Bee Eater — The bee-eaters are a group of near-passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa and Asia but others occur in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers. All have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a …

Becard — The becard is any bird of the genus Pachyramphus or Platypsaris in the COTINGA family, Cotingidae; 16 species are represented by numerous subspecies in tropical and subtropical America. The becards are characterized by their large heads with slight crest. The smaller members of this genus have graduated tails and most members are sexually dimorphic, although the Cinnamon Becard …

Avocet — The four species of Avocets are a genus, Recurvirostra, of waders in the same avian family as the stilts. Avocets have long legs and long, thin, upcurved bills (giving their scientific name Recurvirostra) which they sweep from side to side when feeding in the brackish or saline wetlands they prefer. The plumage is pied, sometimes also with some …

Auklet — An auk is a bird of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. Auks are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits. Nevertheless they are not closely related to penguins, but rather are believed to be an example of moderate convergent evolution. Unlike penguins, modern auks can fly …

Sea Turtle — Sea turtles (Superfamily Chelonioidea) are turtles found in all the world’s oceans except the Arctic Ocean .There are seven living species of sea turtles: flatback, green, hawksbill, Kemp’s Ridley, leatherback, loggerhead and olive ridley. The East Pacific subpopulation of the green turtle has been classified as a separate species in the past as the black turtle. However, …

Sidewinder — Crotalus (Sidewinder) cerastes is a venomous pitviper species found in the desert regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the typical form described here. A small species, with adult specimens measuring between 43 cm and 76 cm in length. According to Campbell and Lamar (2004), most adults are 50-80 cm …

Skink — Skinks are the most diverse group of lizards. They make up the family Scincidae which shares the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae (the “true” or wall lizards). Scincidae is the largest of the lizard families with about 1,200 species. Skinks look roughly like true lizards, but most species have no pronounced neck …

Sea Snake — Sea snakes, or “seasnakes”, are venomous elapid snakes which inhabit marine environments for most or all of their lives. Though they evolved from terrestrial ancestors, and some such as Laticauda sp. retain ancestral characteristics which allow limited movement on land, most are extensively adapted to a fully aquatic life and are unable to even move on land. …

Sawback Turtle — Graptemys is a genus of turtles known commonly as map turtles or sometimes sawback turtles. They are aquatic, freshwater basking turtles that are found throughout the eastern half United States and into southern Canada. They superficially resemble many other species of aquatic turtle, including sliders (genus Trachemys) and cooters (genus Pseudemys), but are distinguished by a keel …

Rattlesnake — Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes, genera Crotalus and Sistrurus. They belong to the class of venomous snakes known commonly as pit vipers. There are approximately fifty species of rattlesnake, with numerous subspecies. They receive their name for the rattle located at the tip of their tails. The rattle is used as a warning device when threatened. …