A new iPhone application launched last night aims to enlist the help of the public in monitoring some of the most remote wildlife on the planet. Mobile phone users will be able to look for rare animals in their natural habitat, at any time of the day.

The Zoological Society of London, which has created the Instant WILD app, believes the system could revolutionise the way scientists track endangered species.

The app works by accessing motion-sensitive cameras that have been placed in clearings, watering holes and plains in Kenya, Sri Lanka and Mongolia. When an animal triggers the camera, the picture is sent to the app.

iPhone users can study the photographs and help ZSL to classify them. Jonathan Baillie, conservation director of ZSL, said it would usually take scientists days to go through the mass of pictures that are expected to be generated by the cameras.

Enbridge Inc.-contracted scientist Bob Doherty and three part-time helpers are still administering daily care to dozens of turtles that were rescued from the creek and river this spring and summer.

The turtles were too unhealthy to be released in time for winter hibernation, and will have to spend the winter in a small one-room heated facility near Historic Bridge Park in Emmett Township.

Throughout this summer's oil spill cleanup, turtles with oil on them were still being discovered, said Lisa Williams of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Some were cleaned in the field while others had to be taken into Doherty's wildlife center for care, Williams said.

In total, Doherty's team caught 4,200 turtles this year and checked them for oil, he said. Of those, 1,500 were cleaned. Others had damage to their shells from boats. About a dozen were recorded as dead.

The distinction would offer the current preserves additional ecological protection. But it would not stop visitors from enjoying activities currently allowed at some sites, like dog-walking, biking or horseback riding.

“We are saying we will abide by the state's guidelines for higher restrictions of what we do with the land, but that does not preclude people from enjoying it,” said Erik Neidy, the district's manager of natural resources. “It basically restricts all destructive uses to the trails.”

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Neidy said each area was chosen either because it already has trails and parking lots that should be contained or, conversely, has no trails or parking lots and forest preserve staff want to keep it that way.

“We've spent a lot of time and investment to make these areas high-quality, and this will allow us to preserve these areas into the future, not knowing what political pressures might be,” Neidy said.

In an effort to protect the Blanding’s turtle nests at the Michigan refuge from predators, namely raccoons, 93 eggs were collected from the nests and incubated for 49-80 days at Herpetological Resource and Management, which is a center near Jackson.

The hatchlings have been divided between the Detroit Zoo and HRM to begin a nurturing process called “head starting.”

“This is a good opportunity for us to do local conservation work on a species of special concern in Michigan,” said Jeff Jundt, the zoo’s curator of reptiles. “The incubation and nurturing process will serve as a temporary solution to help the species thrive until its native living conditions at Shiawassee can be stabilized.”

“TRAFFIC is alarmed at the massive increase in trade of these geckos. If the trade continues to mushroom, it could take years to repair the damage currently being inflicted on gecko populations,” said Chris R.Shepherd, TRAFFIC’s regional deputy director.

The geckos, popular as pets in Asia, have long been used as traditional medicine for illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, skin disease and cancer, the report said. Their carcasses are dried up and ground into powder for consumption. In some parts of Asia, Tokay wine or whisky is consumed to boost energy.

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Shepherd said the Tokay Gecko remained poorly protected by national legislation and called for the lizard to be protected under CITES, the international convention on endangered species, before it becomes extinct.

Reptile keepers at Bristol Zoo Gardens successfully hatched 17 baby Utila spiny-tailed iguanas - a species which is listed as critically endangered and was once considered to be one of the rarest iguanas in existence.

The eggs were laid after two young adult iguanas arrived at the zoo last year as a new breeding pair aiming to boost numbers of this species in captivity.

They were transferred to a temperature-controlled incubator for three months until hatching and then moved into a vivarium on display in the zoo's reptile house. Tim Skelton, curator of reptiles and amphibians at the zoo, said: "I'm thrilled that we have successfully hatched so many iguanas from the first clutch of eggs laid by our new female.

