Crimson Sunbird

Aethopyga siparaja

Though they aren't actually related, Sunbirds and Hummingbirds have quite a bit in common. Today's animal, the Crimson Sunbird, is very small in size (only about 4in long), flies incredibly fast, and consumes nectar. They can even hover while feeding, though they usually perch, and are unable to fly backwards. Because Hummingbirds live only in the New World, Sunbirds fill their ecological niche in the Old!

Crimson Sunbirds exhibit sexual dimorphism through their coloration. The common name for the species refers exclusive to the males, who have vibrant red breasts. Females are significantly less colorful, with olive-green feathers covering most of the body.

Crimson Sunbirds are distributed throughout South Asia, and have been divided into fifteen subspecies. Overall they are not a threatened species, due to their extensive range. They are even the National Bird of Singapore!

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Southern Asia
Size : Length 4in (11cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Nectariniidae -- Genus : Aethopyga -- Species : A. siparaja

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Warthog

Phacochoerus africanus

Let me introduce you to the majestic Warthog, the pig king of the Savanna! Did you know that Warthogs are, in fact, the only pigs to have adapted to life in open, exceptionally dry habitats? Other species are forest dwellers that cannot go without for extended periods like the Warthogs can.

So why does a Warthog have warts?
Well actually... they don't. The bumps on their faces are thick skin pads that are used for protection. These come in handy during the mating season when males fight each other over females. Though the fights can get vicious, the males rarely are seriously injured thanks to the cushioning on their faces.

Warthogs are split up into four separate subspecies that are distributed throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. They live in family groups that are typically comprised of a female an her young, though sometimes females pair up with other (often related) females, and live in larger groups. Males are typically solitary, and only interact with these groups for mating purposes.

Warthogs are omnivores. They feed most commonly on grasses and bulbs, and they use their long snouts to root around for meals. They also regularly consume insects, especially during the wet season. Warthogs themselves are preyed upon by big cats, wild dogs, and birds of prey. Thankfully they have unusually long legs for a pig, and can run at speeds of up to 34mph (55kph)! The Warthogs will also fight their attackers using their tusks.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Africa
Size : Length up to 5ft (1.5m), Weight up to 170lbs (75kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Suidae -- Genus : Phacochoerus -- Species : P. africanus

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White-Throated Monitor

Varanus albigularis albigularis

The White-Throated Monitor is a subspecies of Rock Monitor that lives in both open and wooded habitats in southern Africa. They have very muscular limbs, long bodies, and powerful tails. Their tails are so strong, in fact, that when the Monitors are threatened they will use them to lash out at attackers. They also puff up their bodies and hiss.

The subspecies is typically found on the ground, but they are able to climb trees as well. They head up to hunt and to avoid the animals that prey on them (like Honey Badgers). White-Throated Monitors are incredibly voracious eaters, especially during the wet season that falls between January and March. They will pretty much eat anything that they can easily capture, from small insects, to birds, to snakes. One really interesting fact is that the Monitors are very conscious of their caloric intake. They will try and eat animals that can give them the most benefit with the least amount of catching effort.

White-Throated Monitors are kept in captivity, but they are classified as threatened under CITES Appendix II. Habitat loss is the biggest threat, but they are also hunted for skin, meat, and for their use in local, traditional healing practices.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed

Location : Southern Africa
Size : Length 6.6ft (2m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Sauropsida -- Order : Squamata
Family : Varanidae -- Genus : Varanus-- Species : V. albigularis -- Subspcies : V. a. albigularis

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Palmchat

Dulus dominicus

Meet the Palmchat, a special little birds that is endemic to the island of Hispaniola. It also has the designation of being the national bird of the Dominican Republic.

Why is the Palmchat so special? Because it is the only member of its entire family! Its taxonomy has been a bit disputed from there, but some believe that is it most closely related to the Waxwings, a group of birds that pretty far away from the Palmchat's island.

