Fried Chicken Mushroom

Fungi > Agarics & Gilled Mushrooms

The Fried Chicken Mushroom (Lyophyllum decastes) is a popular, choice edible basidiomycete fungus famous for erupting in massive, dense bouquets of conjoined mushrooms along roadsides, path edges, and disturbed woodland soils. It earns its delightful common name from...

Red Hickory

Plants > Trees & Shrubs

The Red Hickory (Carya ovalis), often called the Sweet Pignut Hickory or False Shagbark, is an elegant, high-canopy hardwood tree native to the deciduous forests of eastern North America. Renowned for its rich reddish heartwood, sweet-tasting nuts, and attractive...

Brown Rock Crab

Invertebrates > Crustaceans

The Brown Rock Crab (Romaleon antennarium, formerly Cancer antennarius) is a heavy-set, powerful marine decapod inhabiting the rocky intertidal and kelp forest ecosystems of the California and Baja California coastlines. Known for its massive, black-tipped crushing...

Sculptured Slipper Lobster

Invertebrates > Crustaceans

The Sculptured Slipper Lobster (Parribacus antarcticus), also known in Hawaii as the ‘Ula Papapa’, is a remarkable, heavily armored marine decapod found on shallow tropical coral reefs worldwide. Lacking claws, this flat, pancake-like crustacean is famous...

Keeled Earless Lizard

Reptiles > Lizards

The Keeled Earless Lizard (Holbrookia propinqua) is a specialized, fast-running reptile native to the sun-bleached coastal dunes and sandy barrier islands of the Gulf of Mexico. Characterized by keeled, overlapping dorsal scales and the complete absence of external...