Fish and Amphibians

After a year trapped in quarantine, summer travelers are getting outside to be in nature. National parks are experiencing, as expected, long lines of RVs and backpackers aiming their eyes and cameras at expansive desert vistas, tranquil alpine lakes, and abundant wildlife—apparently timeless scenes apart from human manipulation. The naturalness of national parks, however, is more an artifact of National Park Service policy than many visitors realize, which means that management priorities are subject to periodic changes. That is to say, what we see in the national parks are products of history, of people and politics, and not just of geology and evolution. Like any political agency, the National Park Service responds to evolving public desires. And like any bureaucracy, it resists change. Almost six decades ago, however, the agency shifted significantly in a short time-span. The catalyst for the change originated in a public relations disaster in Yellowstone National Park c...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Giant flesh-eating centipedes spotted preying on seabirds for first time, say scientists    The Independent Ferocious Giant Centipedes Found Eating a Horrendous Amount of Baby Birds on an Australian Island    Nature World News View Full Coverage on Google News

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Reptiles heat up pet market | News, Sports, Jobs    Youngstown Vindicator

Handout photo released by the Galapagos National Park of a Galapagos pink iguana at Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island in the Galapagos archipelago, Ecuador. Scientific experts sent to the Galapagos Islands to count a critically endangered lizard species estimate there to be just 211 pink iguanas left, local authorities said Friday. Around 30 scientists and Galapagos park rangers took part in the expedition this month on Wolf Volcano, in the north of Isabela Island—the largest on the archipelago. "In the census, 53 iguanas were located and (temporarily) captured, 94 percent of which live more than 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) above sea level," said the Galapagos National...

An armadillo girdled lizard recently gave birth at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Nobody may be happier about that than some U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers who rescued the mother and four other armadillo girdled lizards at the Cincinnati port of entry last November. The officers discovered the lizards, named for the armadillo-like shells that protect their bodies, when they checked a package from South Africa bound for southern Florida, according to a CBP press release. [Subscribe now for unlimited access to cincinnati.com] The package's contents were listed as "toy animals, T-shirts, and markers," and contained an assortment of stuffed animals. Five lizards found in stuffed animals "While reviewing X-ray images of the shipment, officers and agriculture specialists noticed the stuffed animals contained distinct shapes of what appeared to be five live animals," the release said. "When CBP agriculture specialists be...

CAPE ANN — Not enough is made of the first person to eat a lobster, for that early human was a special kind of maniac. Hunger will make people do desperate things, but think of all the starving people who came before that who were still like, "Dude, I'm not touching that thing." That's because lobsters are terrifying. They are 90 percent weapon. Even after you put the bands on their claws and cook them, they'll find a way to pull a knife on you. That's reason No. 1 why I had never so much as touched a lobster, let alone eaten one. Reason No. 2: who has that kind of money? Then I went armed snorkeling. The guy who introduced me to this activity last summer, my buddy Doc, kept referring to it as "spearfishing," and he seemed weirdly excited by the idea of shooting a fish, sticking it in a bag tied to his waist, and then trolling it behind him as it bled out. For reasons that involve the movie "Jaws," that didn't appeal to me. But I was in...

A bus operator in Canada was surprised to find a large snake aboard one of his vehicles during some routine maintenance work. Michael Hathaway, of Mountain Man Mike's, took to Facebook to share news of his discovery. In a series of pictures posted to the bus company's social media pages, a large orange-and-white snake can be seen protruding from a series of vents on the floor of the vehicle. "We have all heard of Snakes On A Plane but Snakes On A Bus may be a first," the caption reads. According to the Facebook post, the snake was found aboard a bus that travels between Vancouver and Kaslo, on July 29. They suspect it was most likely left behind by an absent-minded owner and have appealed for the snake owner to get in touch, adding that the eye-catching reptile is "safe and sound." In a follow-up post, the intercity bus company confirmed that the snake has been identified as a corn snake, a common breed in North America. Though they share some similarities...

