Fish and Amphibians

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[unable to retrieve full-text content] Expanding the Onepone Refuge for Amphibians in Ghana    Rainforest Trust Thanks to the support of our board members who cover the majority of our operating expenses, Rainforest Trust is able to allocate 100% of your project donation ... https://ift.tt/2U9gTgv

An unassuming fungus that dwells in lakes and damp soil has proved to be the most potent killer of a large group of species ever documented. The victims are members of at least 501 species of frogs and other amphibians that have succumbed to a disease inflicted by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis , or Bd. In a report published last week in Science , dozens of researchers calculated the number of species harmed by Bd. Their findings are devastating: 90 amphibians driven extinct and another 124 species hanging in precarious fate. Only a quarter of the near 500 amphibians impacted show signs of recovery, the authors report. Dan Greenberg The scale of devastation makes the fungus historic. “The biggest impact of any pathogen that has been recorded yet by science,” said Dan Greenberg, a biologist at Simon Fraser University who did not participate in the research. “It seems like Bd's pretty special.” When scientists first began reporting frog declines around the world in the 198...

An international study led by ANU has found a fungal disease has caused dramatic population declines in more than 500 amphibian species, including 90 extinctions, over the past 50 years. The disease, which eats away at the skin of amphibians, has completely wiped out some species, while causing more sporadic deaths among other species. Amphibians, which live part of their life in water and the other part on land, mainly consist of frogs, toads and salamanders. The deadly disease, chytridiomycosis, is present in more than 60 countries – the worst affected parts of the world are Australia, Central America and South America. Lead researcher Dr Ben Scheele said the team found that chytridiomycosis is responsible for the greatest loss of biodiversity due to a disease. [embedded content] “The disease is caused by chytrid fungus, which likely originated in Asia where local amphibians appear to have resistance to the disease,” said Dr Scheele from the Fenner School of Environment and S...

A far-reaching global study led by University of Colorado Boulder scientists has found that climate is a critical determinant of microbial diversity on amphibian skin, with colder, more variable temperatures producing richer bacterial communities than warmer, more stable environments. The findings, recently published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution , are the result of the largest geographical study of the amphibian microbiome in history, with dozens of researchers from 31 institutions combining to sample over 2,300 specimens, encompassing 205 species in 12 countries on five continents. Amphibian dermal microbes are known to shape their hosts' health and physiology, but the patterns and prevalence of these communities have remained poorly understood at a global scale. Amphibians have become increasingly threatened by habitat losses and fungal infections in recent decades, leading to greater research emphasis on environmental factors that could either help or hinder th...

WRANGELL - Alaska is not home to many reptiles, according to Joshua Ream, cultural anthropologist with the Alaska Herpetological Society. Alaska is home to some marine turtles, as well as garter snakes, but not much else. On the other hand, he said, the state is home to a variety of amphibians. From 2010 to 2018, Ream has researched the kinds of amphibians that can be found in Southeast Alaska, particularly around the Stikine River. There has not been much research into Alaskan amphibians, he said, so much of this work was to help establish baseline data for future projects. "We don't kno... https://ift.tt/2FIkfhY

For Immediate Release, March 28, 2019 Contact:  Jenny Loda, Center for Biological Diversity, (510) 844-7100 x336, jloda@biologicaldiversity.org Talasi Brooks, Western Watersheds Project, (208) 336-9077, tbrooks@westernwatersheds.org Court Upholds Habitat Protection of 1.8 Million Acres for Endangered California Frogs WASHINGTON— A federal judge has upheld critical habitat protection for Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog s , the northern population of mountain yellow-legged frog s and Yosemite toad s in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. The ruling, issued late Wednesday, came from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Pacific Legal Foundation, an extreme private-property-rights group, filed a lawsuit challenging habitat protections on behalf of the California Cattlemen’s Association and others. The court dismissed the livestock groups’ lawsuit because it failed to show that critical habitat protections affected any of their members. “This is a h...

