Although we see sponges every day in various uses such as in the form of a loofah or foam, it does not come across to us as what it really is. Sponges are actually an animal, which belongs to the phylum Porifera. Their bodies consist of a jelly-like material called mesohyl which are sandwiched between
The hawksbill turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle that can be found all over the world. It even has several subspecies belonging to the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This turtle's head looks a bit like a hawks As it is a turtle, it looks just like any other marine turtle. It has a
The Gyromitra esculenta is one of several fungi species that are also known as false morsels. They are widely found in both Europe and North America. Gyromitra esculenta normally sprout in sandy soils under coniferous trees during the spring and early summer. Its fruiting body (mushroom) has quite a distinct look from a regular mushroom.
Also known as the Malagasy aardvark or bibymalagasy, the Plesiorycteropus is a recently extinct mammal from Madagascar. Knowledge of the skeletol anatomy of the Plesiorycteropus is limited, as only partial skeletons have been recovered to date. Reconstruction of the mysterious Pleistocene mammal, Plesiorycteropus madagascarensis, as an aardvark-like animal. It was first described as Plesiorycteropus madagascariensis
The loggerhead sea turtle, simply known as ‘loggerhead’, is a type of oceanic turtle that can be found around the world. This marine reptile belongs to the family Cheloniidae. It is the largest hard-shelled turtle in the world. The loggerhead turtle is the largest hard shelled turtle in the world The loggerhead sea turtle grows
Also known as the Freira, the Zino’s Petrel is a small seabird that is endemic to Madeira. It is Europe’s most endangered seabird, as it is only restricted to a few ledges in the central mountains of the island of Madeira. Zino's Petrel is the most endangered bird species in Europe Zino’s Petrel has large
Trianeops menamena is a species of bat that is found in Madagascar. It was previously known as Triaenops rufus until 2009, until it was discovered that it was actually a different subspecies. It was first described as a different type of bat by Goodman and Ranivo in 2009. The only known locality of the Triaenops
More commonly known as the ‘death cap’, the Amanita phalloides is a deadly type of fungus that is in the genus, Amanita. These fungi are found widely across Europe, and can be found near trees with broad leaves. They have also been accidentally introduced into regions with non-native species such as chestnut, oak, and pine.
The Lundomys molitor, also known as Lund’s Amphibious Rat or the Greater Marsh Rat is a rat species that is semi-aquatic. I is native to south-eastern South America, however its current distribution is now restricted to some parts of Brazil and Uruguay. In the past, its range was from Brazil to Argentina. Lectotype partial cranium
Ruffed lemurs are the largest extant lemurs within the Lemuridae family. Like all other living lemurs, they are endemic to Madagascar. There are two species of ruffed lemurs that are now recognised – the black and white ruffed lemur and its 3 subspecies, as well as the red ruffed lemur. Black and White Lemur Ruffed
Also known as a cavy, the guinea pig is a rodent species that belongs to the genus, Cavia. Their name is a bit misleading as they do not come from Guinea, and nor are they pigs at all. They actually originated in the Andes, and biochemistry and hybridisation studies suggest that they are actually descendants
The bog turtle is a semi-aquatic turtle that is native to the eastern part of the United States of America. It was first described by Johann David Schoepf in 1801 after a survey conducted in Pennsylvania during the 18th century. The bog turtle is the smallest turtle in North Ameica This creature is the smallest
The Huia was the largest species of New Zealand wattlebird. It was endemic to New Zealand’s North Island until the early 20th century. The last confirmed sighting of a Huia was in 1907 at the Tararua Ranges. There were credible sightings reported in 1922 near Wellington, and the last reported sighting was in the early
The cockatoo is a general term used to describe any of the 21 species that belongs to the bird family called Cacatuidae. Along with the Psittacidae (true parrots) and the Strigopidae (New Zealand parrots), they make up the parrot order, Psittaciformes. The members of the cockatoo family are distriburted in mostly Australasia, rangng from the
Also known as the Common Treecreeper or just ‘Treecreeper’ for short, the Eurasian Treecreeper is a small bird that is the only living member of its genus. There are about 9 different subspecies found over temperate Europe and Asia. This bird is found in the temperate environments in Europe and Asia These birds are small
