#Democracy
When keepers discovered a clutch of mystery eggs in Reptile Mesa, they weren’t sure which species they belonged to—until a tiny Oreo-cookie-sized Australian Parker’s snake-necked turtle emerged. Mystery solved!
It’s a form of camouflage, protecting it from predators looking for a meal in dimly lit forests. Tapirs don’t always have this coloration though—as babies, they have auburn fur with a white pattern, which helps them blend into their surroundings. This is the largest species of tapir, with the largest adults weighing in at more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg)! This species is currently listed as endangered as a result of habitat loss and hunting.
Photograph by Rufus46
This little chunker is a Wamba sand frog [Tomopterna wambensis], a species named for the Kenyan substrate in which it is most commonly found. Interestingly, little of this frog’s morphology is known. Although they have been observed calling in seasonal wetlands, scientists are still unsure whether their eggs produce tadpoles, or just miniature versions of adult frogs via direct development. Images by Vladimir Trailin.
Oak toads [Anaxyrus quercicus] calling in a temporary pond in South Carolina. These toads may be the smallest species in North America, but their call is remarkably loud when they gather in large enough numbers. Images by
Seánín Óg.
When it comes to frogs, sometimes you’re neither sticky nor dry. The charming intermediate sticky frog [Kalophrynus intermedius] is a nice balance of the two. Found in Malaysia, Indonesia, and in a few Borneo locations, these vulnerable frogs are a rare sight, known only from a few specimens discovered in the leaf-litter of closed canopy forests. Images by Flickr user Methosphang methosphan.
Zby atlanticus, a sauropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of Portugal (~156-151 mya). While its genus name might look like a keyboard smash, it was actually named after the Russian-French paleontologist
Georges Zbyszewski, who spent much of his career studying Portuguese fossils.
(As for how to pronounce it, according to the original paper it’s “zee-bee”.)
It was a close relative of Turiasaurus, the largest dinosaur currently known from Europe – and although Zby itself wasn’t quite so enormous it was still pretty big, probably measuring somewhere around 15-19m long (49′2″-62′4″).
In fact, all the sauropods known from Late Jurassic Portugal seem to have grown to very large adult sizes. The complete lack of medium or small forms suggests that other types of herbivorous dinosaurs may have dominated the region’s lower-browsing niches at the time.
The Dendronotus iris is often called the Giant nudibranch, and for good reason. This nudibranch can grow to a whopping 30cm in length! It lives in muddy subtidal areas from northern Alaska to northern Mexico, at most 200m below the surface. Like many other nudibranchs, the Giant nudibranch has a very specific diet- it feeds solely on the tendrils of the tube-dwelling anemone (as seen in the picture). Funnily enough, the anemones sometimes pull the nudibranch into their tube when they try to hide, although no one seems to be harmed in the process.
(Photo: Chad King/NOAA)
[Image description: A close-up view of a sea anemone. Its tentacles are white, while its body is yellow and bright pink.]
