Hipparion Concudense - Spain

The Spanish language originated in the Castile region of Spain; it is a member of the Romance languages along with French, Italian, and Portuguese. There are over 400 million people speaking Spanish as their first language. Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world; Mandarin, spoken in China, is first. 

- - - - -

Hipparion concudense - Fossilized bone fragments of Hipparion concudense were found in an upper miocene site near Segovia, Spain. The fossils provide evidence of an early version of the modern horse. These animals existed in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America for over 20 million years. Each leg had a small, but functional hoof with a vestigal toe, a toe making no contact with the ground; on modern horses these toes are absent. The height of Hipparion concudense was about 1.4 meters, small in comparison to the modern horse.

Olive Tree - Spain

Olea europaea - The olive tree is a small evergreen plant native to the Mediterranean region and Western Asia. The trees are drought, disease, and fire resistant. Their specialized root system is able to regenerate the entire tree even if all the above ground features are destroyed. Olive trees have long lives; some are hundreds of years old. Olives have been cultivated for over 6,000 years. Raw olives are bitter and must be cured and fermented to remove a compound known as oleuropein.

- - - - -

In 1469, the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon were united through the marriage of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. This set the foundation for the growth of the Spanish Empire. During the 16th and 17th century Spain established itself as the world’s leading power and reached its greatest height during the reign of Philip II, 1556 to 1598. The Spanish Empire eventually controlled outposts on every continent. The Napoleonic Wars, fought from 1803 to 1814, began a cycle of decline for imperial Spain.

Short-snouted Seahorse - Canary Islands

Teide volcano is located on Tenerife, the largest island in the Canary Archipelago. It is also the tallest mountain in Spain and 3rd tallest in Europe. The last known eruption occurred in 1909. Teide is part of a United Nations study program designed to monitor several volcanoes in close proximity to high population centers.

- - - -

Hippocampus hippocampus - The short-snouted seahorse is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, and the North Atlantic to as far south as Senegal. Sea horses prefer shallow coastal waters and estuaries with seasonal migrations into deeper waters. Seaweeds and grasses provide shelter and points of ambush. The sea horse will lie in wait for unsuspecting plankton and smaller crustaceans to pass by. Breeding takes place from April to October with multiple birthing cycles; gestation periods last only one month.

Nursery Web Spider - Ceuta

Ceuta served as a staging area for the Umayyad Caliphate’s entry onto the European continent in 711. The city, lying on the opposite shore of Gibraltar, was a strategic point in controlling the shipping routes passing in and out of the Mediterranean Sea. Ceuta was captured by Portugal in 1415, and ceded to Spain in 1668.

- - - -

Pisaura mirabilis - Spider cannibalism is common and especially during the breeding season when males risk being eating by the female. The male nursery web spider employs two tactics to insure survival. He will offer a gift in the form of an insect wrapped in silk not only to attract, but also to distract his partner in not making him the next meal. During mating, the male may also feign death, thanatois, another ploy in not becoming a victim. Thanatois is used by many animals for defensive and offensive purposes or during the reproduction cycle.

Weever Fish - Melilla

With the fall of the Emirate of Granada and the imminent demise of Islamic rule in Spain, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand decided to bring the battle to Africa. Mellila, a small seaport on the North African coast, became a prime target and was captured in 1497. Mellila is one of two Spanish controlled territories in Africa.

- - - -

Echiichthys vipera and Trachinus Draco - The lesser and greater weever fish are two of nine extant species in the family Trachinidae. With the exception of one species, weever fish are found in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Unlike most bony fish, they have no swim bladder and sink when not in motion. Weever fish spend the day partially buried in the seabed with only the top of their heads exposed, waiting for to snatch up smaller fish. The venomous spines deter predators and can cause a painful sting to careless humans.