Six of the world’s most biologically diverse countries in the world are in Latin America. Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela and Peru cover 10 percent of the Earth’s surface, but are home to 70 percent of the planet’s mammal, bird, reptile, amphibians, insects and plants in the world.

South America alone has more than 40 percent of the world’s biodiversity and more than a quarter of its forests.

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These protected areas benefit the farming and fishing industries as well as tourism, said the report. Those areas have to fend off illegal occupation, logging, hydrological changes, pesticides, farming chemicals, fires, soil erosion, hunting and infrastructure projects, it added.

"With amphibians we have found that we can routinely obtain viable cells from a fresh biopsy, but they fail to thrive and divide, leaving us often unable to establish and freeze cell cultures," said Oliver Ryder, Ph.D., San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research director of genetics. "The question then is, how are we to know if there are viable cells in a tissue-pieced amphibian biopsy when we cannot grow the cells from a fresh biopsy?"

Thanks to a breakthrough achieved at the Institute for Conservation Research, the Mississippi gopher frog case provides proof that endangered amphibian cells can be grown and cells frozen from fresh or tissue-pieced and frozen biopsies.

The tissue-piecing technique has been used for some time with numerous species. In mammals, for example, scientists can mince a skin biopsy, treat it with cryoprotectant and freeze it. Later the tissue pieces can be thawed in a lab to establish a cell culture. But this method had not been previously successful with endangered amphibians until now.

Though the dunes sagebrush lizard’s habitat spans less than 2 percent of the entire oil-rich Permian Basin, industry-backed politicians Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) have asserted that protecting the lizard will shut down essentially all oil drilling, causing an economic catastrophe in New Mexico and Texas, as well as a nationwide oil shortage. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has called the claim false.

“Industry is trying to make the dunes sagebrush lizard into Godzilla, needlessly scaring citizens to score political points,” said Mark Salvo of WildEarth Guardians. “There is no reason to be afraid of this three-inch reptile.”

Australian zoologist and crocodile expert Dr. Adam Britton led the National Geographic team that measured the giant.

According to Britton in a videotaped interview with GMA News, Lolong's official measurement is 20 feet,three inches.

Previous erroneous reports in media had Lolong slightly longer.

Lolong was captured in the Agusan Marsh in September after reports of missing residents. Lolong now lives in a pen in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur where the sedated reptile was measured by National Geographic representatives shooting a documentary.

Britton will recommend to Guinness World Records the recognition of Lolong as the world’s biggest saltwater crocodile. Guinness representatives will no longer fly to the Philippines to measure Lolong and will depend instead on the results of Britton’s measurement.

"The closer we got to the net, we saw this large log in front of the net and pretty soon this log raises its head and parts of my net are dripping out of its teeth," he said.

"This was a five-metre crocodile that was bigger than our little boat, and he had the net well and truly wrapped around his jaw.

"He just blasted right through the net and tore this gigantic hole in the net, and of course I'm not catching any nursery fish with a hole.

Minister of Special Functions Tan Sri Datuk Adenan Satem, in his speech when officiating at the opening of the International Crocodile Conference here yesterday, assured his full support to Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) in carrying out the task and completing a comprehensive master plan.

Noting the importance of conservation as the fate of crocodiles was in the hands of humans, he said there was an urgent need to deal with the existing issues and problems.

"Unfortunately, the lives of our reptile friends depend on what we do. I, therefore hope that experts, scientists, management authorities and other stakeholders from across the world gathered here today could provide us with the recommendations, advice and assistance to come up with a long term management programme and resolution for human-crocodile co-existence," he said.

