Fish and Amphibians

Research into new endogenous mechanisms of tissue regeneration is an innovative research avenue in cardiac regeneration. This is the central goal of the REANIMA project (New generation cardiac therapeutic strategies directed to the activation of endogenous regenerative mechanisms), a research program coordinated by Dr Miguel Torres at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) and supported by €8 million funding over 5 years, of which €1,380,000 will be directly managed at the CNIC. The project will launch in January 2020. REANIMA addresses one of the big challenges in biomedicine: how to successfully translate knowledge gleaned from basic research on biological regeneration into medical applications, in this case the regeneration of the heart." Dr Miguel Torres, CNIC Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world. The associated heart failure is a worldwide epidemic that imposes a heavy societal burden in death, disease, and escalating

IMAGE:  The RCV-Z2 index site near the Alapaha River in Georgia. view more  Credit: Photo courtesy UTIA. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Kudzu and emerald ash borer are widely known examples of an invasive plant and an invasive insect, respectively, that cause harm to our native plants. Their impacts are obvious in our landscapes. Not so well known are the invasive pathogens that are quietly decimating small, little noticed but ecologically important amphibians. In a study published in the October 15 issue of https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304380019302856#ack0005E target="_blank"cological Modelling , a team of University of Tennessee researchers along with a colleague from the University of Florida model how a chimeric Frog virus 3 (FV3)-like ranavirus, also known as RCV-Z2, can spread rapidly throughout a population of North American wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) tadpoles. Ranaviruses are globally emerging pathogens that affect amphibians, reptiles an

IMAGE:  Neonatal mouse heart when it still has regeneration capacity. The image shows cells of the immune system and coronary vasculature, both relevant for cardiac regeneration. view more  Credit: CNIC Research into new endogenous mechanisms of tissue regeneration is an innovative research avenue in cardiac regeneration. This is the central goal of the REANIMA project (New generation cardiac therapeutic strategies directed to the activation of endogenous regenerative mechanisms), a research program coordinated by Dr Miguel Torres at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) and supported by €8 million funding over 5 years, of which €1,380,000 will be directly managed at the CNIC. The project will launch in January 2020. "REANIMA addresses one of the big challenges in biomedicine: how to successfully translate knowledge gleaned from basic research on biological regeneration into medical applications, in this case the regeneration of the heart,"

In mid-September biologist Dan Cammack walked slowly along the edge of a boggy pond in the San Juan Mountains high above the San Luis Valley and peered into the mud and black water looking for a camouflaged critter the size of a dime. After just a couple minutes, he saw the jumping movements of tiny boreal toads. The amphibians, colored a brownish-black, sat in the mud, on rocks, in the grass or moved on the top of the water attempting to stay clear of danger. Cammack had placed the toads in the ponds for the first time a few weeks earlier. “Watch where you step,” Cammack said, “We don’t want to step on them.” The toads are precious. Twenty years ago, they were abundant throughout Colorado’s high country. Today, however, they are scarce as they battle the mysterious chytrid fungus that is threatening amphibians throughout the world. CPW biologists are working statewide to revive populations of these high-altitude amphibians that live from 8,000 to 13,000 feet. But as is the nature o

Have you ever seen a western leopard toad? The species, endemic to the Western Cape, signifies a balanced ecosystem. But these cold-blooded creatures are struggling to survive. The toads need to travel long distances to their wetland breeding grounds. This means crossing roads through industrial developments where their path turns into a bloodbath. Being flattened by vehicles has led to the species becoming one of South Africa’s most endangered amphibians. Fortunately, Suzie J’kul is on the move to protect them. “I realised that there was no turning back on the western leopard toad the first time I picked one up,” she says. J’kul formed a volunteer assembly in the Cape Peninsula to search for and rescue the endangered toads. Her troupe grew into Toad NUTS. This conservation group patrols the streets during the breeding season in winter to ensure the safety of the crossing toads. They’ve implemented barrier systems on main roads where buckets catch the amphibians to be freed later. “It

