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Showing posts from October, 2011

Saving Georgia's Few Remaining Gopher Frogs

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Only 6 populations of Gopher frogs remain in Georgia Dante Fenolio, one of the biologists directing these efforts at the garden, explains why the frogs are so important. Georgia Public Broadcasting interview with Dante http://www.gpb.org/news/2011/10/28/saving-georgias-few-remaining-gopher-frogs

Our Thanks to Robert Hill

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This month is the end of an era in the Amphibian Conservation Program . Robert Hill is leaving the Garden to continue at Zoo Atlanta . In the past four years, Robert has done tremendous things to help imperiled amphibian species both in Georgia and in the neotropics. He has also contributed to the further development of the Atlanta Botanical Garden's Amphibian Conservation Program into one of the top programs of its kind in the country. photo by Cyndi Moore During Robert's tenure at the Garden he has managed our large collection of rare and endangered frogs, including assisting in the successful reproduction of species such as: Gastrotheca cornuta , Anotheca spinosa, Cruziohyla calcarifer and Agalychnis lemur . Robert has a leading role in repatriation efforts for the rare and Georgia native Gopher frog. Robert has published quite a bit in the past few years, particularly with range extensions, contributing to our knowledge of the natural history of some of our na

BioBLOG: In search of ghosts.

BioBLOG: In search of ghosts. : October 1986. The Mets and Red Sox are engaged in perhaps the most iconic World Series games of all time. I was just 11 years old as I ...
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Bufo conifera | Green spiny toad perched all day. Sipaliwini morph of Dendrobates tinctorius | Dyeing poison frog 'The committee' of Phyllobates sp.

Our new 'Okopipi' exhibit

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' Giant Orange ' morph of Dendrobates tinctorius ' Sipaliwini ' morph of D. tinctorius The ' Azureus ' morph (middle) of D. tinctorius   a tinct showdown Robert and I finally had the chance to build and exhibit together this past Monday. It seems the poison frogs in our new Okipipi exhibit are settling in nicely. They were out all day today foraging and figuring out who's spot was who's. There are many 'morphs' or variations of Dendrobates tinctorius , depending on where they occur in South America. The ' Cobalt ' morph is the predominant color variation, occurring throughout most of its range. It is also the nominate morph, meaning the species was originally described from the Cobalts (see below) The ' Cobalt ' morph of D. tinctorius

Life in the Dark

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There was a great turnout for Dante's morning presentation "Life in the Dark' featuring his photographic skill and lifetime love for critters who come out after dark, live in holes, in the deep, under rocks or simply in the dirt. Students from a few local schools came to learn for a rare peek into the dark. Dante's introduction by Tracy   Hellbenders live under rocks in fast flowing, clear streams He will give the same lecture, only geared towards adults tonight @ 7pm in Day Hall.