Fish and Amphibians

1. United States Nicholas Johnson was named Princeton’s valedictorian for the class of 2020, making him the first black student to earn the title in the university’s 274 years. Mr. Johnson’s senior thesis focused on solutions to decrease obesity in his home country, Canada. The valedictorian acknowledged that the opportunities, international internships, and cultural trips Princeton provided encouraged him to explore his interests. In 2017 the university launched its Princeton and Slavery Project to make available records and sources revealing the presence of slavery in the university’s history. “It feels empowering. Being Princeton’s first black valedictorian holds special significance to me particularly given Princeton’s historical ties to the institution of slavery,” said Mr. Johnson, who will begin his Ph.D. studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall. ( CNN , The New York Times ) Courtesy of Lisa Festa/Princeton University Nicholas Johnson became t...

Wednesday, 27 May 2020, 9:52 am Press Release: Orana Wildlife Park Orana Wildlife Park is excited to welcome a brand new species to the zoo – Maud Island frogs. This is the first time Orana has ever held a native frog. Six male and eleven female frogs, ranging from 18 to 25 years of age, have moved to a purpose-designed conservation facility at Orana. The little treasures, one of the longest lived frogs in the world (more than 45 years in the wild), were transferred in support of the Department of Conservation’s Native Frog Recovery Group plans. The ultimate aim is to breed these remarkable and cryptic animals in captivity, which would be a rare feat. Native Fauna Manager, Catherine Roughton, says her team is incredibly excited to welcome the 5cm frogs – NZ’s largest frog: “This is really exciting for our whole team. The frogs are so cool - they are very cute with big dark eyes. We are excited to join another breeding programme for a key native species. The team are committed to r...

A photo of a feral cat with a goanna in its jaws has been discovered accidentally by researchers. Key points: A photo shows a feral cat carrying a sand goanna in the Simpson Desert It was captured inadvertently by cameras being used for carcass research Experts say it's not uncommon for feral cats to take larger animals The image shows the feline carrying a sand goanna through the northern Simpson Desert at Ethabuka Reserve near the Queensland-Northern Territory border. It was taken inadvertently by wildlife cameras being used to study decomposing animal carcasses. University of Sydney researcher Emma Spencer said it was a stroke of luck. "The cat with a goanna in its mouth was actually in the background," she said. Emma Spencer has been studying the environmental impact of dead animal carcasses. (Supplied) "The large cat was walking behind one of our carcass cameras and we just happened to catch him with a great big sand goanna in its mouth....

By Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim The Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) joined the international community in observing the Endangered Species Day last week, and urged reflections on the actions to be taken to reverse biodiversity decline across the region and the rest of the world. The Asean region is rich in biodiversity, which include wildlife, and enjoys high endemism of flora and fauna. The region has the highest mean proportion of country-endemic bird (9 percent) and mammal species (11 percent), and the second-highest proportion of country-endemic vascular plant species (25 percent) compared to the other tropical regions of the world, based on the Asean Biodiversity Outlook, 2017. Unfortunately, the region is also known as a biodiversity hot spot. Data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species in 2019 show that 3,875 species or 13 percent of the species threatened with extinction globally are found in the region. Wildlife t...

Nikki Julien By Nikki Julien Here in Phoenix our summer months are not known as gardening weather but there’s important work to do in the yard this year --- remove your lawn. You probably already consider this every time you mow that Bermudagrass in the summer or overseed with ryegrass in the fall. Now’s the time to make a change for the better and by fall you can begin to reap the benefits of less water and energy usage, a healthier planet and a beautiful yard. Lawns are a poor return on investment. They use a tremendous amount of water which evaporates quickly from their shallow root systems. Their dense root systems even repel water which contributes to flooding during rain events rather than allowing the water to percolate into the soil. During these storms, overapplied fertilizers run off into our waterways affecting wildlife especially fish and amphibians. Removing lawn is hard work but can be done by those without green thumbs with no need to call a landscaping co...

