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Why do some animals have such strange and misleading names? Scientists wanting to show they have a less serious side? An obsession with megafauna? Delirium brought on by too much time spent under a tropical sun? Whatever the reason, it’s a great excuse to highlight some fascinating small species with inflated names.
Grenadines pink rhino iguana
Adult male Grenadines pink rhino iguana, Palm Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. © Jenny Daltry
White Rhinoceros. © Juan Pablo Moreiras / Fauna & Flora
Found only on Union Island in St Vincent and the Grenadines, this lizard owes its strange name to its striking nasal horns. Real rhino horns are used for defence against predators, and to help reach water or food while foraging, but this iguana’s appendages are thought to be largely decorative, though it’s possible the males use them in courtship display to impress females and intimidate less well-endowed rivals. The other part of its weird name derives from the pinkish colouring of mature males.
If you think that’s a stretch, check out the so-called white rhino (which isn’t white at all and owes its name to a misinterpretation of the word ‘wijde’ – which means ‘wide’ in Afrikaans). Rhinos and rhino iguanas live on different continents, which regrettably means that we’ll never witness a crash of rhinos resulting in a mess of iguanas – two of the funniest collective names for a group of animals.
Giant elephant shrew
This animal is named for the elongated, mobile and highly sensitive snout that it uses to forage for small invertebrates among the leaf litter on the forest floor. Giant elephant shrews have lightning-fast reactions and spring-loaded hindlegs that help them to evade predators such as birds of prey and wild cats. Elephant shrews spend the night under big mounds of leaves that they scrape together over the top of a hollow in ground. They are very territorial and stamp their feet to announce their presence. Rival males fight frequently, and their sharp canines can inflict deep wounds.
How Fauna & Flora is helping elephant shrews
Giant elephant shrews in north-eastern DRC share their habitat with forest elephants, okapi and eastern lowland gorilla. By safeguarding these forests, Fauna & Flora and our partners are protecting elephant shrews and other lesser-known species as well as elephants and other charismatic megafauna.
Giant elephant shrew, Democratic Republic of Congo. © Jabruson / Nature Picture Library
Giant elephant shrew, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Is the giant elephant shrew related to elephants?
That’s a great question, because this long-nosed animal isn’t a shrew at all. It’s a sengi – a different family entirely – and is actually more closely related to elephants. Neither giant, nor elephant, nor shrew, it might just be the world’s most misleadingly named animal.
A male African forest elephant with a satellite collar attached for tracking and research purposes. © Ruben Bañuelos Bons / Fauna & Flora
A male African forest elephant with a satellite collar attached for tracking and research purposes.
False tiger moth
Named for their striped appearance, these visually striking moths are often mistaken for butterflies due to their brightly coloured markings and diurnal (day-flying) habits. The vivid colours warn potential predators that these moths may be poisonous or distasteful. While some colourful moths really do taste bad – because their caterpillars can eat toxic plants and retain those toxins in their bodies – others are just bluffing. Some moths and butterflies have evolved to closely resemble a species that is genuinely unpleasant to eat, a phenomenon known as Batesian mimicry. The false tiger moth is believed to be non-toxic, but it is thought to have an extra defence mechanism: a false head, including fake eyes and antennae, which protrudes from the tip of its abdomen when it is threatened, to divert predators away from its real head.
Truth & myth: the key differences between butterflies and moths
- Not all butterflies are brightly coloured, and not all moths are dull.
- Some moths fly during the day, while some butterflies are nocturnal.
- Most butterfly antennae are club-shaped, whereas moth antennae are usually feathered or tapered.
- Most butterflies rest with their wings folded vertically, while most moths hold their wings flat against the surface they’re resting on.
False tiger moths, Myanmar. © Jeremy Holden / Fauna & Flora
False tiger moths, Myanmar.
Protecting real tigers
By a strange quirk of fate, these two false tigers were photographed at our project site in Tanintharyi in Southern Myanmar, a lowland forest landscape where Fauna & Flora and partners are working to protect their endangered feline namesake, the Indochinese tiger.
