Bd in Nicaragua: Confirmation of the Inevitable

Roberto García-Roa, Javier Sunyer, Andrés Fernández-Loras & Jaime Bosch. FrogLog. Issue number 113 (Winter 2015). Volume 23, number 1. We confirmed the presence of Bd in four amphibian species for the first time: Dendropsophus microcephalus, Craugastor lauraster, Smilisca baudinii and Lithobates brownorum. All three localities were Bd-positive, although the percentage of infected amphibians varied greatly, with Volcán Maderas the highest with a 72% infection prevalence. Ir al enlace.

WWF pide una solución para los miles de atropellos de sapos en San Martín de la Vega y la Comunidad responde que no hay presupuesto

La Dirección General de Carreteras de la Comunidad de Madrid ha respondido a la carta de la organización ecologista WWF alertando sobre la existencia de un punto negro en la carretera M-301 en San Martín de la Vega, donde hasta la fecha se han producido más de cinco mil atropellos de anfibios. El gobierno regional asegura que no hay presupuesto para ningún tipo de modificación de trazado o de adecuación de la vía. Leer más.

Phylogeographic patterns in North African water frog Pelophylax saharicus (Anura: Ranidae)

Violaine Nicolas, Abderrahmane Mataame, Pierre-André Crochet, Philippe Geniez and Annemarie Ohler. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. Article first published online : 18 FEB 2015. At the Moroccan scale, we found a low level of genetic diversity and no clear phylogeographic pattern within P. saharicus. However, our SAShA analyses revealed a mixture of random and underdistributed haplotypes, which may indicate a complex population genetic or biogeographic history. Leer más.

Small predator diversity an important part of a healthy ecosystem

Biodiversity, including small predators such as dragonflies and other aquatic bugs that attack and consume parasites, may improve the health of amphibians, according to a team of researchers. Amphibians have experienced marked declines in the wild around the world in recent decades, the team added. Leer más.

Mapping lizard venom makes it possible to develop new drugs

Lizards and other reptiles are not normally considered venomous, but a number of lizard species actually do produce and use venom. The most classic venomous lizard is no doubt the gila monster — a heavy-bodied lizard. As the first in the world, a group of researchers has made a comprehensive description of the proteins in the venom which can prove to be relevant in connection with developing new types of drugs. Leer más.