extraordinaryspecies-blog-blog

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Name: Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Trogoniformes   Family: Trogonidae   Region: It is found from southern Mexico to western Panama (unlike the other quetzals of the genus Pharomachrus, which are found in South America and eastern Panama) Risk of Extinction: Near Threatened More Info: The Resplendent Quetzal was considered divine, associated with the "snake god", Quetzalcoatl by Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations. Is Guatemala's national bird, and an image of it is on the flag and coat of arms of Guatemala. It is also the name of the local currency (abbreviation GTQ). (photo taken from http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p_spp=284856)

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Name: Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae   Region: Nicobar Islands, east through the Malay Archipelago, to the Solomons and Palau. Risk of Extinction: Near Threatened More Info: It is the only living member of the genus Caloenas, and is the closest living relative of the extinct didines (Raphinae), which include the famous Dodo (Raphus cucullatus). (photo taken from https://www.wikipedia.org/)

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Name:  Acanthaspis petax Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hemiptera   Family: Reduviidae   Region: Malaisia Risk of Extinction: No info. More Info:  is a specie of assassin bug that preys on ants. This species uses carcasses of its preferred prey item to disguise itself from predation from spiders of the salticidae family. (photo taken from http://melvynyeo.deviantart.com/art/Acanthaspis-Petax-382583726)

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Name:  Comet moth (Argema mittrei) Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Lepidoptera   Family: Saturniidae   Region: Madagascar Risk of Extinction: No info. More Info: The male has a wingspan of twenty centimeters and a tail span of fifteen centimeters, making it one of the world's largest silk moths. This moths figures on the former banknote of 1000 Ariary (currency of Madagascar)

(photo taken from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthpicturegalleries/8231475/Madagascar-British-photographer-Nick-Garbutts-20-year-survey-of-the-islands-wildlife.html?image=9)

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Name: Scaly-foot gastropod (Crysomallon squamiferum) Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Family: Peltospiridae   Region: This species was discovered in 2001, living on the bases of black smokers at the Kairei hydrothermal vent field, on the Central Indian Ridge, just north of the Rodrigues Triple Point and about 2,420 metres (7,940 ft) below the surface. Risk of Extinction: No info More Info:The snail's foot is very unusual in that it is armored with iron-mineral scales. It is protected by scale-shaped sclerites composed of iron sulphides greigite and pyrite.No other animal is known to use iron sulfides in this way. (photo taken from http://www.elmundo.es/)

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Name: Smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Order: Pristiformes   Family: Pristidae   Region:  It is found in shallow tropical and subtropical waters in coastal parts of the Atlantic, including the Mediterranean. Risk of Extinction: Critically Endangered. More Info: The many teeth of a sawfish’s saw are not actually teeth at all, but rather special types of scales known a dermal denticles.These protruding weapons, combined with the animal’s ability to strike from side to side with great force, provide it with a powerful and efficient defense mechanism. Although the saw is mainly used for feeding purposes, observations of sawfish in captivity sow that they may also be used for self-defense. (photo taken from http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/education/questions/sawfishbasics.html)

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Name: Indri (Indri indri) Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Primates   Family: Indriidae   Region: Madagascar. Risk of Extinction: Endangered More Info:  Is one of the largest living lemurs and is the only lemur that has no tail. Is well known for its loud, distinctive songs, which can last from 45 seconds to more than 3 minutes. Across Madagascar, the indri is revered and protected by fady (taboos). There are countless variations on the legend of the indri's origins, but they all treat it as a sacred animal, not to be hunted or harmed. (photo taken from http://delaplain.wordpress.com/2010/03/18/madagascar-novdec-2009/45-andasibe-park-the-indri-lemur-is-the-largest-of-the-lemurs-and-also-the-only-one-with-green-eyes-and-no-tail/)

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Name: Greater argonaut (argonauta argo) Phylum: Mollusca Class: Cephalopoda Order: Octopoda   Family: Argonautidae   Region: A. argo is cosmopolitan, occurring in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. A dwarf form exists in the Mediterranean Sea, which was described as Argonauta argo mediterranea, although this taxon is now regarded as invalid. Risk of Extinction: No info More Info: The female of the species, like all argonauts, creates a paper-thin eggcase that coils around the octopus much like the way a nautilus lives in its shell, hence the name paper nautilus. A. argo is the largest species in the genus and also produces the largest eggcase. (photo taken from http://adictamente.blogspot.com.es/2013/02/animales-con-nombre-mitologicos.html)

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Name: Pygmy marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea) Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Primates   Family: Callitrichidae   Region: rainforests of the western Amazon Basin in South America. Risk of Extinction: Least Concern More Info:  It is the smallest monkey in the world at just over 100 grams (3.5 oz). (photo taken from http://pixabay.com/es/mokey-callithrix-pygmaea-mono-enano-69519/)

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Name:  Little Barrier Island giant weta (Deinacrida heteracantha) Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Orthoptera   Family: Anostostomatidae   Region: New Zealand Risk of Extinction: Vulnerable More Info: Giant Wetas are the largest insects in the world. Large species can be up to 10 cm (4 in) not inclusive of legs and antennae, with body mass usually no more than 35 g.

