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The Living Encyclopedia
Explore our comprehensive database of reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Discover detailed care guides, morph varieties, and community setups.
bird
Black Stork
Ciconia nigra
The black stork is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae. Measuring on average 95 to 100 cm from beak tip to end of tail with a 145-to-155 cm (57-to-61 in) wingspan, the adult black stork has mainly black plumage, with white underparts, long red legs and a long pointed red beak. A widespread but uncommon species, it breeds in scattered locations across Europe, and east across the Palearctic to the Pacific Ocean. It is a long-distance migrant, with European populations wintering in tropical Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asian populations in the Indian subcontinent. When migrating between Europe and Africa, it avoids crossing broad expanses of the Mediterranean Sea and detours via the Levant in the east, the Strait of Sicily in the center, or the Strait of Gibraltar in the west. An isolated non-migratory population lives in Southern Africa.
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bird
Jabiru
Jabiru mycteria
The jabiru is a large stork found in the Americas from Mexico to Argentina, except west of the Andes. It sometimes wanders into the United States, usually in Texas, but has also been reported in Mississippi, Oklahoma and Louisiana. It is most common in the Pantanal region of Brazil and the Eastern Chaco region of Paraguay. It is the only member of the genus Jabiru. The name comes from the Tupi–Guaraní language and means "swollen neck".
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bird
Marabou Stork
Leptoptilos crumenifer
The marabou stork is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae native to sub-Saharan Africa. It breeds in both wet and arid habitats, often near human habitation, especially landfill sites. It is sometimes called the "undertaker bird" due to its shape from behind: cloak-like wings and back, skinny white legs, and sometimes a large white mass of "hair". It has often been credited with the largest wingspan of any land bird, with an average of 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) and some recorded examples of up to 3.2 metres (10 ft).
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bird
Saddle-billed Stork
Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis
The saddle-billed stork or saddlebill is a large wading bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. It is a widespread species which is a resident breeder in sub-Saharan Africa from Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya south to South Africa and in the Gambia, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, and Chad in west Africa. It is considered endangered in South Africa.
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bird
Wood Stork
Mycteria americana
The wood stork is a large wading bird in the family Ciconiidae (storks). Originally described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, this stork is native to the subtropics and tropics of the Americas where it persists in habitats with fluctuating water levels. It is the only stork species that breeds in North America. The head and neck are bare of feathers, and dark grey in colour. The plumage is mostly white, with the exception of the tail and some of the wing feathers, which are black with a greenish-purplish sheen.
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bird
Painted Stork
Mycteria leucocephala
The painted stork is a large wader in the stork family. It is found in the wetlands of the plains of tropical Asia south of the Himalayas in the Indian subcontinent and extending into Southeast Asia. Their distinctive pink tertial feathers of the adults give them their name. They forage in flocks in shallow waters along rivers or lakes. They immerse their half open beaks in water and sweep them from side to side and snap up their prey of small fish that are sensed by touch. As they wade along they also stir the water with their feet to flush hiding fish. They nest colonially in trees, often along with other waterbirds. The only sounds they produce are weak moans or bill clattering at the nest. They are not migratory and only make short-distance movements in some parts of their range in response to changes in weather or food availability or for breeding. Like other storks, they are often seen soaring on thermals.
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bird
Openbill Stork
Anastomus oscitans
The Asian openbill or Asian openbill stork is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. This distinctive stork is found mainly in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is greyish or white with glossy black wings and tail. Adults have a gap between the arched upper mandible and recurved lower mandible which is thought to be an adaptation that aids in the handling of snails, their main prey. Young birds are born without this gap. Although resident within their range, they make long distance movements in response to weather and food availability.
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bird
Lesser Adjutant
Leptoptilos javanicus
The lesser adjutant is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Like other members of its genus, it has a bare neck and head. It is however more closely associated with wetland habitats where it is solitary and is less likely to scavenge than the related greater adjutant. It is a widespread species found from India through Southeast Asia.
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bird
Scarlet Ibis
Eudocimus ruber
The scarlet ibis, sometimes called red ibis, is a species of ibis in the bird family Threskiornithidae. It inhabits tropical South America and part of the Caribbean. In form, it resembles most of the other twenty-seven extant species of ibis, but its remarkably brilliant scarlet coloration makes it unmistakable. It is one of the two national birds of Trinidad and Tobago, and its Tupi–Guarani name, guará, is part of the name of several municipalities along the coast of Brazil.
