Amphibians > Hyperoliidae & Reed Frogs
The Spotted Reed Frog (Hyperolius puncticulatus) is a jewel-like hyperoliid anuran native to the coastal wetlands and tropical lowlands of East Africa and the Zanzibar archipelago. Displaying spectacular sexual dichromatism and vivid chromatic variation, this tiny...
Reptiles > Gekkonidae & Leaf-tailed Geckos
The Lined Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus lineatus) is a master of camouflage belonging to Madagascar’s renowned endemic genus Uroplatus. While most leaf-tailed geckos mimic decayed mossy tree bark or withered dead leaves, this slender, elongated species exhibits a...
Birds > Cuculidae & Cuckoos
The Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae) holds the distinction of being both the largest cuckoo in the world and the largest of all obligate brood parasites. Boasting an immense, arched bill reminiscent of a hornbill or toucan and a wingspan approaching a...
Mammals > Ptilocercidae & Treeshrews
The Pen-tailed Treeshrew (Ptilocercus lowii) is the sole living representative of the family Ptilocercidae, holding a unique phylogenetic position as the most primitive extant member of the order Scandentia. Unlike all other treeshrews, which are diurnal and...
Fungi > Geastraceae & Earthstars
The Arched Earthstar (Geastrum fornicatum) is an architectural, stilted gasteroid basidiomycete fungus found in mature deciduous woodlands across the Northern Hemisphere. Distinguished among all earthstars by its remarkable fornicate growth habit—where the outer...
