The Pinocchio Lizard

      The Pinocchio lizard, or Anolis proboscis, is a species of anole native to Ecuador, known for it's distinct nose. Declared extinct in the 1960's, one of these lizards was spotted in 2005 walking across a road in Ecuador. They have been spotted only a hand-full of times since then. They are named after the fictional character, Pinocchio. Discovered in 1953, Pinocchio lizards were only known for a few years before they supposedly went extinct. These endangered lizards are so rare that most sightings are along a single stretch of road. We can only hope that the Pinocchio lizard will survive and that human encroachment will not make them truly go extinct.

The Harris hawk

    Although this hawk doesn't look like anything special, it may very well be one of the most unique birds in the animal kingdom. The Harris Hawk, or Parabuteo unicinctus, is a bird of prey native to the Southwestern United States. What makes this bird so peculiar is it's interesting behavior. They are the only birds to hunt in packs, similarly to wolves. They commonly hunt in groups of up to eight birds. They can attain a wingspan of up to four feet. Another unique tactic that they use is known as "stacking". When "stacking", multiple Harris Hawks will stand on top of each other to survey their surroundings. Their pack-hunting comes in handy when hunting their favorite prey, the jackrabbit. They take turns chasing the rabbit, and when it tires, they go in for the kill. Because they are easily trainable, they are commonly utilized in the art of falconry. These hawks show that the world's raptors should be respected and cared for.

Jumbo-sized July: Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox

       The golden-crowned flying fox, or Acerodon jubatus, is the largest species of bat in the world. Their faces are very fox-like, giving them the name, "flying fox". They also have golden fur on their heads, hence the name, "golden-crowned". As for the "giant" part, their 5 foot wingspan explains that pretty well. Although they are the size of a large hawk, these bats only weigh about 2.5 pounds. Although they are frighteningly huge, they are not carnivores; they feed upon fruit. These majestic creatures are solely found in the Philippines, but are rare even there. The golden-crowned flying fox is highly endangered and at risk of extinction. However, few people are concerned with their conservation.

Pistol Shrimp

    Pistol shrimp, also known as snapping shrimp, or Alpheidae, is a family of arthropods with a bizarre adaptation. These shrimp have developed an over-sized claw with a small hole on one of their arms. They quickly snap this claw together, creating a high pressure bubble within it. This causes a high velocity stream of water to shoot through the hole in their claw, carrying a bubble in it's wake. This bubble is rapidly shrinking, and compressing the air inside, creating a pocket of oxygen that can reach up to 10,000 degrees fahrenheit. When this bubble erupts, it not only emits a sound capable of stunning fish, but creates a flash of light which scientists dub, "shrimpoluminescence".  The pistol shrimp mainly feeds upon smaller fish and invertebrates. These unique shrimp are barely the size of your finger, but they are one of the loudest creatures in the ocean.

Jumbo Sized July: Piraiba

     The piraiba is a giant cat fish that can grow up to 10 feet in length and 600 pounds in weight. Piraiba have been known to eat almost anything including humans. they live in Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Guyana. There are several more large catfish including the red-tail catfish and the goonch. These are some of the most feared freshwater fish on Earth.  

Jumbo-sized July: Megaladapis

     The genus Megaladapis is an extinct group of lemurs, consisting of three species. These primates, the largest of their kind, could grow to five feet long, and weighed up to 110 pounds. These creatures resided peacefully in Madagascar until 1,500 years ago, when colonists arrived. The colonists destroyed their habitat and hunted them, causing their population to dwindle down until they went extinct 500 years ago. It most likely fed upon vegetation among the trees that it lived in. Unlike most primates, megaladapis's eyes were located on the sides of it's head, rather than on the front.

Jumbo Sized July: Japanese Spider Crab

The japanese spider crab is usually found in the pacific ocean near Japan. It lives at depths of 160 - 2,000 feet. It was named the spider crab because its similarity to a spider. the spider crab usually grows to 15 inches wide and up to 44 pounds, But the males are usually bigger than the females. the japanese spider crab is one of the largest arthropods known.

Jumbo-sized July: Saltwater Crocodile

     The Saltwater Crocodile is the world's largest living reptile. This creature'a habitat stretches from the northeast corner of the Indian Ocean all the way to the Western Pacific. This giant crocodile can eat anything that fits in its deadly jaws including: monkeys, wild boar, and even sharks. The way this giant can devour such massive animals is by propelling themselves out of the water with their powerful tail. Then, they grasp their victims with its deadly jaws. Next, it submerges under the water and waits until its helpless victims drown. Though these animals are at low risk of extinction and have a population of around 200,000-300,000, their skins are the most coveted among all crocodile skins.

Jumbo-sized July: Polar Bear

       The polar bear, or Ursus maritimus, is the largest terrestrial carnivore in the world. The largest species of bears, they can reach lengths of up to nine feet. Polar bears mainly eat seals, but have been known to eat walruses and beluga whales. They are native to the arctic, and certain arctic regions nearby. The polar bear is solitary for the majority of its adulthood. To reach the seals that they prey upon under the ice, the polar bear uses a peculiar tactic. It uses it's excellent sense of smell to locate a seal den, then it smashes it's paws downward to crush the thick layer of ice and reach the seal. The polar bear is classified as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and it is known that only about 20,000 of these bears are still alive. Their main threat is global warming, which is harshly reducing their range. Although there are many conservation efforts in action, some scientists believe that polar bears could go extinct by 2050.

The Aloe Plant

           The Aloe Plant is a succulent plant that can usually survive with or with out aid from humans.
Their healing and soothing properties are well known and come from a semi-sticky substance that comes from the inner part of it's leaves.