Close-up of an Indochinese tiger caught on camera in Myanmar. © Fauna & Flora
Redonda ground dragon
Despite its nickname, the Redonda ground dragon is at the other end of the scale to the fearsome, fictional Norwegian ridgeback and the real-life Komodo dragon – the world’s largest lizard.
These small ground-dwelling reptiles do bear a passing resemblance to miniature dragons, an impression accentuated by their jet-black colouring and fiery-orange eyes, but they are definitely incapable of fire-breathing or flight (although the rainforests of Southeast Asia have their fair share of ‘flying’ lizards, which can glide impressive distances from tree to tree using their flattened rib cage as makeshift wings).
Redonda ground lizard. © Jeremy Holden / Fauna & Flora
Redonda ground lizard.
How Fauna & Flora is helping the Redonda ground dragon
The Redonda ground dragon was rescued from the brink of extinction by clearing invasive rats and feral goats from its only home, a remote island belonging to Antigua and Barbuda.
Numbers have increased 13-fold since 2017, the year when Fauna & Flora and partners begin restoring its island home to offer this real-life dragon a lifeline. The species is still critically endangered and vulnerable to hurricanes and other climate-driven ‘natural’ disasters, but it’s on the road to recovery.
A Redonda ground dragon attempting to crack open a stolen seabird egg. © Jenny Daltry
Laotian wolf snake
This relatively small serpent owes its intimidating name to the large teeth in its upper and lower jaw, a characteristic of this group of snakes. Its scientific name ‘Lycodon’ derives from the Greek words lykos (wolf) and odon (tooth). Despite the menacing moniker, wolf snakes are non-venomous, but several species have still found ingenious ways to deter predators.
Laotian wolf snake. © Jeremy Holden / Fauna & Flora
Banded krait. © Davidsfeed / Shutterstock
A wolf in krait’s clothing
The Laotian wolf snake mimics a highly venomous species, the banded krait. Both snakes have a pattern of vivid yellow bands along the length of their bodies. For an expert, there are clear differences between the two: the banded krait is thick-bodied, with a broad head, blunt tail and a pronounced ridge running along its entire length, while its yellow and black bands are evenly spaced; the bands on a Laotian wolf snake are less regular, and its body more slimline and tapered. However, the striking similarities are enough to ensure that potential predators give both species a wide berth.
How Fauna & Flora is protecting wolf snakes and their habitat
While Laotian wolf snakes are not currently threatened, many other species that share their habitat in Southeast Asia are under severe pressure. In the Annamite Mountains – the Amazon of Asia – Fauna & Flora and partners are working to prevent further fragmentation of these precious forests and protect the endangered wildlife they harbour.
Lionfish
So-called because their striking set of venomous spines superficially resembles a lion’s mane, these beautiful fish play a vital role in their native habitat in the Indo-Pacific. Elsewhere, however, they pose a serious threat as an invasive species. They used to be confined to tropical waters, but as the ocean heats up, they migrate into areas including the Mediterranean, where they cause considerable damage.
Innovative solutions to invasive species
Lionfish have very few natural predators outside their home range, reproduce quickly and eat commercially important native fish (including the herbivores that graze on the algae that can carpet and suffocate coral reefs if unchecked). In some instances, the presence of lionfish has reduced native species breeding and survival success by nearly 80%. In Türkiye, Fauna & Flora’s local partner AKD is addressing this issue by putting lionfish on the menu and turning their venomous spines into fashion accessories.
Red lionfish, Honduras, Caribbean Sea. © Claudio Contreras / Nature Picture Library
Red lionfish, Honduras, Caribbean Sea.
Creatures great and small in big trouble
Species of every shape and size are under severe pressure, but with your help we can continue to tip the balance in favour of biodiversity. Saving nature, together.
Support our workLaotian wolf snake. © Jeremy Holden / Fauna & Flora
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