animals are beautiful

Snails in the genus Julia have a bivalved shell, like a clam!

Even though they have a clam like shell, with 2 sections, they are in fact snails (class Gastropoda). They are marine snails, found throughout the Ino-Pacific. There are 6 species which are various shades of green. Julia are tiny, only reaching a length of up to 6 mm long. They feed on algae, and incorporate the chloroplasts from the algae into their bodies. Some of the chloroplasts remain photosynthetic, and the snails are able to feed on the products of this photosynthesis. This process is called kleptoplasty.

Lanternfly (Pyrops connectens) at Khao Sok National Park in Thailand

Dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) playing off the coast of Kaikoura, New Zealand

Wasp-mimic tiger moth, Gymnelia nomia, Arctiini, Erebidae

Photographed in Ecuador by Nicky Bay // Website // Facebook

Wood Lizard (Enyalioides binzayedi) -

Found only in the Cordillera Azul National Park of Peru, this little lizard was discovered first in 2010.  

They can grow up to about 12 inches and both sexes have dorsal spikes on the neck.  The males (top and bottom right) have bright green and black patterning while the females (bottom left) are brown.  Juveniles are also a dull brown color.  Other wood lizards don’t have the prominent dorsal spikes.