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lalchitri
Senior Member Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Status: Offline Points: 160 |
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Eco-friendly legless amphibian discovered
New Delhi, November 25 Two independent researchers, who teamed up with scientists from the Zoological Survey of India, came across the unique species at the Mahadayi Wildlife Sanctuary which falls in the biodiversity-rich western Ghats region. ôIt is commonly known as a two-headed snake but a closer look brings out the ringed nature of the amphibian creature,öGopalkrishna Bhatta, an independent researcher, told PTI from Shimoga in Karnataka. K P Dinesh of the Zoological Survey of India, P Prashanth of the Agumbe Rain forest Research Station and Goa-based independent researcher, Nirmal Kulkarni, took part in the study. ôWe recently collected three specimens resembling each other which fit the generic diagnosis for genus Gegeneophis, but which differ from all known species,ö they said in æCurrent ScienceÆ. A new species of caecilian, a legless amphibian, has been named Gegeneophis mhadeiensis. It is described on the basis of three specimens collected from the surroundings of Rameshwar temple in Chorla village of Belgaum district. The locality is situated adjacent to the Mahadayi Wildlife Sanctuary. The creature feeds in earthworms and other decaying material and helps enriching the soil, Bhatta said. With 10 named species, Gegenophis is now one of the most diverse caecilian genera that reaffirms the sensitivity of the locality as a biodiversity hotspot. G mhadeiensis, the zoological name of the species, can also be used as a bio-indicator for the region. ôThis species vacates the place of its stay the moment it begins to get polluted,ö Bhatta said. The very presence of this species in an area signifies the rich organic content of the locality. ù PTI |
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Reformed Teetotaller
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AGILIS
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1689 |
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Hi all snip in todays East Anglian Daily times keith |
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LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
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lalchitri
Senior Member Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Status: Offline Points: 160 |
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Python swallows goat
But dies soon after Nishikant Dwivedi Tribune News Service Bahadurpur (Yamunanagar), September 23 Thousands of people of Bilaspur block witnessed what most people watch on Discovery or National Geographic television channels. It was the rarest of rare sites. A 20-foot Indian python had squeezed the life out of a 40-kg domestic goat and was swallowing it in the Sunderpur-Bahadhur jungles here. By this evening, the whole goat was swallowed and the reptile had disappeared in the jungles. The jungles have a heavy growth and thus it is very difficult to venture in. However, several kutcha tracks were created in the jungles with the movement of thousands people, including women and children who went in the woods to catch a glimpse of the snake and goat. The jungles are about 3 km from Bahadurpur village. Sources in the Wildlife Department said the reptile died this afternoon. It was suspected that the death took place because the ôprey was too big and the goatÆs horn turned out to be fatalö for the snake. Another official said the reptile died because people disturbed him and he could swallow the goat. The snake was buried in the ground. It all started last afternoon. Like any other day, shepherd Sileman of Sundepur village had taken his goats to the jungles. One of the goat strayed. He never knew a python, about 20-foot, was lying in waiting. He went in the search of his goat. And to his horror, he saw the fearsome python with a light and dark patterned skin struggling to engulf his goat. ôIt grabbed the goat with a quick lash of itÆs head and wrapped itself around the goat and squeezed the life out of the goat,ö recalled Sileman and added, ôMy goat was dead and the azgar (python) started swallowing the goat from the head.ö By this morning, the news spread. Everyone wanted to see it. ôWomen too did not want to be left behind and they turned in large numbers to see the pythonö, said Akram, a villager. Villagers said about 35 or 40 years ago, a python had killed several small domestic animals in the Kathgarh area. Sources in the Wildlife Department said pythons (a nocturnal creature) drape across tree branches, camouflaged by their skin, wait to ambush their next meal. A large python could squeeze the life out of a deer and could then swallow it whole. ôPythons rarely attack humans but they are capable of doing the same,ö said an official. A python may live more than 20 years. As per a website pathons are solitary creatures, but males and females seek each other out to mate. The female coils about her eggs to incubate them. Young pythons have many natural enemies, including eagles, crocodiles, large cats such as leopards and tigers, and hyenas. Causes of endangerment of the species include their killing. Humans had been killing pythons out of fear, for food, skins and blood believed to have medical values and of course the on the account of habitat loss. A 20-foot python trying to swallow a 40-kg goat on Sunday which it had preyed on Saturday in the jungles of Sunderpur-Bahadurpur in Yamunanagar. The snake, however, died on Sunday. ù A Tribune photograph |
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Ewan
Member Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 28 |
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Blimey, toad at 100m depth in Loch Ness:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/66 18995.stm |
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Ewan Shilland
Contract Research Scientist Environmental Change Research Centre University College London |
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Suzi
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1025 |
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Saw this one on slow worms: |
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Suz
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administrator
Admin Group Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Status: Offline Points: 10 |
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Venomous... venomous... VENOMOUS LOL one of my pet hates The warden at my local reserve thinks adder numbers go up and down each season with the weather, he does tend to say things like 'its been a good year for adder' as if the numbers suddenly increased over night. |
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Suzi
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1025 |
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"Britain's last remaining poisonous snake" Did I miss another one recently? |
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Suz
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Huddy
Member Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 18 |
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Robert V
Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1264 |
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Hi all, Anyone know about a heath fire that I heard on the news last night at Chobham in Surrey? Isnt that one of your old stomping grounds Tony?? I seem to remember Al being down there recently as well? Rob |
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RobV
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lalchitri
Senior Member Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Status: Offline Points: 160 |
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save a newt for just ú20,000 again from the times
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