The mini Chinese dragon stalked through the forest

Tylototriton kweichowensis

Close to the EDGE

Coen rightly pointed out to me that in this, the Year of the Frog, I have been remiss in not blogging about the EDGE Project. EDGE is a project of the Zoological Society of London and stands for: Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered. Amphibians have just been added to the project.

• Over 32% of amphibians are listed as globally endangered (by comparison, just 12% of all bird species and 23% of all mammal species are threatened).
• Almost half of all known amphibian species are declining As many as 165 amphibian species may already be extinct.
• A greater proportion of amphibians are at imminent risk of extinction than any other animal class.

You can support ZSL Amphibian EDGE projects by donating, but the minimum your should do is get off your arse and write to your local Councillors, MEPs, MP or MSP and ask them what they are doing to support amphibian conservation.

And when you've done that, settle back in the warm glow and read the EDGE blog until Life in Cold Blood starts.

A sad day

It's a sad day today as I mourn the loss of my female Phelsuma klemmeri.

RIP, you will be missed.

Amphibian Skin May Offer New Therapy Against Bacterial Infections

Due to the widespread resistance of bacteria to the available drugs, the discovery of new classes of antibiotics is urgently needed, and naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered promising candidates for future therapeutic use. Amphibian skin is one of the richest sources of such AMPs. In the present study we compared the in vitro bactericidal activities of five AMPs from three different species of anurans against multidrug-resistant clinical isolates belonging to species often involved in nosocomial infections (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Acinetobacter baumannii). The peptides tested were from Rana temporaria, Rana esculenta and Bombina variegata. When they were tested in buffer, all the peptides were bactericidal against all bacterial species tested (three strains of each species) at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 48 µMu, with only a few exceptions. The temporins were found to be more active against gram-positive bacteria, especially when they were assayed in human serum, while the activity of the R. esculenta peptide against the gram-negative species was partially preserved in the presence of 40% serum, making this peptide an attractive molecule for use in the development of new compounds for the treatment of infectious diseases.

Comparative Analysis of the Bactericidal Activities of Amphibian Peptide Analogues against Multidrug-Resistant Nosocomial Bacterial Strains. 2008 Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 52: 85-91

And they're off ...

I'm pleased to announce that the 2008 Neurergus kaiseri breeding season has begun! Found these this morning:

Now, before you get too excited, please don't email me and ask for some. I'm not counting my chickens, so if and when I have any offspring available later this year, I'll announce it here.

Video of the Day: Dendrobates imitator

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Nice video of Dendrobates imitator calling, by Elphabasan.

New animal transport regulations

From 5 January 2007, a new regulation on the protection of animals during transport applies across the European Union (EU). The regulation applies to all those involved with the transport of live vertebrate animals in connection with an economic activity. For example:

• livestock and equine hauliers
• farmers
• commercial pet breeders

The regulation does not apply to the transport of animals:

• where the transport is not in connection with an economic activity
• transport to or from veterinary practices or clinics under veterinary advice where the animal is an individual animal accompanied by its owner (or other responsible person) and is fit for journey
• where animals are pet animals accompanied by their owner on a private journey

The new regulation comes into force in three stages (Defra has a timetable), and applies to all vertebrate animals. Although enforcement will undoubtedly concentrate on higher vertebrates, you formally need a certificate to transport any animal in connection with economic activity.

Kiss me

Three new species of salamander discovered in Costa Rica

The three new salamanders were found in La Amistad National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site on the Costa Rica-Panama border. Two belong to the genus Bolitoglossa while the third, from the Nototriton family, is a diminutive 3 cm in length. They were among some 5,000 plants and animals recorded by scientists from London's Natural History Museum during three expeditions to Central America. These three new finds bring the number of Costa Rican salamanders known to science to a total of 43. Sadly, all are severely threatened by chytrid fungus.

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Another Neurergus kaiseri breeding season begins

I love it when a plan comes together. After a 47 day cooling period (average temperature 7.8°C), I placed my adult pair of Neurergus kaiseri in an semi-aquatic vivarium on 1st January 2008.

Within 6 hours, both had entered the water and were actively swimming around:

The female looks quite plump (they have been actively feeding during the cooling period) and the male's cloaca is swollen. In fact, he's ready to go, tail-fanning at my finger through the glass!

In spite of this behavior, I don't expect egg laying to start from some time. Apart from courtship and fertilization, adapting from the terrestrial to the aquatic phase of the life cycle takes considerable physiological adaptation - it's not just a matter of getting wet. I'll keep you posted.