Save the Frogs!

Save the Frogs:

Due to the increasing deforestation of the Amazon, several species have become at risk of extinction. One of these species is the blue poison dart frog. These frogs are only found in very few areas of Southern Suriname, South America. The species is labeled “vulnerable” on the World Conservation Union’s red list of threatened species

Keepers at the Blue Planet Aquarium in Cheshire Oaks are ambitiously recreating an environment that will stimulate the frogs to breed at the aquarium with the help of heaters and water spray devices to replicate the rainy season. The hope in all of this is to increase the pattern of breeding among the blue dart frogs and raise the numbers of the species from endangered.  

The aquarium has in possession two male and two female dart frogs. Adam Mitchell of the Blue Planet Aquarium describes the mating ritual as “In the breeding season the male sits on a rock and calls to females, who fight over him. Afterwards, the victorious female begins the courtship ritual by gently stroking his snout and dorsal surface with her forelegs.”
He added: “When the female lays the eggs, the male fertilizes them and it’s then left up to him to look after them until they hatch into tadpoles.”

The distinctive name of the blue poison dart frog derives from native tribe’s practice of using the toxin on the frog’s skin to lace their darts and arrows with the poison. Scientists confirm that the toxicity of the frog comes from the accumulation of the poisonous insects that they feed on.

Brazil's First Female President: Feminist and Pro -Development???

Dilma Rousseff, newly elected president of Brazil as of last week. She is already taking a stand for the woman Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani who was convicted of adultery in Iran and sentenced to death by stoning in 2006. Rousseff stated that it would be a “barbaric” act to execute a woman for adultery.  Brazilian officials offered to take the woman into Brazil as a citizen if Iran would spare her life. The offer was rejected. Brazil was trying to use the friendly ties with Iran to influence the case in the convicted woman’s favor.

As for the environment, it doesn’t look like the newly elected female president will take action for the environment including deforestation and carbon reducing emissions. “Rousseff had privately resisted Brazil's decision to present voluntary carbon reduction targets at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen last December.”

Arguably, Rousseff had to win the votes of the 20% of green party voters that supported Ms.Silva for environmental reasons. Silva was a third party in the race to president placing much promise in saving the Amazon from deforestation and carbon reducing industry. Carlos Minc, Ms Silva successor as environment minister, was sent to try and save Rousseff’s face by saying. “I’m not saying Dilma is a card-carrying environmentalist,” Mr Minc told Estado de São Paulo, a newspaper. “She’s pro-development, but pro-development with environmental sensitivity.” He has been authorized by Rousseff to promise a variety of green-friendly policies, including lower taxes on equipment for solar- and wind-power generation and a review of a proposed amnesty for illegal logging.

Only time will tell for the decisions regarding the Amazon from this first time woman president who is so passionate for women’s rights and is pro-development.