Lappet-faced Vulture

Torgos tracheliotos

The Lappet-faced Vulture is one of the largest Vultures in the world-- they have wingspans of up to 9.5ft! These huge birds of prey around found in Africa and in parts of the Middle East, where they are split into two location-based subspecies.

"Lappet-faced" refers to the skin flaps on their bald heads. As with many other scavenging birds, these Vultures lack feathers on their faces, because that allows them to stay cleaner when digging around in carcasses.

These birds have very powerful beaks, and can break down carrion better than some of the smaller Vultures can. In fact, they often steal kills from their littler cousins, because they aren't dependent on the softer, fresher tissues for food. They actually hunt by sight, spotting other Vultures and going after those meals. Lappet-faced Vultures are not strictly scavengers though-- they have also been spotted staking out ant and termite mounts and taking little insect snacks.

Sadly, this impressively large bird is Vulnerable, and on the decline. A major threat is actually poisoning by humans. Farmers leave out traps to protect their livestock, and though these traps are more intended for the creatures that actually kill the farm animals, the scavenging Vultures will snag them too. Habitat destruction for agriculture and construction has also damaged these birds, especially their nesting sites.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Africa
Size : Length up to 45in (115cm), Wingspan up to 9.5ft (2.9m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Accipitriformes
Family : Accipitridae -- Genus : Torgos-- Species : T. tracheliotos

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Saola

Pseudoryx nghetinhensis

The Saola is a truly amazing animal, but it could be extinct very, very soon. What makes the species so remarkable is that it was only first discovered in 1992, which is an astoundingly long time for a 200+lb bovid to remain hidden away from the world. Also amazing? Scientists have documented less than half a dozen in the wild.

The species was first described from horns collected by hunters in the Annamite Mountain Range in Laos and Vietnam. The straight, Unicorn-like horns gives the species it's name, which translates to "spindle horns" in Vietnamese. They have brown coats and white markings on the face.

The animals have been seen alive by local people in the remote mountainous forests close by, and some have even been captured. Unfortunately, all Saola that have been captured alive have done very poorly. So far 11 have been captured, the most recent in August 2010. All perished, and we still don't know how many are actually out there. Habitat loss and poaching are major threats, and the animal is listed as Critically Endangered.

The World Wildlife Fund has been working to protect and conserve the Saola ever since their discovery 20 years ago. They have helped to improve the management of the Vu Quang Nature Reserve, have conducted surveys  and have helped to bring this animals plight into the international spotlight.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : Vietnam and Laos
Size : Height up to 35in (90cm), Weight up to 220lbs (100kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Pseudoryx -- Species : P. nghetinhensis

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Big-headed Turtle

Platysternon megacephalum

You may be surprised to find out that the Big-headed Turtle actually isn't that large when compared to other Turtles. Their heads are just proportionally larger than the rest of their bodies (their carapaces measure only about 8in across). In fact, their heads are so large that they cannot retract them into their shells! The translation of their species name, megacephalum, or "big head," is quite appropriate.

This unusual looking Turtle is found in the fast-flowing mountain streams of China and Southeast Asia. They are actually very poor swimmers, but are excellent at climbing and grasping on to rocks. They feed during the nighttime on various underwater animals, clinging to the stream bed to move and hunt.

Sadly, the Big-headed turtle is listed as Endangered. This is because illegal hunting and collection for the pet trade have dropped their numbers significantly. Though they are legally protected in some parts of their range, the illegal capture continues, making the Turtles even more rare and thus more valuable on the black market. If the trend continues in this way they could quickly become extinct in the wild.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : Southeast Asia
Size : Carapace length up to 8in (20cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Testudines
Family : Platysternidae -- Genus : Platysternon-- Species : P. megacephalum

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Corroboree Frog

Pseudophryne corroboree

There are two species of Corroboree Frogs, the Northern and the Southern. Both live only in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. Both also happen to be Critically Endangered.

Corroboree Frogs are named for an indigenous Australian word that refers to a gathering where the attendees paint their faces yellow, much like the yellow blotches on these frogs.