Palmchats live in flocks and inhabit semi-open areas. They are herbivores that forage for fruits, berries, and even flowers. The species is very social, and they produce a variety of loud calls.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Hispaniola
Size : Length 8in (20cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Dulidae -- Genus : Dulus-- Species : D. dominicus

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Sanajeh

Recreation of the fossil site

When we talk about extinct, prehistoric reptiles, we are usually talking about the Dinosaurs, but they definitely weren't the only scaly creatures crawling around millions of years ago. Today's animals, Sanajeh indicus was a species of snake that not only lived with the dinosaurs.... it actually ate their children.

Snakes first appeared around 98 million years ago, but the fossils from that long ago are few, fragmented, and are typically just scattered vertebrae. Not so with the 67 million year old Sanajeh. The holotype specimen (the fossil to which all other fossils of the species are compared) actually has a near complete skull and lower jaw, along with several segmented sections of vertebrae.

What is even more awesome, however, is the way in which the fossil was found- it's coiled around a Dinosaur nest, complete with baby Dinosaur! After study of the fossil, which was found in India, it was determined that the Snake was in the process of hunting when it, and the nest of three eggs and a baby, were caught unaware by a deposit of sediment. Landslide perhaps? When an additional Snake fossil was found, also within nest proximity, Sanajeh's status as an eater of mini-Dinos was cemented!

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Status : Extinct for 67 million years

Location : India
Size : Length 11ft (3.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata -- Suborder : Serpentes
Family : †Madtsoiidae -- Genus : †Sanajeh -- Species : †S. indicus

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Wholphin

Wholphin

I'm sure you've heard of hybrids like Ligers and Mules, but what about Wholphins? They are the result of crosses between two ocean-dwelling mammals- Bottlenose Dolphins and False Killer Whales. I should note, however, that the False Killer Whales (like regular Killer Whales) are members of the Oceanic Dolphin family along with the Bottlenoses, so the relationship isn't as far off as one might think.

While this hybrid might appear in the wild, we only know of them definitively from two individuals living at Sea Life Park in Hawaii. Back in 1985 a female Bottlenose and a male False Killer Whale lived in the same tank, and were performers in the park's aquatic show. No one expected the 14ft Whale and 6ft Dolphin to mate, but the surprise result was Kekaimalu. She herself actually gave birth to a 3/4 Bottlenose offspring in 2005 (She had two previous calves, one died shortly after birth, and one lived till the age of 9). That makes Kekaimalu and Kawili Kai the only known captive Wholphins in the world.

Wholphins are interesting because they area true mix of the species. They grow to a size somewhere in between that of the two species (Kekaimalu's calf was the size of a 1-year-old Bottlenose when she was but 1 month old!). They have an intermediate gray color, and their teeth also fall right down the middle- False Killer Whales have 44, Bottlenose Dolphins have 88, but Kekaimalu has 66!

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IUCN Status : Not Listed

Location : Hawaii

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Cetacea
Family : Delphinidae -- Genus : Pseudorca, Tursiops

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Mount Nimba Reed Frog

In 2010 this little frog was rediscovered. It had been thought extinct since 1967, which was the last time anyone had seen one.

Hyperolius nimbae

Mount Nimba Reed Frogs are named for the fact that they have only been found at the foot of Mount Nimba in Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa. It is speculated that they may also live in Guinea and Liberia, but no one has yet confirmed this.

Mount Nimba Reed Frogs live in lowland forests near swamps and bodies of water. They have red limbs that make them rather visible.

The species is listed as Endangered, and though parts of Mount Nimba are protected as a nature reserve, the site could use better protection and regulation. The Reed Frog is not the only threatened species in the area. Other residents include Chimpanzees and toads that give live birth!

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IUCN Status : Endangered

Location : West Africa
Size : Length 1.3in (3.3cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Hyperoliidae -- Genus : Hyperolius -- Species : H. nimbae

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