Pudu

Pudu puda

There are two species of Pudu in the world, the Northern and the Southern. Both are found in South America, appropriately hanging out int he northern and southern stretches of the Andes, respectively. They also (in my opinion) have some of the cutest babies in the entire animal kingdom. Just watch the video if you don't believe me.

The Northern Pudu is the smallest species of deer in the entire world, and the Southern is only a hair bit larger. They have stocky bodies and skinny little legs, and the main difference between males and females is the presence of antlers in the former.

Not much is known about Pudu behavior in the wild because they are both solitary and secretive. They come together only during rut, and the female gives birth to a single fawn that she raises alone. Fawns wean after 2 months, are full grown by 3, and are sexually mature by 8. However, they often stay with their mothers for 8-12 months before leaving and becoming fully independent.

Pudu are active during both the night and day time, and they forage for food along a network of trails and pathways that they create through frequent use. They mark these territories using scent glands. Sometimes Pudu are simply too small to reach their meals, forcing them to stand up on their hind legs to feed.

Both species of Pudu are listed as Vulnerable. This is due to hunting and habitat loss. Captive breeding programs have been set up, and there plans to reintroduce them to the wild.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : South America
Size : Height up to 18in (45cm), Weight up to 30lbs (13.5kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Cervidae -- Genus : Pudu -- Species : P. puda, P. mephistophiles

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Volcano Rabbit

Romerolagus diazi

The Volcano Rabbit is the second smallest Rabbit in the entire world (after the very appropriately named Pygmy Rabbit). They have short ears, short legs, and a coat that allows them to easily blend in with the soil in their home range. They live in a very, very small range in Mexico and are currently listed as Endangered.

Surprise surprise, Volcano Rabbits live on the slopes of Volcanos! The Pelado, Iztaccíhuatl, Tlaloc, and Popocatepetl volcano slopes are where they make their homes (all of these volcanoes are now extinct). They live in burrows that can stretch up to 16ft long, and live in small social groups led by a dominant breeding pair.

Volcano Rabbits have the interesting distinction of being the only member of their family to make vocalizations. They make quiet squeaks and high pitched barks that are similar to those made by Pikas.

The species is listed as endangered because habitat loss and hunting have drastically reduced their population and their home range. An action plan is currently in place by the IUCN, and captive breeding colonies have been set up in a number of zoos.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : Mexico
Size : Body Length up to 10in (25cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Lagomorpha
Family : Leporidae -- Genus : Romerolagus-- Species : R. diazi

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Stingless Bee

Trigona carbonaria

Did you know that there are Stingless Bees out there? How awesome! Bee stings stink! ...Though the name is a little bit misleading, as these 500 or so species are not the only bees out there with reduced stingers.

Stingless Bees can be found in Tropical and Subtropical regions around the world, like in Australia, Africa, and Southeast Asia. They belong to the Tribe Meliponini, and are active year round due to their warm environment.

Stingless bees actually do have stingers, but they are reduced to the point that they can't really be used effectively for defense.

Even though they lack stingers, these Bees still are able to perform the same pollinating and honey producing functions as their stinging cousins. They also have the benefit of not being susceptible to many of the parasites and diseases that stinging bees have. And did you know that Mayans kept Stingless Bees for honey production for thousands of years?

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Location : Tropical and Subtropical Areas
Size : Varies

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Hymenoptera
Superfamily : Apoidea -- Family : Apidae -- Subfamily : Apinae -- Tribe : Meliponini

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Stoneflies

There are over 3,500 species within the  Plecoptera order, and these insects are commonly referred to as Stoneflies. They can be found on every single continent except for Antarctica. They are poor fliers as adults, which means the individual species tend to remain in small, specific areas. This is one of the reasons why there are so many distinct species.

Chloroperlidae Enderlein

Stoneflies are awesome because they are a very primitive order. Fossils of their close relatives have been dated to the Carboniferous and Permian periods, and the order itself has been around since the Mesozoic. That is several hundred million years of history!

Another interesting fact is that a handful of Stonefly species, including the Lake Tahoe Benthic Stonefly, have the distinction of being some of the only insects to live their entire lives in the water.