By Natalie Anderson natalie.anderson@salisburypost.com SALISBURY — Horizons Unlimited on Saturday kicked off Rowan County's third annual Creek Week with a planetarium exhibit of aquatic life, a marine touch pond and yoga. Creek Week focuses on local waters throughout North Carolina and multiple environmental organizations and local municipal departments take part. The week-long event offers recreational, educational and volunteer opportunities to allow everyone to enjoy and contribute to healthy waters in the region. Before the kickoff, around 20 volunteers gathered at Eagle Point Nature Preserve at 655 Black Road from 9 a.m. to noon for a clean-up event. Rowan County Soil and Water Conservation Education Coordinator Kelli Isenhour said there was less trash to clean up this year, and some volunteers were from Kannapolis, Concord and Davidson County. Rowan County is hosting several events later this week in conjunction with Davidson County, which is holdi...

HARRISBURG, PA - The Game Commission recently expanded regulations prohibiting the movement of high-risk carcass parts from deer, elk and other cervids to control the potential spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). These changes will impact hunters going out of state this fall or hunting within Disease Management Area (DMA) 2. There are two changes. First, hunters are prohibited from importing high-risk parts or materials from cervids harvested, taken or killed in any state or country outside Pennsylvania. In years past, the prohibition applied only to those parts from animals taken in states and provinces known to have CWD. Second, hunters are prohibited from moving high-risk parts outside of the Established Area (EA), which is a subsection of DMA 2. That includes even into the surrounding DMA. Both changes also apply to deer killed in vehicle collisions that are picked up for consumption. High-risk parts include the head (including brain, tonsils, eyes and any lymph nodes); spina...

So much energy goes into coming up with costume ideas each Halloween. But often pets get forgotten in the fun. Now they don't have to. Not when you have Petco to provide the best costumes for every size, shape, and species. From snakes to guinea pigs, puppies to kittens, Petco has Halloween costumes covered for all of your fur (and scale) babies. Better yet? There's plenty of time to track down your favorite looks. Say you and your fam are doing a whole family cowboy theme this year. No need to exclude Sir Sheds-a-Lot, your snake. He too can get in on the ensemble look with a cowboy costume Petco is selling this year. That's right, there's a costume for snakes! And it's rootin' tootin' hilarious! As are basically all of Petco's many Halloween costumes for pets. The vibe here is maximum entertainment for minimal cost. Oh sure, you could DIY your basset hound into a toilet paper mummy, but really that's just going to waste TP and send your dog into how...

Warm summer nights are filled with the creaky song of the tree frog. But these arboreal amphibians aren't just masters of the evening serenade; they also enchant us with their beautiful colors and patterns. They spend much of their lives climbing up bark and perching on leaves, and all the while, tree frogs give even the prettiest forest flowers a run for the money. This Australian green tree frog is a cheery fellow!. (Photo: Andrew Lam/Shutterstock) One of the sweetest and most iconic tree frogs, the green tree frog hails from Australia but also can be found in the United States. A lovely shade of sea green, this adorable amphibian is a hulk of a frog, growing to be at least 4 inches long. The red-eyed tree frog is one of the most colorful amphibians on Earth. (Photo: Andy Morffew/Flickr) The red-eyed tree frog is a spectacular array of bright green, deep blue, yellow and red. It thrives in the tropical environment of ...

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This alligator was helping us fight an invasive species, the armored catfish, at Fenney Nature Trail. Thanks to Sam Boatman for sharing! Alligator With Armored Catfish At Fenney Nature Trail Share your local photos with us at https://villages-news.com/contact-us! Adblock test (Why?)

Red Lobster® introduces a Signature Feasts lineup featuring an abundant variety of craveable seafood all on one plate, including exciting combinations like the NEW! Mariner's Feast. Orlando, FL  ( RestaurantNews.com )  Red Lobster ® is giving everyone reason to celebrate this fall with new additions to its iconic Signature Feasts lineup. These feasts feature an abundant variety of craveable seafood, meaning guests don't have to pick just one favorite seafood item to enjoy – they can have it all on one plate! Red Lobster's Ultimate Feast ® and Ultimate Surf and Turf ™ are classic guest favorites. Now, there are even more exciting seafood combinations to choose from, including the NEW! Mariner's Feast , the back by popular demand Seafarer's Feast as well as the Harborside Lobster and Shrimp . The full lineup of Signature Feasts includes: NEW! Mariner's Feast – Atlantic salmon topped with creamy Langostino and Norway lob...