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The limpkin, aka carrao, courlan, and/or crying bird, is a sizable wading bird related to cranes and rails. They’re the only extant species in the family Aramidae. While found mostly in wetlands in the warmer parts of the Americas, from Florida, to Mexico, to Central America, down to South America, […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The snail kite is a species of raptor that hails from South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Florida. They face the threats of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of drainage and development, which affects nesting and foraging; changes in water levels, which can cause nest collapse or […]

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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 apple snail is a large aquatic gastropod species that hails from South America, Central America, and southern United States. These gastropods are considered to be an invasive species as they reproduce quickly and consume large amounts of vegetation. In their natural locales, they face the threats of habitat loss […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The scaly-foot gastropod, aka scaly-foot snail, sea pangolin, or volcano snail, is a snail species that dwells among deep-sea hydrothermal-vents in the Indian Ocean. They can be found at depths of up to 1.73+ miles. As deep as these critters dwell, they are still subjected to human-based threats, such as […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The limpet is an aquatic snail with a powerful foot. They have a nervous system and a 3-chambered heart. There is also a ring of gills surrounding the edge of their shell. They even have 2 kidneys and an extensive digestive system. Limpets can be found in oceans all over […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The abalone is a gastropod mollusk (snail) that inhabits tropical and temperate coastal waters off the coasts of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa, and North America. These sea snails have a rather bland and camouflaged outer shell yet a brilliant opalescent inner shell appearance. Most are listed as Least […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The bane of home gardeners everywhere, the garden snail is a type of snail species known for leveling gardens overnight. Snails are part of the mollusk family; whether they are land-based or aquatic. These slow-moving mollusks can be found on every continent, sans Antarctica, thanks to humans. Land-based gastropods, such […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

Found in the Caribbean Sea and surrounding waters, the queen conch is a fascinating site to behold. These sea snails are among the largest known; with the giant whelk, from Australia, being number 1. These critters can be found in coral reef habitats, sea grass beds, and sand flats, in […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

Seemingly harmless looking, the cone snail is actually a predatory animal that uses a specialized harpoon-like tooth to inject lethal venom into prey. They can be found in the Indian Ocean, Pacific Oceans, Great Barrier Reef, southern Australia, Baja California, California, and Hawaii. Cone snails live in predominantly shallow water […]

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