Nikki Julien By Nikki Julien Here in Phoenix our summer months are not known as gardening weather but there’s important work to do in the yard this year --- remove your lawn. You probably already consider this every time you mow that Bermudagrass in the summer or overseed with ryegrass in the fall. Now’s the time to make a change for the better and by fall you can begin to reap the benefits of less water and energy usage, a healthier planet and a beautiful yard. Lawns are a poor return on investment. They use a tremendous amount of water which evaporates quickly from their shallow root systems. Their dense root systems even repel water which contributes to flooding during rain events rather than allowing the water to percolate into the soil. During these storms, overapplied fertilizers run off into our waterways affecting wildlife especially fish and amphibians. Removing lawn is hard work but can be done by those without green thumbs with no need to call a landscaping co...

VIDEO footage captured by a Stourbridge runner shows nature appears to be flourishing along the Stourbridge Canal amid the coronavirus lockdown. Donna Roberts spotted a large grass snake enjoying a springtime swim along the waterway, which has been looking clearer since COVID-19 lockdown measures were introduced. The mum-of-two, a regular Tough Mudder competitor, was halfway through a 9.5-mile run when she saw the snake making its way along the canal in the sunshine. She said: "I loved seeing it. Not the norm down by the cut, but so amazing to see." According to the Canal & River Trust grass snakes are equally happy on land and in water, and they can be seen basking in the sun on towpaths or swimming across the canal. The trust says the grey/green coloured snake is a harmless reptile - often confused for the venomous adder - but it is in fact a placid, sun-loving creature that enjoys basking on grassy banks on warm summer days. BBC wildlife expert and broadcaster B...

VIDEO footage captured by a Stourbridge runner shows nature appears to be flourishing along the Stourbridge Canal amid the coronavirus lockdown. Donna Roberts spotted a large grass snake enjoying a springtime swim along the waterway, which has been looking clearer since COVID-19 lockdown measures were introduced. The mum-of-two, a regular Tough Mudder competitor, was halfway through a 9.5-mile run when she saw the snake making its way along the canal in the sunshine. She said: "I loved seeing it. Not the norm down by the cut, but so amazing to see." According to the Canal & River Trust grass snakes are equally happy on land and in water, and they can be seen basking in the sun on towpaths or swimming across the canal. The trust says the grey/green coloured snake is a harmless reptile - often confused for the venomous adder - but it is in fact a placid, sun-loving creature that enjoys basking on grassy banks on warm summer days. BBC wildlife expert and broadcaster ...

H ere in Phoenix our summer months are not known as gardening weather but there’s important work to do in the yard this year: remove your lawn. You probably already consider this every time you mow that Bermuda grass in the summer or overseed with rye grass in the fall.   Now’s the time to make a change for the better and by fall you can begin to reap the benefits of less water and energy usage, a healthier planet, and a beautiful yard. Lawns are a poor return on investment. They use a tremendous amount of water which evaporates quickly from their shallow root systems.   Their dense root systems even repel water which contributes to flooding during rain events rather than allowing the water to percolate into the soil.   During these storms, overapplied fertilizers run off into our waterways affecting wildlife especially fish and amphibians.   Removing lawn is hard work but can be done by those without green thumbs with no need to call a landscaping comp...

Frances Figart, GUEST COLUMNIST Published 6:00 a.m. ET May 10, 2020 Black-chinned red salamander   (Photo: Courtesy of Clay Bolt) As Great Smoky Mountains National Park begins to resume its operations in phases over the next few weeks, people are encouraged to avoid crowded areas, maintain social distancing, and follow many other new guidelines for keeping employees, volunteers, and visitors safe. While we humans are adjusting to the new normal — and hoping to spot iconic megafauna like bear and elk — it’s business as usual for the other 20,389 species of living things that make the park their home. How do we know there are exactly that many? “That number is only temporary,” says Todd Witcher. “We add new records to our list every month and, now that researchers can resume some of the work they were doing before the park closed, it will increase very soon.” Witcher is the executive director for Discover Life in America — DLiA for short. He and his team coordinate t...