Blind Cave Loach

Fish > Loaches

The Blind Cave Loach (Schistura mobbsi) is an extraordinary, highly specialized troglobitic freshwater fish discovered in the pitch-black subterranean waterways of the Bac Kan karst region in northern Vietnam. Formally described in 2012, this subterranean member of...

Krefft’s Puddle Frog

Amphibians > Frogs

Krefft’s Puddle Frog (Phrynobatrachus krefftii) is an exquisite, small torrent-associated anuran endemic strictly to the isolated, ancient cloud forests of the Eastern Arc Mountains in eastern Tanzania. Discovered within the mist-bathed Usambara and Uluguru...

Kentucky Lady’s Slipper

Plants > Orchids

The Kentucky Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium kentuckiense), also recognized as the southern lady’s slipper, is the largest and arguably most majestic lady’s slipper orchid native to North America. Producing an enormous, inflated ivory-to-cream lip pouch...

Helmeted Water Toad

Amphibians > Frogs & Toads

The Helmeted Water Toad (Calyptocephalella gayi), also colloquially known as the Chilean giant frog, is an enormous, primitive aquatic amphibian and the sole surviving member of the ancient family Calyptocephalellidae. Often exceeding 6 pounds in weight and over a...

Blessed Poison Frog

Amphibians > Frogs & Toads

The Blessed Poison Frog (Ranitomeya benedicta) is an exquisitely colored, thumbnail-sized poison dart frog belonging to the family Dendrobatidae, endemic to a localized enclave of lowland Amazonian rainforest in northeastern Peru. Formally described by herpetologists...