Birds > Larids & Charadriiformes
The Inca Tern (Larosterna inca) is an exquisitely colored, monotypic seabird belonging to the gull and tern family Laridae, and the sole extant member of the genus Larosterna. Endemic strictly to the narrow, arid Pacific coastline of Peru and Chile, this striking...
Reptiles > Cordylids & Squamates
The Armadillo Girdled Lizard (Ouroborus cataphractus), historically classified under the genus Cordylus, is an extraordinary, heavily armored squamate reptile endemic to the arid Succulent Karoo biome of western South Africa. Revered in herpetology for its bizarre...
Amphibians > Plethodontids & Caudata
The Red-cheeked Salamander (Plethodon jordani), often referred to as Jordan’s Salamander, is a charismatic woodland amphibian belonging to the family Plethodontidae, endemic strictly to the high-elevation peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and...
Mammals > Potoroids & Diprotodontia
The Long-nosed Potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) is a small, rabbit-sized marsupial belonging to the family Potoroidae, occupying a crucial ecological role as a keystone mycophagous ecosystem engineer across southeastern Australia and Tasmania. Diverging within the order...
Mammals > Macropodids & Diprotodontia
The Yellow-Footed Rock-Wallaby (Petrogale xanthopus) is widely celebrated across Australian mammalogy as the most brilliantly colored and visually striking member of the kangaroo and wallaby family Macropodidae. Indigenous to the rugged, sun-scorched quartzite...
