Mood: surprised
Topic: Articles
The Dog Who Loved to Suck on Toads
What an addiction! You have to wonder that if at some point the dog was told to "Go Suck a Toad!" and took it literally.
« | January 2007 | » | ||||
S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
The Dog Who Loved to Suck on Toads
What an addiction! You have to wonder that if at some point the dog was told to "Go Suck a Toad!" and took it literally.
The National Wildlife Federation's Magazine Ranger Rick is celebrating it's 40th Birthday. I was very excited when my children's copy came and had a beautiful blue poison dart frog on the cover. Its a great article about the little frogs that can kill you if your not careful. I love reading the magazine, I usually try to get to it before my kids to make sure I don't miss anything. It is the perfect magazine for every child (and child at heart). Check out the links for special subscription prices, they make great gifts too!
Court orders protection of salamander Judge said regulators ignored evidence when rejecting protected status
While not totally in the clear just yet, the California Tiger Salamander will get a year break while more information is gathered to make a final decision. 2007 will be a great year for them!
Mayo docs hear from researcher on suspected atrazine, cancer links
Dr. Hayes gave a lecture at the mayo Clinic about Atrazine and its effects on frogs as well as its link to breast cancer in humans!
Debate heats up on road project
While this debate accuses the DNR of putting reptile and amphibian life above that of human safety, what I see when I read this is that there has been designs that would work for both submitted by both sides. The cost is the factor. So is a frog fighting for its life to cross the road to breed on the other side worth so much less than the speeding human that is late and ignoring common sense safety measures?
A Frog That Fits on Your Fingertip
Small enough to fit on the tip of a finger, a lemur leaf frog mugs for the camera behind the scenes at the Bronx Zoo.
The frogs will be part of a new Panama collection at the Zoo’s World of Reptiles.
In the wild, these frogs are critically endangered due in part to the rapid appearance of Chytridiomycosis – a fungal disease that has devastated amphibians across the planet, with as many as 30 percent of the world’s frog species infected. |
I finally got the DVD, and had the opportunity to watch and re-watch it, along with the special features. If you haven't seen it, go to the video store tonight and rent it, or better yet, buy it, watch it and share it with everyone you know. This is a horror movie, but its not Jason or Freddy thats killing, its us, with our CO2 emissions. Find out how you can be part of the solution, otherwise, you ARE the problem! In the special features it includes an Update Interview with Al Gore about what has happened since the movie was made. It also has a video of Melissa Etheridge's song "I need to Wake Up" about Global Warming.
"It doesn't matter whether you're a Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative...your ming will be changed in a nanosecond." Roger Friedman, FOXNEWS.COM
"In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are. You owe it to yourself to see this film." Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Interior Department disregarding science in decisions
Science, we don't need no stinkin' Science! Why waste all that money and time on research when they will "create" their own truth anyway that fits their specific goals. I'm going to hold off on my ranting for another post down the road, but there needs to be a line.
Break through research is being done by High School students in Japan, the first to be done on this rare species.
With a special emphasis on amphibians and continuing their remarkable work with captive breeding and releasing the endangered Puerto Rican toad, the new facility will be a world class attraction.
There is now a CD of the frog calls of Georgia available. This would be a great gift for any frog lover, especailly if from Georgia. What a great idea for a last minute gift.
| ||
Registration is now open at www.separc.org . Southeastern Working Group of Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation 2007 Annual Meeting Closing Ranks: Aligning SE PARC to Meet the Next Generation of Conservation Issues February 22-25, 2007 Tennessee Aquarium Chattanooga, TN Meeting Goals Inspired by the national PARC strategic alignment workshop in August 2006, we will tightly focus our energies in 2007 on a small number of key issues with the goal of developing powerful strategies, tools, and products to address these issues. Our structure for the coming year(s) will be aligned to aggressively address these issues. While we are not doing away with our traditional technical working groups, our organization will be more flexible, with multi-disciplinary “Task Teams” being formed (and disbanded) as needed to address current and future conservation challenges. Three issues have already been chosen by the ad hoc regional steering committee and a fourth will be nominated by members: • Eco-friendly development (emphasis on roads) • Invasive species (emphasis on fire ants) • State Wildlife Action Plans (emphasis on an annual review of herp-related implementation) • One member-selected issue (nominations to be taken as part of online registration) The Next Generation: An Emphasis on Students This year’s meeting will spotlight the next generation of herp