Devil’s Hole Pupfish

Cyprinodon diabolis

The Devil’s Hole pupfish gets its name from the freshwater limestone cave pool in which it lives. Its entire life cycle is spent largely within the boundaries of a shelf near the surface of the pool. If conditions on the shelf are less than ideal, the pupfish is in immediate danger. The Devil’s Hole pupfish has been known since 1891. However, for 40 years it was assumed to be a variant of another well-known species, the desert pupfish. In 1930 its distinctive nature was fully [Read more]

Brown Kiwi

Apteryx mantelli

The mainland populations of the unique brown kiwi found only in New Zealand-have suffered huge declines in the 20th century, mainly due to plundering by introduced predators. With its shaggy, hairlike plumage, a plump, round body, a lack of visible tail or wings, and an ability to track down food in the dead of night, kiwis resemble nocturnal mammals rather than typical birds. Like many mammals, [Read more]

American Bison

Bison bison

Formerly America’s most abundant large mammal and integral to the culture of native Americans, the bison was hunted to the brink of extinction during the development of North America. It is now numerous once more, and large herds live in protected areas and on ranches. Plodding across the plains, bison look like pretty solid, sedate animals. However, they can swim, run fast-up to 30 mph (50 km/h)-and even jump over 3 feet (90 cm) into the air! They live in [Read more]

Galapagos Giant Tortoise

Geochelone nigra

Before permanent settlers arrived on the Galapagos Islands in the 1830s, there were huge numbers of giant tortoises. Since then habitat destruction and immigrant predators have taken their toll. Lying off the coast of Ecuador and almost on the equator, the Galapagos Islands achieved lasting fame after the English naturalist Charles Darwin published his theory of evolution in The Origin of Species (1859). The book was written after his visit to the islands in 1835. The area was already well known to whalers and other seamen who, [Read more]

Volcano rabbit

Romerolagus diazi

The volcano rabbit is one of the world’s rarest mammals, yet it lives within a short distance of one of the world’s most densely populated human settlements: Mexico City. The high ground overlooking the Valley of Mexico is studded with volcanoes, some more active than others. The lower southern slopes of the valley are dominated by natural forests of pine and alder, with a dense understory of scrub. At higher altitudes these [Read more]

African Elephant

Loxodonta africana

The African elephant is the largest land mammal on earth. It is a remarkable creature, not only because of its size and bulk, but also because of its intelligence, memory, and behavior. The statistics surrounding the African elephant are as impressive as the animal itself: It is the world’s largest land mammal and has the longest gestation of any animal (660 days-nearly two years). An adult elephant can drink between 15 and 20 gallons (70 and 90 I) of water a day and eat [Read more]

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