Blue Morpho

Blue Morpho

Male morphos have beautiful blue wings that flash in the sunshine as they fly through the rainforests where they live. There are more than 50 species of morpho and they all come from the American tropics. They were once caught in huge numbers so that their wings could be used to make jewelry, but today many species are protected. The male’s brilliant colour is protected by microscopic ridges on the surface of its scales. These reflect the light in a certain way, making the wings glisten with a metallic blue sheen. Female morphos usually have less blue on their wings, although in some species they are orange or brown.

Scientific name – Morpho species

Distribution       - South America

Size                       - Wingspan up to 14cm  

Grey Mouse Lemur

Grey Mouse Lemur

Mouse Lemurs are among the world’s smallest primates.  They look very much like mice, but have forward-facing eyes, tiny fingers and toes and long tail with fluffy tips.  They often weight less than 50g.  Like many primitive primates, mouse-lemurs move about at night.  They eat a wide range of food including insects, fruits and leaves.  They give birth to two or three young after a gestation period of about eight months.

Scientific Name: Microcebus rufus

Ice fish

Ice fish

Antarctic ice fish are the only vertebrates that do not have hemoglobin – the red pigment that normally carries oxygen in blood.  Their blood is almost colourless and it collects oxygen in the same way that water does – by simply dissolving it.  Ice fish have to survive with about a tenth as much oxygen as normal fish and they do this by swimming slowly and by spending long periods without moving.  They live on the seabed, feeding on small animal such as crustaceans.

Scientific Name: chaenocephlus aceratus

Cheetah

Cheetah

Instead of hunting by stealth, the cheetah relies on speed.  It is the fastest land animal on earth and can reach speed of about 95 km/h in just three  or four seconds – an acceleration rate that beats most cars.  Cheetahs can do this because they have slender bodies, long legs and springy backbone.  Unlike other cats, they do not have retractable claws on their front feet and they bring down their prey by knocking it to the ground.  Cheetahs feed mainly on antelopes and other grazing mammals.  They live in grassland and semi-desert.

Scientific Name: Acinonyx jubatus

 

Nightingale

Nightingale

In Europe, the nightingale has a reputation for being one of the finest singers in the bird world.  Its plain brown plumage and secretive habits make it difficult to see, but ist rich fluty song is impossible to mistake.  Nightingales are unusual because they sing by night as well as day, which is how they get their name.  They feed on insects and fruit and nest low down in tangled vegetation.

Scientific Name: Luscinia megarbynchos

Dwarf Beetle

Dwarf Beetle

As we;; as being the smallest beetles in the world, dwarf beetles are among the smallest of all insects.  The smallest species looks like little more than a speck.  These beetles feed on the decaying remains of plants and fungi.  Their feathery hind wings fold when not in use.

Scientific Name: Nanosella fungi

Chinese Giant Salamander

Chinese Giant Salamander

This is the largest amphibian in the world.  It has a large, broad, small eyes and dark, wrinkly skin.  It lives in cool mountain streams, where it eats insects, frogs, and fish.  Chinese giant salamanders are very rare.  They are threatened by pollution and they are also collected for food and for use in traditional medicine.

 

Scientific Name:  Andrias davidianus

Size:   Up to 1.15 m cm long

 

Kea

     Kea

 

The Kea is a larger and heavily built parrot from the mountain of New Zealand. Unlike other parrots, it eats dead animals and insects, as well as fruits and seeds. It has dark green plumage, a large beak and strong feet for walking on the ground. Kea is inquisitive and will help themselves to picnics and leftover food. They will also tug at shoelaces and car windscreen wipers .They used to be short for apparently attacking sheep, but they are now protected

Scientific name – nestor notabilis

Distribution       - South island of New Zealand

Size    -   Up to 48cm long