"Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder.."

Fowler Toad (Anaxyrus Fowleri)

Class: Amphibia

Order: Anura

Family: Bufonidae

Genus: Anaxyrus

Species: A. Fowleri

 The Fowler Toad is usually a brown, grey, olive green and rust red in color with darkened warty spots.. If the toad has a pale sripe on its back it is an adult .. Like the one shown above..
Their belly is whitish except for one dark spot which I was unable to get a picture of as I didn't want to disturb of cause any distress to this Amphibian ..
Toads are usually about 5 to 9 cm in length..

Reproduction:
When the male finds a mate the pair will initiate "amplexus" and up to 7,000 to 10,000 eggs will be fertilized.. They hatch within 2 to 7 days...

This toad has many predators that include species of Snakes, Birds and other small mammals.. It secretes a compound from the warts on its back that is distasteful to its predators and sometimes is lethal to small mammals who try to feast on this toad..
The toad is also known to play dead which I did not experience in my observation of this amphibian but as I said I tend to try to cause as little distress by only observing it or carefully locating it into an open container that I can observe it better in..

These toads love open woodlands, sand prairies , meadows and beaches but they definitely love back yards here in Michigan..
The adults of this species of Toad eats insects and other small terrestrial invertebrates, It will not eat earthworms, Unlike the American Toad the tadpoles of an Fowler Toad scrapes algae and bacterial mats from rocks and plants using the tooth like structures in its mouth..

This toad is at risk in locations of Ontario, Canada..

I have to say out of the many frogs and toads I've seen since I was little and playing in mud that I've observed this has to be the best one I've come across, It's spotting on its back created a perfect camoflauge in my backyard for this animal, It made it very hard for me to keep track of it while I kept track of observing the smaller, Fowler Toad that was not far behind to what I assumed would be its mother (pictured above)..
I also noticed when I had located into a large bucket we have in our backyard that this amphibian was a magnificent and determined climber, Its sticky toes clung onto the sides of the bucket and it eventually climbed its way out of the bucket..
Unfortunately the photographs of the smaller Fowler Toad did not turn out ...

Some information I studied off of Wikipedia and the others were my own observations...

Thank You for visiting Be Aware 4 Wildlife!

New Black Bear Michigan Education Program!

Black Bear education program - Michigan - Grades 6-8

My mom recently came across this article in our local newspaper so I thought I would share for parents who can suggest to the schools or teachers about having their children from grades 6-8 learn about A Year in the Life of a Michigan Black Bear throughout their entire 2014-15 school year!

As a child I was the type to go play in the mud, carry worms, save frogs, turtles and snakes and when I was given the chance to hold a baby bear I was right there waiting for my turn. Wildlife education is something we CANNOT give up on teaching children, whether schools teach them or not it is also our responsibility to make sure these animals and children have that feel of adventure as we did as kids...

Picture taken at Devos Place Hunting expo, Grand Rapids, MI by the Kenney Family

The article is listed below:

"The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife Division is offering a fun way for educators to integrate Michigan's unique flora and fauna into their curriculum while still meeting the required educational standards. Teachers and their students now have an opportunity to experience A Year in the Life of a Michigan black bear, general black bear biology behavior, and how the DNR manages and maintains a healthy black bear population. An educator guide with activities and video lessons will be provided. Classes also will have the chance to "follow" a black bear by using actual data points from a radio-collared bear to track it through its seasonal movements and see what a year in a bear's life is really like.
This program is free of charge and open to all interested educators of grades 6,7, and 8.
Classes will need access to a computer lab and the internet in order to see the mapping application to follow the bear.
Educators also will need access to the internet (YouTube) in their classrooms as well as a projector to make it easier for all students to see the video lessons.
Classrooms that participate in the program will be eligible to enter the Year in the Life of a Bear contest, where students can use what they learned to tell the story of a year in the life of a Michigan black bear. Students can choose to retell the actural journey of the bear they followed or get creative and use the information to interpret a typical bear's yearly activities. Contest winners will be awarded prizes, provided by the Michigan Bear Hunters Association and the DNR, for their classrooms.
Prizes are limited to one per school.

For more information and to sign up, please visit www.michigan.gov/wildlife and click on the "Education" button. Applications are due by Aug 1. in order to receive the materials for the upcoming school year."

Steve Irwin Nature Reserve Could have possible cure for Cancer!

Steve Irwin Nature Reserve may hold flora that can lead to the cure for Cancer! 

Terri Irwin explains in a recent interview to Onya Magazine how Steve Irwins Nature Reserve with its many acres of thousands of flora in Cape York could hold a cure for cancer.. It has been seven years since the passing of Steve Irwin but his legacy continues to live on through Wildlife Conservation through Australia Zoo, Nature Reserves and Wildlife Warriors around the globe who were inspired by his enthusiatic approach to teaching and educating others about how to preserve nature and wildlife...

Please continue to Onya Magazine to read the full interview of Terri and Bindi Irwin about the possibility of a cure for cancer and how Australia plans to protect the Steve Irwin Nature Reserve from mining forever! 

Daughter Bindi Irwin also has made countless appearances and has made a name for herself on television aswell like her father, This young lady works and lives everyday spreading the message her father spread about Wildlife Conservation. She is only 15 and is making such a huge impact with her family

“As I get older, I’d like to tackle bigger issues facing our world today, like human overpopulation and the non-consumptive use of wildlife. If we don’t stop talking about them, there will never be positive change.

Read more at http://www.showbizspy.com/article/265700/bindi-irwin-spreading-her-fathers-message.html#vfO5jSCqlyjh4QVM.99

The Irwin Legacy continues to live on through Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin please visit and help out any way you can at

Australia Zoo

"I believe that education is all about being excited about something, Seeing passion and

enthusiasm helps push an educational message."

