Queen of the Night

Plants > Epiphytic Cacti

The Queen of the Night (Selenicereus grandiflorus), celebrated botanically as the large-flowered torch cactus or vanilla cactus, is a legendary epiphytic and lithophytic succulent native to the tropical forests and limestone cliffs of the Caribbean and Central...

Peacock Mantis Shrimp

Invertebrates > Crustaceans

The Peacock Mantis Shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) is a flamboyant and formidable stomatopod crustacean native to the warm coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific. Adorned in a breathtaking palette of iridescent emerald green, royal blue, fiery orange, and leopard-spotted...

Northern Stoplight Loosejaw

Fish > Deep-Sea Fish

The Northern Stoplight Loosejaw (Malacosteus niger) is one of the most evolutionarily sophisticated predators inhabiting the oceanic twilight and midnight zones. Belonging to the dragonfish family Stomiidae, this slender, jet-black deep-sea fish thrives in the...

Splendid Leaf Frog

Amphibians > Tree Frogs

The Splendid Leaf Frog (Cruziohyla calcarifer), often poetically hailed by Neotropical biologists as the Splendid Leaf Treefrog, is arguably one of the most breathtakingly exquisite, vibrantly adorned, and enigmatic anurans in the Americas. Inhabiting the high,...

Greater Chinese Mole

Mammals > Eulipotyphla

The Greater Chinese Mole (Euroscaptor grandis) is a specialized subterranean mammal native to the mist-shrouded montane forests and high-elevation valleys of southwestern China. Belonging to the true mole family (Talpidae), this fossorial insectivore represents one of...