COLOMBO —Adam’s Peakis Sri Lanka’s fourth-highest mountain and considered a holy site for people of multiple faiths, who flock there in their thousands during the pilgrimage season from December to May each year. The trail to the summit cuts across the biodiversity-rich Peak Wilderness Sanctuary. It was on the edge of this busy trail that […]
Tag: frog
The Joy of Frogs: a 360 film about the mating season
Every spring, ponds around the UK start stirring and frogs come out of their winter slumber to mate. Here’s a unique perspective on an event that’s been happening since the age of the dinosaurs. If you’re viewing on mobile you’ll need to download the YouTube app for the full 360° experience. If you’re viewing on […]
Now We Know Why Poison Frogs Don’t Poison Themselves
Deep in the forests of South America live poison dart frogs that carry around a toxin 200 times more potent than morphine. While it packs a fatal punch for predators, the poison doesn’t much affect the frogs. How? Their nervous systems have changed over time to fight off the powerful chemicals—an extraordinary example of evolution […]
For Species At Risk of Extinction, Size Matters
Scientists have been warning about a sixth mass extinction, and when it comes to species at risk of disappearing, size is going to matter a lot, according to a new study. For the study, which was just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, an international team of scientists from the U.S., […]
Mashatu grazers and browsers
This is a fourth post from our recent trip to Mashatu Nature Reserve in south-eastern Botswana in mid-August 2017. In winter in Mashatu the grass dries and thins out. This forces grazers to become browsers but nature is bountiful. As one source of food disappears another more localised source appears. An adult Kudu bull with […]
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 […]
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) […]