Who said toads were ugly? If ever one of these much-maligned amphibians was destined to become a prince, then surely one of the stubfoots (or harlequins) from the genus Atelopus of South and Central America could be it, says Stuart Blackman. These startling creatures are every bit as eye-catching as the region’s more celebrated poison […]
Tag: frogs
Snakes That Eat Poison Frogs Prove How Wild Evolution Can Be
Some animals have figured out how to eat deadly prey and not just survive but even turn those poisons into survival tools. According to the BBC, certain royal ground snakes (Erythrolamprus reginae) in the Colombian Amazon have evolved astonishing tactics to deal with toxic poison dart frogs. In experiments, a group of these snakes were […]
The barred owl’s westward migration threatens other species and a whole ecosystem
A new study of nearly 800 barred owls on the West Coast shows the invasive predator feeds on 29 species given special conservation status by federal and state governments. The list includes mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles, according to an analysis led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, who describe the wide-ranging pressure […]
Common toad is becoming uncommon in UK, study shows
They are an iconic part of Britain’s natural world, inspiring myths, fairytales and at least one of its most-loved children’s book characters. But the number of toads hopping through British grasslands, forests and gardens has almost halved in a generation. “Vast numbers of toads are being lost every year,” said Silviu Petrovan, a senior researcher […]
Hopes high as hundreds of critically endangered frogs survive release into wild in Victoria
Hundreds of captive-bred, critically endangered frogs are managing to survive after being released at a fast-flowing mountain stream near Mount Beauty in Victoria, with some moving a “considerable distance” from the release point. More than 600 spotted tree frogs have joined dwindling wild populations in the Kiewa River, as part of a Zoos Victoria conservation […]
Australia’s critically endangered alpine tree frogs use sex to fight killer fungus
The number of critically endangered alpine tree frogs, found only in the Australian alps, has crashed by about 80% since the 1980s. Populations have been hit by chytrid fungus, a disease that has devastated amphibian populations globally. But a new study has found a surprising silver lining that – for now – is helping the […]
Global Warming Has Already Made Natural Habitats Unsurvivable for 2% of Amphibians: Study
In a new study, researchers determined that 2%, or 104 amphibian species out of 5,203 species studied, are already experiencing overheating events in their natural habitats. The researchers considered different microhabitats of amphibians, including terrestrial, arboreal and aquatic and compared heat tolerance limits of the animals to the actual daily temperature patterns from the past […]
Scientists hope sequencing genome of tiny ‘functionally extinct’ frog could help save it
Scientists have sequenced the genome of the critically endangered southern corroboree frog – one of Australia’s most threatened amphibians – in hope that the information could be used to aid its recovery. The striking alpine frog, which has distinctive yellow and black markings, is so threatened by disease and the drying of its habitat due […]