The Holbrook's Southern Dusky Salamander is endemic to the southeastern United States. Thriving in swampy areas with tannic waters near ponds, streams, or river flood plains, these creatures follow a largely nocturnal lifestyle.
These lungless salamanders have stout bodies, relatively larger back legs, and a row of white spots lining each side of their bodies. Their color varies, ranging from dark brown to black, often accompanied by white-flecked undersides and lighter patches running down their backs.
Since they look so similar to Northern and Spotted Duskies, you can only tell them apart by where they live.
The Southern Torrent Salamander, being a native of the Pacific Northwest, lives in high-oxygen, slow-flowing aquatic environments like mountain brooks and seeps for survival. With the lowest desiccation tolerance among North American salamanders, it struggles with extreme temperatures and low moisture levels.
Adorned with brown shades and darker spots on the dorsal side, it presents a slightly yellowish hue on the ventral side. Metallic flecks further highlight its forward-facing, large, dark eyes.
Amphipods and springtails make up their main diet. This pattern is consistent throughout their life stages, including the larval stage. On the other hand, natural threats to Southern Torrent Salamanders include the Pacific giant salamanders, garter snakes, and salmonid fishes.
The Montseny Brook Newt is native to the Montseny Massif in Northeast Spain. They primarily inhabit cold, fast-moving rivers with low nutrient levels, indicating they are strictly aquatic in nature. It was distinctively recognized as its own species, separate from the Pyrenean brook salamander, in 2005.
Displaying a chocolate-colored back, this species has a flattened head, and its body is oval-shaped with minimal dorsoventral compression. If they feel threatened, these newts secret a white, sticky, highly odorous substance, likely intended to deter predators.
Regrettably, the Montseny Brook newt is critically endangered, with fewer than 1,500 in the wild. Their survival is primarily challenged by the desiccation of their mountain stream habitats.
As the largest among the Siren family, the Greater Siren, found in North America's southeastern coastal plains, can measure up to 38 inches. It demonstrates paedomorphism, retaining external gills their entire life and lacking hindlimbs, pelvic girdle, and eyelids while sporting an unfused pectoral girdle.
Greater sirens are nocturnal hunters, preferring invertebrates such as insects, crustaceans, molluscs, and small fish, thus taking a midlevel predator role in the aquatic food web. .
Scorpions also glow under ultraviolet (UV) light. This otherworldly luminescence results from a substance in their exoskeleton called beta-carboline. When exposed to UV rays, they emit a bright blue-green light. Baby scorpions and recently molted ones exhibit this striking fluorescent trait.
The exact purpose of scorpion bioluminescence remains debated among experts. Some researchers suggest that the glow may protect them from the harmful UV radiation in sunlight. Field observations have also led scientists to believe that fluorescence could play a part in hunting, luring, or disorienting prey. Finally, the glow might also be a signal or identifier among scorpions.
During mating season, male scorpions first track down a suitable female by following the enticing chemical cues she leaves behind. Upon finding a prospective partner, the male works to pique her interest by performing various actions, such as waving his pincers or tail.
Known as the promenade à deux (or dance for two), the ritual begins when the male takes hold of the female's pincers and guides her through an intricate choreography. Together, they perform mesmerizing movements, swaying back and forth or side to side in perfect unison.
This enthralling spectacle may last anywhere from mere minutes to several hours. Throughout the dance, the male diligently searches for the ideal surface to deposit his spermatophore, a sperm-filled capsule vital to their reproductive process.
Once he finds the perfect spot, he leads the female to the spermatophore, which she carefully retrieves using her genital opening. This crucial moment in their dance signals the fertilization of her eggs.
If you travel to some regions of the world, you might be surprised to know they eat scorpions as a delicacy. Once these creatures die, you can eat them safely because their venom becomes harmless and inert upon death. Adventurous eaters should enjoy these animals' unique flavor and texture without the risk of being stung.