(photo taken from http://www.firstlighttravel.com/blog/new-zealand-giant-weta-contender-for-worlds-biggest-bug-status/)

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Name: Honduran white bat (Ectophylla alba) Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Chiroptera   Family: Phyllostomatidae   Region: It is found in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and western Panama at elevations from sea level to 700 m. Risk of Extinction: Near Threatened More Info: The Honduran white bat cuts the side veins extending out from the midrib of the large leave of the Heliconia plant causing them to fold down to form a 'tent'. They cling to the roof of this tent in small colonies of up to half a dozen individuals, consisting of one male and a harem of females. The bats are rather small in size, measuring at just 1-2 inches (3–5 cm) in length and the weight is less than an ounce at 6 grams. (photo taken from http://www.flickr.com/photos/wanjakrah/4900224582/)

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Name: Sarcastic fringehead (Neoclinus blanchardi) Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes   Family: Chaenopsidae   Region: They are found in the Pacific, off the coast of North America, from San Francisco, California, to central Baja California and their depth range is from 3 to 73 metres (9.8 to 240 ft). Risk of Extinction: No info. More Info: is a ferocious fish which has a large mouth and aggressive territorial behaviour from which it has been given its common name. They tend to hide inside shells or crevices. (photo taken from http://www.realmonstrosities.com/2012/05/sarcastic-fringehead.html)

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Name: Coconut crab (Birgus latro) Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Malacostraca Order: Decapoda   Family: Coenobitidae   Region: Coconut crabs live in the Indian Ocean and the central Pacific Ocean, with a distribution that closely matches that of the coconut palm. Risk of Extinction: No info. More Info: It is the largest land-living arthropod in the world, and is probably at the upper size limit for terrestrial animals with exoskeletons in recent Earth atmosphere, with a weight of up to 4.1 kg (9.0 lb). It can grow to up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in length from leg to leg. (photo taken from http://sc-bioscience.blogspot.com.es/2013/04/zoologger-largest-arthropod-to-prowl.html)

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Name: Blue angel or blue ocean slug (Glaucus atlanticus) Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Order: Opisthobranchia   Family: Glaucidae   Region: Is found include the East and South Coast of South Africa, European waters, the east coast of Australia and Mozambique. Risk of Extinction: No info. More Info: These sea slugs feed on other pelagic creatures including the venomous cnidarian, the Portuguese Man o' War. Because the sea slug stores stinging nematocysts from the cnidarian within its own tissues, a human picking up the sea slug may receive a very painful sting. (photo taken from http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/species-of-the-day/collections/our-collections/glaucus-atlanticus/)

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Name: Lesser Egyptian jerboa (Jaculus jaculus) Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia   Family: Dipodidae   Region: Is particularly abundant in Egypt, hence its common name, but its distribution also extends across North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, from Morocco as far east as Iran. Risk of Extinction: Least Concern More Info: It doesn't need to drink in order to survive the arid desert conditions, relying on its food to provide it with all its water needs. The lesser Egyptian jerboa can travel long distances in search of food, up to ten kilometres a day, which it easily covers thanks to its large feet and hopping stride; the jerboa is known to leap up to three metres in a single bound. (photo taken from http://myths-made-real.blogspot.com.es/2011/12/creature-feature-egyptian-jerboa.html

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Name: Cochranella granulosa (crystal frog) Phylum: Chordata Class: Amphibia Order: Anura   Family: Centrolenidae   Region: Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and possibly Colombia. Risk of Extinction: Least Concern More Info: The abdominal skin of some members of this family is translucent. The internal viscera, including the heart, liver, and gastrointestinal tract, are visible through this translucent skin, hence the common name. (photo taken from http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0211+2316)

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Name:  Japanese spider crab (Macrocheira kaempferi) Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Malacostraca Order: Decapoda   Family: Inachidae   Region: Waters around Japan. Risk of Extinction: No info. More Info: It is the biggest crab in the world, has the largest leg span of any arthropod, reaching up to 3.8 metres (12 ft) and weighing up to 41 pounds (19 kg) (photo taken from http://terrific-top10.com/tag/biggest-crab/)