A far-reaching global study led by University of Colorado Boulder scientists has found that climate is a critical determinant of microbial diversity on amphibian skin, with colder, more variable temperatures producing richer bacterial communities than warmer, more stable environments. The findings, recently published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution , are the result of the largest geographical study of the amphibian microbiome in history, with dozens of researchers from 31 institutions combining to sample over 2,300 specimens, encompassing 205 species in 12 countries on five continents. Amphibian dermal microbes are known to shape their hosts' health and physiology, but the patterns and prevalence of these communities have remained poorly understood at a global scale. Amphibians have become increasingly threatened by habitat losses and fungal infections in recent decades, leading to greater research emphasis on environmental factors that could either help or hinder t...

Over the weekend, thousands of poisonous baby cane toads emerged from canals or leapt out of retention ponds in several Palm Beach Gardens neighborhoods along the Atlantic coast of Florida. The giant knot—which is the name for a collective group of cane toads —likely settled in after mild winter temperatures and recent rains set the toads up for a booming breeding cycle, with thousands of baby toads reaching maturity around the same time, reports Chad Gillis at USA Today . The species, Rhinella marina, used to be known at Bufo marinus , and many people still refer to the cane toads as bufo toads. A native of Central and South America, the species first made it to Florida in the 1930s in an effort to control sugar cane pests. In 1955, a pet dealer accidentally released about 100 toads at an airport, reports Eli Rosenberg at The Washington Post . Additional releases in the 1960s also helped establish wild populations of the toad in parts of the state. Cane toads can be dangerous t...

Hadley Barndollar hbarndollar@seacoastonline.com @hbarndollar KITTERY, Maine - In a presentation that drew a full house Monday, Kittery Water District Superintendent Michael Rogers said a quarter of a million people from York to Portland currently use chloramines, the very disinfectant warranting concern from Kittery and Eliot residents after an announcement of its upcoming implementation in drinking water. Because of water user worries, Rogers announced at the Town Council meeting that the Water District will delay its implementation of chloramines from the initially announced date of April 1, to June 1. A question and answer session has been scheduled for May 21 at the Kittery Community Center, where water users with questions can meet with the Kittery Water District, which services users in both Kittery and Eliot, and is an entirely separate entity from municipal operations. The Town Council holds no governance over decisions made by the Water District. Though deemed a safe and e...

Princess Day festivities call attention to threats to frogs, toads and other amphibians, and what youngsters can do to help Hundreds of families and their children — in princess dresses and fairy wings — gathered at the Santa Barbara Zoo over the weekend to raise awareness about threats to the world’s amphibians. The zoo’s highly popular Princess Day also drew many young boys sporting superhero, prince and pirate outfits. The annual two-day event is more than dressing up in sparkly, miniature ball gowns. It hopes to bring attention to the world’s many frogs, toads and other amphibians that are at possible risk of extinction, said Julia McHugh, the zoo’s public relations director. Multiple activities were aimed at raising amphibian conservation awareness, as well as educating guests about how aquariums and zoos are committed to ensuring the survival of all amphibian species. “There has been a shocking drop in populations of the world’s amphibians,” zoo CEO Rich Block said, ment...

Palm Beach Gardens is being plagued by thousands of poisonous toads that have invaded the Florida suburb. Experts say the amphibians are bufo toads, also known as cane toads. Residents in the infested neighborhood worry toxins secreted by the toads will harm their pets and children. News stations broadcast images of the small toads clogging pool filters, hopping en masse across driveways and sidewalks, and lurking in landscaped lawns. "I'm worried about people's pets, so there's definitely no swimming in the pool or playing outside and enjoying the outdoors," resident Jennifer Quasha told WPTV. Mark Holladay of the pest removal service Toad Busters told WPTV that recent rains coupled with warm temperatures sent the amphibians into a breeding cycle. Holladay said even more toads are likely to spread throughout South Florida in the coming weeks. Bufo toads can cause symptoms in dogs that include drooling, head-shaking and in some cases convulsions and death,...

