ‘Rooiballon,’ is a striking, drought-resilient small tree in the soapberry family Sapindaceae. Endemic to the sun-scorched, rocky ridges of South Africa and neighboring...
Fish > Zaproridae & Prowfishes
The Prowfish (Zaprora silenus) is an extraordinary and enigmatic marine teleost inhabiting the cold, churning waters of the subarctic North Pacific rim. The sole surviving representative of the monotypic family Zaproridae, this heavy-bodied bottom-dweller is named for...
Amphibians > Ceratobatrachidae & Triangle Frogs
Gunther’s Triangle Frog (Platymantis guentheri), named in honor of celebrated British zoologist Albert Günther, is an extraordinarily cryptic arboreal anuran endemic strictly to the rainforests of the southern Philippines. Belonging to the family...
Mammals > Didelphidae & Opossums
The Water Opossum (Chironectes minimus), widely known across South America by its indigenous Guaraní name ‘Yapok,’ holds the prestigious biological distinction of being the world’s only living truly semi-aquatic marsupial. Inhabiting the pristine,...
Fungi > Phallaceae & Stinkhorns
The Yellow Net Veiled Lady (Phallus luteus), also celebrated in mycological literature as the golden bridal veil stinkhorn, is one of the most mesmerizing, delicate, and architecturally exquisite macrofungi in the world. Emerging with astonishing speed from the rich,...
