Madagascar’s unique wildlife may be in serious trouble. An invasive poisonous toad, called the Asian toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus), is rapidly spreading across the island country, threatening the survival of its rare and endemic species, scientists say. Currently, scientists estimate that there are about 4 million toads on the island. According to a recent report, the […]
Tag: amphibian
Solar farms to create natural habitats for threatened species
Threatened wildlife including turtle doves and skylarks could benefit from a scheme which has been launched to create natural habitats at solar farm sites. The project by wildlife charity RSPB and clean tech company Anesco aims to boost wildlife at the firm’s solar farms across England and Wales. Wild flower meadow areas and seed-rich planting […]
Summer Soundtrack
One of my favorite things about summer is the free outdoor concerts. I’m not talking about local bands that occasionally perform from the park gazebo even though they can be a pleasant accompaniment to my evening dog walk. No, nothing says summer like the insect-amphibian jam sessions that take place almost every evening. I’ve moved […]
Video: The golden poison dart frog: ‘Like holding a loaded gun’
Lucy Cooke, the ‘amphibian avenger’, really loves frogs. She travels to a remote region of Colombia’s wild west to look for one of the world’s most toxic animals: Phyllobates terribilis, the golden poison frog. Protecting it from extinction isn’t an easy job – it lives among gold mines, drug runners, guerrillas and local people sceptical […]
New Species of See-Through Frog Found, Looks Like Kermit
Calling all Muppets fans: A new species of see-through glass frog found in Costa Rica looks just like Kermit. The lime-green amphibian, which took the Internet by storm this week, has bulging white eyes with perfect black pupils, much like Jim Henson’s musical puppet. But this frog can’t carry a tune. In fact, it has […]
Aphrodisiac for fish and frogs discovered
A supplement simply added to water has been shown to boost reproduction in nematodes (roundworms), molluscs, fish and frogs – and researchers believe it could work for humans too. Dr Keith Davies, senior lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire and his colleague Dr John Hart, CEO of Endocrine Pharmaceuticals Ltd, observed guppy fish (Poecilia reticulata) […]
Killer Fungus Threatens Salamanders
Legend says that salamanders can spit poison and extinguish flames, but even such pyrotechnic powers would not be enough to save them from a new scourge. A fungus that arrived recently in Europe from East Asia is lethal to many salamander species, a study released on Thursday shows, threatening populations in Europe, Africa, and beyond. […]
Selective logging hurts rainforest frogs
Selective logging in India’s Western Ghats forests continues to affect frogs decades after harvesting ended, finds a new study published in Biotropica. The research, conducted by K. S. Seshadri of Pondicherry University and the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, assessed frog communities in logged and unlogged forests in Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger […]