Biological control agents must be extensively studied and trialled in quarantine before being released into the environment to ensure that the insect is specie specific to lantana and will not attack native vegetation. Australia failed to follow this protocol in the 1930s, and introduced cane toads (Rhinella marina) to northern Queensland to protect sugar cane from native beetles. Since then, cane toads have had devastating effects on Australian ecosystems by devastating the predator population. They had no impact on the native beetles at all, and their population continues to grow (National Museum of Australia, n.d,…
Isopods are also ferocious scavengers that are most likely to eat anything such as decaying plants and animal material. They also navigate towards a surround that they recognize. If a pill bug is placed between a moist and dry environment we predict that they will chose the…
Purpose: The purpose of this lab was to analyze pill bug’s activity in different environments and determine the effect of wet/dry or dark/light environments have on them and how taxis takes place in their choices in living in areas.…
They inject venom in the prey that paralyzes them then the predators suck out the nutrients they need.…
Believe it or not, the Blue Poison Dart Frogs life span is 2-4 years. There is only one type of snake that will not die from eating the Poison Dart Frog. There are over 175 different types of Poison Dart Frogs. The blue colors on this frog warn predators to stay away. This frog is very deadly and if an animal licks this frog, it can die or become extremely ill. The scientific name of the Blue Poison Dart Frog is called a Dendrobatidae.…
The pill bugs used in this experiment were all acquired from the same source, a habitat consisting of soil, paper towels for shelter and water. The experiment will require the use of two, five chamber arenas as well as two, two chamber arenas. It will also require a pill bug sample of at least twenty specimens, and a supply of filter paper to use as the moist and dry bedding for the pill bugs in the arenas.…
The adult cane toad has large glands behind the eyes, and other glands across their back. When the toads are threatened, their glands secrete a milky-white fluid known as bufotoxin Components of bufotoxin are toxic to many animals there have even been human deaths due to the consumption of cane toads Bufotenin one of the chemicals by the cane toad, is classified as a Class 1 drug under Australian law, alongside heroin and marijuana. It is thought that the effects of bufotenin are similar to that of mild poisoning the stimulation, which…
They are able to secrete mucus from their skin that can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, mouth and even the genitals and any other mucus membranes. The mucus can also cause allergy-like symptoms and cause someone’s asthma to be triggered. Also, if a child gets ahold of one and puts it in their mouth, the secretion of the tree frog can possibly kill the child from the sicknesses they could contract. This is a common happening because there are so many of these frogs that when children see them, they like to try catching and playing with them, which sometimes gets the children…
The cane toads caused catastrophic damage to the environment. Almost all animals that ate the cane toad died; as a result, there was a 95% mortality rate. Worst of all, cane toads move at alarming rates. Originally they moved six miles annually, but today it is anywhere from twenty-five to thirty-five (Guarino [2-4]). Cane toads are a threat to the environment and all wildlife.…
Biologists have discovered a new species of dart frog in the headwaters of the Rio Cano in Panama. This newly found frog has been named Andinobates geminisae after Geminis Vargas. Geminis Vargas is the wife of Marco Ponce who supported him toward the discovery of the new dart frog species. The new dart frog is very small about 12.7 millimeters in length and it is about the same size of a fingernail. Although the new dart frog is very small in size; it contains toxic poison that hunters use to make blow darts. This new bright orange dart frog also has a unique characteristic call which is what gave researchers the incentive into investigating more about the frog and ultimately discovering that it is a new…
What if there was a frog you weren’t used to seeing in any creek or river you’ve ever visited? Well, there is a particular species of frog that has a Biologist and his colleagues in awe. Our journey takes place in the country of Peru in South America, where biologist, Kyle Summers has studied and fawned over a special species of frog. The Ranitomeya imitator. What exactly makes these frogs so special? The Ranitomeya imitator is not only a mimic to other toxic frogs, such as themselves, but the only known frog to be monogamous. Though these frogs are very small in size and beautiful in vibrant black and yellow, they still remain to be very dangerous to other animals. Their mimicry has gone as far as to match other frogs so predators will only…
However, these effects can vary greatly, with some species being affected greatly, and others not at all. For example, UV-B radiation can cause the skin of Gray Tree frogs to darken, and cause them to swim less. For others, like the Pacific Tree frog, this radiation can reduce larval survival and increase abnormalities in behavior and development. Other common effects include increased embryo mortality and behavioral avoidance. Interestingly, different populations of amphibian species can be differently affected by UV-B radiation as well, possibly because certain regions have more UV-B radiation than others (Blaustein). Regardless, the fact that UV-B radiation has been increasing in our atmosphere is alarming.…
In the past few years, citizens of Minnesota have discovered deformed frogs scattered throughout the state. There are many speculations as to how the frogs got such deformities. Some scientists believe that its something in the waters of the Minnesota wetlands, other factors could be parasites or ultraviolet radiation. Minnesota is not the only location in the world that has reported deformed animal sightings, but almost three-quarters of the deformed frogs were reported in Minnesota. This is not necessarily because Minnesota contains the most deformed frogs, because scientists are unsure if that is true. Residents of Minnesota are most aware to the problem, so they are basically looking out for the frogs. Deformed frogs are most commonly missing limbs, have extra limbs, or have some bent limbs. Also, there are internal deformities that one would not be able to tell just from looking at the frog. These include digestive and urinary problems, and a slow ability to eat, avoid predators, and move. Because of this most frogs do not survive the winter, and if they do, deformed frogs do not advance on to a second year of living. Deformities do not occur in all frogs, the most common frogs with these malfunctions include the wood frog, American toad, and the northern leopard frog. Since deformed frogs have been found in ponds and both the urban and rural parts of Minnesota, scientists have concluded that well water can produce such malfunctions. Several tests have been preformed on the water that Minnesota residents are drinking and nothing has been found. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences have been performing tests to help solve the problem of deformed frogs in Minnesota.…
At all stages of the cane toads life cycle (eggs tadpoles toadlets adult toad) it is poisonous. In the adult toad, it has poison glands (parotoid glands) in each shoulder which, when threatened, secretes a milky-white fluid called bufotoxin. Bufotoxin (when ingested) can cause rapid heartbeat, excessive salvation, convulsions and paralysis and may result in death for many animals.…
The Cane Toad is native to the Amazon Basin which is located in South America. The Cane Toad was first introduced to Florida to control pests that would inhabit the sugar cane crops between the 1930s to the 1940s. It is said that the reason of the overgrowing population of the Cane Toad is because of the illegal pet trade in the 1950s and 1960s. The Cane Toad can be found in the urban, suburban, and agricultural parts of Florida. There are many concerns about the threats that the Cane Toad has on the natives of Florida, some of the concerns is the skin-gland secretions of the Cane Toad are very toxic that can sicken or kill animals that prey on them. The skin secretions of the Cane Toad can irritate the skin or burn the eyes of people who touch them. There are many methods that are used to remove the Cane Toad, some of the methods are to hand-collect the Cane Toads and dispose of them, or use animal traps to capture them. Rewards have been put up to eradicate them for excessive amounts of money for example in 2004 a 44 million dollar reward was put up to eradicate the Cane Toad becuase of the harm it was…