Great Spotted Kiwi

Birds > Kiwis & Ratites

The Great Spotted Kiwi (Apteryx haastii), known in the Māori language as the ‘roroa,’ is the largest and most robust of all surviving kiwi species, an ancient flightless ratite that roams the rugged subalpine wilderness of New Zealand’s South Island....

Fairy Pitta

Birds > Pittas

The Fairy Pitta (Pitta nympha) is celebrated throughout East Asia as the ‘eight-colored bird,’ an exquisite migratory passerine of radiant beauty and elusive habits. Belonging to the family Pittidae, this forest jewel undertakes perilous annual...

Broadnose Sevengill Shark

Fish > Sharks & Rays

The Broadnose Sevengill Shark (Notorynchus cepedianus), commonly referred to as the cow shark, is a formidable, prehistoric apex marine predator cruising the cool temperate coastal waters of the world. Representing an ancient hexanchiform lineage dating back over 150...

Yellow-blotched Palm-pitviper

Reptiles > Vipers & Pitvipers

The Yellow-blotched Palm-pitviper (Bothriechis aurifer), known locally as the ‘vibora de pestaña dorada’ or golden palm-viper, is one of the most dazzling and rarely encountered arboreal vipers in Central America. Endemic to the hyper-humid, mist-shrouded...

Chilean Giant Frog

Amphibians > Primitive Frogs

The Chilean Giant Frog (Calyptocephalella gayi), also known as the Chilean helmeted bullfrog, is a prehistoric aquatic titan and the sole surviving representative of its ancient Gondwanan family (Calyptocephalellidae). Reaching gargantuan weights of up to six pounds...