The Mongolian plateau features one of the largest steppe sceneries on our earth. With its size of about 600000 square kilometers, it extends in the west from the 88th degree of longitude to the 120th degree longitude. Only for a few months of the year the grass and forest landscapes show their green side. From October until May most of the land is covered under a thin layer of ice and snow over which a down to -40°C cold wind howls.

The Green Iguana inhabits the trees of the south and central American lowland forests. However, on its search for food, it can also be found on the ground and even swimming in waters. It nourishes exclusively from the flowers, the leaves and the fruits of the trees. Although the name indicates the color of the iguana, its skin very often appears in brown or even red-orange shades due to its diet.

With its length of about 10 kilometers, the Caragh River is to be one of the shorter rivers of the Irish Island. It originates from Cloon Lough and ends after its short way in the Lake Caragh. However, although being short, the river is quite famous in Ireland for the richness in fish in its clear and cool water. Each year, Trouts and Salmon migrate stream upwards to spawn in the Cloon Lough.

The pool frog inhabits the shores of lakes and slow flowing waters. Most of the time it sits, very well hidden, between the leaves of the sea plants or camouflaged under a blanket of duck weed. Its green and shiny skin provides an excellent protection against predators and helps on its hunt for insects. Therefore it is perfectly adopted to its habitat.

Located in the far northwest of Queensland lies the Boodjamulla National Park. Through its scenery transits the Lawnhill Creek, a year round water-bearing stream system which ends after 150 kilometers in the Gregory River. Over millions of years the river has deeply cut itself into the land and left wide canyons and ponds between the rocks. Today, the deep green water, which retains within the ponds, has become the basis for these cool oases in this dry and hot environment.

The subtropical rain forests of Southern and Central America are inhabited by the Malachite butterfly. It got its name from the dark green markings on the upper side of its wings which resembles to the color of the mineral with the same name. However, with rising age of the butterfly the color starts to fade and slowly turn into yellow. Its nutrition mainly consists of the fruits and the nectar of the plants which grow in its habitat. But it also feeds on carrion and dung.

Over a distance of about eight kilometers extend 16 lakes of various sizes and deepness, connected through clear cascades and churning waterfalls. They all form the core of the Plitvice National Park. The most eye catching is the intensive turquoise coloring of the lakes. The striking colors are caused by the lacustrine chalk on the ground of the lakes. It breaks the sunlight and makes the water sparkle in the most beautiful and clearest colors.

The color change of the South African chameleon is not primarily used for camouflage, but for communication with its fellow species. Especially during the mating season the males show eye-catching colors and patterns. But the color of the Chameleon is also influenced by the temperature and the light of the sun. In the morning, when the temperatures are still low, the skin of the Chameleon shows darker colors, providing a better heat absorption of the weak sunlight. With the rising sun, its color gets lighter, reflecting the light to prevent the Chameleon from overheating.

The Monte Verde cloud forest nature reserve has one of the highest biodiversities on earth. About 2500 different plant species grow densely packed in the cold and humid climate with an average rainfall of 3000 millimeters per year. The tree tops are the home of about 400 bird species and tens of thousands of different insect species inhabit the space from the canopy of the trees to deep down into the ground, many of them still undiscovered.

The year-round rain and the warm and humid climate of the Bornean rainforest, creates a constant growth at the feet of the trees. Permanently new plants sprout out of the ground, constantly manured by the parts falling down from the upper levels of the rain forest. However, the impression of a nutritious and fertile soil for the verdancy is deceiving. The warm and humid climate has eroded the ground deeply and so it can‘t store the nutrients, leaving the soil relatively unfertile.

In the altitudes of the Chilean Andes flourishes the Yareta, an evergreen and extreme slow growing plant which can reach an age of up to 3000 years. This slow growth is caused by the harsh conditions in this hostile environment. Temperature differences between night and day of up to 50°, the thin air in an altitude above 5000 m, nutrient-poor soils and hardly any rain let this botanical survivalist grow only 1,4 mm per year.

The Eclectus Parrot inhabits the tropical rain forests and mangrove zones of the Australian Cape York Peninsula. During the day, the social birds gather in small groups to search for fruits and seeds. But with the sunset they form large flocks to spend the night together. What is very special about this parrot species is the extreme difference in color of the genders. While the male has a predominantly bright green plumage, the female‘s feathers are deep red and dark blue.

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