Kids Research Express

. Ratfish The ratfish is a member of a species of deep-water fish related to sharks. The ratfish is characterized by a long tail and a poisonous spine in front of the dorsal fin. Rosy Barbel This fish of the genus Barbus, known as the rosy barbel, swims in a clear freshwater stream amidst the aquatic plants and roots on which it feeds. Part of the carp family, barbels live at the bottom of rivers or streams during the day and use their whiskerlike feelers, called barbels, to find food at dusk. Several species of barbels exist in western Asia and central and southern Europe, where the fish is prized in sports fishing. Sawfish Although sharklike in appearance, sawfish are actually a type of ray and are distinguished by the presence of gill openings on the lower surface of the head rather than on the sides of the head as in sharks. The sawfish snout is elongated into a broad, flat sword with opposing rows of large teeth. When feeding, the sawfish thrashes the saw from side to side, woundi

. Great White Shark The great white shark, largest of the strictly carnivorous sharks, is found in tropical and temperate oceans and seas worldwide. Great white sharks use hearing, smell, sight, taste, touch, and electrical perception to locate food. Hammerhead Shark The hammerhead shark, distinguished by the lateral expansion of the head into a hammer-shaped structure, is perhaps the most easily recognized shark. The great hammerhead roams tropical and subtropical seas feeding on stingrays, bony fish, and invertebrates. In this photo the hammerhead’s eye is visible at the tip of the hammer-shaped head structure. Hi-Hat Drumfish This drumfish’s vivid black and white stripes, while popular with aquarium owners, do little to attract other drumfish. Instead, potential mates swimming out of visible range detect the fish’s far-reaching “knocking” and “drumming” noises, vibrations produced by tightening the muscles of the swim bladder. This tropical Atlantic species gets its name from its ta

. African Lungfish The African lungfish is one of three species of lungfish. This lungfish is equipped with both a lung and rudimentary gills. During the dry season, the African lungfish is able to survive by curling itself into a tight ball with its tail covering the eyes. Mud adheres to the body mucous, forming an impervious casing. The lungfish then becomes dormant, or estivates, until the rainy season again fills the pool, softens the mud casing, and releases the fish. Betta The betta, or Siamese fighting fish, is native to Southeast Asia. It has been extensively cultured for the aquarium trade. Cultured bettas have long, flowing fins and brilliant colors. They must periodically swim to the surface to capture air in a specialized structure called a labyrinth organ. By breathing atmospheric oxygen, bettas are able to inhabit oxygen-poor waters where few other fish can survive. Bicolor Parrot Fish Parrot fish have the unusual ability to change gender. This female bicolor parrot fish

. Broken-Striped Newt The adult broken-striped newt is found in ponds, pools, and quiet streams in low-lying coastal areas of North and South Carolina. Growing to a maximum size of 9.5 cm (3.75 in), this newt feeds on insects, leeches, small amphibians, worms, small crustaceans, and frog eggs. Burrowing Frog This frog’s short, powerful legs are well built for digging. It burrows into the cooler soil of its South Australian desert habitat to wait out the unpleasantness of extreme heat, descending to a state of torpor much like hibernation. Other kinds of frogs burrow to conceal themselves or to ambush prey. Many have sharp snouts or flattened spadelike toes that aid them in their digging. Caecilian The caecilian is a type of amphibian that has a wormlike body with no limbs. Caecilians are found only in the tropics. Fire Salamander Among fire salamanders, the female retains her fertilized eggs within her body until they hatch. The emerging young may either be larvae with gills or fully f

. Snow Leopard The snow leopard lives only in coniferous forest scrub areas and the mountain steppe region of the Himalayas and surrounding areas. Generally solitary except during mating season, the snow leopard may be found at altitudes higher than 6000 m (19,000 ft) in search of migratory game such as wild sheep, ibex, and the musk deer. Sumatran Rhinoceros The Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) has been hunted so extensively that fewer than 300 animals survive in fragmented populations in Malaysia and Indonesia. Between 1985 and 1995 the number of Sumatran rhinos declined by 50 percent due to poaching. Sumatran Tiger The Sumatran tiger, found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, is the smallest type of tiger. Females weigh 75 to 110 kg (165 to 240 lb), and males weigh 100 to 140 kg (220 to 310 lb). In recent years the demand for tiger parts across Southeast Asia has threatened the Sumatran tiger, whose skins, bones, and claws are used in folk remedies and as novelty

. Numbat The numbat, Myrmecobius fasciatus, is an endangered marsupial that lives in southwestern Australia, often in eucalyptus groves. Numbats use their sensitive noses and sticky tongues to find and eat insects, especially termites. During the winter months they warm themselves by basking in the sun. Australians have created captive breeding colonies for numbats in hopes of ensuring their survival. Pangolin Four species of terrestrial and arboreal pangolins are found in forest and open savanna habitats of Africa and southern Asia. Entirely covered with large, brown, overlapping scales, the pangolin is well protected against predators. When threatened, the pangolin rolls into a tight ball, causing the sharp, free edges of the scales to rise. Pangolins eat ants and termites, which they lap up with their long, sticky tongues. Platypus The duck-billed platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus, found only in eastern Australia, lives in streams, rivers, and occasionally lakes with year-round wat