Begonia — Begonia is a genus in the flowering plant family Begoniaceae. The only other member of the family Begoniaceae is Hillebrandia, a genus with a single species in the Hawaiian Islands. The genus Symbegonia is now included in Begonia. “Begonia” is the common name as well as the generic name for all members of the genus. With ca. 1500+ …

Bayberry — Myrica is a genus of about 35-50 species of small trees and shrubs in the family Myricaceae, order Fagales. The genus has a wide distribution, including Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America, and missing only from Australasia. Some botanists split the genus into two genera on the basis of the catkin and fruit structure, restricting Myrica …

Azalea — Azaleas are flowering shrubs making up part of the genus Rhododendron. Originally azaleas were classed as a different genus of plant, but now they are recognised as two of the eight sub-genera of rhododendrons – subgenus Pentanthera (deciduous), and subgenus Titsushi (evergreen). One major difference between azaleas and the rest of the rhododendron family is their size. Another …

Acacia — Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus in 1773. Acacias are also known as thorntrees or wattles, including the yellow-fever acacia and umbrella acacias. There are roughly 1300 species of Acacia worldwide, about 960 of them native to …

Warthog — The Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) (“African Lens-Pig”) is a wild member of the pig family that lives in Africa. The common name comes from the four large wart-like tusks found on the head of the warthog, which serve the purpose of defense when males fight. They are the only widely recognised species in their genus, though some authors divide …

Tenrec — Tenrecidae (common name tenrecs) is a family of mammals found on Madagascar and parts of Africa. Tenrecs are widely diverse, resembling hedgehogs, shrews, opossums, mice and even otters, as a result of parallel evolution. They can occupy several environments including aquatic, arboreal, terrestrial and fossorial. Some of these species can be found in the Madagascar dry deciduous forests, …

Squirrel — A squirrel is any member of the rodent family Sciuridae–with the exception of the marmots, Marmota; prairie dogs, Cynomys; and chipmunks, Eutamias and Tamias–and typically has a slender body and a long, bushy tail. The name is more commonly used to refer to those forms which live in trees, although it is equally suited to terrestrial types. It …

Springhare — The Springhare (Pedetes capensis), or Springhaas, is not actually a hare, but a member of the order Rodentia; it is the only species in its family Pedetidae and in the genus Pedetes. The Springhare resembles a small kangaroo (though unrelated) with well-developed hind legs, which allows it to leap over 2 meters in a single bound. It is …

Rabbit — Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world. There are seven different genera in the family classified as rabbits, including the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), cottontail rabbit (genus Sylvilagus; 13 species), and the Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi, endangered species on Amami Oshima, Japan). There are many other …

Porcupine — Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend them from predators. Porcupines are the third largest rodent, after the capybara, and beaver, and are not to be confused with hedgehogs which are Erinaceomorphs. Most porcupines are about 25-36 inches (60-90 cm) long, with an 8-10 inch (20-25 cm) long tail. Weighing between 12-35 …