A gerbil is a small mammal of the subfamily Gerbillinae in the order Rodentia. Once known as desert rats, the gerbil subfamily includes about 110 species of African, Indian, and Asian rodents, including sand rats and jirds, all of which are adapted to arid habitats. Most are primarily active during the day, making them diurnal, and almost all are omnivorous. Gerbils are related to mice and rats; they all belong to the family Muridae.
The Townsend's shearwater is a rare seabird of the tropics from the family Procellariidae.
In botanical nomenclature, a hybrid may be given a hybrid name, which is a special kind of botanical name, but there is no requirement that a hybrid name should be created for plants that are believed to be of hybrid origin. The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICNafp) provides the following options in dealing with a hybrid:
Tokudaia is a genus of murine rodent native to Japan. Known as Ryūkyū spiny rats or spinous country-rats, population groups exist on several non-contiguous islands. Despite differences in name and appearance, they are the closest living relatives of the Eurasian field mouse (Apodemus). Of the three species, both T. osimensis and T. tokunoshimensis have lost their Y chromosome and SRY gene; the sex chromosomes of T. muenninki, on the other hand, are abnormally large.
Newell's shearwater or Hawaiian shearwater is a seabird in the family Procellariidae. It belongs to a confusing group of shearwaters which are difficult to identify and whose classification is controversial. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the Manx shearwater and is now often placed in Townsend's shearwater. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Massonia is a genus of bulbous perennials in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is native to southern Africa, and is found in localities such as Namaqualand with hot and dry summers, being dormant in summer and growing during winter. The genus Whiteheadia has been merged into Massonia. It is classed as a cryptophyte.
Acanthosicyos horridus is an unusual melon that occurs only in Namibia; it is locally called naras or nara. It is a dioecious plant found in sand desert but not stony plains, in areas with access to ground water such as ephemeral rivers and paleochannels, where sand accumulating in the shelter of its stems can form hummocks up to 1000–1500 m2 in area and 4 meters in height. Its stems may rise more than a meter above the hummocks, while its system of thick taproots can extend up to 50 m downward. The nara plant is leafless, so modified stems and spines 2–3 centimeters long serve as the photosynthetic "organs" of the plant. The plant can survive many years without water.
The golden-throated barbet is a barbet in the Megalaimidae family native to Southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because of its wide distribution and stable population.
The painted parakeet, more commonly known as the painted conure in aviculture, is a species of bird in the family Psittacidae, the true parrots. Its taxonomy is highly complex, and has undergone significant changes in recent years. As here defined, it is restricted to forests in northern South America and Panama. Some of the taxa here included in the painted parakeet are highly endangered.
The black-capped hemispingus is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family.
The white-eared sibia is a species of bird in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae. The species is sometimes placed in the monotypic genus Malacias. The species is itself monotypic, having no subspecies.
The masked antpitta is a species of bird in the Grallariidae family. It is endemic to Bolivia in the city of Riberalta and around. It is in particular located in Puerto Hamburgo and in the Aquicuana Reserve.
The eared pygmy tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is found in Brazil, Paraguay and northeastern Argentina. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and heavily degraded former forest.
The grey-crowned woodpecker is a bird species in the woodpecker family (Picidae). It was formerly placed in the genus Piculus. The scientific name auricularis means "eared", an appearance created by the confluent, fine patterning of the species' head.
Staphylococcus is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria in the family Staphylococcaceae in the order Bacillales. Under the microscope, they appear spherical (cocci), and form in grape-like clusters. Staphylococcus species are facultative anaerobic organisms.
Eugene S. Gaffney is an American paleontologist and leading authority on the evolutionary history of turtles.
Staphylococcus auricularis is a Gram-positive member of the bacterial genus Staphylococcus consisting of pairs or tetrads of cocci. This species was originally isolated from the exterior of a human ear and is weakly hemolytic. Because it commonly exists on human skin, it may be able to cause opportunistic infections or sepsis.
The necklaced barbet is a species of bird in the family Megalaimidae. It is found in southern Laos and Vietnam.
Tryphon is a genus of wasps belonging to the family Ichneumonidae.