Adenan also mentioned the government’s concerns on wildlife and nature conservation, the reason why he had been given the task under the special functions to look after national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and nature reserves

I know what you are thinking, “PARASITES!!!! Aren’t all parasites just blood sucking, diarrhea making, nasty little critters????” Well, not completely. Many parasites and the hosts they infect have formed a special and unique "affair" over many, many generations. This could help a host build a strong immune system, helping the host to fight off other diseases and adapt really well to changing environments (Did you know that some human autoimmune diseases are caused by the LACK OF parasites?). What's amazing about parasites is that their dependency with their host and environment make them key biological symbols of human induced environmental catastrophes. They can tell a story that us humans wouldn't even know about if it weren't for them!!! For example, the explosion of nematode parasites in fishes after the Exxon Valdez oil spill gave a clearer picture how the oil spill was affecting the whole ecosystem. So in short- even though parasites may not be cute and cuddly, they can help us understand about an organisms’ immune system and the health of the environment which is EXTREMELY important in our rapidly changing world today

Celtic Biotech, founded in 2003 by businessmen John Reid and Dr Paul Reid, has developed a treatment for advanced cancer from a powerful protein found in rattlesnake venom.

The company will this week begin testing the drug, now known as CB24, on patients at the George Pompidou University Hospital, Paris, under the supervision of consultant cancer specialist Jacques Medioni.

Celtic Biotech expects the trials to last about a year. They are designed to highlight the therapeutic value and safety of the drug.

The Irish company discovered a protein in rattlesnake venom that causes malignant cancer cells to self-destruct, a process known as cell death.

Two independent studies, by the US National Cancer Institute and University of Texas MD Anderson cancer center, have confirmed the protein’s anti-cancer properties.

Dr. David Wilson has stockpiled venom from the fangs of up to 10 Australian funnel-webs for the two-year trial. His team will isolate up to 300 molecules in the venom and expose them to cancer cells to see how they react.

Wilson said spider venom contained molecules that have evolved to perform specific functions over millions of years. "They are designed to target very specific sites and we are hoping that some of these molecules target cancer cells."

The research was revealed Monday as Australians mark Pink Ribbon Day, which raises money for breast cancer prevention programs, support services and research.

Dr. Norelle Daly said the spider research, funded by the National Breast Cancer Foundation, was in its early stages. Venom molecules are used in chronic pain prevention, and scorpion venom has also been shown to bind to cancer cells in mice.

“I don’t want to traumatize the snake here, I’m going to be as gentle as I can,” Raugust said, as he pinned the first snake to the table with a metal tool and grasped it firmly behind the head.

With one snake and then the other, Raugust manipulated their heads so the exposed fangs hung over the edge of a small glass beaker.

“Right back here is where the venom sacs are,” Raugust said as he massaged the snakes’ heads to coax the venom out of them.

“The venom has all kinds of uses. They’re studying the venom to use on Parkinson’s, partial paralysis, and there’s an anti-coagulant in it so it keeps blood from clotting,” Raugust said. “They’re doing a lot of studies with venom because it has some interesting medicinal properties.”

The planets biodiversity has provided cures for many illnesses that affect mankind. Countless other cures are still waiting to be discovered! The dilemma is that a cure may only exist in a single population that may be restricted to a single mountain range or even canyon. As urban sprawl encroaches on more and more habitat we are losing local populations of flora and fauna at an alarming rate. Former Director-General of the World Health Oranization and former Prime Minister of Norway Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland summarized it best “The library of life is burning and we do not even know the titles of the books.” Simply put, we are losing our resources before we even know they exist! Currently venom has provided mankind with drugs that treat everything from heart attacks, strokes and sickle cell anemia, to high blood pressure, diabetes, and chronic pain.

Registered in 1978, the society, which had just 26 members in 1982-83, has grown with 328 Irula members. There are 250 licenced snake catchers and 108 of them are women. “We are happy that we also play an important role in helping the society,” said supervisor S Rajendran.