This is the seventh in a series looking at 10 of the most unusual and noteworthy endangered species in Alabama . The state is one of the most biodiverse in the nation, and today there are 131 species on the brink of disappearing. Growing up to 11 inches long, with glistening, moist skin and striking purple coloration, the Red Hills salamander is one of the largest lungless salamanders in the world. It is also Alabama’s official state amphibian, and the one terrestrial vertebrate animal that is found only within the state borders. Where do they live? The Red Hills salamander builds burrows in the sides of steep slopes and spends most of its life inside those burrows, only venturing out at night to find food. This striking salamander is confined to a narrow strip of land between the Alabama and Conecuh rivers in south-central Alabama, unevenly spread over roughly 60,000 acres of territory in six counties. How many are left? Population data is hard to come by, but the U.S. Fish an

Koval - Submitted photo TUNKHANNOCK — Rick Koval returns to the Dietrich Theater on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 11: a.m. for a free presentation of Reptiles and Amphibians of Northeastern Pennsylvania. After his presentation, participants will have a chance to meet and greet some of these creatures up close and personal. Reserve tickets by calling 570-996-1500. Tickets will be available at the door as long as they last. The PowerPoint program will illustrate many species of frogs, turtles, salamanders, lizards, and snakes, including rarities such as timber rattlesnakes, eastern worm snakes, and hellbenders, all of which reside in Northeastern Pennsylvania. This program is sponsored by the Overlook Estate Foundation. Koval again will bring, through his photography, the world of animals we might encounter in the wild. Afterwards, he will answer questions and encourage participants to examine certain live amphibian and reptilian guests and even touch them. Because reptile and amphibian li

This week’s Wildlife Matters was inspired by a Curious North question, which piqued the interest of the Masked Biologist who shares several interesting facts about otters with all of us. This feature was inspired by a Curious North question from Christy in Hazelhurst who asks “Where do otters live? Do they sleep part of the winter or are they active? Are they strictly fish eaters? Any information about them would be awesome! They are one of my favorite creatures.” Well, Christy, I have about five minutes to try to make you into an otter expert, so here are a few otterly interesting facts. Historically, we had otters across a good portion of Wisconsin. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, otter numbers dwindled; they were given protection as a managed species around 1915. Careful management brought otter numbers back, and today it is not uncommon to see otters in Northwoods lakes and rivers. Our last otter flight survey seemed to indicate that our otter populations ar

All these years I still don’t know who is right, Uncle Joe or the beavers. I know one thing, though. The old mine hole, long filled by rain and a creek, is still going strong. A long time ago, men mined manganese on what is family land back in Georgia. The old Colley Mine has long been abandoned by man, but not nature, and certainly not by beavers. Where manganese was discovered in 1918, you can see evidence of the mine 101 years later. Rusting machinery and tailings betray the old mine’s presence. You see a peaceful pond now where men once toiled. Do the beavers threaten that pond with their tunneling and erosion inducing slides down the mine’s true dam? Or do beaver dams of sticks, logs and mud strengthen the dam erected more than 100 years ago? Uncle Joe, who owned part of the old mine hole, felt the beavers threatened the dam’s integrity, and he did what he could to oust the beavers. For a while, he succeeded for I recall an era when I saw nary a beaver or felled tree. Not so to

The Herald Nitya Mohanty Correspondent Humans keep all sorts of animals as pets and new species are constantly being brought into the trade — some reared in captivity, but many sourced from the wild. As a result, the global pet trade often puts wild populations at risk of over-exploitation. The Global Amphibian Assessment pegs 47 amphibian species to be predominantly threatened by unsustainable harvesting for the international pet trade. And the risks don’t end there. For various reasons, people release pets into the wild, resulting in biological invasions. People might do this because keeping the animal isn’t the experience they expected, or because they can’t afford it any longer. The problem is that, often, it may introduce a species to regions beyond their natural range. These invasive populations can harm native species and lead to the spread of diseases to new areas. For example, the pet trade is linked to the spread of an infectious fungal disease of salamanders in Europe