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bird
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellus
The glossy ibis is a water bird in the order Pelecaniformes and the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The scientific name derives from Ancient Greek plegados and Latin, falcis, both meaning "sickle" and referring to the distinctive shape of the bill.
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bird
Hadada Ibis
Bostrychia hagedash
The hadada ibis or hadeda is an ibis native to Sub-Saharan Africa. It is named for its loud three to four note calls uttered in flight especially in the mornings and evenings when they fly out or return to their roost trees. Although not as dependent on water as some ibises, they are found near wetlands and often live in close proximity to humans, foraging in cultivated land and gardens. A medium-sized ibis with stout legs and a typical down-curved bill, the wing coverts are iridescent with a green or purple sheen. They are non-migratory but are known to make nomadic movements in response to rain particularly during droughts. Their ranges in southern Africa have increased with an increase in tree cover and irrigation in human-altered habitats.
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bird
Bald Ibis
Geronticus eremita
The northern bald ibis, hermit ibis, or Waldrapp is a migratory Old World ibis found in open areas such as grasslands, rocky mountains, and semi-deserts, often close to running water. This 70–80 cm (28–31 in) glossy black ibis, which, unlike many members of the ibis family, is non-wading, has an unfeathered red face and head, and a long, curved red bill. It breeds colonially on coastal or mountain cliff ledges, where it typically lays two to three eggs in a stick nest, and feeds on lizards, insects, and other small animals.
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reptile
Glossy Snake
Arizona elegans
Arizona elegans is a species of medium-sized colubrid snake commonly referred to as the glossy snake or the faded snake, which is native to southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It has several subspecies. Some have recommended that A. elegans occidentalis be granted full species status.
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reptile
Racer Snake
Coluber constrictor
The eastern racer, or North American racer, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to North America and Central America. Eleven subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies, are recognized, which as a group are commonly referred to as the eastern racers. The species is monotypic in the genus Coluber.
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reptile
Coachwhip
Masticophis flagellum
Masticophis flagellum is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake, commonly referred to as the coachwhip, whip snake or the red racer. It is endemic to the United States and Mexico. Six subspecies are recognized. It is listed as a species of Least Concern by the ICUN.
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reptile
Indigo Snake
Drymarchon couperi
The eastern indigo snake is a species of large, non-venomous snake in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. Native to the southeastern United States, it is the longest native snake species in the country.
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reptile
Mudsnake
Farancia abacura
The mud snake is a species of nonvenomous, semiaquatic, colubrid snake endemic to the southeastern United States.
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R
reptile
Rainbow Snake
Farancia erytrogramma
Rainbow snake may refer to:Farancia erytrogramma, a species of snake native to the southeastern United States Rainbow Serpent, an Aboriginal Australian religious figure
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reptile
Ringneck Snake
Diadophis punctatus
Diadophis punctatus, commonly known as the ring-necked snake or ringneck snake, is a small, harmless species of colubrid snake found throughout much of the United States, as well as south in Central Mexico and as far north as Quebec, Canada. Ring-necked snakes are generally fossorial and somewhat secretive, by nature, and, as a nocturnal species, are rarely seen during the daytime. These snakes are believed to be fairly abundant throughout most of their range, though no scientific evaluation supports this hypothesis. Scientific research is lacking for the species, despite their apparently common status, and more in-depth investigations are greatly needed. It is the only species within the genus Diadophis and, currently, 14 subspecies are identified, though many herpetologists question the morphologically based classifications.
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reptile
Smooth Green Snake
Opheodrys vernalis
The smooth green snake is a species of North American nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is also referred to as the grass snake. It is a slender, "small medium" snake that measures 36–51 cm (14–20 in) as an adult. It gets its common name from its smooth dorsal scales, as opposed to the rough green snake, which has keeled dorsal scales. The smooth green snake is found in marshes, meadows, open woods, and along stream edges, and is native to regions of Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. A non-aggressive snake, it seldom bites and usually flees when threatened. It mates in late spring to summer, and females lay their eggs from June to September. The smooth green snake will often bob its head in order to mimic vegetation blowing in the wind.
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