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The three-toed sloth has small eyes, unnoticeable ears, and forelimbs that are about one and a half times longer then its hind limbs, giving this mammal a comic appeal. Inhabiting the tropical forests of Honduras to northern Argentina, Bradypus variegatus carries out all daily life activities while upside down except for elimination of wastes, for which it must descend to the ground about once a week. Bradypodidae can be diagnosed by cranial characteristics including a short rostrum, a dorso-ventrally flattened skull, and mandibles with conspicuous coronoid processes. Learn more about the three-toed sloth by reading this DigiMorph account, featuring all-new CT imagery.
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| Mespilia globulus, Globe Urchin | 08-Dec-2008 |  |
| The globe or sphere urchin, Mespilia globulus, grows up to 6-8 cm in diameter. It inhabits tropical waters in southern China, the Indian Ocean, Philippines, and the Indo-Australian Archipelago. Mespilia is one of a growing number of sea urchins that can be found on DigiMorph, thanks to the efforts of Alexander Ziegler at Freie Universitaet Berlin and Lou Zachos at The University of Texas at Austin. Lou also made available an embryonic green sea urchin to showcase the capabilities of the new scanner at UTCT; this imagery can be seen by clicking here.
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| Rainbow Wrasse, Halichoeres pictus | 17-Nov-2008 |  |
| The rainbow wrasse, Halichoeres pictus, is a member of Perciformes, a clade comprising more than 9000 species that accounts for more than a third of all fish diversity. There are about 500 species of wrasses, ranging in size from 4.5 cm to 2.3 m. They occur in tropical and warm-temperate waters. Learn more about H. pictus by reading this DigiMorph account.
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| Anas platyrhynchos, Domestic Duck | 03-Nov-2008 |  |
| The domestic duck is a member of Anatidae, a clade comprising 157 species of ducks, geese and swans. Ducks can be found almost anywhere in the world, prefering a habitat of wetlands that include an abundance of vegetation. They eat a large variety of foods including vegetation, insects, worms, gastropods and arthropods. Learn more about Anas platyrhynchos by reading this DigiMorph account.
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| Two-toed Sloth, Choloepus hoffmani | 13-Oct-2008 |  |
| The two-toed sloth is a curious looking mammal with a convex face, inconspicuous ears, and no tail. Occurring in tropical forests from Nicaragua to Peru and central Brazil, Choloepus hoffmanni is nocturnal and carries out almost all life processes -- including mating and birth -- while suspended upside down. Long thought to be closely related to the three-toed sloth, Bradypus, it is now believed that the two-toed sloth shares a closer kinship with extinct ground sloths. Learn more about Choloepus hoffmanni by reading this DigiMorph account.
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| Agrionemys horsfieldii, Russian Tortoise | 15-Sep-2008 |  |
| The Russian tortoise is a member of Testudinidae, a large and diverse clade of extinct and extant terrestrial forms that includes well-known giant species such as the Galápagos and Aldabra tortoises. Agrionemys horsfieldii occurs in Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan, extending into western China and southeastern Russia. Learn more about the Russian tortoise by reading this account by Dr. Heather Jamniczky of the University of Calgary.
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