Reptiles > Carphodactylidae & Knob-tailed Geckos
The Banded Knob-tailed Gecko (Nephrurus wheeleri) is an iconic, heavily armored terrestrial reptile endemic to the ancient, sun-baked red landscapes of Western Australia’s Pilbara region. Belonging to the distinctive Australasian family Carphodactylidae, this...
Birds > Podargidae & Frogmouths
The Papuan Frogmouth (Podargus papuensis) reigns supreme as the largest of all frogmouth species on Earth, an imposing, nocturnal master of avian disguise native to the tropical forest canopies of New Guinea and northeastern Australia. Frequently mistaken for an owl...
Mammals > Chrysochloridae & Golden Moles
The Hottentot Golden Mole (Amblysomus hottentottus) is an extraordinary subterranean mammal endemic to the temperate meadows, coastal scrublands, and montane pastures of southern Africa. Belonging to the ancient Afrotherian family Chrysochloridae, this compact...
Fungi > Agaricaceae & Stalked Puffballs
The Winter Stalkball (Tulostoma brumale) is a charming and resilient gasteroid fungus native across the sandy dunes, arid grasslands, and limestone banks of the Northern Hemisphere. Unlike typical forest mushrooms that fruit during the damp warmth of autumn, this...
Invertebrates > Pyrosomatidae & Colonial Tunicates
The Pyrosome (Pyrosoma atlanticum), famously dubbed the ‘fire cylinder’ or ‘sea pickle,’ is an enchanting colonial pelagic tunicate that drifts through open oceans worldwide. Although often mistaken for a single giant organism, a pyrosome is...
