Los Agentes Rurales han capturado un ejemplar de tortuga mordedora (Chelydra serpentina) que alguien había liberado en Vidreres (Selva). El animal pesaba hacia 5 kilos y su caparazón medía aproximadamente medio metro. Originaria de América del Norte, esta especie exótica tiene una mordida muy potente -de ahí su nombre- y se caracteriza por las protuberancias que tiene en la cáscara. Leer más.

A new study that compared the effects of cold and warm temperatures on the development of frog eggs into larvae found that environmental temperature significantly changes how the nervous system develops. Leer más.

The Zoological Society of London recently sponsored a symposium, dedicated to Tim Halliday, on mitigating amphibian diseases, which took place in London on the 24thand 25thof April 2019. Invited speakers came from around the world, and there were a number of contributed posters. Speakers focused on three amphibian diseases (Bd and Bsal chytridiomycosis and ranavirosis), the threat these diseases pose to amphibians and how to mitigate the threats. Considerable progress has been made in understanding the biology of the pathogens, the epidemiology of the diseases and potential mitigation techniques. However, there is currently no silver bullet that can control the pathogens. Leer más.

The recent shocking UN report on the threatened extinction of one million species has focused global attention on the crucial role of biodiversity in the health of the planet. Almost exactly 30 years ago, the first warning sounded that amphibian species were already in potentially catastrophic freefall. Tim Halliday, who has died aged 73, was one of the leading figures in a worldwide initiative to raise the alarm, and to understand the reasons for the decline. The current chief scientist of the Amphibian Survival Alliance, Phil Bishop, called him «the leading champion and ambassador for all things amphibian». Leer más.