Home – worldwide
Habitat – tropical and temperate forests, grassland, suburban
Niche – most are herbivorous, some species feed on other insects
Favorite Food – plant juices
Length – up to 1 inch
Notable Feature – they produce a foul-smelling liquid to ward off predators
There are over 5,000 species of stink bugs worldwide, and they range in color from drab green and brown to brightly-colored red and yellow. Most species suck juices from trees and shrubs, but a few prey on other insects. As a result of their feeding habits on commercially-valuable crops, some species are serious pests to humans.
Stink bugs are also known as shield-bugs because of the shape of their bodies. They have broad “shoulders” that taper into their abdomens below their folded wings. They have strong angular legs for gripping plant stems and have specialized mouthparts for piercing and slurping. They are very common insects and can be found nearly everywhere in the world where there’s vegetation.
Stink bugs are so-named because of their defense against predators. If they’re disturbed, they will eject a noxious liquid from special glands in their thorax. The smell and taste of this bitter chemical weapon is enough to deter many predators and to put off a casual human collector. The bright coloration of many species is a warning sign to predators that it doesn’t taste very good. Sometimes coloration alone in the animal kingdom does the trick without needing to deploy the weapon being advertised.
Home – North and South America
Habitat – varied: tropical and temperate forest, grassland, desert, and mountains
Niche – nocturnal hunter
Favorite Food – small mammals
Length – up to 2 feet
Weight – up to 5 pounds
Status – Common
Threats – Habitat destruction
The Great Horned Owl is the largest owl in North America, and its range extends from Northern Canada down to Tierra del Fuego. It gets its name from the tufts of feathers on either side of its head that resemble horns from a distance. A silent killer of the night, it is one of the world’s most successful birds.
Great Horned Owls are some of the most sedentary birds in the world, rarely venturing far from their home tree. Because of their adaptations, they don’t need to fly far in search of food. Small mammals are plentiful across the Great Horned Owl’s wide range across North and South America, and this amazing bird has an extensive hunting arsenal. Its binocular vision is so acute that it can spy a mouse over 100 feet away, and its hearing can detect tiny movement in the leaf litter below its tree. Although owls can’t move their eyes in their sockets, they can turn their heads almost completely around their axis, allowing them to zero-in on prey. Finally, the soft feathers of an owl muffles the sound of flight, making its deadly approach nearly silent up until the point it sinks its razor-sharp talons into an unfortunate animal.
Great Horned Owls make their nests in trees, usually in a hollowed-out trunk or the abandoned nest of a hawk or crow. In sparser areas, they will nest in rocky alcoves. Although the female is the one to incubate the eggs, both parents will tend to the fledgling chicks for about 6 weeks until they leave the nest. Great Horned Owls are very territorial birds, even when not rearing young, but will defend their nests with resolve. They have been known to dive-bomb humans to frighten them away from their trees if they get too close.
Habitat destruction is the greatest threat facing Great Horned Owls because of their dependence on trees for nesting. However, their wide range has afforded them a buffer against encroachment, and they are still common in many regions of North and South America.
Home – Central America
Habitat – Tropical Forest
Niche – amphibious insectivore
Favorite Food – insects
Length – up to about 3 inches
Status – Locally Common
Threats – habitat loss, pollution, climate change
The red-eyed treefrog inhabits tropical forests of Central America, using its squishy toe pads to gain footing on wet branches in its search for insects. Because of the constant humidity in its habitat, adult red-eyed treefrogs and other treefrogs are able to live a mostly terrestrial life and only need standing water during the mating season. It is one of the most colorful frogs in the world, with striking red eyes, orange feet, and blue decals along the sides its green body.
Mating is an interesting affair for red-eyed treefrogs. Although they don’t need to mate in standing water like many other frogs, they still need to gather an amount of freshwater to allow the movement of sperm and eggs. This task falls on the female, and she carts the male on her back down to a pool of water to gather enough to lay 50 or so eggs on a chosen leaf. Ever the hard-worker, the female will continue this process a few times until she has finished laying eggs. The loafer on her back will then leave, having fulfilled his purpose of providing sperm. The eggs only take about 5 days to hatch and the newborn tadpoles will drop off of the egg-laden leaves into water. Like all amphibians, quantity of eggs laid is important. Since the eggs are so attractive to predators, only batches of hundreds will produce enough offspring with a chance to reach adulthood.