All Stoneflies spend their larval stage in the water, and they are very picky about the kind of water they live in. It must be oxygen rich and pollutant free, which means that Stoneflies are a good indicator of water cleanliness and ecological degradation. Young Stoneflies may molt anywhere from 10 to 30 times, depending on the species. It can take 1-3 years for them to reach their full adult form.... but then tragically, like with many insects, their adult life is very brief. It lasts only 1-4 weeks.

The diet of a Stonefly is dependent on both the species and the instar period. (Instars are the many phases that the larvae go through while molting to reach the adult form) Some young flies eat plants or detritus. Some hunt. Some start with one diet and end up with another a few instars later. The adults of some species don't have any mouthparts at all, which means that are unable to eat, giving them shorter lifespans.

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Location : Worldwide except Antarctica
Size : Varies

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Subclass : Pterygota
Superorder : Exopterygota -- Order : Plecoptera

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Imperial Shag

Phalacrocorax atriceps

The Imperial Shag goes by many names, including the Blue Eyed Shag and the Blue Eyed Cormorant. They live in the southern reaches of the planet, hunting and breeding as far away as Antarctica.

As with all Cormorants, the Imperial Shag dives for its food. They have very little body fat and heavy bones. This allows them to be less buoyant and to swim underwater easier. The Shags posses a large volume of blood, and that extra oxygen lets them stay underwater for up to 4 minutes. They also have powerful webbed feet that propel them, and hooked beaks that enable them to catch and hold on to slippery fish.

Outside of the breeding season Imperial Shags may live either alone or in flocks. But when the time comes to reproduce they always end up in massive colonies that often consist of other bird species as well. Pairs are monogamous, and 2-4 eggs are laid each season. Both parents incubate and  care for the offspring until they fledge after 2-3 months.

Because most Imperial Shags live in areas that tend to be human-free, they aren't threatened overall. However, some small island populations are vulnerable to natural events that could affect their breeding and hunting range.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Southern Oceans
Size : Length up to 31in (78cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Pelecaniformes
Family : Phalacrocoracidae -- Genus-: Phalacrocorax -- Species : P. atriceps

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Green and Gold Tanager

Tangara schrankii

Another day, another pretty bird. Today's feathered friend is one of the 49 species found within the Tanager genus, Tangara. Meet the appropriately named Green and Gold Tanager!

While it would be appropriate for these guys to live up near Lambeau Field (horrible football reference, I'm sorry), they are actually found in the tropical and subtropical forests and swamps of the Amazon Basin.

Green and Gold Tanagers are omnivores that forage up in the trees for fruits, nuts, seeds, and insects. They also build their nests up in the trees, constructing small cup-shaped structures in which they lay 2-3 reddish-brown eggs. Females do just about all of the incubating and feeding, and the chicks fledge only 15 days after hatching.

While it appears that the population is declining due to habitat loss, the rate is not nearly fast enough for there to be major concern at this time. The species also has a pretty huge range, placing them as being of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : South America
Size : Length up to 5in (13cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Thraupidae -- Genus : Tangara -- Species : T. schrankii

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Yellow Tang

Zebrasoma flavescens

I remember going to pet stores as a child and always admiring the huge display tanks of saltwater fish. And one particular fish always stood out- the Yellow Tang. How could it not? Its large(ish) size, its bright, almost neon coloring. It's quite the beauty!

Yellow Tangs are native to the shallow, coastal reefs of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They don't swim much deeper than 46m, and the larger fish tend to stay in the shallowest waters. Hawaii is a particular hotspot for the species, and most of the fish captured for captive living come from this area.

In the wild they feed on different algaes and plants, and live in small schools. They spawn several times a year, with these sessions coinciding with the full moon.

If you're interested in owning a Yellow Tang you'll need to have a large aquarium, and a lot of time and patience required to correctly maintain the habitat. Because they can reach lengths of up to 8in, and because they can get aggressive with other surgeonfish (the group in which they belong), a size of 55gallons is absolutely necessary.

Because they show aggression towards other fish of their type, most people keep only one, or they keep enough to form a school. The presence of a school prevents the territorial fighting that would arise if there were only 2 or 3 fish. Obviously the larger the school, the larger the required tank.

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IUCN Status : Not Evaluated
Location : Pacific and Indian Oceans
Size : Length up to 8in (20cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Perciformes
Family : Acanthuridae -- Genus : Zebrasoma -- Species : Z. flavescens

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