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Ranavirus
''Ranavirus'' is a genus of viruses, in the family '' Iridoviridae''. There are six other genera of viruses within the family '' Iridoviridae'', but ''Ranavirus'' is the only one that includes viruses that are infectious to amphibians and reptiles. Additionally, it is one of the three genera within this family which infect teleost fishes, along with ''Lymphocystivirus'' and ''Megalocytivirus''. Ecological impact The Ranaviruses, like the Megalocytiviruses, are an emerging group of closely related dsDNA viruses which cause systemic infections in a wide variety of wild and cultured fresh and saltwater fishes. As with Megalocytiviruses, ''Ranavirus'' outbreaks are therefore of considerable economic importance in aquaculture, as epizootics can result in moderate fish loss or mass mortality events of cultured fishes. Unlike Megalocytiviruses, however, ''Ranavirus'' infections in amphibians have been implicated as a contributing factor in the global decline of amphibian populatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lymphocystivirus
''Lymphocystivirus'' is a genus of viruses, in the family ''Iridoviridae''. Fish serve as natural hosts. There are four species in this genus. Diseases associated with this genus include: tumor-like growths on the skin. Hosts ''Lymphocystivirus'' is one of six genera of viruses within the viral family ''Iridoviridae'', and one of three genera within this family which infect teleost fishes, along with '' Megalocytivirus'' and ''Ranavirus''. Lymphocystiviruses infect more than 140 freshwater and marine species, spanning at least 42 host families worldwide, causing the chronic, self-limiting clinical disease, lymphocystis. While lymphocystis does not cause mass mortality events like megalocytiviruses and ranaviruses, fish with lymphocystis exhibit grossly visible papilloma-like skin lesions which substantially reduce their commercial value. No vaccines are currently available for lymphocystis viruses. Taxonomy The genus contains the following species: * ''Lymphocystis disease vir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Megalocytivirus
''Megalocytivirus'' is a genus of viruses in the family ''Iridoviridae'' and one of three genera within this family which infect teleost fishes, along with ''Lymphocystivirus'' and ''Ranavirus''. Megalocytiviruses are an emerging group of closely related dsDNA viruses which cause systemic infections in a wide variety of wild and cultured fresh and saltwater fishes. Megalocytivirus outbreaks are of considerable economic importance in aquaculture, as epizootics can result in moderate fish loss or mass mortality events of cultured fishes.Yanong RPE, Waltzek TB (2010). "Megalocytivirus infections in fish, with emphasis on ornamental species." University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension FA182 1-7. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa182 http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FA/FA18200.pdf Taxonomy The family ''Iridoviridae'' is divided into seven genera, including '' Chloriridovirus'', ''Iridovirus'', ''Lymphocystivirus'', ''Megalocytivirus'', '' Daphniairidov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Transmission Electron Micrograph
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a microscopy technique in which a beam of electrons is transmitted through a specimen to form an image. The specimen is most often an ultrathin section less than 100 nm thick or a suspension on a grid. An image is formed from the interaction of the electrons with the sample as the beam is transmitted through the specimen. The image is then magnified and focused onto an imaging device, such as a fluorescent screen, a layer of photographic film, or a sensor such as a scintillator attached to a charge-coupled device. Transmission electron microscopes are capable of imaging at a significantly higher resolution than light microscopes, owing to the smaller de Broglie wavelength of electrons. This enables the instrument to capture fine detail—even as small as a single column of atoms, which is thousands of times smaller than a resolvable object seen in a light microscope. Transmission electron microscopy is a major analytical method i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chytridiomycosis
Chytridiomycosis ( ) is an infectious disease in amphibians, caused by the chytrid fungi '' Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis'' and '' Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans''. Chytridiomycosis has been linked to dramatic population declines or extinctions of amphibian species in western North America, Central America, South America, eastern Australia, east Africa (Tanzania), and Dominica and Montserrat in the Caribbean. Much of the New World is also at risk of the disease arriving within the coming years. The fungus is capable of causing sporadic deaths in some amphibian populations and 100% mortality in others. No effective measure is known for control of the disease in wild populations. Various clinical signs are seen by individuals affected by the disease. A number of options are possible for controlling this disease-causing fungus, though none has proved to be feasible on a large scale. The disease has been proposed as a contributing factor to a global decline in amphibi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Terrapene Carolina Carolina
The eastern box turtle (''Terrapene carolina carolina'') is a subspecies within a group of hinge-shelled turtles normally called box turtles. ''T. c. carolina'' is native to the eastern part of the United States. The eastern box turtle is a subspecies of the Common box turtle, common box turtle (''Terrapene carolina''). While in the pond turtle family, Emydidae, and not a tortoise, the box turtle is largely terrestrial. Box turtles are slow crawlers, extremely long-lived, and slow to mature and have relatively few offspring per year. These characteristics, along with a propensity to get hit by cars and agricultural machinery, make all box turtle species particularly susceptible to Human impact on the environment, anthropogenic, or human-induced, mortality. In 2011, citing "a widespread persistent and ongoing gradual decline of ''Terrapene carolina'' that probably exceeds 32% over three generations", the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) downgraded its ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iberolacerta Monticola
