Tody (Todus angustirostris, Todus subulatus) Two species of endemic todies have evolved on the island of Hispaniola, the Narrow- billed tody (Todus angustirostris) of the rain and cloud forests, and the Broad-billed tody (Todus subulatus) of the desert and subtropical forest region. Ancestors of the tody migrated from North, Central, and South America, with fossils having been uncovered as far back as 24-37 million years ago. The todys have been called "living fossils," as they have all but disappeared on the continents from which they originated. Toadies exhibit a remarkable adaptive trait in their resistance to hurricanes and tropical storms. Small insects left without cover in the wake of storms become prey for the tody, and fallen trees become breeding sites. Using their long beaks, male and female todies commence breeding by carving a tunnel into the matted root system of the trees' capsized trunks. (Photo courtesy of Eladio Fernandez)

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