Birds > Songbirds
The Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) is universally celebrated as the most visually spectacular songbird in North America. Often described by birdwatchers as the ‘living rainbow’ or nonpareil (meaning ‘without equal’), adult males display a...
Birds > Songbirds
The Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) is an incandescent, flame-colored songbird celebrated as the only completely red bird in North America (lacking the black wings of the Scarlet Tanager and the crest of the Northern Cardinal). High in the forest canopy, this...
Mammals > Shrews & Moles
The American Water Shrew (Sorex palustris) is a marvel of semi-aquatic mammalian specialization, recognized as the largest long-tailed shrew in North America. Inhabiting cold, pristine mountain torrents, this hyperactive miniature predator is famous for its unique...
Mammals > Rodents
The Southern Grasshopper Mouse (Onychomys torridus), famously celebrated as the ‘Scorpion-Hunting Wolf Mouse,’ is an extraordinary, strictly carnivorous desert rodent native to the arid badlands of the American Southwest. Defying the peaceful seed-eating...
Mammals > Rodents
The Cactus Mouse (Peromyscus eremicus) is a remarkably adaptable nocturnal desert rodent native to the arid expanses of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Distinctly characterized by its exceptionally long, sparsely haired tail and large membranous ears, this...
