miércoles, 03 de enero de 2018

Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/science/snakes-fungus.html

A state herpetologist "recommends wiping the bottom of boots with bleach wipes when herping". Please help stop the fungus from spreading by keeping clean!

@sullivanribbit @christianlangner @atrox77 @sandboa @wild-about-texas @gtsalmon @mako252 @toby @jmaughn @connor22 @catenatus @langaha @reedmcclure @johnwilliams @kucycads

Publicado el miércoles, 03 de enero de 2018 a las 04:55 PM por calebcam calebcam | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

sábado, 02 de diciembre de 2017

8 Hours of Naledi Rosie's Waterhole

This was done from 7:30 PM to 3:45 AM 12/1/2017-12/2/2017 (South African Time)

7:33 PM: Spotted Dikkop takes a bath, then leaves
7:38 PM: Black-crowned Night Heron comes to the waterhole looking for tasty frogs
7:39 PM: Nightjar flies by the waterhole, possibly looking for frogs as well
7:43 PM: Egyptian geese have disappeared
7:45 PM: Xenopus close to the edge of the water
7:47 PM: Several more nightjars fly past
7:51 PM: Sclerophyrs are calling loud and clear, more nightjars appear
7:54 PM: Mud turtle spotted swimming in the water
7:54 PM: A couple of bee-eaters show up
7:56 PM: Night heron flies to the other side of the water and catches a gray foam-nest treefrog
7:59 PM: After consuming the frog, the Night heron flies back into the dark
8:01 PM: Many reed frogs calling to each other, I also hear a few Garman's toads.
8:02 PM: Night heron is back, this time looking for frogs on a tree (it usually has a few foam nest treefrogs)
8:03 PM: High pitched, loud call of a Hyperolius species (anybody know what species?)
8:05 PM: Strange, deep pitched call, likely a toad species (anybody know what species?)
8:06 PM: Xenopus are congregating on the side of the waterhole away from the night heron
8:07 PM: Hard to hear calls now; the crickets are incredibly loud
8:12 PM: Cicadas start to get noisy
8:14 PM: Toads and treefrogs start calling again; Night heron still waiting for a stray frog to get close
8:23 PM: Hyperolius have not ceased to call yet, one big loud call from Sclerophrys just now
8:26 PM: Banded plover shows up
8:31 PM: Xenopus are still congregating on the opposite side from the Night heron
8:33 PM: Bird singing, toad calls again
8:50 PM: Not much has happened, Hyperolius calls are still very consistent
8:54 PM: Another Night heron comes; two are now at the watering hole
9:00 PM: One night heron leaves
9:17 PM: No toad calls for a while, only Hyperolius.
9:21 PM: Finally hearing some Sclerophrys gutturalis calls!
9:23 PM: Hearing even more Sclerophrys calls, most sound like S. garmani
9:32 PM: Night heron has left
9:37 PM: All is quiet except for the Hyperolius calls, no birds around anymore
9:41 PM: I see what looks like a Gray foam-nest treefrog on a tree, too big to be Hyperolius
9:42 PM: Night heron is back
9:44 PM: Night heron catches a huge frog, likely a Gray foam-nest treefrog
9:48 PM: Night Heron is up to no good, he is right next to the acacia that is home for so many treefrogs!
9:50 PM: Been standing there for a while now
9:53 PM: Nightjar (finally!) is sighted flying away from the waterhole
9:56 PM: Egyptian geese are back! A bat just flew by too
9:57 PM: Night Heron is still watching that tree carefully while keeping another eye on the Xenopus
10:03 PM: Sclerophrys gutturalis calls again
10:13 PM: Hearing very high pitched Hyperolius calls. (anybody know what species?)
10:20 PM: Several Baboon calls are heard
10:24 PM: more Sclerophrys gutturalis calls
10:31 PM: Xenopus are still staying a safe distance from the Night heron, turtles seem to have disappeared into their night hiding
10:34 PM: Egyptian goose calling their friends with loud "quacks"
10:38 PM: Xenopus are suddenly startled and run for the other side of the waterhole; at least 45 big ones
10:51 PM: Birds are starting to flood in, they have a very high pitched call
11:00 PM: Turtles are back and swimming! Night heron still waiting for a stray frog to come his way ...
11:34 PM: Many birds are here now, still no catch for the Night heron
11:51 PM: The night heron is really into it now, waving his lure back and forth above the surface of the water
11:55 PM: Huge beetle goes by, at least 3 inches in diameter; frogs chirping very loud, with an occasional toad call
12:02 AM: Night heron catches very strange frog, you can find the observation here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/9010752
12:06 AM: Small starling comes for a bath
12:08 AM: Wood sandpiper comes to the waterhole
12:20 AM: Egyptian geese have been preening for quite some time now
12:22 AM: Night heron catches another frog
12:23 AM: Helmeted Turtle comes right up to the night heron and the night heron scares him off (quick action so I couldn't get a picture)
12:24 AM: Helmeted Turtle comes back and the night heron kindly moves out of the way this time (adding a note an hour after the event: that the night heron may have moved because he feared getting bitten) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/9010934
12:32 AM: Another Helmeted turtle comes very close to shore, perhaps going to lay eggs
12:36 AM: Another helmeted turtle shows up!! Both are biting at the night heron's legs. The night heron bounced all around to avoid the turtle's teeth, finally had to run out of the waterhole. The turtles then appeared to be going farther on land. See the observation here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/9011128
12:39 AM: The night heron has now moved to a different part of the waterhole (where he should be safe from turtle bites). ;)
12:46 AM: Many different calls, also a few S. gutturalis calling
12:50 AM: A starling flies by the waterhole
12:54 AM: Bat flies by the waterhole
1:02 AM: Large ant colony sighted, ants were about 1/2 inch in diameter
1:10 AM: Egyptian geese calling again
1:12 AM: Many Woodland kingfishers have shown up
1:16 AM: Nightjar flies by
1:19 AM: Bat or bird flies by; grabs a frog out of the water (after the fact: I have decided it was a bat)
1:25 AM: Xenopus are congregating in the middle of the waterhole, maybe attempting to mate
1:31 AM: Moths are starting to swarm around the camera
1:33 AM: Bird flies at the waterhole and a Xenopus below swims away so fast; almost faster than the bird. It was going the same direction as the bird but away from it, so I assume there are birds (after the fact: and also bats?) that snatch Xenopus right out of the water.
1:37 AM: Bat flies around the waterhole looking for a Xenopus to pick up, almost got one. Had about a 2 ft wingspan.
1:48 AM: Night heron is stealthily creeping towards the Xenopus's favorite spot
1:57 AM: Laughing dove shows up momentarily
1:59 AM: Sclerophrys call is heard
2:01 AM: Baboons are chattering out there
2:04 AM: another Sclerophrys call, might be gutturalis
2:27 AM: Common Rain frog call? Sounds like it
2:29 AM: Laughing dove shows up but quickly flies off
2:34 AM: Two bats just flew by
2:35 AM: Another bat just flew by, wingspan of about 2 ft
2:44 AM: possible Rain frog call
2:59 AM: Nothing much has happened, and it is very quiet (compared to the loud calls at 12:30 AM)
3:10 AM: Egyptian geese have slept for at least an hour now, still very quiet, and the night heron hasn't caught anything
3:37 AM: bat just flew by

Publicado el sábado, 02 de diciembre de 2017 a las 02:25 AM por calebcam calebcam | 3 comentarios | Deja un comentario

Archivos