nature-and-biodiversity-blog

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Bay-Breasted Warbler Setophaga castanea Source: Here

[nature-and-biodiversity-blog]

Nature: the phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human creations

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

[nature-and-biodiversity-blog]

Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria Source: Here

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Chordates: animals that posses a notochord, a dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, an endostyle, and a post-anal tail during some point of their life cycle

From Above: Blue Jay, Clearfin Lionfish, Tiger Salamander, Thorny Devil, Reticulated Giraffe

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Leafy Seadragon Phycodurus eques Source: Here

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Black - Faced Spoonbill Platalea minor Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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Common Loon Gavia immer Source: Here

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Barn Owl Tyto alba Source: Here

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Fairy Inkcap Coprinellus disseminatus Source: Here

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Chestnut-Sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica Source: Here

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Golden Gecko Gekko badenii Source: Here

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Pied Plover Mellisuga helenae Source: Here

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Sehuencas Water Frog (Telmatobius yuracare) is one of the rarest frogs in the world. This tiny amphibian was discovered in 1994 and is found only in the mountain cloud forests of Bolivia, a location where it’s damp and cool. Unfortunately, this habitat has the conditions required for the growth of  chytridiomycosis, a fungus that has been decimating the world’s amphibian populations. 

With only one Sehuencas Water Frog in captivity (named “Romeo”) and with none spotted in the wild since 2008, scientists feared that the fungus had eliminated the entire species. For possibly being the last of his kind, Romeo gained international attention and was sadly nicknamed “the world’s loneliest frog.” His keepers even collaborated with Match.com to create a dating profile for him, describing the frog as a “pretty simple guy” and “not fussy”, to continue to raise awareness.   

For a whole decade, scientists searched the Bolivian forests in the hope of discovering more Sehuencas Water Frogs to save the species. In January 2019, their luck finally paid off with the discovery of 5 survivors, one of which was a female they named “Juliet”. Juliet was placed in the same aquarium as Romeo at the beginning of March, and the two have shown an interest in each other ever since. Romeo has been observed calling (something that he hasn’t done since the end of 2017) whenever Juliet is nearby, showing signs that he’s ready to mate. Along with the other remaining frogs, Global Wildlife Conservation hopes that the pair will establish a conservation breeding program for the species with the eventual outcome of releasing individuals back into the wild.

Visit Global Wildlife Conservation to keep updated on Romeo and Juliet’s story and to learn more about what you can do to save their species. 

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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Pineapple Ananas comosus Source: Here

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Bee Hummingbird Nest Mellisuga helenae Source: Here

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Spiny Flower Mantis Pseudocreobotra wahlbergi Source: Here

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Woodpeckers Picidae

From Above: Red-Headed Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, White-Headed Woodpecker