Autumn Meadowhawk

Invertebrates > Dragonflies

The Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum), historically called the Yellow-legged Meadowhawk, is an extraordinarily hardy and vibrant dragonfly celebrated across North America as the last flying dragonfly of the year. While virtually all other dragonflies perish with...

Great Basin Spadefoot

Amphibians > Spadefoots

The Great Basin Spadefoot (Spea intermontana) is an extraordinary amphibian survivor that thrives in the bone-dry, sagebrush-dominated desert valleys of the North American Intermountain West. Equipped with sharp, black, keratinous ‘spades’ on its hind feet...

Eastern Glass Lizard

Reptiles > Legless Lizards

The Eastern Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus ventralis) is an extraordinary, legless squamate native to the sandy pine flatwoods and coastal grasslands of the American Southeast. Frequently mistaken by casual observers for a snake, it is a true lizard that evolved completely...

Western Ribbon Snake

Reptiles > Colubrid Snakes

The Western Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus) is an exceptionally sleek, lightning-fast colubrid snake native to the wetlands and river margins of the central United States and Central America. A close relative of the familiar garter snake, it is easily recognized by...

American Redstart

Birds > Wood Warblers

The American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) is a hyperactive, acrobatic wood warbler known in Spanish folklore as ‘Candelita’ (little torch) for its dazzling flashes of fiery orange-red wing and tail patches. Flitting tirelessly through the deciduous...