Anesthetic Considerations for Amphibians

The popularity of amphibians in research, zoological exhibits, and as pets is on the rise. With this increased popularity comes a need for veterinarians to develop methods for managing these animals for various diagnostic and surgical procedures. For many of these procedures, the provision of anesthesia is a must. Fortunately, there are a number of different anesthetics available to the veterinary clinician for anesthetizing amphibians, including tricaine methanesulfonate, clove oil, propofol, isoflurane, and ketamine. In addition to the variety of anesthetics at our disposal, there is also a wider range of methods for delivering the anesthetics than are generally available for higher vertebrates, including immersion, topical, and intracoelomic routes of delivery. The purpose of this article is to review the different methods that can be used to successfully manage an amphibian patient through an anesthetic event.     

两栖爬行动物的异地保护

中国是世界上动植物种类最丰富的国家之一，但国内对野生两栖爬行动物的掠夺性利用还在发展；国内野生两栖爬行动物资源在这种疯狂的掠夺下已经接近枯竭，多数物种处于濒危状态。动物园作为野生动物异地保护的重要场所，饲养繁殖野生动物的最终目的是实现濒危物种的再引入，恢复野外种群数量．出于以上目的，动物园中两栖爬行动物的饲养管理方式有别于爬虫爱好者单纯的满足对宠物的要求和增殖牟利追求。这种区别不仅表现在选择动物种类方面，更多的体现在丰容概念的引入及工作方法的应用：营造合理的饲养环境、饲养环境小气候的周期性变化、设施的丰容、群体的调整、食物及供给方式的变化、对繁殖行为的鼓励等。这些丰容手段对保持两栖爬行动物的自然行为，从而保证动物的野外生存能力具有重要作用．     

两栖类动物肥大细胞生物学研究进展

文章对两栖类动物,特别是蛙科动物肥大细胞的个体发生、形态学、组织化学及其与外周神经和某些激素的关系及其生物学意义等进行了讨论。     

鸡公山自然保护区两栖爬行动物资源调查

2009年3～10月,对鸡公山自然保护区内的两栖爬行动物进行调查,结合文献资料,从两栖爬行动物组成、区系特点、地理分布等方面,总结了保护区两栖爬行动物的资源概况.结果表明,保护区共有两栖类2目6科15种,古北界2种(13.3％)、东洋界8种(53.4％)、广布型5种(33.3％).爬行类2目7科33种,古北界4种(12.1％)、东洋界21种(63.7％)、广布型8种(24.2％).古北界和东洋界种类丰富,区系表现出过渡性特性.     

Congenital Malformations of the Vertebral Column in Ancient Amphibians

Temnospondyls, the largest group of Palaeozoic and Mesozoic amphibians, primitively possess rhachitomous vertebrae with multipartite centra (consisting of one horse‐shoe‐shaped inter‐ and paired pleurocentra). In a group of temnospondyls, the stereospondyls, the intercentra became pronounced and disc‐like, whereas the pleurocentra were reduced. We report the presence of congenital vertebral malformations (hemi, wedge and block vertebrae) in Permian and Triassic temnospondyls, showing that defects of formation and segmentation in the tetrapod vertebral column represent a fundamental failure of somitogenesis that can be followed throughout tetrapod evolution. This is irrespective of the type of affected vertebra, that is, rhachitomous or stereospondylous, and all components of the vertebra can be involved (intercentrum, pleurocentrum and neural arch), either together or independently on their own. This is the oldest known occurrence of wedge vertebra and congenital block vertebra described in fossil tetrapods. The frequency of vertebral congenital malformations in amphibians appears unchanged from the Holocene.     

抚仙湖周边两栖动物栖息环境现状调查

对抚仙湖周围的主要入湖河流、人工湿地、湖滨带等两栖动物栖息的环境进行了调查,以揭示两栖动物与环境之间的关系.结果显示:抚仙湖周边两栖动物分布狭窄,无尾类相对丰富.其中人工湿地数量多,种类丰富;入湖河流中路歧河、尖山河等地数量多.两栖动物季节栖息范围的变化与栖息地的水质、植被、地形等密切相关,同时也受到人类活动的影响.     

两栖动物肝簇虫、锥虫的研究进展

肝簇虫和锥虫是通过昆虫媒介传播的两栖动物极易感染的两种血液寄生虫,且混合感染率极高,可导致两栖类种群数量下降,甚至灭绝。肝簇虫和锥虫分布范围广泛,脊椎动物多为易感动物,感染动物机体后,依靠吸收血液中的营养物质大量繁殖,释放大量毒素破坏红细胞和免疫系统,增加机体对其他传染性疾病的感染机率。另外肝簇虫和锥虫的传播媒介广泛存在于自然界,因此在给两栖动物带来严重危害的同时,也具有传播给人类的风险。本文针对两栖动物肝簇虫和锥虫形态特征、生活史、易感动物和地理分布、及其危害进行概述,以期唤起同行研究人员的重视,为血液寄生虫的相关研究提供参考。