Gastrodia theana -- A very rare leafless orchid 

discovered in Vietnam.

Leaf-tailed Gecko

Uroplatus fimbriatus (common name: Leaf-tailed Gecko) is a gecko which is found ineastern Madagascar and on the islands Nosy Bohara and Nosy Mangabe. These geckos live in tropical rain forests. They reach a total length of 330 mm

The Pinta Island tortoise

 The Pinta Island tortoise – Without argument, this turtle is one of the few species of Giant Galapagos tortoises and the rarest animal in the world since there is only one left alive. Lonesome George is the sole surviving member of the Pinta Island race, the giant tortoise being a symbol for the fragility of the Galapagos islands, and a constant reminder for vigilence and conservation of the species. The species was considered extinct until 1971, when a lone example was located by rangers. Since then, the Charles Darwin Research Station has been searching for a female tortoise, even posting a reward of $10,000 to those that find one.

The Peacock Katydid

This large and beautiful katydid has two defense strategies it uses. The first is to mimic a damaged leaf, lying still in the leaf litter. If that doesn't work, it jumps up and down spreading its wings, which you can see look like two eyes, and thus tries to trick the predator into thinking it is a bird attacking.

Fish-hook Ant

This fascinating ant has a huge curved spine that slices through skin and stays hooked for some time. Few predators want to attack these ants as they have not only this individual defense; when they swarm out of the nest when attacked they hook together into a bunch. This makes it very difficult for the predator to get a single ant alone, and of course it still has to deal with all the hooks.

The RAP katydid

Hiding on the underside of leaves, this species of katydid lies in wait for its hapless prey to land on the leaf, whereupon it attacks and eats them. Males communicate with females using ultrasonic sound at levels the human ear cannot hear.

Strumigenys tigris

This tiny ant is only 2 mm long but is ferocious and lightning fast at catching prey. It walks around with its mouth and mandibles wide open to snatch the prey on the move. The ant's striking coloring is great for blending into the rotting sticks it lives in.

Goliath Bird Eating Spider

The largest spider in the world, this creature's leg span can be 30 cm long and it can weigh more than 1/4 pound! Contrary to its name, the Goliath Bird Eating Spider normally eats invertebrates but has been seen eating lizards, small mammals and snakes. It has a unique defense mechanism: not only is it mildly venomous but it has little sharp barbed hairs all over its body. When attacked, the spider rubs them off its tummy, creating a cloud of micro barbs that stick into and onto the predator.

Emperor Scorpion

The Emperor scorpion is bright blue under UV light and is one of the largest scorpions in the world. This scorpion eats termites and other small insects, and even though it has venom, it is not that dangerous to humans. Compounds in the scorpion's venom are being tested, however, as a possible drug for heart arrhythmia, and its blue beta-carbolines are studied to better understand the protein degeneration that leads to cataracts.