Awesome Amphibians

"Amphibians are animals that lead a strange double-life," writes Steve Parker in the book Awesome Amphibians. They can breathe in the water or on land. In school I learned that amphibians can't live in saltwater or in Antarctica. Some amphibians like the poison dart frog are venomous to eat or even to touch because they have venom glands on their skin.

I'm warning you! I've got venom on my skin!

Poison dart frogs live in Central and South America, but I have seen amphibians closer to home.  I spotted this frog in the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in Central New York. Can you see him?

Ribbit!

I also saw an Eastern red spotted newt in Taconic State Park.  Isn't he cute?

From chimp to man

Chimps are like us in many ways. Like us, chimps form cultures within their groups. A chimp culture is formed when a mommy chimp passes on the skills she has learned from her mother to the next generation of chimps in her group.

For example, this mommy chimp is showing her baby chimp how to fish for termites in a termite mound.

Knowing these similarities between humans and chimps, it's not surprising that we had a common ancestor. Unlike apes who took to the trees, the fossils of early human ancestors were buried in limestone that formed from shells and mud. I think that shows that there must have been a marshy terrain, and they would have had to walk on two legs to keep their heads above water.

Tiger Footprints

To track a tiger you need to think like a tiger and if there are no footprints just guess. The best places to put video cameras is where there are lots of deer.

 

Mmmm! Deer!

Deer-filled areas attract tigers. Infrared cameras are good for seeing tigers at night.