Inca terns are unique and beautiful birds—slender with white-tipped gray feathers, a white curly moustache, yellow lips and a bright orange-red bill. They have a distinctive call that sounds like a high pitched laugh, which is often accompanied by bowing gestures.

Inca terns are natives of the western shoreline of South America and the islands located offshore. They are especially abundant in northern Chile and Peru in the summer. They migrate in winter, venturing to Ecuador and central Chile.

Inca terns swoop down and pluck fish from near the water’s surface. They also sometimes get scraps left behind by whales, or flock to where sea lions are eating on rocks, to steal stray bits of food.
 
A male who is interested in a female will perform aer ...

The Mexican mole lizard is a pink, lizard-like reptile that ranges in length between 18 to 24 cm, but doesn't live very long - a longevity of one to two years. Their skin is closely segmented to give a corrugated appearance, and like earthworms, their underground movement is by peristalsis of the segments. The forelegs are strong and paddle-like, while the hindlegs have disappeared, leaving behind only vestigial bones visible in X-rays.

Meet the Buffy Helmetcrest and White-bearded Helmetcrest, two new species of hummingbirds found in Colombia and Venezuela. Looks like someone's had a run-in with too much styling product...

Each year, over 1.2 million bolts of lightning are confined to the mouth of the Catatumbo River in Venezuela. It's the single highest concentration of lightning in the world.

The KodKod (Leopardus guigna) is the smallest wildcat - it's even smaller than domestic cats. It lives primarily in central and southern Chile and marginally in adjoining areas of Argentina. Check out the video below for more information on this cute creature:

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It's true, Brazil’s Lençóis Maranhenses National Park harbors a coastal dune field that floods during the wet season, January to May. The park’s creamy sand and sparkling water - rains trapped in ribbons of dunes - shelter nesting birds, turtles, and fish.

Source: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/365-photos/dunes-lencois-maranhenses-national-park-brazil/ ...

Shown above are vampire fish caught in Corona Falls, Guyana. Also called payara by locals, these Amazon Basin predators feed on other fish, especially piranhas, which they impale on their long fangs.

The manchineel tree (Hippomane mancinella) has taken the title of world’s most dangerous tree. This evergreen grows up to 15 metres (49 ft) tall, and is native to tropical southern North America and northern South America. It has reddish-greyish bark, small greenish-yellow flowers, and shiny green leaves ranging in size from 5 to 10 cm (2–4 inches) long.

All parts of the tree contain strong toxins, some unidentified. The leaves and fruit of the tree superficially resemble an apple tree, however one bite of the tree’s fruit can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, bleeding, or death due to an acetylcholine inhibitor known as physostigmine found in the fruit. In addition, its milky white sap contains phorbol and other skin irritants, producing s ...