Top Results for Extant

An exceptionally long bill defines the sword-billed hummingbird, Ensifera ensifera, which inhabits mountain habitats along the Andes. Its South American range extends beyond Peru and Bolivia to include countries farther north. The bill is longer relative to body size than that of any other bird, mak...

With its rounded ears and compact body, the quokka is a small Australian marsupial in the macropod family, the group that includes kangaroos and wallabies. It occurs on Rottnest Island and in other parts of Western Australia. Its face often appears to be smiling, a feature that has made photographs...

In the Andean foothills of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, the wire-crested thorntail is a small forest hummingbird with unusually elaborate male ornamentation. Known scientifically as Discosura popelairii, it takes its common name from the male's slender, wire-like crest. The elongated outer tail feath...

Across Australia's dry interior, the red kangaroo inhabits open grasslands and shrublands suited to its grazing lifestyle. It is the largest living kangaroo and the largest living marsupial, with adult males generally much larger than females. Powerful hind limbs support hopping, while the long musc...

Restricted to Robinson Crusoe Island in Chile's Juan Fernández archipelago, the Juan Fernández firecrown is an island-endemic hummingbird. It belongs to Sephanoides, a genus with two living species. Males and females differ markedly in appearance: males are largely reddish orange, while females show...

The crimson topaz, Topaza pella, is a large living hummingbird of tropical northern South America. Males have rich crimson plumage contrasted with a dark head and an iridescent throat. Their elongated tail feathers contribute substantially to an overall length that can reach approximately 23 centime...

Native to Venezuela's Paria Peninsula, the scissor-tailed hummingbird is a living species with a very restricted distribution. Its scientific name is Hylonympha macrocerca. The male's deeply forked, elongated tail gives the species its common name and creates a distinctive outline in flight or when...

The numbat is a small Australian marsupial distinguished by a pointed snout, a bushy tail and pale bands across its back. It is the only living member of the family Myrmecobiidae. Associated especially with southwestern Australia, it feeds almost exclusively on termites, using a long, sticky tongue...

The long-tailed sylph is a hummingbird species native to the Andean highlands of Venezuela, Bolivia, and surrounding areas. It’s recognized by its males possessing exceptionally elongated outer tail feathers, reaching up to twelve centimeters – significantly longer than most other hummingbirds. This...

The Tufted Coquette (Lophornis ornatus) is a small hummingbird found throughout the Caribbean islands and parts of South America. It’s notable for its distinctive tufts on its head and vibrant turquoise plumage. Primarily breeding in Trinidad, Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil, it's of interest to birdw...

The horned sungem is a hummingbird species found primarily within Brazil’s cerrado biome. It is notable as the only extant member of the Heliactin genus, distinguished by prominent, horn-like plumes on the male's head. This unique feature makes it a subject of interest for ornithologists and conserv...

Megachile pluto is a sizable bee native to Indonesia. It’s notable as the largest extant leafcutter-bee species globally, reaching significant sizes. This giant bee belongs to the Megachilidae family and is of interest to entomologists studying bee diversity and evolution. Researchers and conservati...

Commonly called the western or European honeybee, Apis mellifera is a living bee species in the insect order Hymenoptera. Its eusocial colonies have a reproductive queen and workers that cooperate in maintaining the nest and gathering food. Colony members communicate through chemical signals and mov...

Known as the flower urchin, Toxopneustes pileolus is a living species of regular sea urchin in the family Toxopneustidae. It inhabits shallow coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific, including areas around coral reefs. Its flower-like appearance comes from conspicuous stalked structures called pedicellar...

Commonly called the purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus lives in coastal waters of the eastern Pacific. It is an echinoderm in the family Strongylocentrotidae and a regular sea urchin, with a rounded body organized around a radial pattern. Movable spines cover its hard shell, while tube...

Mesocentrotus franciscanus, commonly known as the red sea urchin, is a regular echinoderm belonging to the Strongylocentrotidae family. It inhabits kelp forests along the Pacific coast of North America. This species is notable for its size and commercially harvested roe, which is consumed globally....

The largest hammerhead species, the great hammerhead belongs to the family Sphyrnidae and inhabits tropical and warm temperate seas worldwide. Individuals can reach about 6.1 meters, although this represents exceptional size rather than an ordinary adult length. Its broad, relatively straight-fronte...

The whale shark is the largest living fish, a slow-moving carpet shark found in tropical and warm temperate seas worldwide. Very large individuals can approach 18 meters in length, although such size should not be treated as typical. A broad head and patterned body distinguish it visually from other...

Dark vertical markings on young tiger sharks give this large predatory species its common name. The stripes often become less distinct as the animal matures. Found in tropical and warm temperate waters around the world, the tiger shark is generally solitary and frequently active at night. Its broad...

The great white shark is a large lamnid species found in the coastal surface waters of all major oceans. It is notable for its size, with mature individuals often reaching lengths of over 4.5 meters, making it the largest known macropredatory fish in existence. As an apex predator, it primarily feed...

The buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, is a widespread living species native to Europe. Its dark, hairy body carries pale yellow bands, while the queen's buff-colored tail gives the species its common name. Colonies usually nest underground, often occupying abandoned rodent burrows. This mean...

The giant hummingbird represents the largest hummingbird species currently living. Native to the Andes mountains of South America, it is distinguished by its significantly larger size compared to other hummingbirds. Recent genetic research has confirmed distinct populations within the species, separ...

The fiery topaz is a hummingbird species native to the Amazon rainforests of South America. It’s distinguished by its exceptionally vibrant orange-red coloration in males, a result of unique pigments within its feathers. This small bird is primarily found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venez...

Petalura ingentissima, commonly known as the giant petaltail, is a large species of dragonfly endemic to the coastal rainforests of northeastern Australia. First described by entomologist Robert John Tillyard in 1908, it is recognized as Australia's largest dragonfly, capable of reaching a wingspan...

Anax imperator, commonly known as the emperor dragonfly, is a large species of hawker dragonfly belonging to the family Aeshnidae. Described by zoologist William Elford Leach in 1815, it is one of the largest dragonfly species found in Europe, with a range that extends across the continent into Afri...

A stocky body and broad, blunt snout distinguish the bull shark from many more slender requiem sharks. Belonging to the family Carcharhinidae, it occurs in warm coastal waters and can also enter estuaries and rivers. Its ability to tolerate both seawater and freshwater is called euryhalinity, a phys...

Osmia lignaria, commonly known as the blue orchard bee, is a species of mason bee native to North America. It’s notable for its specialized nesting behavior within wood cavities and its critical role in pollinating fruit trees like apples and pears during early bloom periods. This solitary bee is pa...

Diadema antillarum is a regular sea-urchin belonging to the Diadematidae family and found throughout the Caribbean. This extant species plays a significant role in maintaining healthy coral reefs by consuming algae. The 1983 mass mortality event dramatically impacted populations, making it particula...

The blue orchard mason bee, scientifically known as Osmia lignaria, is a solitary bee species native to North America. It is recognized by its dark metallic blue or black coloring and its habit of building nests in existing cavities, such as hollow plant stems or holes in wood. The bee is a highly e...