Sharp-shinned Hawk

Accipiter striatus

The Sharp-shinned Hawk is the smallest hawks in all of North America, and one of the smallest in the entire world. Their bodies measure between 9 and 13 inches, and their short wings give them a span that tops out at only 22in! As with most birds of prey, the females are larger than the males-- in this case up to 1.3 larger!

These little birds of prey are found primarily in North and Central America, though some make their way down to South America as well. Many are year-round residents, while others migrate between the north and south. They are found primarily in forested areas.

The prey of a Sharp-shinned Hawk depends on the size of the Hawk itself. A 4in difference in body length is a pretty big deal! Songbirds make up most of their diet, but larger Hawks will go after Quails, Pigeons, and even small Falcons!

One particularly interesting fact about these birds is that they will continue to feed their offspring for quite a while after they have fledged. At first they bring the food to the nest, but eventually they feed their children while flying, passing the prey to them in mid-air.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North, Central, and South America
Size : Length around 1ft (30cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Accipitriformes
Family : Accipitridae -- Genus : Accipiter-- Species : A. striatus
Image : NPS Photo

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Sumatran Rhinoceros

Today let's learn about the Sumatran Rhinoceros, a very unusual mammal that is also in grave danger of extinction.

Sumatran Rhinos are the smallest Rhino species. They are also the only Rhinos to be covered in bristly hairs from head to toe. The hair helps them out in their muggy, insect-filled rainforest habitats-- mud sticks to the hair, and the caked on dirt keeps bug bites away!

Dicerorhinus sumatrensis

Sumatran Rhinos also have very small horns, especially when compared to those of their African cousins. Sadly, the small size is not enough to keep poachers away-- these Rhinos have been ruthlessly hunted to the point of near extinction.

Today, there are less than 400 Sumatran Rhinos in the entire world, including thsoe kept in captivity. They don't breed well in captivity either, which makes repopulating the species an uphill climb. A calf born at the Cincinnati Zoo in 2001 was the first captive birth in 100 years!

Poaching isn't the only threat to the species. Habitat loss has also played a massive role. The Sumatran Rhinos are very secretive and solitary animals, and the dense forests of Southeast Asia have been disappearing due to human encroachment and agriculture. Once upon a time you could find these guys in Thailand, India, Cambodia, and parts of China. Today they are restricted to a few fragmented groups on Borneo, Sumatra, and on the tip of the Malay Penninsula.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : Southeast Asia
Size : Height up to 4.5ft (1.4m), Weight up to 1,800lbs (800kg)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Perissodactyla
Family : Rhinocerotidae -- Genus : Dicerorhinus -- Species : D. sumatrensis
Image : 26Isabella, Ltshears

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Machairodus

The genus Machairodus is a little fuzzy on the species that it actually contains. Because the fossil record is incomplete, different extinct big cat species have been moved both in, and out of the genus. It also doesn't help that some of the species have been reclassified, combined, or moved to subspecies status... but such is the finicky nature of fossils!

At any rate, Machairodus refers to a group of very large cats, all of whom lived in North America between about 11 million, and 120,000 years ago.

These cats were of the "saber-toothed" variety, possessing long, thin, knife-like canine teeth. Those teeth, combined with their short legs, meant that they probably hunted by ambushing prey, rather than by chasing it down. Machairodus species are often draft with spots or stripes, since that coat pattern would've served them well as camouflage during their ambush hunts.

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Status : Extinct, lived 11.6 million to 124,000 years ago
Location : North America
Size : Length up to 8ft (2.5m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Carnivora
Family : Felidae -- Genus : †Machairodus
Image : Carnivora

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Florida Sand Skink

Neoseps reynoldsi

If you're just looking at a picture, you might think that a Florida Sand Skink is a snake-- no legs after all! But (as the Skink name states), this is in fact a lizard, one with very tiny, nearly absent legs!

There actually are itty-bitty legs on these guys, and they only have one or two toes on each. The Sand Skinks have bodies that are well adapted to moving in the loose sands and soils that they call home-- including wedge-shaped heads and powerful muscles that allow them to move like in a wavy motion.

Florida Sand Skinks are found only in the state of Florida. They live in very specific habitats that contain loose substrate and not too much moisture. They hunt small underground invertebrates.

Sadly, these Reptiles are Vulnerable, and that is due to habitat loss and fragmentation.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Florida, USA
Size : Length up to 5in (13cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Scincidae -- Genus : Neoseps-- Species : N. reynoldsi
Image : Steve Johnson

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Blotched Upside-down Catfish

Synodontis nigriventis

Meet a curious little fish that hails from the Congo River in Africa-- the Blotched Upside-down Catfish.

As the name and picture illustrate, these Catfish actually do spend most of their time swimming upside down. Crazy, huh? Their coloration actually reflects their preferred bodily orientation. Unlike other fish who are dark on the top and paler on the bottom (to beldn with predators who would be looking up or down at them), these guys have pales backs and dark bellies!

Why do they swim like this? For hunting reasons. By looking up at prey they can surprise it easier, catching it quickly from below. They feed on small insects and crustaceans.

Interestingly, the Catfish aren't born swimming upside down-- they don't really invert until they are around 2 months old. Overall they don't get particularly large as they age. 3-4 inches is their maximum size.

Blotched Upside-down Catfish can be kept as pets, and do best in small groups of 3 or 4.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Congo River Basin
Size : Length up to 4in (12cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Siluriformes
Family : Mochokidae -- Genus : Synodontis-- Species : S. nigriventis
Image : SeriouslyFish

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Central American Snapping Turtle

Chelydra rossignonii

Until recently (about 1996), everyone thought that the Central American Snapping Turtle, and its cousin the South American Snapping Turtle were just subspecies of the more widespread and well-known Common Snapping Turtle. But they are different species entirely! (Albeit of the same genus).

As you can probably guess, this particular Turtle lives in the countries of Central America, inhabiting slow moving bodies of water.

These Snappers are solitary animals, and they are nocturnal, which means much is still unknown about their specific behaviors and biology. They are omnivores though, and they feed on different fish, insects, and plant matter. They actually have little barbels around their mouth that they use to lure in prey... and then quickly snap it up.

Central American Snapping Turtles are listed as Vulnerable due to hunting and habitat loss. Theya re now protected in parts of their range, but enforcement is spotty.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Central America
Size : Carapace length around 14in (36cm), Weight around 26lbs (12kg)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Testudines
Family : Chelydridae -- Genus : Chelydra -- Species : C. rossignonii
Image : Leo7

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Socorro Dove

The Socorro Dove has not been seen in the wild for more than 40 years. It was last spotted on Socorro Island, its only known range, back in 1972.

Socorro Dove's are Extinct in the Wild, and there are between 100 and 200 birds living in captivity. Conservationists would like to get the birds reintroduced to their former habitat, a small island off the coast of Mexico, but there are challenges in the way.

The birds have been bred in captivity, thankfully, but their former home is not suitable for reintroduction yet. The birds went extinct due to the introduction of livestock (that overgrazed the bushes that the birds lived in) and feral cats, who hunted the mostly ground-dwelling Doves ruthlessly.

In order for the Doves to return home, feral cats would need to be eradicated from the island. Removal of cats from small islands has been done before (like in the offshore islands of New Zealand where Kakapo are now struggling to make a comeback), but it is very time consuming.

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IUCN Status : Extinct in the Wild
Location : Mexico
Size : Length up to 13in (33cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Columbiformes
Family : Columbidae -- Genus : Zenaida -- Species : Z. graysoni
Image : Rob Edwards

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