By Associated Press March 24 at 10:14 AM PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — A Florida suburb is being plagued by thousands of poisonous toads. Experts say the amphibians are bufo toads, also known as cane toads. Residents in the infested Palm Beach Gardens neighborhood worry toxins secreted by the toads will harm their pets and children. News stations broadcast images of the small toads clogging pool filters, hopping en masse across driveways and sidewalks, and lurking in landscaped lawns. Resident Jennifer Quasha told WPBF her family first noticed the toads Friday. She said hundreds of them were in her swimming pool. Mark Holladay of the pest removal service Toad Busters told WPTV that recent rains coupled with warm temperatures sent the amphibians into a breeding cycle. Holladay said even more toads are likely to spread throughout South Florida in the coming weeks. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewrit...

BERRIEN CENTER — The naturalists at Berrien County’s Love Creek Park are hoping that people jump at the chance to take part in FrogWatch trainings to identify native amphibians. This is the first time the park has hosted the trainings and it is the only FrogWatch chapter in Southwest Michigan, according to Derek Pelc, who recently joined the staff of the park at 9292 Huckleberry Road, Berrien Center. The program, that teaches volunteers to recognize frog and toad species by their sound, was started in 1998 by the U.S. Geologic Survey, and was taken over by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 2009. Pelc said the activity was adopted by the Potawatomi Zoo, where he previously worked. There are 151 chapters in 41 states and Washington, D.C. Keeping track of amphibians is important to understand the overall natural environment, Pelc explained. “Amphibians are a really good indicator of the health of the wetlands and the entire eco-system,” Pelc said. A dec...

EDITOR’S NOTE: I wrote this column 15 years ago. It came back to mind last Thursday after encountering a brilliantly colored frog on my evening walk. “Today’s a pesticator day, daddy,” my rascally 7-year-old told me Sunday, messing up my hair as we set out for the moist old forest path leading to what we call Frog Hollow. You won’t find “pesticator” in the dictionary, being one of many proto-words my dad transported through time. Born in 1912 when northwestern Washington state still was ferns and farmhouses instead of Starbucks and strip malls, his vocabulary came from an innocent age when people actually said things like “jumping Jehosephat!” When I was about Elizabeth’s age, dad read me “Huckleberry Finn,” forever instilling Mark Twain’s vision of adventure as my ideal model for growing up — endless summer days floating on a lazy river. Every American generation needs to revisit and re-imagine Twain’s America, a place of individual liberty where everyone has the option of lighti...

If late winter cabin fever has you down, wander the woods in search of vernal pools — small bodies of water that collect in depressions in the ground. Melting snow and late winter rains fill these shallow depressions, which can be as small as a plastic swimming pool or as large as an acre. But they must be shallow, and they must, at some point in late spring or summer, dry up completely. Vernal pools are about to explode with life. As days get longer and daytime temperatures flirt with the 50s (just about when we set our clocks to spring forward an hour), aquatic invertebrates that have been dormant for months and amphibians waking from hibernation return to their birth ponds to reproduce. Eggs of aquatic insects and crustaceans hatch to form the base of water-based food chains. In February, wood frogs, whose bodies had been literally frozen all winter long, found their way to snow-ringed pools. These are small brown frogs marked by a raccoon-like facial mask. Males sing their...

Images which appear to be of a strange handful of pink marbles in a patch of mud are actually the eggs of a legless amphibian.  The pictures show the  little see-through balls which contain the creatures which belongs to the Chikilidae family, related to the salamander. The chikilidae is a caecilian, the most primitive of three amphibian groups that also includes frogs.  Because they live hidden underground, not much is known about them unlike their more famous - and vocal - amphibious cousins, the frogs.  In adult form, they look a lot like worms or a miniature snake, despite having a spine. They do have eyes, but their sight is extremely limited as they spend most of their time underground.  Scroll on the video  Images which appear to be of a strange handful of pink marbles in a patch of mud are actually the eggs of a legless amphibian. The pictures show the little see-through balls which contain the creatures which belongs to the Chikilidae ...

