Birds > Falconidae & Falcons
The Black-thighed Falconet (Microhierax fringillarius) ranks among the smallest birds of prey on Earth, measuring scarcely larger than a common sparrow. Despite its miniature stature, this pint-sized raptor possesses all the hunting ferocity, blistering speed, and...
Amphibians > Pipidae & Tongueless Frogs
The Zaire Dwarf Clawed Frog (Hymenochirus boettgeri), commonly referred to simply as the African dwarf frog, is a miniature, fully aquatic pipid native to the shaded freshwater pools and swamp forests of the Congo Basin. Unlike typical terrestrial or semi-aquatic...
Reptiles > Diplodactylidae & Geckos
The Golden-tailed Gecko (Strophurus taenicauda) is an extraordinary and visually mesmerizing nocturnal lizard endemic to eastern Australia’s dry woodland interior. Renowned for its brilliant, vivid orange-to-golden longitudinal dorsal stripe running down its...
Birds > Phasianidae & Grouse
The Dusky Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus), formerly grouped with the sooty grouse as the ‘blue grouse,’ is a majestic, cold-hardy gamebird that presides over the high coniferous slopes of North America’s Rocky Mountains. Famous for its peculiar...
Fish > Dactylopteridae & Helmet Gurnards
The Flying Gurnard (Dactylopterus volitans) is one of the Atlantic Ocean’s most visually mesmerizing bottom-dwelling marine fishes. Despite its name, this fascinating benthic creature does not actually fly through the air like true flying fish; instead, it uses...
