Amphibians
grrlscientist | February 9, 2008tags: caecilian, amphibian, parental care, flesh-eating amphibians, behavior, evolution, streaming video
The Purple Caecilian, Gymnopis multiplicata,
is native to Costa Rica, South America.
Image: WildHerps.com
What is that peculiar creature in the above image? Did you guess that it is a worm? Many people do, never realizing that there are strange subterranean vertebrates that resemble worms, but are actually amphibians. So far, only 114 species of these creatures, known as caecilians [seh SEE lee ans], have been identified, but because they rarely come to the surface of the earth, the…
laelaps | February 5, 2008I didn't think it was going to air so early in the year, but apparently David Attenborough's latest program (and last in the "Life of..." series), Life in Cold Blood, is now airing in the UK. The Telegraph recently published an article about the joy of watching Attenborough's documentaries, and I was able to find one clip from the show already online. It features the Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus zeteki), a species that is critically endangered if not already extinct in the wild;
Previously it had been said that this was going to be Attenborough's last project, but according to the Beagle…
grrlscientist | January 24, 2008tags: amphibians, photography, subway art, AMNH, NYC, NYCLife
Marbled salamander, Ambystoma opacum (left) and
Fire salamander, Salamandra salamandra (right)
as portrayed in tiles on the walls of the NYC uptown subway stop (A-B-C)
at 81st and Central Park West. (ISO, no zoom, no flash).
Image: GrrlScientist 2008 [wallpaper size].
Read more about the AMNH tile artworks and see the AMNH tile artworks photographic archives -- with all the animals identified.
grrlscientist | January 1, 2008tags: frog, amphibians, calla lily, National Geographic, Image of the Day
Frog in Calla Lily.
I was out with the camera after a passing thunderstorm. As I was photographing a group of calla lilies, I happened upon this little guy nestled comfortably in one, taking shelter from the rain.
Image: Sainath Kamath 2007 (photo appears here with permission by National Geographic). [larger view].
grrlscientist | December 28, 2007tags: blue poison dart frogs, Dendrobates azureus, Dendrobatidae, NewScientist, Image of the Day
Blue Poison Dart Frogs, Dendrobates azureus.
Dendrobates azureus is a species of poison dart frog found in the Sipaliwini District in Suriname of South America.
Image: Gail Shumway/Getty Images 2007 (NewScientist calendar 2008). [Much larger view]
The poison dart frog is the common name for the Dendrobatidae family of small, diurnal frogs that are endemic to Central and South America. These frogs are widely referred to as poison arrow frogs or poison dart frogs, which reflectes the widespread…
grrlscientist | December 1, 2007
Red-eyed tree frog, Agalychnis calidryas.
Red-eyed tree frogs live in Costa Rica and other Neotropical regions. Their bright red eyes presumably startle would-be predators. Their diet consists of flies and moths, and possibly includes smaller frogs and crickets. All tree frogs are classified into the families Hylidae and Rhacophoridae. Many tree frogs are green in color, while the terrestrial and aquatic species have muted coloration.
Image: Don Farral (Photodisc) via National Geographic.
Since the holidays are advancing upon us like a rampaging SUV, I thought I'd talk about an essential…
grrlscientist | November 8, 2007tags: crazy frog, budgett frog, streaming video
This streaming video shows a frog puffing up and defending itself, complete with weird sound effects, from an evil human attacker [1:17]
grrlscientist | August 20, 2007tags: walking with monsters, life before dinosaurs, evolution, streaming video
This streaming video gives you a snapshot of evolution prior to the rise of the dinosaurs. Even though it's kinda long, it's definitely worth watching .. although that giant spider gave me the heebie-jeebies! [9:17]
grrlscientist | August 1, 2007tags: Gray Tree Frog, Hyla versicolor, Hyla chrysocelis, Image of the Day
Here is today's pic, a Gray Tree Frog, from Konza Prairie in eastern Kansas. There are two species of Gray Tree Frog, Hyla versicolor and Hyla chrysocelis, which look identical and can only be distinguished by their call. This one wasn't calling... It is also not grey; these frogs have the ability to change color, from gray to brown to green, depending on their surroundings and ambient temperature, humidity, etc.
This one was sitting quietly on a milkweed leaf, trying to look as green as possible.
Image: David A.…
grrlscientist | June 6, 2007tags: purple frog, Suriname, amphibians, Atelopus
A purple fluorescent frog of the genus Atelopus was discovered during a follow-up survey of the Nassau plateau in mid 2006 by Surinamese scientists Paul Ouboter and Jan Mol. The frog is one of 24 new species found in the South American highlands of Suriname, conservationists reported on June 4, 2007, warning that these creatures are threatened by illegal gold mining.
Image: Paul Ouboter
When scientists investigate new areas of the wilderness, they often discover insect species that are new to science, but last year, a group of researchers…
grrlscientist | May 30, 2007tags: Corroboree Frogs, Image of the Day
Baby Corroboree Frogs walk across the gloved palm of reptile keeper Stuart Kozlowski at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia. Around 130 of the endangered frogs are housed in a purpose built quarantine facility at the zoo to keep a safe population for genetic diversity.
