The Northern Dusky Salamander, a resident of eastern North America from New Brunswick to South Carolina, adapts its living environments depending on its geographic location.
In the north, it thrives in rocky woodland streams, seepage, and springs, while in the south, it gravitates toward upland stream sloughs, floodplains, and muddy areas.
The lungless salamander sports an upper body hue shifting from reddish-brown to gray or olive and a white or gray underside sprinkled with dark spots. Variously colored stripes embellish its body and tail.
Its diet depends on what's available, reflecting its nature as a feeding generalist. Despite being prone to predation, its ability for tail autonomy offers some level of protection, compensating for its lack of chemical defense mechanisms.
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.