Red-eyed treefrogs are still locally common in the remaining stretches of tropical forest across Central America. As deforestation continues to reduce tree cover to make way for farmland, treefrog numbers will continue to decrease. However, loss of trees is not the only threat facing red-eyed treefrogs and others of their kind. Amphibians are notoriously vulnerable to even small changes in temperature, and the quality of water and air. Industrial pollution, even in minute amounts, has triggered massive die-offs of frogs, toads, and salamanders in all regions of the world.
Home – Central America
Habitat – tropical forest
Niche – Arboreal omnivore
Favorite Food – anything it can fit in its mouth
Length – up to 30 inches
Weight – a few pounds
Status – Locally Common
Threats – habitat destruction
When it comes to walking on water, there are a few animals that carry on the miracle’s legacy. One is the plumed basilisk, a bright green lizard of Central America that grows to over two feet in length. Because of their unique ability to evade predators by traversing the surface of a pool of water, these tropical reptiles have earned the nickname “Jesus Christ lizard.”
The secret to the Jesus walk is in the plumed basilisk’s feet. The lizard will slap the water with a hind foot with enough force to create a pocket of air between the foot and the surrounding water. Then, with lightning speed, it will pull the foot up before the air pocket fills with water. Using this method, the plumed basilisk can scamper across the surface of several feet of water in order to evade predators that can’t follow.
Basilisks are the ultimate omnivores in the tropical forests of Central America, feeding on insects, small mammals, birds, amphibians, and even certain flowers and fruits. They are active by night and day in tree branches, waiting for prey to come within range. These lizards choose their perches over water so that they can drop in and escape if the need arises. In addition to their ability to run across the surface, plumed basilisks are also excellent swimmers. The raised crests on the head, back, and tail allow propulsion through the water for a quick getaway.
Male plumed basilisks are fiercely territorial during the mating season and will defend their turf with gusto if challenged by another male. The dominant males earn the right to mate with several females in their range, increasing the chance their genes will be passed on to the next generation. Females will lay a clutch of around 20 eggs several weeks after mating. As with all reptiles, the chance of youngsters reaching adulthood is low due to predation, so laying many eggs increases the chance that at least one will survive.
Plumed basilisks are still common in the forests of Central America due to their adaptability and unspecialized diet. However, they can’t live without trees, and as logging continues to clear habitat in the land bridge between the Americas, the Jesus Christ lizard might find that its tricks are not enough to overcome.
Home – Southeast Asia
Habitat – tropical forests and grasslands
Niche – large flying insect
Favorite Food – plant leaves in larval form
Wingspan – up to 10 inches
Status – Vulnerable to extinction
Threats – habitat destruction, specimen collection
In the forests of southern of Southern Asia there lives an insect so large that it defies belief. Brilliantly colored with wings big enough to cover your laptop screen, the atlas moth is truly a sight to behold against the lush green backdrop of its tropical habitat.
Atlas moths belong to the largest family of moths, called saturniid moths or emperor moths. About 800 species make up this family, and among them are the biggest moths on planet earth. The atlas moth is near the top of the list, with adult female wingspans measuring as much as 10 inches across, attached to a body the size of a human thumb. Females are larger than males, but lack the broad, feathery antennae.
Like all butterflies and moths, atlas moths begin their life cycle as larvae called caterpillars hatched from eggs. These caterpillars voraciously consume as much plant material as possible in preparation for their next stage of life. Gobbling a variety of plant leaves, they must store a certain amount of energy before they spin hairy cocoons about their bodies. Within the cocoon, they are protected from many predators and begin the process that turns them into the adult, winged moth form. Surprisingly, adult atlas moths do not eat. They must consume enough food in caterpillar form to both molt into their adult form and sustain the flight of a giant adult insect. Adult lives are spent searching for mates and avoiding predators, working on a tight timeline. Since they can’t eat, they need to accomplish their life goals without the ability to buy more time before death.
Despite their size, atlas moths do not possess much in the way of a defensive arsenal. However, like other moths, they can use their bright, spotted coloration to confuse predators. If an atlas moth is disturbed, it will thrust its wings forward, flashing its bright spots. Often, the sight of what appears to be a much larger, different animal is enough to startle a predator long enough to allow the moth to fly away.
Atlas moths are protected in some regions of Asia due to threats posed by habitat destruction and collection. Since they are so huge and spectacularly colored, they are a favorite specimen to mount on display. Like many other animals living in the tropical rainforests of Asia, the atlas moth will only survive if we’re committed to letting it do so.
