Eastern Honey Bee

Invertebrates > Hymenoptera

The Eastern Honey Bee (Apis cerana), also celebrated as the Asian Honey Bee, is a gentle, industrious social pollinator native to the diverse ecosystems of Asia. Endemic to regions cohabited by ferocious giant hornets, this remarkable bee evolved one of the most...

Southern Cricket Frog

Amphibians > Frogs & Toads

The Southern Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus) is a tiny, energetic treefrog relative that has completely abandoned arboreal climbing in favor of a terrestrial, semi-aquatic wetland life. Ubiquitous across the sunny marshes and cypress swamps of the American Southeast,...

Common Worm Snake

Reptiles > Snakes

The Common Worm Snake (Carphophis amoenus), also celebrated as the Eastern Worm Snake, is a secretive, docile burrowing serpent native to the rich, damp hardwood forests of the eastern United States. Looking remarkably like an oversized, glossy earthworm, this...

Great Plains Skink

Reptiles > Lizards

The Great Plains Skink (Plestiodon obsoletus) holds the distinction of being the largest and heaviest skink species in North America, reaching lengths of up to 14 inches. Native to the rugged limestone hills and rolling shortgrass prairies of the American heartland,...

Western Mosquitofish

Fish > Livebearers

The Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) is a small, viviparous (livebearing) freshwater fish famous globally for its immense appetite for mosquito larvae. Native to the sluggish waterways of the Mississippi River basin, this hardy, prolific livebearer was...