In some communities, scorpions are a valuable source of protein. Adults and children in remote areas hunt them. Today, scorpions have started to pop up in crowded city food scenes. Urbanites can easily find these exotic arachnids at street food stalls and local markets; they are usually deep-fried, grilled, skewered, and candied.
Scorpion venom has two sides: it can harm and heal. For example, researchers have found that some of its components can selectively target cancer cells, offering promising leads for developing innovative cancer therapies7.
Moreover, the venom has demonstrated antimicrobial properties, opening avenues for new antibiotic discoveries. Some ingredients of scorpion venom can suppress the immune system. People with autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis might benefit from this venom effect.
The Downy Woodpeckers are the smallest woodpecker species, with a modest length range of 5.5 to 7.1 inches.
The feathers of these North American woodpeckers are soft, hence its name. Its wings have a black and white spotted pattern contrasting beautifully with its white belly and underparts. Males have red patches on their heads, while females do not have it.
Moreover, they are highly adaptable, thriving in urban and wild environments, such as deciduous forests, city parks, orchards, and states from Alaska to Florida.
The bird communicates by drumming on tree trunks to mark its territory or attract a mate.
Its diet consists mainly of insects and larvae, but it eats berries, acorns, and grains.
The Hairy Woodpecker is a distinctive bird with black and white feathers that contrast with the greenery of North American forests. The males have a small red patch on the back of their heads.
It is larger than the Downy Woodpecker and has a long, dagger-shaped beak well-suited for clinging to tree trunks.
This species is adaptable to various habitats, including dense forests, open woodlands, parklands, and suburban areas, as long as there are trees.
This type of woodpecker feeds on various insects, including wood-boring beetles, ants, and caterpillars. Its long, barbed tongue allows it to extract insects hidden deep within tree trunks, which helps control pest populations.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird in the forests, woodlands, parks, and residential areas of the eastern and central United States. It is easily noticeable due to its red-capped head that stretches from the bill to the nape, although the red belly is less noticeable.
The males have a larger red cap than the females, with only a small red patch on the nape. It also has bars on its back, which makes it a captivating sight in its natural habitat.
Red-bellied Woodpeckers emit a loud, rolling call during the breeding season. In addition to their unique appearance and calls, the bird has some notable habits, such as storing food in tree crevices for later use.
The species has adapted to human-dominated habitats, but habitat loss remains a significant threat to survival.
The Pileated Woodpecker lives in North American forests. It is larger than the average woodpecker, as big as a crow.
The bird's fiery-red crest on its head sets it apart from other woodpeckers; the term 'Pileated' is derived from the Latin word 'pileatus,' which means 'capped.'
Both males and females possess this vibrant crest, but males have an additional red stripe on their cheeks, distinguishing them from females with black cheeks.
They create large, rectangular cavities in mature trees of forests and woodlands, though they prefer dead or dying trees since the wood is soft and easy to work. These cavities serve as a pantry and a nursery, storing food and nurturing new life.
The Pileated Woodpecker primarily feeds on insects, especially carpenter ants and wood-boring beetle larvae. They also consume fruits, nuts, and berries.
The Northern Flicker is a unique bird that stands out from other members of the woodpecker family. Unlike many of its tree-dwelling counterparts, this type of woodpecker spends much of its time on the ground, searching for ants and beetles. Its beak, which is slightly curved and pointed, acts like a little shovel, helping it to unearth its prey.
The Northern Flicker's distinctive fluttering and gliding pattern creates a 'flickering' effect when in flight.
This bird lives in North America's woodlands, Central America's parks, and even some city edges in the Caribbean. Northern Flickers can thrive in diverse habitats and add a splash of color to their surroundings.
Its brown back with black bars and white rump patch are notable features, along with the yellow or red hues on the shafts of its feathers.
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a bird species found in deciduous and coniferous forests. It has a bright yellow belly and a black-and-white pattern on its wings and back. The males have a distinctive red throat and cap.
