Terrapene carolina

The eastern box turtle is a terrestrial turtle famous for its unique hinged plastron, which allows it to seal itself completely inside its shell —…

Bradypus tridactylus

The pale-throated three-toed sloth is one of the slowest-moving mammals on Earth, a lifestyle dictated by its low-calorie leaf diet. Moving at less than 300…

Sciurus carolinensis

The eastern gray squirrel is one of North America’s most recognizable mammals, equally at home in mature hardwood forests and city parks. Renowned for their…

Dynastes hercules

The Hercules beetle is the longest beetle species in the world when horn length is included, with males growing impressive pronotal horns used in dramatic…

Buteo jamaicensis

The red-tailed hawk is North America’s most common and recognizable large hawk, its piercing cry so iconic that Hollywood uses it for virtually every eagle…

Corvus brachyrhynchos

The American crow is one of the most intelligent birds on the planet, demonstrating problem-solving, tool use, facial recognition, and complex communication in the wild.…

Archilochus colubris

The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only hummingbird species that breeds in eastern North America, migrating up to 900 km across the Gulf of Mexico non-stop…

Limulus polyphemus

The horseshoe crab is one of Earth’s oldest animal lineages, virtually unchanged for 450 million years. Despite its name, it is more closely related to…

Scolopendra gigantea

The Amazonian giant centipede is the world’s largest centipede, capable of reaching 30 cm in length and powerful enough to hunt prey including large spiders,…

Photinus pyralis

The common eastern firefly is a bioluminescent beetle whose cold light — produced by a chemical reaction between luciferin and the enzyme luciferase — is…

Manduca sexta

The tobacco hawkmoth is a large, powerfully flying sphinx moth whose hovering flight — achieved through rapid wingbeats generating aerodynamic forces analogous to a helicopter…

Grammostola pulchripes

The Chaco golden knee tarantula is among the most docile of the world’s approximately 900 tarantula species, making it a popular ambassador for arachnids that…