The Bareback Bee Riders
(barebackus insectus ridus)

The minute Australian Bareback Bee Rider enjoys a symbiotic relationship with its larger insect cousin, the Outback Bumblebee. The Bee Riders,who love honey, live in the hives and eat all the honey they want. In turn, they use their incredible sense of direction and keen eyesight to guide the bees to the best flowers during their daily pursuit of nectar. Young Bee Riders learn the skill of riding early in life. Mothers train their infants by setting them on saddles which are strapped to their own backs until the immature riders gain enough skill to travel alone on the bare backs of bees.

Blue Hound Miniature Dragon
(barkus loudus)

The Blue Hound Miniature Dragon is a small and reclusive animal who lives in the African plains. Although he spends his nights in an underground lair, he can occasionally be seen perched on the stem of at all grass plant during the day. Blue Hounds are carnivorous and survive mostly on insects, but they supplement their diets with their favorite foods, hummingbirds and small rodents.

Long-necked Singing Dinocow
(strechus longus noisus moosaurus

The Long-necked Singing Dinocows are native to the Austrian Alps and make their homes in the highest parts of the mountains, where humans find it difficult to go. Although they can jump and climb easily, their greatest skills lie in the performing arts. Dinocows will, on occasion,tolerate the presence of humans during some of their performances. Some well-known mountaintop singers (Julie Andrews, for instance) claim they learned their most important lessons about singing from observing the dinocows at work.

Orange Headed Carnivorous Dinocrab
(citrus rubus meatus antiqueus crabus)

The Orange Headed Carnivorous Dinocrab is one of the few land crabs which are found only on the remote Galapagos Islands. This hardy creature has been around for millions of years, and although its ancient ancestors lived in the sea, the Dinocrab abandoned the ocean and began adapting to life on land at around the same time that the last dinosaurs became extinct. Dinocrabs, about two inches in height when fully grown,are social animals who live in packs of 50 or more. They feed on insects and turtle eggs which they peck open with their long sharp claws.

Boneless River Frog
(limpus wetus amphibia slimyus)

The Boneless River Frog lives in the Mississippi River and, unlike most other amphibians, lives its whole life underwater. Lacking a skeleton, the Boneless River Frog depends on the buoyancy of the river water to support its weight and cannot function on land. Unlike other frogs, it keeps its gills even after the transition from tadpole to full grown frog is complete. River Frogs are social creatures and travel in herds of 500 or more.

Grinning Grimmer Swimmer
(smilus thruwaterus osteichthyes)

The Grinning Grimmer Swimmer is a Pacific Ocean predator which is distantly related to the fresh water Piranha. It lives deep in the ocean off the coasts of China and Japan and is rarely seen by humans except for deep sea fishermen. When a Grimmer is caught in a trawler net, fishermen gladly relinquish the entire haul rather than risking a run-in with its razor sharp teeth. Grimmers eat primarily other fish,but will attack any fleshy animal they encounter.

Iridescent Larva Fly
(brightus squirmus annoyus)

The Iridescent Larva Fly, native to northern Minnesota, is a nocturnal insect that hunts for mosquitoes and other insects over moonlit ponds and lakes during the warmer summer months. As it flies through the air it holds its front legs together to form a basket in which to capture insects. Whizzing through the air at speeds of 50 to 60 mph, its delicate gauze like wings and iridescent blue coloring shine like bolts of lightning criss crossing the night sky.

Bavarian Blue-capped Mentor Bird
(germanus azulushattus teacherus)

The Bavarian Blue-capped Mentor birds are always found in pairs. Each spring, when the young are ready to leave their nests, mothers bring their offspring to The Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak in the Bavarian Alps, to make a match with a mentor. Once matches are made, the pairs of birds live and work together for five years. After this time the young are considered fully trained and are ready to take on young partners of their own.

Fiery Mexican Deer Tick
(arachnid acarina ovalus biteus)

The Fiery Mexican Deer Tick thrives in the eastern Sierra Madre mountain range. These parasites live only off the fluids of large mammals, attaching themselves to their victims by embedding their forked claws into the host’s skin and then inserting and sucking fluids through the bright yellow hair like cilia attached to the front of their heads. The Deer Ticks are a problem not only for the local wildlife, but also for farmers who must be constantly removing these pests from their livestock before the creatures are too deeply embedded to be removed.

Blueheaded Purple Pickle Circus Flyer
(azulus lapis dillus threeringer avitor)

The Blueheaded Purple Pickle Circus Flier is a small, wingless insect which is believed to be descended from the flea family. Although longer and thinner than most fleas, it does have the flat sides that are characteristic of all fleas and the head which is much smaller than the rest of the body. The Circus Flier’s tiny legs are strong and they have great leaping ability for their size. They can be trained to work effectively in pairs on the high wire and trapeze and are, therefore, a highly prized addition to any flea circus.

Poison Whiptail Puffer
(noeatum bloaters arthropoda)

The Poison Whiptail Puffer lives in the jungles of the Amazon Rain Forest. It dwells high up in the tops of giant Brazil-nut trees which grow 150 feet tall, feeding on ants, beetles, butterflies, and other insects, and battling other males for the attention of females. The Poison Whiptail Puffer has many natural defenses and thus few natural enemies. When attacked by birds or howler monkeys, the puffer inflates its appendages, making it seem larger and more threatening. If this fails to scare off the assailant, the puffer uses its engorged tail to try to beat the attacker into retreating. Should the predator persist in its efforts and try to bite into the puffer, it will be stung by the poisoned blue hairs on top of its head. This last line of defense is rarely needed, however, as most animals avoid Whiptail whenever possible.

Great Jawed Snapper
(huge-o teethus bityou hardus)

The Great Jawed Snapper can be found living in the warm waters of the Coral Sea, in and around the coral reefs surrounding the Solomon Islands and the Vanuatu island group. The average Snapper grows to about six inches in length, although some grow to more than a foot in length, while others never exceed three inches. The Snapper uses its eyes, which are located on top of its back, to search for prey while lying hidden within the crevices of the coral. It feeds on fish and other sea creatures,using its massive jaws to trap and kill animals more than twice its size. Because its meals are very large, it only needs to eat once or twice a week.

Pacific Bubble Squid
(western-in-the-sea orbus jetslimus)

The Pacific Bubble Squid live near the hot vent of the sea floor near the Galapagos Islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean. A previously unknown species prior to its discovery in 1977 the Bubble Squid swim around the area of the vent in large groups called shoals. They can rapidly change the colors and patterns of their bodies to blend with the surrounding tubeworms and giant clams, making it easier to hunt and catch the unusual fish, shrimp, and other marine animals in the vicinity that comprise their diet.

Needlenose Beesquito
(pointedus stingus ouchus)

The Needlenose Beesquito is an insect native to the subcontinent of India. Though tiny (usually measuring less than a quarter of an inch in length) it is a dual pest; it not only sucks the blood of cows and other large mammals (including people!) but it also uses its rear-end stinger to retaliate against those who dare to swat at it while it is attempting to dine. While the beesquito’s bite is nothing more than annoying, its sting causes a severe reaction in most mammals. Strong beesquito repellent is recommended for all who spend time outdoors in the Beesquito’s habitat.