Arboreal Salamander

Amphibians > Lungless Salamanders

The Arboreal Salamander (Aneides lugubris) is an extraordinary, high-climbing lungless salamander endemic to the scenic oak woodlands and coastal ranges of California. Famous for its remarkable climbing prowess—scaling towering coast live oaks up to sixty feet above...

Scarlet Snake

Reptiles > Non-venomous Snakes

The Scarlet Snake (Cemophora coccinea) is an exquisite, secretive burrower native to the sandy pinelands and coastal plains of the American Southeast. Famous for its brilliant, high-contrast tri-color bands of crimson, creamy-yellow, and jet-black, this gentle,...

Orangethroat Darter

Fish > Perches & Darters

The Orangethroat Darter (Etheostoma spectabile) is a breathtaking, jewel-toned benthic marvel that exemplifies the dazzling biodiversity of North American freshwater streams. Navigating shallow, rushing gravel riffles with rapid, darting movements, breeding males put...

Southern Redbelly Dace

Fish > Minnows & Carps

The Southern Redbelly Dace (Chrosomus erythrogaster) is widely celebrated by freshwater biologists as one of the most spectacularly colorful freshwater minnows in North America. Inhabiting the pristine, spring-fed headwater brooks of the Ozarks and Midwest, breeding...

Hairy Woodpecker

Birds > Woodpeckers

The Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus) is a powerful, industrious forest carpenter ubiquitous across the mature woodlands of North America. Often confused with its smaller cousin the downy woodpecker, the hairy woodpecker is easily distinguished by its larger size...