In the last five years,there has been a drastic decline in the number of amphibians around the world. Currently, there are about 6,771 identified species of amphibians that exist around the world. This may seem like a large number, however, most of these creatures live in small, concentrated populations with scarce resources. As a result, an overwhelming number of these amphibians are in desperate need of conservation strategies in order to prevent any chances of extinction. Amphibians In Decline is the only dedicated fund to protects frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians in the federal government. Leer más.
The dry, barren prairie around Alberta’s Drumheller area was once a lush and subtropical forest on the shores of a large inland sea, with loads of wetlands inhabited by dinosaurs, turtles, crocodiles and small mammals. Leer más.
Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to welcome you to the International Symposium on Freshwater Turtles Conservation, which will take place in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, from 22 – 24 May, 2013. It will be a great opportunity to promote scientific exchange and friendship between researchers, students and other freshwater turtles enthusiasts from all over the world. Leer más.
Eight new species of Pseudophilautus (Pseudophilautus bambaradeniyai, P. dayawansai, P. jagathgunawardanai, P. karunarathnai, P. newtonjayawardanei, P. puranappu, P. samarakoon, and P. sirilwijesundarai) were discovered as a result of a survey carried out to study the herpetofaunal diversity with the changes in elevation in the Sripada World Heritage Site (Peak Wilderness), Central Hills of Sri Lanka. Leer más.
The pitviper facial pit is a pinhole camera-like sensory organ consisting of a flask-shaped cavity divided into two chambers by a suspended membrane. Neurophysiological studies and simplified optical models suggest that facial pits detect thermal radiation and form an image that is combined with visual input in the optic tectum to form a single multispectral image. External pit anatomy varies markedly among taxonomic groups. However, optical function depends on unknown internal anatomy. Leer más.