A rare fossil discovery near Norton could help fill a key knowledge gap of how ancient creatures walked the Earth, according to researchers from the New Brunswick Museum. Last summer, Olivia King and Matt Stimson were in the area, about 50 kilometres northwest of Saint John, looking for invertebrate tracks, when they stumbled upon fossilized footprints of a four-legged amphibian.  King said they immediately knew it was an important find. "This is an area that researchers have been going over for ages to find evidence of these amphibians, whether it's bones or footprints or anything," said King, who's also a master's student in paleontology at St. Mary's University in Halifax. "It was very exciting when we flipped over a rock and then another one, and we started finding all these footprints." New Brunswick Museum researchers Matt Stimson, left, and Olivia King made the discovery near Norton. (Matt Stimson/Submitted) They found a "coup

Image copyright ARC Trust An ambitious scheme to help save amphibians and reptiles from extinction has been launched in Wales. More than 50% of snake, newt and toad species are under threat globally, conservationists have said. Housing and road construction combined with a "terrible public image" are endangering populations. Now a charity plans to work on 76 sites across south and west Wales after securing funding for a four-year project to make a "real difference". Numbers of sand lizards, grass snakes, adders, common toads and great crested newts are dwindling in many parts of the UK. Image copyright Peter Hill Image caption The sand lizard is one of the UK's rarest reptiles Image copyright Peter Hill Image caption Great crested newts require a cluster of ponds in case one dries up So the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC) is targeting former strongholds in a bid to strengthen populations "before it is too late". "T

Potterheads would remember Trevor, the pet toad of Neville Longbottom and how he made a getaway. Pet frogs and salamanders are not just confined to books and movies but are part of a rampant global trade, finds a new study. Just like Trevor’s escape, accidental escapes or even release of these creatures into the wild is causing a rise in invasive species, adds the paper. The study found that nearly 450 species of amphibians are traded globally. The two-member team from Stellenbosch University, South Africa tried to figure out what were the special traits that made these species preferable, how to tackle the entry of invasive species and also spread of diseases from them. Trade of pet amphibians has grown rapidly in the last few decades. A recent survey by the American Pet Products Association noted that about 5.6 million households in the U.S. owned a reptile or amphibians in 2012. Another survey pointed out that the industry was making annual revenue close to a billion U.S dollars.

Wildfires wreak havoc not only on humans but also on animals, leading many to wonder what happens to animals when a fire breaks out. Animals have an easier time escaping to safety if they live in an area that regularly experiences wildfires, according to AccuWeather . Birds fly and mammals run from the fire, while amphibians and other small creatures can crawl to safety or burrow into the ground until the danger passes. Larger animals like elk often take refuge in streams or lakes. Slower animals are at a higher risk of dying in wildfires, as are younger animals and those who cannot find shelter as easily. Some animals even thrive during wildfires. While hunting can be more difficult, predators like bears and raccoons will prey on other animals fleeing the fires. A wildfire can also change what plants, microbes and fungi recolonize the burn area depending on the size of the fire and the species that originally lived in the area. SEE ALSO: Red flag warning: What to do during danger

HARRISON COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) - Did you know that fire can be a frog’s best friend? In the case of the endangered dusky gopher frog, it is. On Thursday, the U.S. Forest Service burned about 200 acres of the DeSoto National Forest in Harrison County. “This is a very important habitat. The dusky gopher frog is one of the most endangered amphibians in the world, and they require longleaf pine forests and ponds that dry seasonally. So the longleaf pine ecosystem, which is what we’re in right now, is also an endangered ecosystem," said Jaime Smith, a research assistant at Western Carolina University. Only 3.4 million acres of longleaf pine forests remain in North America, less than four percent of what once existed. There are about 255,000 acres of longleaf pine forest in Mississippi, so maintaining the forests is critical. “Benefiting just about every type of wildlife in this area, in particular the dusky gopher frog that’s here in this area, but deer, wild turkey, a lot of the