Image: Ian Waldie/Getty Images.
grrlscientist | May 12, 2007tags: Rhabdophis tigrinus, snake, toad, toxins, evolution
The Asian snake, Rhabdophis tigrinus, obtains toxins from toads it eats and uses the potent chemicals as a defense against predators, according to a new study.
The toxin-containing glands are clearly visible on this juvenile snake as a large ridge on the back of the neck. The snake is native to the toad-rich island of Ishima, Japan.
Contrary to popular belief, not all poisonous snakes actually manufacture their poisons. In fact, according to a newly published study, some snakes obtain their poisons from their diet and store them in…
grrlscientist | April 18, 2007
Cuban Tree Frog, Osteopilus septentrionalis from the photographer's back yard in Central Florida. The photographer writes; As you may or may not know, the Cuban Tree Frog is an invasive species in Florida, having worked (or hitchhiked) its way up from Cuba and/or other Caribbean islands. It is an ugly, voracious predator that likes to hang around our pool at night with its buddies making lots of froggy noises. When I am not attentive to maintenance of the pool, I sometimes find hundreds and hundreds of jellified egg clots floating in it on certain mornings during the summer. The species…
grrlscientist | April 17, 2007
The strawberry poison frog, Oophaga pumilio, is one of the species of amphibians and reptiles declining in the lowland forests of Costa Rica.
Image source: BBC News.
The recent decline in frogs and other amphibians has been blamed on a deadly fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. However, a paper was published this week that proposes another reason for the decline of frogs: there is less leaf litter on the forest floor than in years past.
This study, carried out in a Costa Rican rainforest, found that lizards, which are not susceptible to this fungus, are also decreasing by a similar…
grrlscientist | February 16, 2007
The Panamanian golden frog, Atelopus zeteki,
is one of roughly 110 species of harlequin frog (Atelopus),
many of which are dying out. Although this species still survives, its
numbers have fallen significantly.
Image source.
Zoos around the world are collecting thousands of threatened species of amphibians to protect them from a deadly fungus. They plan to breed and rear them in captivity until the fungus can be stopped.
The rapid loss of amphibians, particularly many species of frogs, is a growing threat due to the chytrid fungus, which infects the skin of frogs and other amphibians,…
grrlscientist | December 8, 2006
Green Tree Frogs, Hyla cinerea.
Nelson Farms Preserve, KPC, NABA Butterfly Count, 4 September 2006.
Biosparite writes; For the sake of completeness, here is the entire frog photo from an earlier image. The male is supposed to be smaller than the females. Color is variable, but the paler specimen may be a female.
Image: Biosparite.
I am receiving so many gorgeous pictures from you, dear readers, that I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the images and the creatures and places in them. If you have a high-resolution digitized nature image (I prefer JPG format) that you'd like to share with your…
grrlscientist | November 29, 2006
A frog on a temperate rainforest floor in the Pacific NorthWest.
Here's one of my first photos taken with my Pentax K100D, significantly
compressed for blog purposes.
Image: David Warman.
How many different species of flora and fauna can you identify in this picture, amigos bonitos?
I am receiving so many gorgeous pictures from you, dear readers, that I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the images and the creatures and places in them. If you have a high-resolution digitized nature image (I prefer JPG format) that you'd like to share with your fellow readers, feel free to email it to me,…
grrlscientist | November 28, 2006
Blue-spotted Salamander Ambystoma laterale
Photographed on the same day as the one shown previously.
Image: Bev Wigney.
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I am receiving so many gorgeous images from you, dear readers, that I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the images and the creatures and places in those images. If you have a high-resolution digitized nature image (I prefer JPG format) that you'd like to share with your fellow readers, feel free to email it to me, along with information about the image and how you'd like it to be credited.
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tags: salamander, blue-spotted salamander, amphibian, zoology
grrlscientist | November 26, 2006
Spotted Salamander, Ambystoma maculatum.
Photographed when a friend and I were out looking for
herps and spiders in south of Ottawa, Ontario in Sept. 2005.
Image: Bev Wigney.
I am receiving so many gorgeous images from you, dear readers, that I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the images and the creatures and places in those images. If you have a high-resolution digitized nature image (I prefer JPG format) that you'd like to share with your fellow readers, feel free to email it to me, along with information about the image and how you'd like it to be credited.
.
tags: salamander, spotted…
grrlscientist | November 20, 2006
Green Frog, Rana clamitans.
Photographed while I was doing some frog pond surveys as a volunteer working with grad a university in eastern Ontario
Image: Bev Wigney.
I am receiving so many gorgeous pictures from you, dear readers, that I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the images and the creatures and places in them. If you have a high-resolution digitized nature image (I prefer JPG format) that you'd like to share with your fellow readers, feel free to email it to me, along with information about the image and how you'd like it to be credited.
.
tags: frog, green frog, amphibian,…