FORD CITY — The Outdoor Discovery Center at Crooked Creek will play host to an introduction to reptiles and amphibians program at 1 p.m. Saturday. The center is located at 142 Kerr Road, Ford City, inside Crooked Creek Park. Naturalist April Claus will introduce things that creep and slither in a hands-on interactive program that introduces participants to the reptiles and amphibians of Pennsylvania and teaches them to identify frogs and toads by their call, examine touchable models and learn how to identify the venomous snakes that live in the state. Participants will also have the opportunity to touch some live snakes, toads, turtles and salamanders that are native to western Pennsylvania. This is a free family program, appropriate for those ages 7 and up. https://ift.tt/2HIjI0C

What determines whether an animal becomes male or female? For frogs, sex is much more complicated than we thought. For some creatures, like reptiles and fish, sex can be heavily influenced by the environment. Sea turtles that grow up in warmer sand are more likely to become female , for example. Mammals, however, are much more bound to genetics: If you’re genotypically male in the womb, you’re likely to develop outwardly as such. Amphibians such as frogs lay somewhere in the middle. They’re mainly influenced by genetics, but the environment also plays a role. In the laboratory, certain pollutants like synthetic estrogens and herbicides have been shown to induce genetically male frogs to develop outwardly as females. Research has also begun to suggest this happens in the wild. In 2014, a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that pollution-laden runoff into suburban ponds in the U.S. might be turning larval male amphibians into females. ( Related: 99 perc...

Posted on March 18, 2019 | By Addison Independent SPRING PEEPERS ARE one of the numerous species of frogs in need of help crossing Vermont roads in the spring. Learn how to be an amphibian escort at “Amphibian Ecology and Road Rescue Training,” on Thursday, March 21, from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Cornwall Town Hall, or be on call to escort hundreds of frogs and salamanders cross the road in Salisbury some time between Monday, March 18 and Sunday, April 7. ADDISON COUNTY — It is almost that time of year when calls from spring peepers announce the migration of amphibians from their winter homes on high ground to breeding sites in wetlands to mate and lay eggs. Imagine the scene. After months deep underground or in a frozen state of torpor, salamanders and frogs emerge en masse on wet, warm early spring nights and begin their march to breeding grounds. It is easy to be intrigued by these seldom-seen amphibians. They radiate charisma, determination and moxie on even the rainiest eve...

On warm, rainy, spring evenings, rangers close River Road in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in northeastern Pennsylvania from about 4 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. the next morning to protect migrating amphibians from squishy deaths under the tires of motor vehicles. Hordes of frogs, toads and salamanders are crawling and hopping to breeding pools in their annual rite of spring. Some will travel just a few hundred feet. Others might cover more than a quarter-mile. All of them are focused on finding a mate and leaving behind gelatinous masses of eggs that, if conditions are favorable, will hatch into new generations of their species before the temporary pools dry up and disappear. Elsewhere in the recreation area, outside of the protected passage over River Road, and across Pennsylvania and other northeastern states, countless other amphibians are making the same overland dash, and huge numbers are losing the race on roadways. Several years ago, staffers at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary...

Ponds that vanish and reappear, animals that go dormant and return to life—vernal pools feel a bit like spring magic, but they’re 100 percent real. These ephemeral habitats, found along the U.S. West Coast and throughout the Northeast and Midwest, form in natural depressions that have suitable soil for holding water. ( See our beautiful photos of spring landscapes .) They’re unconnected to streams or other water sources, filling up with rain or melted snow in spring and evaporating in summer, usually by July. “The first time I saw a vernal pool, I was walking through the woods and saw the clouds reflecting from the forest floor,” Evan Grant , an environmental scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, says by email. “I looked closer and it was a pond in the middle of the woods.” Vernal pools always occur in the same spot, usually on a gently sloping wetland, and can vary greatly in size, from a shallow lake to a tiny puddle. Grant has seen one the size of a coffee can. But size doesn...