Herp Radio

A new study on the endangered Ozark Hellbender giant salamander is the first to detail its skin microbes, the bacteria and fungi that defend against pathogens.

Field research has uncovered the world’s smallest frogs in southeastern New Guinea. The discovery also makes them the world’s smallest tetrapods (non-fish vertebrates). The frogs belong to the genus Paedophryne, all of whose species are extremely small, with adults of the two new species — named Paedophryne dekot and Paedophryne verrucosa — only 8 to [...]

An international team of researchers has reviewed the evidence linking exposure to atrazine — an herbicide widely used in the US and more than 60 other nations — to reproductive problems in animals. The team found consistent patterns of reproductive dysfunction in amphibians, fish, reptiles and mammals exposed to the chemical.

The secret to frogs’ superlative jumping lies in their tendons. Researchers, filming frogs jumping at 500 frames per second with special X-ray technology, show that the frog’s tendon stretches as it readies its leap and then recoils, much like a spring, when the frog jumps. The finding could explain how other animals are exceptional leapers.