The eastern gorilla is an endangered species of the Gorilla genus and the largest living primate, with an average length of 150 cm for females and 185 cm for males. Eastern gorillas live in stable and cohesive family groups led by a dominant silverback male.
The chimpanzee, also known simply as the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forests and savannas of tropical Africa. Chimpanzees and humans are thought to have a common ancestor that lived about eight million years ago.
The southern muriqui or woolly spider monkeys (Brachyteles arachnoides) are scattered across southeastern Brazil, from Bahia north to Sao Palo south. The southern muriqui is one of the largest primates in South America, with males weighing around 15 kg and females around 12 kg.
The mustached monkey or moustached guenon (Cercopithecus cephus) is a primate species in the Cercopithecidae family. Moustached monkeys take regular paths through the branches, with each monkey following the next along the same path.
In the realm of flora and fauna, the ocean presents itself as an immense tapestry of diverse habitats. Embark on a journey through the 15 most extraordinary adaptations of ocean creatures.
Lowe’s Mona monkey (Cercopithecus lowei) is an Old-World monkey in the Cercopithecidae family found from Ghana to the Ivory Coast. Lowe’s Mona monkeys generally consist of one male and several females.
The lesser spotted-nosed monkey, lesser spotted monkey, or lesser white-nosed monkey (Cercopithecus petaurista) is a primate species in the Cercopithecidae family. The lesser spotted-nosed monkey is diurnal, arboreal, and cryptic.
The king colobus (Colobus polykomos), also called the western black and white colobus is a species of Old World monkey found in lowland and montane rainforests.
The Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata), also called the snow monkey, is a terrestrial Old World species of monkeys endemic to Japan. Japanese macaques from southern regions generally weigh less than those in northern regions of higher altitudes, where there is more snow during the winter months.
Humboldt’s woolly monkey, common woolly monkey, or brown woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagothricha) is a woolly monkey endemic to South America. Humboldt’s woolly monkeys can show subtle mood swings and intentions with various facial expressions.
Humboldt’s white capuchins, also known as white-fronted capuchins, are a species of New-World monkeys and one of the smallest capuchin groups. Humboldt’s squirrel monkeys are usually led by a dominant male and female.
The tufted capuchin (Sapajus apella), also called the pin monkey, Guianan brown capuchin, or black-headed capuchin is a New World monkey native to South America and the Caribbean islands of Margarita and Trinidad.
The green monkey (Chlorocebus sabaeus), also called the sabaeus monkey, is an Old World monkey with golden-green fur, pale feet, and hands. Green monkeys’ locomotion varies little, regardless of substrate or habitat. In nearly all circumstances, they move quadrupedally in the treetops or on the ground.
The Hoodia cactus is a flowering plant of the family Apocynaceae. It has been called one of the 21st century’s wonder plants. Hoodia gordonii shares many similarities with the cactus but does not belong to the cactus family. Instead, the Hoodia cactus belongs to the milkweed family.
Symphoricarpus longiflora is an erect shrub of the Dipsacales family. It is often found in dry habitats. The flowers of the Desert Snowberry are fragrant and tubular. These flowers appear singly or in pairs along the leaf axils.
White Wormwood is a perennial shrub of the order Asterales. This shrub can grow to a height of 8-16 inches. The White Wormwoods are chamaephyte. The plant is also aromatic. In addition, white Wormwood produces essential oils.
White Saxual is a tap-rooted shrub or small tree that belongs to the pigweed family. The stem of the White Saxaul is stout and rugged. It has a height of 4.5-5 meters. The White Saxaul is called “Ghada” and was often mentioned in classical Arabic poetry.
Clematis ligusticifolia is woody or semi-woody climber from the Ranunculaceae family. This desert flowering plant can grow up to 20 feet or more. All parts of the plant can cause severe irritation in the mouth if eaten.
Triabthena portulacastrum is an annual herb of the family Aizoaceae. The Desert Horse Purselane is succulent and usually glabrous. The Desert Horse Purslane plant has been eaten for at least 2000 years.
Turpentine Broom is a shrub of the family Rutaceae. This species is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico deserts.
Grevillea treueriana is a small shrub from order Proteales. The Mount Finke Grevillea plants are endemic to Mount Finke of Australia and can grow to a height of 2 meters. The flowers of the Grevillea treueriana are shaped like a toothbrush.
Tamarix arceuthoides is a shrub or Tree belonging to the Tamaricaceae family. This plant can grow to a height of 5 meters. The Tamarix shrub is commonly found in sandy places and deserts of temperate Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Saltwort is an annual herb from the Amaranth family. The flowers of the Saltwort are radially symmetrical and possess 5 tepals fused into a cup or tube. Usually, there is one flower per axil of the bract.
