Spotted Towhee

Pipilo maculatus

Spotted Towhees are actually large members of the New World Sparrow family, and can be found in the western parts of North America. They have striking red sides, with dark wings and tails that are spotted with white. Males are darker in color than the females

Male Spotted Towhees are very dedicated when it comes to finding a mate. Those who have not yet attracted  females will spend 70-90% of their entire morning singing their little hearts out.  Once they find a mate, only about 5% of their morning time is devoted to song. Due to their scrubland environment, nests are built by the female on the ground using things like pine needles, bark, and grasses. Eggs incubate for only two weeks, and the young are out of the nest when they are only 12 days old!

Spotted Towhees not only nest on the ground, but they feed there as well. They have a very distinctive foraging technique that is referred to as "two-footed scratching." They kick both of their feet back simultaneously to scratch and forage for seeds, insects, and nuts. The sound is actually pretty loud, and the birds are often heard before they are seen.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Western North America
Size : Body Length 8in (21cm), Wingspan 11in (28cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Emberizidae -- Genus : Pipilo -- Species : P. maculatus

Savannah Monitor

Varanus exanthematicus

Savannah Monitors are one of the more popular Monitor Lizard species to be kept in captivity. This is due to their small(er) size, docile attitude, and general toleration of handling. (Disclaimer: Don't just go out and buy a 4ft long lizard! Please do your homework, and buy from a responsible source!)

Anyway, in the wild Savannah Monitors can be found in the warm climates of Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the Savannah name, there is a misconception that they are a desert dwelling species, but obviously this is not the case. They are found in grassland regions and are a primarily ground-dwelling species.

Savannah Monitors have two main activities in life-- eating and basking in the sun. They feed on invertebrates, rodents, and smaller reptiles. They themselves are prey for birds, larger reptiles, and humans (who hunt them for skins and meat). The Lizards have pretty decent camouflage, so their main defensive strategy is to stay undetected. But if threatened, they have a strong bite and a powerful lashing tail in their arsenal.

The species is listed as being of Least Concern, but they face many human-related threats. It is estimated that  around 100,000 are exported every single year, either for the pet trade or for leather. For now, studies show that that number may be sustainable, though in some localized areas the population is on a decline.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Sub-Saharan Africa
Size : Length up to 4.5ft (1.4m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Varanidae -- Genus : Varanus -- Species : V. exanthematicus

Barnard's Lanternfish

Symbolophorus barnardi

Today's animal is one of those mysterious deep-sea dwellers that we don't often see, despite their massive range and huge population. It is called the Barnard's Lanternfish , and it gets its name from the bioluminescent photophores that allow its head, underside, and tail to light up!

Studies have shown that this Lanternfish, and other members of its family, make up more than half the biomass down in the deep sea, and they live in ocean waters across the globe! Today's species in particular is a small little guy that can be found throughout the Southern Hemisphere, living at depths of up to 3,000ft, though they tend to come up closer to the surface during the night, and can be found in waters as shallow as 350ft.

If the fish can be found in (relatively) shallow waters, why bother diving so far down during the daytime? This behavior takes place in order to avoid becoming someone's dinner. Barnard's Lanternfish are a great food source for larger ocean-dwelling animals, so they dive down to avoid predation when those animals are doing most of their hunting. The Lanternfish then come closer to the surface so that they themselves can feed on the plankton that live there.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Southern Hemisphere
Size : Body Length up to 6in (15cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Myctophiformes
Family : Myctophidae -- Genus : Symbolophorus -- Species : S. barnardi