哥伦比亚发现新品种青蛙
文章来源:未知 文章作者:meng 发布时间:2010-11-17 06:08 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
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A search for frogs believed to be extinct has instead led scientists to discover some new ones.

科学家们在搜寻可能已经灭绝的青蛙的时候意外发现一些新品种。

Life without <a href=larvae1: this tiny toad2 apparently3 needs no tadpole4 stage" src="http://www.enread.com/upimg/allimg/101117/4_101117061249_1.jpg" width="304" height="304" />
Life without larvae: this tiny toad apparently needs no tadpole stage

Three species hitherto(迄今) unknown to science have been found in Colombia.

They include a poison-secreting rocket frog and two toads5(蟾蜍) . All three are tiny and tend to be most active in daytime, which is unusual for amphibians7(两栖动物) .

However, the same expedition to Colombia failed to find the species it was hoping to rediscover, the Mesopotamia beaked8(有喙的,鸟嘴状的) toad.

The disappointment provoked by that non-discovery turned to glee(快乐,欢欣) when the conservation scientists came across the three new species.

The 3-4cm red-eyed toad, discovered at an altitude of 2,000m, evoked9 particular fascination10.

"I have never seen a toad with such vibrant11 red eyes," said Robin12 Moore from Conservation International, the scientist who set up the rediscovery project.

"This trait is highly unusual for amphibians, and its discovery offers us a terrific opportunity to learn more about how and why it adapted this way."

The other new toad is also tiny - less than 2cm long - with a beak-shaped head that Dr Moore compared to the snout(鼻子,猪嘴) of Montgomery Burns, the villain13 of The Simpsons TV series.

George Meyer, a long-time Simpsons writer and amphibian6 enthusiast14, commented: "The toad's imperious(专横的,迫切的) profile and squinty15(斜视的) eyes indeed look like Monty Burns."

The reason why it has not been identified previously16 is probably because the species skips the tadpole(蝌蚪) stage, instead producing toadlets that resemble the fallen leaves of the forest floor in which they live.

The third newcomer is a rocket frog, a member of the poison dart17 family - though not as poisonous as many of its cousins.

The amphibian search, co-ordinated by Conservation International along with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, began in August and is the first co-ordinated attempt to look for species believed to be extinct.

Expeditions have been mounted in 19 countries in search of 100 lost species.

So far, three have been found: a Mexican salamander not seen since its discovery in 1941, a frog from the Ivory Coast last observed in 1967, and another frog from Democratic Republic of Congo not seen since 1979.

Despite the discoveries and rediscoveries, the team emphasises that overall, the global outlook for amphibians is still bleak18.

The remainder of species targeted by the current search have remained undetected, suggesting that they are indeed extinct.

And the latest Red List of Threatened Species, released during the UN biodiversity summit last month, put 41% of amphibians on the danger list, with most of the threats continuing to intensify19.



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1 larvae w2CxP     
n.幼虫
参考例句:
  • Larvae are parasitic on sheep.幼虫寄生在绵羊的身上。
  • The larvae prey upon small aphids.这种幼虫以小蚜虫为食。
2 toad oJezr     
n.蟾蜍,癞蛤蟆
参考例句:
  • Both the toad and frog are amphibian.蟾蜍和青蛙都是两栖动物。
  • Many kinds of toad hibernate in winter.许多种蟾蜍在冬天都会冬眠。
3 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
4 tadpole GIvzw     
n.[动]蝌蚪
参考例句:
  • As a tadpole changes into a frog,its tail is gradually absorbed.蝌蚪变成蛙,它的尾巴就逐渐被吸收掉。
  • It was a tadpole.Now it is a frog.它过去是蝌蚪,现在是一只青蛙。
5 toads 848d4ebf1875eac88fe0765c59ce57d1     
n.蟾蜍,癞蛤蟆( toad的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • All toads blink when they swallow. 所有的癞蛤蟆吞食东西时都会眨眼皮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Toads have shorter legs and are generally more clumsy than frogs. 蟾蜍比青蛙脚短,一般说来没有青蛙灵活。 来自辞典例句
6 amphibian mwHzx     
n.两栖动物;水陆两用飞机和车辆
参考例句:
  • The frog is an amphibian,which means it can live on land and in water.青蛙属于两栖动物,也就是说它既能生活在陆地上也能生活在水里。
  • Amphibian is an important specie in ecosystem and has profound meaning in the ecotoxicology evaluation.两栖类是生态系统中的重要物种,并且对环境毒理评价有着深远意义。
7 amphibians c4a317a734a700eb6f767bdc511c1588     
两栖动物( amphibian的名词复数 ); 水陆两用车; 水旱两生植物; 水陆两用飞行器
参考例句:
  • The skin of amphibians is permeable to water. 两栖动物的皮肤是透水的。
  • Two amphibians ferry them out over the sands. 两辆水陆两用车把他们渡过沙滩。
8 beaked 42b0b2b670f3394bbb13dd099d16f8ae     
adj.有喙的,鸟嘴状的
参考例句:
  • A Fox invited a long-beaked Stork to have dinner with him. 狐狸请长嘴鹳同他一起吃饭。 来自互联网
  • Most of the other fossils come from rhynchosaurs (parrot-beaked reptiles). 其他大部分化石来自剪嘴龙(嘴像鹦鹉的爬行动物)。 来自互联网
9 evoked 0681b342def6d2a4206d965ff12603b2     
[医]诱发的
参考例句:
  • The music evoked memories of her youth. 这乐曲勾起了她对青年时代的回忆。
  • Her face, though sad, still evoked a feeling of serenity. 她的脸色虽然悲伤,但仍使人感觉安详。
10 fascination FlHxO     
n.令人着迷的事物,魅力,迷恋
参考例句:
  • He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
  • His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。
11 vibrant CL5zc     
adj.震颤的,响亮的,充满活力的,精力充沛的,(色彩)鲜明的
参考例句:
  • He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
  • She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。
12 robin Oj7zme     
n.知更鸟,红襟鸟
参考例句:
  • The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
  • We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟,知道春天要到了。
13 villain ZL1zA     
n.反派演员,反面人物;恶棍;问题的起因
参考例句:
  • He was cast as the villain in the play.他在戏里扮演反面角色。
  • The man who played the villain acted very well.扮演恶棍的那个男演员演得很好。
14 enthusiast pj7zR     
n.热心人,热衷者
参考例句:
  • He is an enthusiast about politics.他是个热衷于政治的人。
  • He was an enthusiast and loved to evoke enthusiasm in others.他是一个激情昂扬的人,也热中于唤起他人心中的激情。
15 squinty c2feeafb7e5a6a90aae7f0a4c93211de     
斜视眼的,斗鸡眼的
参考例句:
  • He looked with squinty eyes. 他眼睛斜视。
  • Her eyes were squinty andflaring, as though about to dispense tissues through the nose. 她被触怒了,七窍生烟,仿佛真的要从鼻子下分发纸巾一般。
16 previously bkzzzC     
adv.以前,先前(地)
参考例句:
  • The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
  • Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿,解释原先发生了什么。
17 dart oydxK     
v.猛冲,投掷;n.飞镖,猛冲
参考例句:
  • The child made a sudden dart across the road.那小孩突然冲过马路。
  • Markov died after being struck by a poison dart.马尔科夫身中毒镖而亡。
18 bleak gtWz5     
adj.(天气)阴冷的;凄凉的;暗淡的
参考例句:
  • They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
  • The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。
19 intensify S5Pxe     
vt.加强;变强;加剧
参考例句:
  • We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
  • They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻,保卫我国的领空。
TAG标签: species toad frogs
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