Wildfires wreak havoc not only on humans but also on animals, leading many to wonder what happens to animals when a fire breaks out. Animals have an easier time escaping to safety if they live in an area that regularly experiences wildfires, according to AccuWeather . Birds fly and mammals run from the fire, while amphibians and other small creatures can crawl to safety or burrow into the ground until the danger passes. Larger animals like elk often take refuge in streams or lakes. Slower animals are at a higher risk of dying in wildfires, as are younger animals and those who cannot find shelter as easily. Some animals even thrive during wildfires. While hunting can be more difficult, predators like bears and raccoons will prey on other animals fleeing the fires. A wildfire can also change what plants, microbes and fungi recolonize the burn area depending on the size of the fire and the species that originally lived in the area. SEE ALSO: Red flag warning: What to do during danger

Yesterday the House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill that would make "animal crushing" a federal felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act exemplifies the belief that Congress has free-ranging authority to address anything that bothers its members, regardless of whether it is already addressed by state law and regardless of whether it plausibly fits within their enumerated powers. The PACT Act counterintuitively defines "animal crushing" to include not only crushing but also burning, drowning, suffocation, impalement, or any other action that causes "serious bodily injury." But in case you're worried that stepping on a cockroach or a spider could expose you to federal prosecution, the PACT Act applies only to mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. The case for a federal statute criminalizing animal cruelty consists mostly of the observation that there currently is no such

Superbly preserved fossils from Russia, excavated with support of a grant from the National Geographic Society and described today by an international team in the leading scientific journal Nature , cast new and surprising light on one of the earliest tetrapods -- the group of animals that made the evolutionary transition from water to land and ultimately became the ancestors not just of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, but of ourselves. The first tetrapods evolved from fishes during the Devonian period, which ended about 360 million years ago. For many decades, our idea of what Devonian tetrapods were like have been based on just a few genera, chiefly Ichthyostega and Acanthostega, which are known from near-complete skeletons. Most other Devonian tetrapods are known only from a few scraps of jaws or limb bones: enough to show that they existed, but not really enough to tell us anything useful. Furthermore, Ichthyostega and Acanthostega lived at the very end of the Devonian.

There is a strong bias for certain types of amphibians; six amphibian families contributed disproportionately high numbers of traded species Humans keep all sorts of animals as pets and new species are constantly being brought into the trade — some reared in captivity, but many sourced from the wild . As a result, the global pet trade often puts wild populations at risk of over-exploitation. The Global Amphibian Assessment pegs 47 amphibian species to be predominantly threatened by unsustainable harvesting for the international pet trade. And the risks don’t end there. For various reasons, people release pets into the wild, resulting in biological invasions . People might do this because keeping the animal isn’t the experience they expected, or because they can’t afford it any longer. The problem is that, often, it may introduce a species to regions beyond their natural range. These invasive populations can harm native species and lead to the spread of diseases to new areas. For e

Humans keep all sorts of animals as pets and new species are constantly being brought into the trade - some reared in captivity, but many sourced from the wild . As a result, the global pet trade often puts wild populations at risk of over-exploitation. The Global Amphibian Assessment pegs 47 amphibian species to be predominantly threatened by unsustainable harvesting for the international pet trade. And the risks don't end there. For various reasons, people release pets into the wild, resulting in biological invasions . People might do this because keeping the animal isn't the experience they expected, or because they can't afford it any longer. The problem is that, often, it may introduce a species to regions beyond their natural range. These invasive populations can harm native species and lead to the spread of diseases to new areas. For example, the pet trade is linked to the spread of an infectious fungal disease of salamanders in Europe, leading to large scale sala

Goopy, sticky slime, whether it intrigues or disgusts you (or both), has more practical uses than you may expect. In fact, many animals and even plants make their own goo. Creatures might slime things up to help with reproduction, as protection against drying out or even as a defense against predators. There's a lot to appreciate about slime and its makers, and who better to lead the curious down that slippery slope than the creators of the scientific and humorous field guides to animal grossness and weirdness: "Does It Fart?" and "True or Poo?"  In their new book, "Believe It or Snot" (Hachette Books, available Oct. 22), authors Nick Caruso and Dani Rabaiotti team up again with illustrator Ethan Kocak to bring readers the secrets of the ooze, showcasing the slimiest, most-mucous-laden organisms on Earth.   Related: Survival of the Grossest: 8 Disgusting Animal Behaviors "I think it's a nice contrast to the 'majestic nature' narr