According to the society, the government had given them permission to catch only four types of poisonous snakes — Indian Cobra, Common Krait, Saw Scale Viper and Russell’s Viper. “Every year, we will be given an order by the government on the number of snakes we can catch. This year, we have been ordered to catch 2,000 snakes,” said Rajendran. “We have divided that number among our licenced members. For every snake caught, the catcher is paid accordingly. The rest of our members will catch rats to feed the snakes. We also extract red scorpion’s venom, but that is done only when we get orders.”

The Irula members say that the venom is extracted four times from a snake in 28 days. It is later taken to the lab and made to powder before being sold. Every time, an extraction is made, a mark is made on the snake for identification, so it is not again brought to the society before a certain period. “We make four marks on the snake. After that, we release it in the wild. Our members do not catch the same snake till it gets its new skin,” explained a member.

The Gladys Porter Zoo spoke for the crocodiles in early summer and the work began. An American alligator exhibit was targeted for renovation. Also, import permits needed to be applied for, and it was hoped that the permit would be granted and issued well before winter temperatures began to settle in.

The Division of Management Authority for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued import permits in late September, and the exhibit renovations are nearing completion. Next week, the U.S. Orinoco Crocodile Team will meet with the Canada Orinoco Crocodile Team, and the process of extracting the animals from their cramped quarters will begin. Once the crocodiles are secured and crated, the crew will drive straight through to Brownsville to keep transport time as short as possible. This is an extremely risky procedure for Blade and Suede, because when they struggle during capture, their muscles build up high levels of acid that does not process out quickly. That is why large crocodiles frequently die during – or shortly after – capture procedures.

Orinoco crocodiles are native to Venezuela and Colombia, South America. Due to extensive exploitation for their hides, they are the most endangered New World crocodilian, suffering a population decline of over 80 percent within the last three generations.

I can remember only one instance when Rom let me walk ahead of him in a forest. That was more than a decade ago in Havelock, Andaman Islands. It was mid-morning when I came upon a green snake on the path and I exclaimed, “Look!” Rom ordered urgently, “Catch it.” But by that time, the snake had whizzed past. A few minutes later, there was another snake on the path and I couldn't help myself. “Look,” I cried. An exasperated Rom demanded, “Instead of saying “Look,” why can't you jump on it first? I can always ‘look' later.”

Leaping on snakes is not hardwired into my reflexes and I was defensive. “Why do you have to go after every snake you see?” I demanded. “Can't you just watch it? Do tiger people catch every tiger they see?” He replied, “It's impossible to watch snakes like you would mammals. And the only way to identify the species is to catch and examine it.”

That's true. Many species look identical, while some species come in a range of colours and patterns. Hence herpetologists (those who study reptiles) do not usually trust the looks of a snake. If anyone had the temerity to describe, “I saw a brown snake with bands,” the experts would retort disdainfully, “There are so many; what's the scalation?”

It could be the start of long-term government research on what is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a "critically endangered" species.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will start a groundwork study next month on the population and distribution of crocodiles in the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in northeast Mindanao.

"This scientific study will hopefully provide us with the necessary baseline information on the abundance and area of concentration of crocodiles within the marsh, from which we will base our short term and long term management program for the crocodiles in the Agusan Marsh," said Environment Secretary Ramon Paje.

Hopefully, it will also be the beginning of a focused nationwide study that is long overdue for the Philippine crocodile.

The Chiricahua leopard frog, a five-inch, spotted amphibian of the American Southwest and northern Mexico, is poised to receive 11,467 acres of protected critical habitat -- a few crucial wet areas, in a dry region, where the frog's survival will be a high priority.

Unfortunately, the government has omitted from its critical habitat proposal some of the homes of Chiricahua leopard frogs in the vicinity of a gargantuan, proposed open-pit copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains of southern Arizona.The Center for Biological Diversity first filed a scientific petition to protect the Chiricahua leopard frog and its habitat in 1998. This petition documented the species' widespread declines in response to habitat destruction from urbanization, livestock grazing and other factors, as well as non-native species like bullfrogs and bass. Since then the threats to this beautiful amphibian have increased.