#880: Zono

Zono, or Zona, is the name given to various species of small, colourful rainbowfish, endemic to Madagascar. Several species are popular in the pet industry, and are capable of hybridisation. Inhabiting fast-flowing streams, he favours the calmer, shaded areas and feeds on insects that fall into the water. Eggs are attached to vegetation and left unguarded. Juvenile larvae remain near the banks, whilst adults occupy the deeper waters.

#860: Yazoo Darter

Related to the vermilion darter, the Yazoo Darter is also restricted to limited range - in this case tributaries in north-central Mississippi. Like the vermilion, the Yazoo is under threat from habitat degradation. He requires clear, flowing water to thrive and he is threatened by urbanization. His diet consists predominantly of insects and other invertebrates. The majority of Darters live less than a year, with very few surviving past two.

Another vectored image. I like how clean it makes the images look.
(My husband laughs because I'm vectoring the images using VectorMagic, but since I'm not subscribed to it (yet), I'm screen capping the images and thus turning them back into bitmaps then saving as PNGs. Never fear, VectorMagic, once I am done with this alphabet I will subscribe for a few months and vectorise all of the pictures. All of them!).

#833: White Bat

The Honduran White Bat is a teeny-tiny bat found in Central America. He measures less than 5 cm in length. To create shelters, he slices the side veins of Heliconia leaves, causing them to fold downwards like a tent. These can house up to half a dozen individuals: usually a male and his harem of females.

#759: Tiger Shark

The Tiger Shark is an apex predator and will eat almost anything - from crustaceans to whales, even smaller sharks and inedible manmade objects. She is considered one of the most dangerous shark species as she often comes close to shore and thus into contact with people. However, she is far more at risk from us than we are from her; she is hunted and killed for her fins, flesh and liver.

Creature Feature #737: Tahr

The Tahr are three species of goat found in Oman, South India and the Himalayas. The Arabian and Nilgiri species are endangered due to limited range but this fellow, the Himalayan Tahr is still widespread. Very widespread, in fact, as he was introduced to New Zealand, Argentina and New Mexico for hunting; there is also a small population established in South Africa (from an escaped breeding pair). He is adapted for a high-alpine lifestyle, growing a thick mane of fur for the winter months. This is shedded out to a thin summer coat as the temperature rises. His hooves contain a rubber-like core, allowing him better grip on rocky slopes.

#721: Stag Beetle

The Stag Beetles are a group of over 1000 species of beetle, characterised by the large jaws of the male. Most commonly, however, the term refers to one species, the English Stag Beetle, Lucanus cervus. These large beetles require decaying wood, a habitat that is now threatened due to forest management (which removes older trees). The female lays her eggs in rotting wood, buried in soil, and the blind white larvae feed upon it. It takes 4-6 years, and several instars (developmental stages) before the larvae pupates. After three months, the Beetle hatches and flies unsteadily out into the world. His diet now consists of tree sap and nectar. He only lives a few weeks in this form, long enough to reproduce.

#627: Quetzal

There are six species of Quetzal, of which the Resplendent Quetzal is the best known. He is the national bird of Guatemala and even lends his name to their currency. The male is distinguished by his long tail feathers, which can measure up to 65 cm in length. A weak flier, he forages in the canopy for fruit, particularly wild avocado. These are swallowed whole, and he reguigitates the pits, thus helping to disperse the trees. Solitary in nature, he pairs up with a female only for breeding. Nests are built in tree hollows, and both birds take turns incubating. 

#624: Queen Malachite

The Queen Malachite is a species of damselfly. He makes his home near fern-lined streams, in the forests of South Africa. His range is limited, and deforestation has caused numbers to decline and earning him the classification of Near Threatened. Small and relatively inconspicious, males hover closest to the waters edge. Like all damselfly, he is a predator, hunting smaller insects.

Creature Feature #490: Nabarlek

The Nabarlek is a Pygmy Rock-wallaby, standing only about 30cm tall. She is found only in three areas of  Australia, including Kakadu National Park. During the day she sleeps sheltered in rock crevices and caves, venturing out at night to forage on the grass. She is shy and secretive, and as such little is known about her behaviour. Rock-wallaby are the goats of the marsupial world, being extremely agile. The rocky habitat affords them protection from most predators.

She has not yet received a IUCN rating - being considered "Data defiicient" buy populations are thought to be on the decline and the patchy distribution could cause future complications. For the purposes of Zootrophy, she will be classified as "near threatened".