Best Terrestrial
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Coconut crabs are giant, terrestrial crabs belonging to the Anomura order. They inhabit tropical islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans and are notable for being the largest land-dwelling arthropod. These crabs, part of the Coenobitidae family, play a significant role in island ecosystems and are...
Pulmonoscorpius kirktonensis is a remarkably well-preserved fossil scorpion dating back to the Carboniferous period approximately 310 million years ago. It’s notable for possessing lungs, an unusual adaptation among scorpions at this time, suggesting a more active terrestrial lifestyle than previous...
The Argentine Horned Frog (Ceratophrys ornata) is a large South American ambush predator nicknamed 'Pacman frog' for its enormous gape, capable of swallowing prey its own size.
The Christmas Island red crab belongs to the Geocarcinidae family and is native solely to Christmas Island. It’s notable for one of the largest animal migrations on Earth, with millions of crabs moving overland each year to breed in the ocean. These terrestrial crabs are primarily found in coastal f...
The Solomon Islands Leaf Frog (Ceratobatrachus guentheri) is notable for direct development, with eggs hatching straight into froglets, bypassing the tadpole stage entirely.
The American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) is a widespread toad of eastern North America that secretes bufotoxin from large parotoid glands as a defense against predators.
The Land Hermit Crab is a terrestrial decapod crustacean of the genus Coenobita, widely known for inhabiting empty, discarded gastropod shells to protect its soft, vulnerable abdomen from predators.
The Halloween crab is a brightly colored land crustacean found in Central America's mangroves, recognized by its distinct black, orange, and purple patterned shell.
The Western Toad (Anaxyrus boreas) is a wide-ranging species across western North America that lacks a vocal sac and communicates with soft chirping sounds rather than loud calls.
The strawberry land crab is a vividly colored crustacean found in the Indo-Pacific, widely recognized by its bright red shell covered in distinctive white spots.
Small-mouthed Salamander (Ambystoma texanum) is a midwestern North American species notable for forming all-female hybrid lineages with Jefferson Salamander that reproduce through kleptogenesis.
Fowler's Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri) is an eastern North American species distinguished from the American Toad by its call and by having three or more warts per dorsal dark spot.
Endemic to the mountainous regions of South Africa, this completely terrestrial species is unique for nesting in holes dug directly into the ground rather than in tree trunks.
The blue land crab is a large terrestrial crustacean native to the tropical Americas, notable for its striking blue shell and complex burrowing habits in mangroves.
Woodhouse's Toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii) is one of the larger common toads of central and western North America, named after American naturalist Samuel Washington Woodhouse in 1852.
The Southern Toad (Anaxyrus terrestris) is endemic to the southeastern coastal plain of the United States, distinguished by prominent paired cranial crests and knobs on the head.
The Secretarybird is a large, terrestrial bird of prey native to sub-Saharan Africa, uniquely distinguished by its long legs and ability to hunt snakes on foot.
The purple land crab is a terrestrial crustacean native to the Caribbean that burrows in coastal forests and migrates in massive numbers to the sea to spawn.
The yellow land crab is a tropical crustacean native to the Atlantic coasts of the Americas that digs deep burrows in coastal forests and migrates to breed in the ocean.
A New Guinea cuscus (Phalanger gymnotis) that, unlike most relatives, regularly forages on the forest floor as well as in the tree canopy.
A small South American marsupial (Monodelphis americana) distinguished by three dark dorsal stripes running along its back, found in forests of Brazil and neighboring countries.
The European Freshwater Crab is a semi-terrestrial crustacean of the genus Potamon native to Southern Europe, distinguished as one of the continent's few truly indigenous freshwater crab species.
