A team of scientists from Delhi University and the Wildlife Institute of India, in collaboration with researchers from Indonesia and the US, have discovered a new species of ‘paddy frog’ from Northeast India, primarily Assam. The frog belongs to the microhylid genus Micryletta, a “group of narrow-mouthed frogs that is …
in a recently released report, the World Wide Fund for Nature (wwf) says golden toads are disappearing in Costa Rica due to change in natural habitat induced by global warming. The extinction of this particular species is one of the global trends that have sent populations into decline for many …
After painstaking research, at least one culprit has been identified behind some of the deformities recently seen in frogs in the us . Trematode rather than pesticides are responsible for some of the deformities seen recently in frogs by scientists at the Hartwick College in the us. The minute trematodes, …
After painstaking research, at least one culprit has been identified behind some of the deformities recently seen in frogs in the us . Trematode rather than pesticides are responsible for some of the deformities seen recently in frogs by scientists at the Hartwick College in the us. The minute trematodes, …
As many as 30 frogs are killed to make a kilogramme (kg) of frog legs. India exported as much as 4,000 tonnes of frog legs a year in the mid-1980s, the amount consumed in France alone every year. During the heydays of frog-leg export, India used to export to many …
till today, science has not been able to develop a powerful analgesic or painkiller that is universally accepted. The most common painkiller used to treat unrelenting pain, like that caused by serious injury or in many cases of cancer is morphine. This drug, the virtual "king' of all analgesics, is …
Janalee Cadwell of the University of Oklahoma, US, has been investigating South American frogs whose poisonous secretions are used to tip arrows and darts. Her researches have led to the conclusion that these amphibians are toxic not because of some biochemical synthesis within them, but because they eat a deadly …
Studies by researchers at the Oregon State University, US, have shown that exposure to UV-B radiation is killing the eggs of some amphibian species. As a result, two species of amphibians
THE latest addition to the endangered species list is not an exotic animal or bird, but the humble frog, albeit with red legs. After a year-long legal battle, the Californian red-legged frog (Rana aurora) has won a victory of sorts. It will enjoy 'the protection given to rare endangered species. …
COME May and it is din-creating time for frogs. The month heralds the breeding season which lasts till August. At times, noise levels call be so high that it makes one suspect if the frogs are taking part in a competition to test their ability to croak loud and long. …
A LIFE history strategy is a set of blueprints according to which a plant or animal regulates its life from birth to death. How long to remain in an embryonic state inside the egg, how to face up to the risks that follow weaning, how to allocate one's time between …
Biologists have discovered a wealth of new frog species in the rain forests of eastern Madagascar, highlighting the astonishing diversity of life in the tropics and the special importance of Madagascar as a wildlife hotspot (African Wildlife, Vol 4, No 2). At least 106 new frogs and 26 reptiles came …
The planet's amphibians are under threat. Declining populations of frogs, salamanders and toads have been reported from all over the globe and some of the amphibian groups are disappearing completely from their natural habitats. Frogs are in close communion with their surroundings - both water and soil - at different …
The tadpoles of the red-eyed tree frog can choose to hatch early to avoid being eaten by snakes, says Karen Warkentin from the University of Texas in Austin (New Scientist. Vol 146, No 1974). The eggs hatch in a matter of minutes and can do so when they are 5-7 …
Villages around Calcutta are possibly the safest place in the country for toads. Villagers have virtually paralysed biology practical tests in several schools and colleges in the city by blockading toad-catching. With the board examinations coming up, educational authorities are panicking. Apparently the villagers have taken the government's recent ban …
THE sharp decline in frog and toad populations worldwide has disturbed amphibian watchers (BBC Wildlife, March 1994). The findings of the Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force, a network set up by the Species Survival Commission of the World Conservation Union, reveal that amphibians are struggling for survival all the way …
WHAT DO an exotic dish of frog legs and the homely egg have in common? Extreme cruelty in bringing them to the table, according to Compassion In World Farming, a British voluntary organisation that has campaigned against factory farming for more than 20 years. The organisation has brought out two …
Which schoolchild looks forward to a class in geography where the exciting topic of stars and constellations is reduced to dull discussions, books and a plastic globe? It was perhaps with this in mind that the Nehru Planetarium has attempted -- successfully -- to convert lessons into fun. Onward To …
IN A RECENT article, entitled Decline and Fall of Amphibians in the New Scientist dated June 27, mention is made of the declining population of the common Indian bullfrog, Rana tigerina, attributed primarily to the harvesting of frogs to meet the Western culinary demand for frog-legs. How the New Scientist …
A trick that Nature rarely performs is homeosis - the substitution of one body part by another. A team of zoologists at Utkal University, led by Prof Priyambada Mohanty-Hejmadi, became part of one such display when they discovered that even vertebrates can exhibit homeosis, which earlier was thought to be …
