Plants > Cacti
The White-fleshed Pitahaya (Selenicereus undatus, formerly Hylocereus undatus), famous worldwide as the dragon fruit, is a climbing epiphytic cactus celebrated equally for its sensational nocturnal blossoms and vibrant, edible tropical fruits. Originating in the dry...
Plants > Succulents
The Zulu Giant (Stapelia gigantea), famously hailed across the botanical world as the giant carrion flower or starfish cactus, is a bizarre and magnificent succulent perennial native to the arid bushveld of southern Africa. Despite resembling a spineless cactus, it...
Invertebrates > Beetles
The Giraffe Stag Beetle (Prosopocoilus giraffa) is universally celebrated among entomologists as the longest living stag beetle on Earth. Named for the astonishing, elongated mandibles of adult males that can comprise nearly half the beetle’s entire length, this...
Amphibians > Salamanders
The Dwarf Waterdog (Necturus punctatus) is the smallest representative of the ancient aquatic salamander family Proteidae. Endemic strictly to the coastal plain drainage networks of the southeastern United States, this fully aquatic, paedomorphic amphibian spends its...
Birds > Shorebirds
The Snowy Sheathbill (Chionis albus), known colloquially among Antarctic explorers as the ‘pale-faced sheathbill’ or ‘kelp pigeon,’ is the only entirely terrestrial bird native to the continent of Antarctica lacking webbed feet. Characterized...
