The orangutans are the two exclusively Asian species of extant great apes. Native to Indonesia and Malaysia, orangutans are currently found in only the Rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Primates Family: Hominidae Subfamily:Ponginae Genus: Pongo Photo taken at Houston Zoo

Samantha, our newest addition. Fostering turned adoption. She had us at "meow".

Blue Poison Dart Frog: Dendrobates azureus is a species of poison dart frog found in the forests surrounded by the Sipaliwini savannah, which is located in southern Suriname and northern to central Brazil. Dendrobates azureus is widely known as the blue poison dart frog or by its Tirio Indian name, okopipi. Its species name comes from the fact that it is colored azure. Photo taken at Houston's Downtown Aquarium

Argentine Boa Constrictor in blue. Like all snakes, Boa constrictors that are in a shed cycle will be more unpredictable. This is because the substance that lubricates between the old skin and the new will make the eyes appear "milky", blue, or "opaque", and as such the snake cannot see very well. This will cause it to be more defensive than it may be otherwise Photo taken at Houston's Downtown Aquarium

Brown Shark in reflection. In Shark tunnel Photo taken at Houston's Downtown Aquarium

The orangutans are the two exclusively Asian species of extant great apes. Native to Indonesia and Malaysia, orangutans are currently found in only the Rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Primates Family: Hominidae Subfamily:Ponginae Genus: Pongo Photo taken at Houston Zoo

The leopard gecko is a nocturnal ground-dwelling lizard naturally found in the deserts of Asia and throughout Pakistan, to the northwestern parts of India. Unlike most geckos, leopard geckos possess movable eyelids. It has become a well-established and popular pet in captivity. Photo taken at Houston's Downtown Aquarium

The golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia, also known as the golden marmoset, is a small New World monkey of the family Callitrichidae. Native to the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil, the golden lion tamarin is an endangered species with an estimated wild population of about 3,200 individuals spread between four places along southeastern Brazil, and a captive population maintained at about 490 individuals among 150 zoos. The golden lion tamarin gets its name from its bright reddish orange pelage and the extra long hairs around the face and ears which give it a distinctive mane. Its face is dark and hairless. It is believed that the tamarin gets its hair color from sunlight and carotenoids in its food

The meerkat or suricate (Suricata suricatta), is a small carnivoran belonging to the mongoose family (Herpestidae). It is the only member of the genus Suricata. Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert in Namibia and southwestern Angola, and in South Africa. A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang" or "clan". A meerkat clan often contains about 20 meerkats, but some super-families have 50 or more members. In captivity, meerkats have an average life span of 12–14 years, and about half this in the wild.

Striped Eel Catfish: Plotosus is a genus of eeltail catfishes native to the Indian Ocean, the western Pacific Ocean and New Guinea. The scaleless skin is coated in mucus, and its mouth is surrounded by four pairs of sensory barbels. The spines of the serrated dorsal fin, which can lock into an erect position, are covered in toxic mucus that can be poisonous to humans. Photo taken at Houston's Downtown Aquarium

Fancy, our ornery Calico cat.

Grey Treefrog Photo taken at Houston's Downtown Aquarium

The Rococo Toad (Chaunus schneideri), sometimes referred to as Schneider's Toad, is a large toad native to the South America countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It is frequently mistaken for the Cane Toad, and gets nearly as large. The easiest way to distinguish the two species, is that B. schneideri has poison glands on its back legs, as well as on either side of its head, as other toads. It is kept as a pet. Photo taken at Houston's Downtown Aquarium

Emerald Green Tree Boa Photo taken at Houston's Downtown Aquarium

The Archerfish (spinner fish or archer fish) are a family (Toxotidae) of fish known for their habit of preying on land based insects and other small animals by literally shooting them down with water droplets from their specialized mouths. Photo taken at Houston's Downtown Aquarium

Emilio, our defiant orange tabby cat.

A white tiger's pale coloration is caused by the presence of a recessive gene. Another genetic characteristic makes the stripes of the tiger very pale; white tigers of this type are called snow-white or "pure white". White tigers do not constitute a separate subspecies of their own and can breed with orange ones. White tigers are not albinos: true albino tigers would not have stripes. Even the "stripeless" white tigers have very pale stripes. Photo taken at Houston's Downtown Aquarium

The American bullfrog often simply known as the bullfrog in Canada and the United States, is an aquatic frog, a member of the family Ranidae, or “true frogs”, native to much of North America.This is a frog of larger, permanent water bodies, swamps, ponds, and lakes, where it is usually found along the water's edge. On rainy nights, bullfrogs, along with many other amphibians, travel overland, and may be seen in numbers on country roads. American bullfrogs live longer in warm weather. Photo taken at Houston's Downtown Aquarium

Ladybug on wheat. Photo taken in Maryland

Bearded Dragon Photo taken at Houston's Downtown Aquarium

fox squirrel in Illinois

A white tiger's pale coloration is caused by the presence of a recessive gene. Another genetic characteristic makes the stripes of the tiger very pale; white tigers of this type are called snow-white or "pure white". White tigers do not constitute a separate subspecies of their own and can breed with orange ones. White tigers are not albinos: true albino tigers would not have stripes. Even the "stripeless" white tigers have very pale stripes. Photo taken at Houston's Downtown Aquarium

Argentine Boa Constrictor in blue. Like all snakes, Boa constrictors that are in a shed cycle will be more unpredictable. This is because the substance that lubricates between the old skin and the new will make the eyes appear "milky", blue, or "opaque", and as such the snake cannot see very well. This will cause it to be more defensive than it may be otherwise. Photo taken at Houston's Downtown Aquarium

Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). The geometrids, also known as inchworms or loopers, are so named because of the way they move, appearing to measure the earth (the word geometrid means earth-measurer in Greek).

Fox Squirrel in Illinois