The Iberian rock lizard (''Iberolacerta monticola'') is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Portugal and Spain. Its natural habitats are mountain forests, shrubland, rivers and rocky areas. It is threatened by habitat loss. Description The Iberian rock lizard measures about from snout to vent with a long, slender tail twice as long again. It is somewhat flattened with finely boned, short limbs. The colour varies in different parts of its range. The general colour is a light brown/green color variously patterned with longitudinal bands of colour or longitudinal rows of dots and small patches. Unlike some other wall lizards, the stripe along the spine is less dark than other bands. Most, but not all, individuals have a distinctive green belly and the juveniles may have blue tails. A 2008 field study reported the underparts of Iberian rock lizards turn green with maturity, and the upperparts gradually turn green as the lizard ages further. Distrib ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gopherus Polyphemus
The gopher tortoise (''Gopherus polyphemus'') is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide shelter for at least 360 other animal species. ''G. polyphemus'' is threatened by predation and habitat destruction. The gopher tortoise is a representative of the genus ''Gopherus'', which contains the only tortoises native to North America. The gopher tortoise is the state reptile of Georgia and the state tortoise of Florida. Etymology The specific name, ''polyphemus'', refers to the cave-dwelling giant, Polyphemus, of Greek mythology. Gopher tortoises are so named because of some species' habit of digging large, deep burrows like the gopher. Description The gopher tortoise is a fairly large terrestrial reptile which possesses forefeet well adapted for burrowing, and elephantine hind feet. These features are common to most tortoises. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geochelone Pardalis
The leopard tortoise (''Stigmochelys pardalis'') is a large and attractively marked tortoise found in the savannas of eastern and southern Africa, from Sudan to the southern Cape. It is the only extant member of the genus ''Stigmochelys'', although in the past, it was commonly placed in ''Geochelone''. This tortoise is a grazing species that favors semiarid, thorny to grassland habitats. In both very hot and very cold weather, it may dwell in abandoned fox, jackal, or aardvark holes. The leopard tortoise does not dig other than to make nests in which to lay eggs. Given its propensity for grassland habitats, it grazes extensively upon mixed grasses. It also favors succulents and thistles. Taxonomy and etymology The phylogenic placement of the leopard tortoise has been subject to several revisions. Different authors have placed it in ''Geochelone'' (1957), ''Stigmochelys'' (2001), ''Centrochelys'' (2002), and ''Psammobates'' (2006). More recently, consensus appears to have settled on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geochelone Platynota
The Burmese star tortoise (''Geochelone platynota'') is a critically endangered tortoise species, native to the dry, deciduous forests of Myanmar (Burma). It is close to extinction in Myanmar, as it is eaten by the native Burmese. Description The Burmese star tortoise has radiating star-shaped patterns on its strongly domed carapace. It has bumps on its shell that look like stars. This tortoise can easily be distinguished from the more common Indian star tortoise by comparing the plastrons of the two species. Conservation The Burmese star tortoise is considered critically endangered by the IUCN. However it is still commonly eaten and is exported to food markets in neighbouring China. One recent expedition in Burma searched for the species in its habitat for 400 hours with specially trained dogs and five volunteers, and only found five tortoises. It is on CITES Appendix I, commercial trade in wild-caught specimens is illegal (permitted only in exceptional licensed circumstanc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chondropython Viridis
The green tree python (''Morelia viridis'') is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is native to New Guinea, some islands in Indonesia, and the Cape York Peninsula in Australia. First described by Hermann Schlegel in 1872, it was known for many years as ''Chondropython viridis''. As its common name suggests, it is a bright green snake that can reach a total length (including tail) of and a weight of , with females slightly larger and heavier than males. Living generally in trees, the green tree python mainly hunts and eats small reptiles and mammals. It is a popular pet, and numbers in the wild have suffered with large-scale smuggling of wild-caught green tree pythons in Indonesia. Despite this, the green tree python is rated as least concern on the IUCN Red List of endangered species. Taxonomy German naturalist Hermann Schlegel described the green tree python in 1872 as ''Python viridis'', from two specimens collected in the Aru Islands of Indonesia. His cou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pickerel Frog
The pickerel frog (''Lithobates palustris'', formerly ''Rana palustris'') is a small North American frog, characterized by the appearance of seemingly "hand-drawn" squares on its dorsal surface. Distinguishing features The pickerel frog is a medium sized gray or tan frog marked with seven to twenty-one irregular rectangular dark brown spots which are oriented in two columns down its back.Who is the Pickerel Frog. http://people.wcsu.edu/ The distinctive rectangular spots of the pickerel frog may blend together to form a long rectangle along the back. All leopard frogs have circular spots. In addition, pickerel frogs have prominent dorsolateral ridges that are unbroken. Another important distinguishing mark is the orange or yellow flash pattern found on the inner surface of the hind legs of pickerel frogs. The frog must be picked up to examine this, as the legs cover the coloration otherwise. The plains leopard frog (''Lithobates blairi'') exhibits this coloration as well, but th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Bullfrog
The American bullfrog (''Lithobates catesbeianus''), often simply known as the bullfrog in Canada and the United States, is a large true frog native to eastern North America. It typically inhabits large permanent water bodies such as swamps, ponds, and lakes. Bullfrogs can also be found in man made habitats such as pools, koi ponds, canals, ditches and culverts. The bullfrog gets its name from the sound the male makes during the breeding season, which sounds similar to a bull bellowing. The bullfrog is large and is commonly eaten throughout its range, especially in the southern United States where they are plentiful. Their presence as a food source has led to bullfrogs being distributed around the world outside of their native range. Bullfrogs have been introduced into the Western United States, South America, Western Europe, China, Japan, and southeast Asia. In these places they are invasive species due to their voracious appetite and the large number of eggs they produc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