Moreover, due to its migratory pattern, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is unique in the eastern North American woodpecker family. Its breeding grounds are in the far north, and it migrates southwards for the winter.
The bird observes sapsucking behavior and drills shallow holes in tree bark. These holes attract insects, which provide an additional food source for the bird.
This behavior also has ecological significance. The sap wells created by the bird serve as a food and hydration source for other bird species and insects, highlighting the interdependence of nature.
However, the bird's behavior can cause damage to fruit trees in orchards. Therefore, it is essential to find a balance between the bird's ecological role and its impact on human activities.
The Red-headed Woodpeckers stand out in the avian world. Its red head resembles a ripe apple, and black upperparts and white underparts contrast its medium-sized frame.
This species is found in the eastern and central United States, extending west to the Rockies. They live in open woodlands, orchards, parks, and residential areas.
Moreover, dead trees are a preferred nesting and food storage location, which makes them vulnerable to habitat loss.
The Red-headed Woodpecker has a diverse diet, consuming a variety of insects, seeds, berries, nuts, fruits, and even bird eggs. It can catch insects in mid-flight, similar to a flycatcher.
Lewis's Woodpecker has a green-black upper body, while its face and chest have a pinkish-red blush, setting it apart from other woodpeckers. They also fly like a crow.
The Lewis's Woodpecker lives in the western regions of North America. Its habitat ranges from the open pine woods of British Columbia and Alberta in Canada to the fragmented forests of Arizona and New Mexico in the United States.
This type of woodpecker has a unique way of catching insects mid-flight, similar to a flycatcher. When it doesn't want insects, it eats berries and nuts.
Acorn Woodpeckers feature a black-and-white pattern with a red cap, while their faces have a detailed black, white, and red pattern. Their unique facial features, which include striking white eyes surrounded by black, white, and red patterns, have earned them the title of jesters of the bird world.
Living in the Western United States oak woodlands, Acorn Woodpeckers are known to hoard and eat acorns, similar to squirrels. They drill precise holes in trees to store each acorn, sometimes resulting in thousands of acorns stored in a single tree.
Likewise, these woodpeckers have a diverse diet that includes insects, sap, fruits, and sometimes even bird eggs or small animals.
The Gila Woodpecker has a red cap and shades of brown and gray. Males have red caps, a defining characteristic of this medium-sized bird.
It is named after the Gila River Basin and is vital in the local ecosystem, living among the Saguaro cactus forests in Southern Arizona and western Mexico.
They are active during the early morning and late afternoon, often near the saguaro cactus, which provides habitat, food, shelter, and water for the birds.
Likewise, this bird feeds mainly on insects found on the cacti, but they also consume fruits, berries, and cactus flowers.
They are loyal to their nesting sites and often reuse the same hole for breeding. During the breeding season, the Gila Woodpecker becomes territorial and will defend its space with aggressive displays.
The Great Spotted Woodpecker is a bird species in Europe and northern Asia. It has black and white plumage, with males having a red dash on the back of their heads. This bird has a stout beak and a long, sticky tongue, perfectly adapted for drilling into tree trunks and catching insects.
Its diet consists mainly of insects, including seeds, nuts, and bird eggs. Moreover, the Great Spotted Woodpecker is adaptable, making its home in various environments, including forests, parks, and gardens.
The Golden-fronted Woodpecker is easily recognizable thanks to the golden patch on its forehead. This bird is on the larger side, standing at 8.7 to 10.2 inches.
Males have a vibrant red cap, while females have a black one. Their bodies are primarily grey, with barred back and wings, white underparts, and a yellow nape.
These types of woodpeckers live in Central and North America, ranging from the southern regions of the United States to Nicaragua. Their preferred habitats include open woodlands, savannas, scrublands, and palm groves. They also adapt to residential areas and perch on utility poles.
The Golden-fronted Woodpeckers eat insects, fruits, seeds, and small reptiles or mammals. They have a unique way of foraging where they peck at the ground like a flicker and use their long tongue to extract insects from crevices.