The Salt tree is a drought-tolerant shrub of the Order Sapindales. It can grow up to 2.5 meters. This plant is native to the Northern African desert areas. The Salt tree has fruits of a triangular drupe.
Rumex hymenosepalus is a perennial flowering desert plant belonging to the order Caryophyllales. The inflorescence of the Canaigre Dock is made up of elongated clusters of many small flowers in a reddish pink.
Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa) is a hardy shrub native to the deserts of northern Mexico and the southwestern U.S. It produces simple, white, five-petaled flowers resembling small roses, followed by feathery pink seed plumes that look like a cloud.
The golden-bellied capuchin (Sapajus xanthosternos), also called the buff-headed or yellow-breasted capuchin is a New World monkey species. They spend much time grooming one another for socialization, with the alpha species receiving the most attention.
The golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia), also called the golden tamarin, is a small New World primate in the Callitrichidae family. The golden lion tamarin derives its name from its vivid reddish-orange coat and extra-long hair around its face and ears, giving it a distinctive mane.
The Geoffroy’s marmoset, also called Geoffrey’s marmoset, white-headed marmoset, or tufted-ear marmoset is a marmoset native to the forests of eastern Brazil, where it is native to Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, and Bahia. Geoffroy’s marmosets are said to follow swarms of army ants to catch insects expelled by the ants.
The gelada often called the gelada baboon, or the bleeding-heart monkey, is an Old-World monkey found only in the Ethiopian highlands. Geladas aren’t territorial, and it is not unusual to find congregations of separate groups foraging together when conditions are favorable.
The Gabon talapoin, also called the northern talapoin, is a small species of African primate endemic to riverine habitats in Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, the far western Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the western Republic of the Congo.
The crested mona monkey, also called the golden-bellied monkey, golden-bellied guenon, or crowned guenon, is a species of African primate in the Cercopithecidae family in west-central Africa. Like many species of Cercopithecus, the crested mona monkey has large cheek pouches that it fills with seeds and fruit while foraging for food.
The Guianan squirrel monkey, also called the South American squirrel monkey, is a squirrel monkey found in Guiana, Brazil, and Venezuela. Saimiri sciureus was once thought to belong to the Collins’ squirrel monkey and the Humboldt’s squirrel monkey. Still, genetic research in 2009 and 2015 showed they were different species.
The Colombian red howler or Venezuelan red howler is a South American species of howler monkey, a New World species of monkey found in the western Amazon basin. Colombian red howler monkeys live in relatively large social groups composed of around 10 individuals, with just one or possibly two of the individuals being male.
Like all other baboons, the Chacma baboon, the Cape baboon, belongs to the Old-World monkey family. Chacma baboons have a habit of flipping over rocks in search of food. So, it’s pretty easy to spot where a group of Chacmas once foraged.
The white-bellied spider monkey (Ateles belzebuth), also called the long-haired or white-fronted spider monkey, is an endangered species of spider monkey, a species of New-World monkey. These arboreal monkeys spend most of their time in the canopy. They rarely go down. When they do, they drink water, eat dirt, traverse a treeless area, or run away from an aggressive opponent.
The sooty mangabey, also called the white-collared or white-crowned mangabey is a predominantly terrestrial Old-World monkey. Sooty mangabeys remember the location of the fallen fruit and can tell whether or not a tree is bearing fruit.
The Mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) is a species of howler monkey, a New World monkey native to South and Central America. The species gets its name “mantled” from the long, protective hairs on its sides.
The Central American squirrel monkey also called the red-backed squirrel monkey, is a squirrel monkey type native to the Pacific coast of Panama and Costa Rica. Central American squirrel monkeys spend most of their lives in the middle and upper layers of the tree canopy.
Geoffroy’s spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) also called the Central American spider monkey or black-handed spider monkey, is a species of spider monkey. The species name geoffroyi is honored by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, a French naturalist. The Geoffroy’s spider monkey consists of five recognized subspecies residing in various parts of Central America and Mexico. These include the Hooded spider monkey (A. g. grisescens) in southern Mexico, the ornately-patterned Ornate spider monkey (A. g. ornatus) in Costa Rica and Panama, the Yucatan spider monkey (A. g. yucatanensis) in the Yucatan Peninsula, the Mexican spider monkey (A. g. vellerosus) in Veracruz, and the nominate Nicaraguan spider monkey subspecies (A. g. geoffroyi) found in Nicaragua, Honduras and northern Costa Rica.
The Bonnet Macaque, also called Zati, is a species of macaque native to southern India. Bonnet macaques get their common name from a unique feature: a hood-like tuft of hair that extends from the top of their head, much like a tuft of dry grass. Their marble-round eyes look out into the world with a very expressive forehead.
The blue monkey is a species of Old-World monkey endemic to east and central Africa, ranging from the upper Congo Basin east to the East African Rift Valley and south to Zambia and northern Angola.
