Taiwan Blue Magpie

Birds > Corvids

The Taiwan Blue Magpie (Urocissa caerulea), also affectionately called the ‘Formosan Blue Magpie’ or ‘long-tailed mountain lady’ (cháng wěi shān niáng), is a breathtaking corvid endemic to the lush mountain forests of Taiwan. Voted as a...

Jerdon’s Jumping Ant

Invertebrates > Ants

Jerdon’s Jumping Ant (Harpegnathos saltator) is a renowned ponerine ant celebrated for its astonishing athletic leaps, enormous compound eyes, and sickled, saber-toothed mandibles. Native to the rich forest floors of India and Sri Lanka, this predatory insect is...

Purple Sea Urchin

Invertebrates > Sea Urchins

The Purple Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) is an iconic echinoderm native to the rugged rocky coastlines and temperate kelp forests of the eastern Pacific. Famous for its brilliant violet-purple spines and spherical test, this resilient creature is both a...

Spotfin Hogfish

Fish > Wrasses

The Spotfin Hogfish (Bodianus pulchellus) is a vividly colored marine fish in the wrasse family Labridae, celebrated for its spectacular tricolored plumage of magenta-red, lemon yellow, and snow white. Inhabiting deeper coral reef slopes and sponge-covered drop-offs...

Rainforest Nursery Frog

Amphibians > Microhylid Frogs

The Rainforest Nursery Frog (Cophixalus riparius) is a fascinating montane amphibian endemic to the cloud-draped mountain spine of New Guinea. As one of the largest members of the microhylid genus Cophixalus, this species has completely abandoned the traditional...