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Toads married in Hindu ceremony to appease rain gods KHOCHAKANDAR, India (Reuters) -- Two giant toads were married in a traditional Hindu ceremony in eastern India at the weekend by villagers hoping to appease the rain gods and end a dry spell. Some 400 people cheered and blew conches as women put streaks of vermilion on the female toad's head while a band played music and priests solemnized the marriage to the chanting of Hindu hymns.The toads were picked up from separate ponds, dressed in bright red clothes and brought to the marriage venue in a decorated palanquin in Khochakandar...

BERLIN — More than 1,000 toads have puffed up and exploded in a Hamburg pond in recent weeks, and German scientists still have no explanation for what's causing the combustion, an official said Wednesday. Both the pond's water and body parts of the toads have been tested, but scientists have been unable to find a bacteria or virus that would cause the toads to swell up and pop, said Janne Kloepper, of the Hamburg-based Institute for Hygiene and the Environment. "It's absolutely strange," she said. "We have a really unique story here in Hamburg. This phenomenon really doesn't seem to...

Ozone at concentrations found in urban air pollution is known to have significant physiological effects on humans and other mammals. Exposure of the lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis, to 0.6 ppm ozone for 4 h at 25°C induced 1.6°C of behavioral hypothermia immediately following exposure, but selected body temperature recovered to control 35.3°C the next day. Lizards exposed at 35°C to 0.6 ppm ozone for 4 h selected body temperatures 1.9°C below controls after exposure, and the behavioral hypothermic response persisted and increased to 3.3°C the following day. Four-hour exposures of the frog, Pseudacris cadaverina, to 0.2 to 0.8 ppm ozone resulted...

Amphibians face a bleak future Worldwide survey reveals a third of all species are in danger.The world's frogs, newts and toads are dying. They are being over-harvested for food, their homes are being destroyed, and most worryingly, entire species are disappearing for no apparent reason. That is the conclusion of more than 500 herpetologists around the world, reported in Science today. Although it has been known for some time that many amphibian species are in trouble, this is the first global assessment of the group's status. Similar surveys of mammals and birds have been completed, and they were not short...

Out of curiousity I am taking a survey. I am hoping to get a large sample to compare. Yes, I am even doing this without a government grant. Two questions : (1) What is your political affiliation? (2) What is your favorite pet? Cats, dogs, or something else (please be specific).