Fish and Amphibians

What's the trouble with toads? Currently ranked at 16th out of 100 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Invasive Species Group, cane toads are one of the world's worst invasive species. They are naturally found in Central and South America, where a range of natural predators keeps their populations under control.   The toads have a voracious appetite, eating almost anything that will fit in their mouths. They mostly eat invertebrates and small vertebrates but have also been found to eat plants and even pet food. Their appetite was recognised by twentieth century scientists as being potentially useful to controlling insect pests that were decimating crops. As a result, the toads were initially introduced to islands such as Puerto Rico and Hawaii to protect farms. Encouraged by these early experiments and despite some early warnings, in 1935 the toads were introduced into Queensland, Australia, in an attempt to control pests on s...

Touch-screen technology has ventured into the world of reptiles. Red-footed tortoises have learned how to use the device in exchange for a strawberry, a new study reports. Researchers taught the tortoises a few touch-screen basics in order to learn about the animals' navigational techniques. The tortoises not only mastered the task in exchange for strawberries, but the animals also transferred their knowledge to a real-life setting. "Generally people see reptiles as inert, stupid and unresponsive," said Anna Wilkinson, one of the study's lead researchers and a senior lecturer of animal cognition at the University of Lincoln in England. "I would like people to see that there is something much more complex going on." [See video of a tortoise acing the touch-screen task] Red-footed tortoises are inquisitive and eager to eat treats, making them good test subjects, Wilkinson said. The tortoises, which are native to Central and South America, don't h...

Things may be getting a bit "hairy" for those with pet bearded dragons. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Disease Prevention (CDC), bearded dragons appear to be the source of a new Salmonella  outbreak that's already left at least 44 people sick and 15 hospitalized across 25 states. Bearded dragons, of course, aren't actual dragons. They are instead the common name for the reptile genus  Pogona, which encompasses six lizard species. Bearded dragons, don't actually have beards of facial hair like NBA guard James Harden either. No, their beards consist of masses of spiny scales under their throats that resemble beards. These scales can darken and puff out when the bearded dragon gets stressed in some way, such as the cancellation of the TV series NCIS: New Orleans. The scale of this Salmonella  outbreak has gotten the CDC's attention though: As you can see in tweet above, the CDC warned against e...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Wind Turbines Killing Alarming Number of Bats: Scientists    Reverb MSN Music

Great fresh fish can be tough to find. Supermarket fishmongers don't always stock a wide selection, and landlocked folks—who lack the luxury of trekking down to the docks to buy straight from the boat—have even more limited options. Fortunately for home cooks, mail-order seafood delivery has both increased and improved over the past year, as seafood distributors who ordinarily serviced the restaurant industry pivoted to direct-to-consumer sales. Here are some of our favorite online sources for outstanding seafood to make decadent dinners like aromatic grilled swordfish kebabs or creamy seafood bubbly bake.  Features to Keep in Mind Selection Online seafood selections range from wild-caught whole fish to fillets of farm-raised seafood, and everything in between. Some sites specialize in a certain region, like Alaskan or Maine-sourced seafood, while others offer an ocean's bounty of crustaceans and freshwater fish. Subscriptions ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] New Species of Alligator Lizard Discovered in Mexico    Sci-News.com

N ot only is Fort Worth entering rodeo season, and getting its first taste of winter weather (you can set your clock by it — rodeo equals winter in Cowtown), it's also smack dab in the middle of oyster season. That's right, January's cold waters mean prime oyster eating. No one can help having oysters on the brine. . . I mean brain. Though some have questioned the wisdom of eating oysters at all in land-locked North Texas, no longer are local foodies limited to only oysters harvested in the Gulf of Mexico thanks to the miracle of refrigeration. These days oyster fanatics are being treated to oysters flown in fresh daily from the finest oyster beds and farms in North America. The next time you get a craving and set out in search of these bivalve beauties, here are Fort Worth's 15 Best Restaurants for Oysters: Waters – Bonnell's Coastal Cuisine Not only do the oyster shells hang from the ceiling like artwork, this restaurant is the go-to spot for the freshest oysters ...