The black-tufted marmoset, also called the Black-pencilled marmosets or Mico-estrela in Portuguese is a type of New-World monkey. They live mainly in the neotropical gallery forests of the central Brazilian plateau.
Ateles paniscus, the black spider monkey, is one of three sub-species of spider monkeys. Aside from the face, feet, and hands, they are covered in jet-black hair longer than a typical primate. Of all the Ateles species, Ateles paniscus is the largest.
The obscure Bald Uakari (Cacajao Calvus) is an acrobatic Amazonian monkey with a flaming red face uniquely adapted to periodically flooded forests. Surprising insights on its taxonomy, specialized seed-based diet, unusual social life, habitat flexibility, and urgent need to conserve diminishing flooded forest habitat across the Amazon Basin.
The Assam macaque, also known as Assamese macaque, is a macaque of the Old-World monkey family endemic to South and Southeast Asia. Assam is another state in India. Eating everything from fruits to 55 types of flowers, leaves, seeds, and bark, these macaque monkeys adapt their diet to suit their habitat.
Prosimians are a grouping of primates currently made up of the species (both living and extinct) of two main taxonomic categories. Explore all types of prosimians here.
The Vernonia genus includes 350 species of shrubs and forbs in the Asteraceae (sunflower) family. Some species of Vernonia are also known as ironweed. Vernonia plants have small purple flowers gathered in loose clusters, making them popular cut flowers.
Cyperus is a large genus of around 700 sedge species distributed across continents in temperate and tropical regions. The greenish flowers are wind-pollinated, generally produced in racemes between the apical leaves.
Peperomia is one of the two main genera of the Piperaceae family. Most are small, compact perennial epiphytes that grow on rotten wood. Over 1,500 species have been recorded in all subtropical and tropical regions worldwide. Typically, Peperomia flowers appear in brown, yellow, or green conical spikes.
Miconia calvescens, also known as miconia, bush currant, or the velvet tree, is a plant species in the Melastomataceae family. The genus contains around 4 species, with Miconia calvescens being the most well-known of the four. The flower heads are large panicles with white to pale pink flowers.
Ardisia (marlberry or coralberry) is a genus of plants in the Primulaceae family. It was part of the ancient Myrsinaceae family, now recognized as the Myrsine family. The Ardisia genus includes more than 700 recognized species of flowering plants. Usually, the flowers have 4 or 5 green sepals and a bell-shaped crown of 4 or 5 pink or white petals
Piper is an ecologically and economically important genus of the Piperaceae family. It includes around 1,000 to 2,000 species of lianas, herbs, and shrubs, many of which are dominant in their natural habitat. The Piper flowers bloom in early summer. They are slightly purple to white in color and hang in a bell shape.
Croton (Codiaeum variegatum) is a common houseplant cultivated for its eye-catching foliage. This evergreen plant varies widely in leaf pattern and color, and wide varieties have been developed. The whitish male flowers with 5 small petals and 20-30 star-shaped stamens appear in separate inflorescences as the yellowish female flowers without petals.
Senecio is a genus of Asteraceae (sunflower) plants, including groundsels and ragwort. Despite dividing many species into other genera, the Senecio genus still comprises 1,250 species. The inflorescences are usually striped, with the flower heads in branching clusters, typically entirely yellow.
Solanum is a diverse and large flowering plant genus that includes 3 food crops of great economic importance: eggplant, tomato, and potato. The Solanum genus now contains around 1,500 to 2,000 species of plants. Its flowers are available in white, lavender, and dark purple.
Astragalus is a genus of more than 3,000 species of small shrubs and herbs that belong to the Fabaceae (pea) family and the Faboideae subfamily. The flowers are formed in clusters; each flower is typical of the Fabaceae family, with 3 types of petals: keel, wings, and banner. The pea-like flowers can be white, pink, pale blue, or purple.
Stellaria longipes, a species of plant in the Caryophyllaceae family, are known by Goldie’s starwort and long stalk starwort. The Stellaria genus includes approximately 120 species of perennial herbaceous plants. There are 5 white petals, each divided into 2 lobes, sometimes flat but often so deep that they appear to have two petals.
The Cyclamen genus includes about 23 species of perennial plants in the Primulaceae family. Cyclamen species are endemic to the Mediterranean region and Europe. The flowers of the species are white, lavender-white, or rose pink. Flowering Cyclamen are frost-sensitive hybrids from C. persicum.
Crocus is a genus of plants in the Iridaceae (Iris) family that includes 90 species of perennial plants. The colors of Crocus vary widely, with white, yellow, mauve, and lilac predominating. The ensiform, grassy leaf usually has a central white band along the leaf axis. It has an entire leaf margin.