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The Chinese softshell turtle hails from mainland China (Inner Mongolia to Guangxi, including Hong Kong) and Taiwan, with reports of escaped individuals who have established introduced populations in a variety of other Asian countries, as well as in Spain, Brazil, Hawaii, mainland United States, and more. In their native China […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The burgundy snail, aka Roman snail or escargot, is a large, land-snail hailing from Europe. They are a synanthropic (live near humans) species of snail that may or may not be threatened by the logging industry. However, they do not face any other known threats. With an abundant and stable […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The haddock is a member of the true cod family. They can be found primarily in the north Atlantic Ocean. They are a heavily fished species, predominantly in northern Europe. Unfortunately, these aquatic residents are being overfished, despite organizations stating otherwise, and thus they are listed as Vulnerable by the […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The muscovy duck, aka, Barbary duck, can be found in United States, Mexico, Central and South America. They prefer forested swamps, lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, wet forests, grasslands, and agricultural crops. With no severe threats, sans habitat loss, these ducks are listed as Least Concern. But their populations are decreasing […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The sea squirt, aka tunicate or ascidian, is a sessile (organism that is permanently fixed to a surface) that can be found in oceans all over the world and at all depths. They typically dwell on rocks, pier pilings, ship hulls, large seashells, and on the backs of large crustaceans. […]

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The pacu is often misidentified as a piranha. While in the same family, they are different fish with far different behaviors. Pacus can be found in tropical and subtropical South America. They prefer lakes, rivers, floodplains, and flooded forests located in the Amazon, Orinoco, Río de la Plata Basins, São […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The herring, aka silver darling, primarily hails from the north Pacific and north Atlantic Oceans. Other populations are found in various other locales. There are around 200 known species of herring. However, most people are familiar with just 3. Those being Araucanian, Atlantic, and Pacific herring. Most herring species are […]

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The sardine, aka pilchard, hails from the herring family. There are around 21 known species of sardine. They can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. They follow blooms of zooplankton. Their biggest threats are overfishing, pollution (microplastics), and climate change (which affects the availability of zooplankton). Sardines, […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The blue mussel, aka the common mussel, is a filter-feeding, bivalve mollusk that is found in intertidal and shallow, subtidal zones throughout the world. Even though they are subjected to over-fishing and siltation (when water becomes dirty due to fine mineral particles in the water) – as a result of […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The carp is a study in duality. In their native habitat they are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. However, in the rest of the world, they are deemed a highly invasive fish, as compiled by the Global Invasive Species Database in 2014 and listed as 1 of the top […]

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