Angelshark

Squatina squatina

The Angelshark is an ambush predator, relying on camouflage to surprise its prey.

Pig-nosed Turtle

Carettochelys insculpta

The pig-nosed turtle is prehistoric. This turtle diverged from all other species more than 140 million years ago.

Chinese Giant Salamander

Andrias davidianus

The largest amphibian in the world, this salamander can grow to the size of an adult human.

Pillar Coral

Dendrogyra cylindrus

Pillar coral possesses one of the most distinct morphologies of any coral.

Pygmy Three-toed Sloth

Bradypus pygmaeus

The smallest of the all the sloth species, the pygmy sloth was only described in 2001

Philippine Eagle

Pithecophaga jefferyi

The Philippine Eagle is one of the world’s largest, most powerful birds of prey.

FOCAL EDGE SPECIES

More about Focal species

Secretarybird

Sagittarius serpentarius

This elegant, long-legged bird kills its prey by repeatedly stamping on it.

Conservation Attention

Low

Secretarybird Secretarybird

El Rincon Stream Frog

Pleurodema somuncurense

The Critically Endangered El Rincon stream frog exists on a single plateau in Argentinian Patagonia. Though temperatures in the region often plummet below freezing, the frog avoids the cold by spending its life in streams whose waters are heated by permanent thermal springs.

Conservation Attention

Low

Botsford’s Leaf-litter Frog

Leptobrachella botsfordi

Botsford’s leaf-litter frog was only described by science in 2013.

Conservation Attention

Medium

Leptolalax botsfordi, Botsford's leaf-litter frog Leptolalax botsfordi, Botsford's leaf-litter frog

Banded Ground-cuckoo

Neomorphus radiolosus

Despite the large size of the Banded Ground-cuckoo, this species is inconspicuous and not easy to observe.

Conservation Attention

Low

Banded Ground-cuckoo Banded Ground-cuckoo

Northern Giant Mouse Lemur

Mirza zaza

This unassuming nocturnal lemur has the largest testes to body ratio of all mammals.

Conservation Attention

Medium

Northern Giant Mouse Lemur Northern Giant Mouse Lemur

Cebu Flowerpecker

Dicaeum quadricolor

In the late 1800s, this species was known from only two localities in Cebu, where it was incredibly rare.

Conservation Attention

Very Low

Cebu Flowerpecker Cebu Flowerpecker

Mistbelt Moss Frog

Anhydrophryne ngongoniensis

The mistbelt moss frog, also known as the mistbelt chirping frog, reaches lengths of just 2 cm. This may be the reason why this species was only discovered in 1993, alongside its faint call, making it difficult to detect.

Conservation Attention

Low

Galaxy Frog

Melanobatrachus indicus

This is an extremely rare species, the population is fragmented with a total size of less than 5,000 km².

Conservation Attention

Low

Melanobatrachus indicus, Galaxy frog Melanobatrachus indicus, Galaxy frog

Giant Anteater

Myrmecophaga tridactyla

The giant anteater is the largest of the living anteater species and can eat up to 30,000 ants a day!

Conservation Attention

Medium

Giant Anteater - Joel Sartore Giant Anteater - Joel Sartore

Round Island Keel-scaled Boa

Casarea dussumieri

The Round Island keel-scaled boa is unique amongst all terrestrial vertebrates on Earth, being the only species to have an intramaxilliary joint that can separate and split the anterior and posterior bones of the upper jaw.

Conservation Attention

Good

Round Island Keel-scaled Boa Round Island Keel-scaled Boa

Hewitt’s Ghost Frog

Heleophryne hewitti

Hewitt’s ghost frog is an attractively patterned frog that lives in fast flowing mountain streams and rivers. The tadpoles of this species develop very slowly, taking up to two years to complete their metamorphosis into the adult form.

Conservation Attention

Low

Olm

Proteus anguinus

The olm is Europe’s only cave-dwelling vertebrate, and has numerous unique adaptations for an underground life. Incredibly, the olm can survive without food for up to a decade!

Conservation Attention

Low

Olm Olm

Granular Salamander

Ambystoma granulosum

The granular salamander, unlike many of its close relatives, is a fully metamorphosing species of mole salamander. It therefore develops into an adult form, losing its larval characteristics such as gills and fins, and developing adult traits such as eyelids and functioning lungs.

Conservation Attention

Low

Taylor’s Salamander

Ambystoma taylori

Taylor’s salamander exhibits some incredible features, such as being able to live in salt waters with such high salinity that it would kill most other amphibian species!

Conservation Attention

Low

Lappet-Faced Vulture

Torgos tracheliotos

The Lappet-faced vulture has the largest wingspan of any vulture in Africa!

Conservation Attention

Good

Sagalla Caecilian

Boulengerula niedeni

The Endangered Sagalla caecilian is found on Sagalla Hill, Kenya, with a total range which is equivalent to the area half the size of Manhattan Island.

Conservation Attention

Medium

Lake Oku clawed frog

Xenopus longipes

The Lake Oku clawed frog is a small amphibian reaching just 36mm in length. This diminutive species is one of only two frogs known to be ‘dodecaploid’, meaning they have a staggering 12 sets of chromosomes – humans have just two!

Conservation Attention

Good

Cuban Greater Funnel-eared Bat

Natalus primus

The Cuban greater funnel-eared bat is the largest Caribbean representative of a small, ancient family of cave-dwelling bats that evolved in the West Indies.

Conservation Attention

Very Low

Cuban greater funnel-eared bat Cuban greater funnel-eared bat

Dwarf Crocodile

Osteolaemus tetraspis

The dwarf crocodile is one of the world’s smallest crocodilians, rarely exceeding 2 metres in length. The taxonomy, distribution, population size and conservation status of dwarf crocodiles remains unclear.

Conservation Attention

Very Low

Dwarf Crocodile, Osteolaemus tetraspis - Rikki Gumbs Dwarf Crocodile, Osteolaemus tetraspis - Rikki Gumbs

Sardinian Brook Salamander

Euproctus platycephalus

The Sardinian brook salamander is endemic to Sardinia, Italy, and is often found living in cave systems.

Conservation Attention

Low

Lake Lerma Salamander

Ambystoma lermaense

The Lake Lerma salamander is a large species of lungless salamander, reaching almost a quarter of a metre long!

Conservation Attention

Low

Ambystoma lermaense, Lake Lerma salamander Ambystoma lermaense, Lake Lerma salamander

Victoria caecilian

Herpele multiplicata

The Victoria caecilian is only known from one individual, collected in 1912, and it has not been seen since! This has led to fears that this species may have become extinct, and its taxonomic validity has also been put into question.

Conservation Attention

Very Low

Victoria caecilian Victoria caecilian