-Steve Irwin 

New Species of River Dolphin discovered in the Amazon!

A team of scientists from the Federal University of Amazonas in Manaus, Brazil have discovered a new species of freshwater river dolphin in the Amazon, the BBC reports. The small group of dolphins was living in the Araguaian basin, where they were assumed to be Amazon river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) that had broken off from the larger population.
Not so, the scientists reported in the journal Plos One. DNA tests showed that the population of dolphins were genetically distinct from their dolphin cousins and that the species likely diverged more than two million years ago.
River dolphins are extremely rare, and the Araguaian Boto is the first new species to be discovered since 1918, when scientists found the Yangtze river dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer) in China.
The Yangtze river dolphin became extinct in 2006, and the Araguaian Boto population faces its own threats. The scientists who discovered the new dolphin remembered that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classify the new species as "vulnerable."

 

Read more about the Yangtze river Dolphin at Globalpost

Facts & Threats of The Wolf: Help Save them from Future Extinction

Facts Of The Wolf:
www.defenders.org
BASIC FACTS ABOUT GRAY WOLVES

Gray Wolf © John Eastcott / National Geographic Stock

Diet

Wolves eat ungulates, or large hoofed mammals, like elk, deer, moose and caribou. Wolves are also known to eat beaver, rabbits and other small prey. Wolves are also scavengers and often eat animals that have died due to other causes like starvation and disease.

Population

There are an estimated 7,000 to 11,200 wolves in Alaska and more than 5,000 in the lower 48 states. Around the world there are an estimated 200,000 in 57 countries, compared to up to 2 million in earlier times.

Range

Wolves were once common throughout all of North America but were killed in most areas of the United States by the mid 1930s. Today their range has been reduced to Canada and the following portions of the United States: Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Mexican wolves are found in New Mexico and Arizona.

Thanks to the reintroduction of wolves in 1995, Yellowstone National Park is one of the most favored places to see and hear wolves in the native habitat.

Behavior

Wolves live, travel and hunt in packs of 4-7 animals on average. Packs include the mother and father wolves, called the alphas, their pups and several other subordinate or young animals. The alpha female and male are the pack leaders that track and hunt prey, choose den sites and establish the pack's territory. Wolves develop close relationships and strong social bonds. They often demonstrate deep affection for their family and may even sacrifice themselves to protect the family unit.

Wolves have a complex communication system ranging from barks and whines to growls and howls. While they don't howl at the moon, they do howl more when it's lighter at night, which occurs more often when the moon is full.

More on Gray Wolf: Threats to Wolves »
Height: 26-32 inches (.7-.8m) at the shoulder.
Length: 4.5-6.5 feet (1.4-2m) from nose to tip of tail.
Weight: 55-130 lbs (25-59 kg); Males are typically heavier and taller than the females.
Lifespan: 7-8 years in the wild, but some have lived 10 years or more.

Threats to Wolves

The most common cause of death for wolves is conflict with people over livestock losses. While wolf predation on livestock is fairly uncommon, wolves that do prey on them are often killed to protect the livestock. Defenders is working with livestock owners to develop non-lethal methods to reduce the chances of a wolf attacking livestock. These methods include fencing livestock, lighting, alarm systems and removing dead or dying livestock that may attract carnivores like wolves.

Overall, the greatest threat to wolves is people's fear and misunderstanding about the species. Many fairy tales and myths tend to misrepresent wolves as villainous, dangerous creatures.

Government is starting to attempt to pass laws on hunting and gasing wolf cubs, this is harming to the numbers of future wolf populations: killing the young, kills the species.

Reasons for Hope

Defenders and many other conservation organizations have been working tirelessly on wolf conservation in North America, from aerial hunting in Alaska to restoration efforts in the lower 48 States. Wolves are an integral part of an ecosystem as a top tier predator and Defenders will continue to make sure this iconic symbol of America always has a place here.

October-December, 2013 - The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service held several public hearings on their proposal to delist most gray wolves in the U.S. And at each one, Defenders was there in force.
The latest articles about wildlife issues that may be of interest to those in the press.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), a truly landmark law that solidified our commitment to conserve our nation’s wildlife

Posted via Blogaway

Posted via Blogaway

Link to Animal news!

This link is the top 15 animal news of 2013 as we close out 2013 in about 8 days we look back at this year some good news, sad news, new discoveries & ideas of how to help and better ourselves..
Have a great New Year!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-24/animal-stories-from-2013-you-may-have-missed/5173368

Lily's Frog Pad / Howard Christiansen Nature Center

 www.lilysfrogpad.com

 Hello, I would like to post on here that a Center for Nature and Conservation education for children in school is going through hard times right now in my local area and would appreciate any help at this point.

Howard Christiansen Nature Center is a place where children can go on a field trip and learn about nature and their habitats aswell as how we can preserve and save forests to help better our and animals futures.

Many schools are starting to fall out in teaching children about animals and conservation. Children should have a place where they can go to use their senses and know for themselves about nature.

I have had the pleasure of walking and speaking to the guides who work at Howard Christiansen Nature Center about their jobs and how they feel about the childrens need of learning about nature and guiding them ...All of the guides were supportive and energetic in teaching the children and took the time to guide and help each child understand natures place... The guides are barely able to be paid minimum wages for their help because they all put so much in just keeping the bills paid..

Howard Christiansen Nature Center is asking for donations to help pay bills and help funding field trips.. College interns are placed to work here for extra credit hours aswell as volunteers, If the center is no longer open and available we will not have that as an option for college students and volunteers.

Please visit www.lilysfrogpad.com for further information on the nature center and how you can help create a better future for our children, teens and even adults ...

Thank You,

Sarah K.