The claim to fame of this genus is that they were the very first vertebrates discovered that produce their own toxins. most other species derive their toxicity from the foods that they eat. Not so with these frogs-- they secrete their very own poisonous alkaloid that help defend again predators. In fact, they are so toxic that they have few, if any, natural predators at all.

Habitat loss and feral animals have caused the Corroboree Frog species to teeter dangerously close to extinction, the Southern one especially. They appear in only a tiny fragment of their former range, and rejuvenating their numbers has proven difficult because they lay only about 30 eggs each year (small for a frog), they remain tadpoles for two years, and they don't even start to breed until the age of four. At one point it was estimated that there were only 64 left. Captive breeding and egg protection research is underway to help bring these rare frogs back.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : New South Wales, Australia
Size : Length up to 3cm

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Myobatrachidae -- Genus : Pseudophryne

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Tall Sea Pen

Funiculina quadrangularis

The Tall Sea Pen, like all Sea Pens, is a relative to Sea Anemones and Corals. And like Coral, though they may look like one creature, they are actually comprised of several organisms called polyps. These polyps, which are pale in color and possess eight tiny tentacles each, gather onto an axis, a long structure made of calcium carbonate. The species name, quadrangularis, actually refers to the cross-section shape of this axis-- a square.

Tall Sea Pens have a very interesting distribution. You'll find them near the British Isles and the North Atlantic, but you'll also find them way over by New Zealand and Japan as well-- halfway around the world! They live in colonies that can form literal Sea Pen forests, and exist at depths of between 20 and 2,300 feet. A large specimen can grow over 2 meters tall!

The aforementioned polyp tentacles are what allow this Cnidarian to feed. They sway in the water and pick up floating substrate using a method called suspension feeding. The polyps also have unique sexes to them, and each colony will only have polyps of the same sex on it.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : North Atlantic, South Pacific
Size : Length up to 7ft (2.1m)

Classification : Phylum : Cnidaria -- Class : Octocorallia -- Order : Pennatulacea
Family : Funiculinidae -- Genus : Funiculina -- Species : F. quadrangularis

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Greater Ani

Crotophaga major

The Greater Ani is a large member of the Cuckoo family, identified by its black-blue feathers, long tail, and ridged bill. They also have white eyes, which differentiate them from the other Ani species.

These birds live in Central and South America, and live in small groups year round. These groups live within specific territories, and defend their ground by making loud, squawking calls. The Greater Ani is also a cooperative breeder. This means that several females in the group all lay eggs into a single nest, and then they all take care of the incubation and feeding duties. As many as ten eggs can be found in a single nest.

The Greater Ani feeds on insects like Crickets and Grasshoppers, as well as on Lizards and Frogs. Whether on the ground or in the trees, they are very jerky and clumsy in their movement.

The range of this species is quite large, and they are common throughout it. The population is listed as stable, and they have no major conservation threats at this time.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : South and Central  America
Size : Length up to 20in (50cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Cuculiformes
Family : Cuculidae -- Genus : Crotophaga -- Species : C. major

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Grison

Galictis vittata

There are two species of Grison in the world, the Lesser (G. cuja), and the Greater (G. vittata). They are both found on the continent of South America, and are sometimes referred to as South American Wolverines. The Greater lives further North, reaching into Mexico and Central America, while the Lesson Grison lives only in the southern parts of the continent.

Though they have a Wolverine name  they are no where near the size. These Mustelids grow only about 1 foot and a half in length, and they actually look a little skunk-like. Both species have black legs, bellies, and faces, but have a grey backs.

Grison are diurnal, and live either alone or in small groups that burrow into the ground for both food and shelter. They are omnivores, feeding on small mammals like mice and chinchillas, as well as on fruits. They kill their prey by a fast bite to the neck.

Interestingly, the Grison can be tamed, and they are used in the hunting of Chinchillas. This is not all that surprising when you remember that they are relatives to the Ferrets, which have been used in hunting for centuries.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : South America
Size : Length up to 20in (50cm), Weight up to 3kg

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Carnivora
Family : Mustelidae -- Genus : Galictis

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