conservationists and will kick off with a Student Poster Session Thursday Evening, February 22. All the moderators for our sessions will be students and, where possible, student speakers will be favored over gainfully employed adults. Funds permitting, a few student travel scholarships will be awarded by random drawing to help offset the costs of attending the meeting. So if you or someone you know is a student, teacher, professor, etc., encourage them to attend. Lodging: We have a block of rooms reserved at The Clarion in downtown Chattanooga. The rate is $65/night plus $7/night for parking. The Clarion is within easy walking distance of the Tennessee Aquarium. For reservations, contact: Clarion Hotel 407 Chestnut St. Chattanooga, TN, US, 37402 Phone: (423) 756-5150 Fax: (423) 265-8708 Remember to ask for the PARC rate! Call for Papers Papers on all topics are welcome, but those relating to the following topics are especially needed: • Eco-friendly development (emphasis on roads) • Invasive species (emphasis on fire ants) • State Wildlife Action Plans (emphasis on an annual review of herp-related implementation) Student presenters are especially welcome. Call for Student Posters This year’s meeting will spotlight the next generation of herp conservationists and will kick off with a Student Poster Session Thursday Evening, February 22. All students are encouraged to participate. How to Submit: Email your abstract and bio to me at this address. The deadline for submissions is January 12. Field Trips In Tennessee, the month of February is still too cool for most herps; however, it is still pretty good for most early breeding salamanders and frogs. • Tennessee River Gorge & Prentice Cooper State Forest: Over 26,000 acres of Eastern Deciduous Forest and bisected by the Tennessee River it has exposed bluffs and rock face with smaller streams found throughout the area. This area has yielded a number of Crotalus horridus and Agkistrodon contortrix along with a number of upland salamanders. This area also has the potential for Aneides aeneus. (Leader TBA) • UTC Field Stations: o VAAP- Enterprise South: 6,300 acres of which UTC has access to; 280 acres of hardwood-successional forest and a 10 acre wetland that exists on the property. The wetlands has been most productive from late January to early April and has yielded the following amphibians -Amybstoma tigrinum, A. maculatum, A. opacum, P. glutinosus, P. cinereus, P. dorsalis, Pseudacris triseriata feriarum, and P. crucifer. (Leader TBA) o Wildlife Hospital-Route 41 Facility is ~900 of Eastern Deciduous Forest and Rock Talus. This area has yielded a number of different species including Crotalus horridus, Agkistrodon contortrix, Elaphe obsoleta, Lampropeltis getula, Bufo mericanus, Hyla versicolor (complex) A. maculatum, A. opacum, P. glutinosus, P. cinereus, P. dorsalis, Pseudacris triseriata feriarum, P. crucifer, Desmognathus fuscus, D. ochrophaeus, D. monticola, Pseudotriton ruber, Gyrinophilus porphyriticus, Eurycea longicauda, and E. lucifuga. This area also has the potential for Aneides aeneus. (Leader TBA) o Cash Canyon is an 80 acres site that is nestled in the area of Elder and Raccoon Mountain and lies directly across the river from TRG Pot Point Education Facility and Prentice Cooper State Forest. This site has access to the Tennessee River as upland forest and rocky seeps. This area has yielded a number of different species including Crotalus horridus, Agkistrodon contortrix, Elaphe obsolete, Bufo Americanus, Hyla versicolor (complex) A. maculatum, A. opacum, P. glutinosus, P. cinereus, P. dorsalis, Pseudacris triseriata feriarum, P. crucifer, Desmognathus fuscus, D. ochrophaeus, D. monticola, and E. lucifuga. This area also has the potential for Aneides aeneus. (Leader TBA) Details Updated Frequently Registration is now open and closes February 9. Check www.separc.org often as logistics and agenda details are updated. |
PARC is the future of the herps we care so much about. Join them at the meeting and find out how you can join a working group and make a difference!
Weather brings wildlife to hikers
The rains brings out the amphibians! Feel free to send in some pics to share with those of us that are froze over.
While I must admit that during the winter I long for the peepers of spring, without the silent pause of the night, I don't know that I would appreciate the first calls the way I do. Everything needs winter, it is just as important as the other seasons, and has a beauty of its own that you cannot find any other time. So...break out the Frog Call Cd's and practice up so that the first call you can correctly ID and record on whatever monitoring program you choose to volunteer with.
Apparently its a tricky business, training toads. He says the Woodhouse toads work the best. Tight ropes and hoops of fire, this is something I hope they put out on DVD.
No, I haven't been hitting the eggnog, the title was supposed to read that way. This article has a large assortment of techniques being used in frog communication research. Although I have done nothing of this magnitude, and actually mine was by accident, I did place a Walkman with the headphones on top of a terrarium with a male Hyla versicolor in hopes of getting him to reply so the kids could see him inflate his vocal sac. After several hours of alone time on the porch with the CD on repeat, I was surprised that he didn't call, but there were about 8 frogs around the headphones looking a bit...confused I would say.