Arts and Life

Stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa)

Also known as the the reef stone or dornorn is a carnivorous ray-finned fish with venomous spines that lives on reef bottoms, camouflaged as a rock. It is the most venomous known fish in the world. The stonefish lives primarily above the tropic of Capricorn: It is the most widespread species of the stonefishes family, and is known to be found in the shallow tropical marine waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans, ranging from the Red Sea to the Queensland Great Barrier Reef. Image courtesy of Photo2222

Dead Leaf Mantis (Deroplatys Desiccata)

One of the extraordinary family of mantidae, if alarmed it lies motionless on the rainforest floor, disappearing among the real dead leaves. It eats other animals up to the size of small lizards. From the island of Madagascar, Africa. Image courtesy of Adrian Pingstone

Gaboon Viper (Bitis Gabonica)

This is not only the largest member of the genus Bitis, but also the world’s heaviest viperid and it has the longest fangs and the highest venom yield of any venomous snake. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate race described here. Originally a name given by the Portuguese, Gaboon (Gabão) refers to the estuary on which the town of Libreville was built, in Gabon, and to a narrow strip of territory on either bank of this arm of the sea. Image courtesy of Tim Vickers

Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus Strigoides)

Leaf Shaped Grasshopper (Goniaea sp.)

With the overall appearance of a dead leaf (shape, colour, and often static behaviour), it is apparently suited for life as an insect in the Western Australian bush. The species of Subtribe Goniaeina are characterised by their appearance as either a dry Eucalyptus leaf (eg. the specimen above) or as an Acacia leaf. Image courtesy of Swedish Fusilier