The Fossa
The
fossa is a
cat-like, carnivorous
mammal that is
endemic to
Madagascar. It is a member of the
Eupleridae, a
family of
carnivorans closely related to the
mongoose family (Herpestidae). Its
classification has been controversial because its physical traits resemble those of
cats, yet other traits suggest a close relationship with
viverrids (most
civets and their relatives). Its classification, along with that of the other Malagasy carnivores, influenced hypotheses about how many times mammalian carnivores have colonized the island. With genetic studies demonstrating that the fossa and all other Malagasy carnivores are most closely related to each other (forming a
clade, recognized as the family Eupleridae), carnivorans are now thought to have colonized the island once around 18 to 20 million years ago.
Sunda Colugo
The
Sunda flying lemur (
Galeopterus variegatus), also known as the
Malayan flying lemur or
Malayan colugo, is a species of
colugo (see below for notes on the common name "flying lemur"). Until recently, it was thought to be one of only two species of flying lemur, the other being the
Philippine flying lemur which is found only in the
Philippines. The Sunda flying lemur is found throughout Southeast Asia in
Indonesia,
Thailand,
Malaysia, and
Singapore.
Zebra Duiker
The
zebra duiker (
Cephalophus zebra) is a small
antelope found in
Ivory Coast,
Guinea,
Sierra Leone and
Liberia. It has also been recently discovered in south east
Guinea.
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Superb Bird of Paradise
The
Superb Bird-of-paradise (
Lophorina superba), is a small, approximately 26 cm long,
passerine bird of the
Paradisaeidae (
Birds of Paradise) family. It is the only member in the genus
Lophorina. The Superb Bird-of-paradise is distributed throughout rainforests of
New Guinea.
Japanese Spider Crab
The
Japanese spider crab (高脚蟹
takāshigani?, lit. "tall-footed crab"),
Macrocheira kaempferi, is a
species of
marine crab that lives in the waters around
Japan. It has the largest leg span of any
arthropod, reaching up to 3.8 metres (12 ft) and weighing up to 19 kilograms (42 lb). It is the subject of small-scale
fishery which has led to a few conservation measures.