The only amphibian to live north of the Arctic Circle, the wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) has an amazing ability to undergo freezing and thawing to survive cold winters. As you might guess from its common name, it lives mainly in woodland, only taking to shallow pools in springtime to breed, the males uttering a distinctive quacking call to attract mates. What […]
Tag: salamander
Africa’s amphibians are overlooked in conservation planning, experts warn
Herpetologists are calling for greater inclusion of amphibians in African conservation planning, in a recent letter published in the journal Science. Africa is home to roughly 1,170 known species of amphibians, 99% of which are endemic. Some 37% of the amphibians are recognized as threatened with extinction. The researchers note that amphibians — frogs, salamanders and caecilians — […]
“It can live for 30 years without food & survive temperatures from zero to boiling point.” 8 indestructible animals that are the ultimate survivors
In certain situations, there are animals that seem almost immortal as they not only survive but thrive in extreme circumstances, says Sheena Harvey. The world’s most indestructible animals on Earth The animal that can survive fire The trick the echidna, an Australian egg-laying mammal, employs to stay alive despite all around them being destroyed by a wildfire was only discovered in […]
Galápagos had no native amphibians. Then it was invaded by hundreds of thousands of frogs
On the way to her office at the Charles Darwin research station, biologist Miriam San José crouches down near a shallow pond shrouded by vegetation and reaches deep into the foliage, pulling out a small green plastic box recorder. She left it there overnight to capture the infamous croaks of a Fowler’s snouted treefrog (Scinax […]
More than 10,000 species on brink of extinction need urgent action: Study
Extinction is an overwhelming concept, difficult to grasp in its enormity and finality. Thousands of species are barreling toward that grim fate, unless we help. A comprehensive new study provides the clearest picture yet of Earth’s most imperiled species, and offers evidence that conservation can work. The study published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity found that […]
Removal of Invasive Bullfrogs Leads to Increase of Native Pond Turtles in Yosemite, Study Finds
By reversing a takeover by non-native species, native species have a chance at recovery in their natural habitats, according to a new study led by scientists from the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). The study, published in the journal Biological Conservation, explored how removing invasive bullfrogs could affect the native western pond turtles, which […]
Indigenous nations fought for a new national monument. Will it survive Trump?
In northeastern California, the Upper Pit River undulates through evergreen forests, wet meadows and rugged mountains. It’s part of the snow-fed headwaters of the Sacramento River, the largest river in the state. The Sacramento flows some 611 kilometers (380 miles) to the San Francisco Bay, supporting diverse and unique ecosystems and carrying water to cities […]
Amphibious Mouse Among 27 New Animal Species Found by Peruvian Amazon Expedition
Researchers in northwest Peru‘s Alto Mayo region have discovered 27 new animal species, including a semi-aquatic mouse, a salamander that climbs trees and a “blob-headed fish.” The 38-day survey uncovered and recorded more than 2,000 species of plants and wildlife, reported The Guardian. “Discovering even one new species of mammal on an expedition would be […]