Animals

Reindeer Can Sleep While Chewing

By Laura Sanders on December 22, 2023

A recent study reveals that reindeer can sleep while chewing. This ability is unique in the animal kingdom. The study suggests that reindeer are able to relax and sleep during the chewing process, which helps them conserve energy and feed effectively.

Endangered Species Act Turns 50. Has It Succeeded in Its Mission?

By Briana Randall on December 22, 2023

The Endangered Species Act celebrates its 50th anniversary. But has this law succeeded in protecting wildlife and conserving biodiversity? This question arises amid the ongoing threats to endangered species and the degradation of natural habitats.

These Scientific Discoveries Broke Records in 2023

By Maria Timming on December 21, 2023

The year 2023 witnessed many remarkable scientific discoveries that broke records. These discoveries span various fields such as physics, chemistry, biology, and astronomy. They have contributed to expanding our knowledge and understanding of the natural world and the universe around us.

How to Give a Good Gift According to Science

By Sugata Gupta on December 22, 2023

Science reveals that there are specific ways to help you choose a good gift. Studies have shown that there are psychological and scientific factors that influence the value of a gift and its impact on the recipient. By using this knowledge, you can enhance your chances of selecting a special and well-received gift for the person you are giving it to.

These Scientific Discoveries Broke Records in 2023

By Maria Timming on December 21, 2023

The year 2023 witnessed many remarkable scientific discoveries that broke records. These discoveries span various fields such as physics, chemistry, biology, and astronomy. They have contributed to expanding our knowledge and understanding of the natural world and the universe around us.

These Major Scientific Claims Could Make Headlines in 2023

By Maria Timming on December 15, 2023

The year 2023 saw many major scientific claims that, if proven true, would attract significant attention. These claims involve exciting topics such as strange solar lights and their effects on complex physics, the impact of features beneath Thwaites Ice Shelf on its flow into the ocean, and the influence of invisible mucus tails on slowing marine ice melt.

STEVE and Other Aurora-like Lights Puzzle Scientists with Their Complex Physics

By Maria Timming on December 20, 2023

STEVE and other aurora-like lights puzzle scientists with their complex physics. These strange lights have been recorded in the sky and raise questions about their nature and causes. They serve as inspiration for scientists to study physics and understand natural phenomena in the universe.

Subglacial Features Could Help Slow the Flow of Thwaites Ice Shelf into the Ocean

By Nick Ogasawara on December 19, 2023

Studies indicate that the presence of subglacial features beneath Thwaites Ice Shelf could help slow its flow into the ocean. These features act as natural barriers that reduce the speed of ice movement, consequently decreasing the rate of melting and its impact on rising sea levels. This discovery could have significant implications for climate change studies and future predictions of sea level rise.

Invisible Comet Tails Slow Marine Ice Melt

By Emily Konover on December 18, 2023

Studies suggest that invisible comet tails slow down marine ice melt. It has been discovered that the presence of comet tails made of mucus helps slow down marine ice melt and affects food distribution in the oceans. This discovery may contribute to understanding the role of comets in marine ecosystems and their impact on marine life.

A Rebel Physicist Builds a Case for Discarding Quantum Gravity

By

Emily Konofor on December 8, 2023

A rebellious physicist is building a case for getting rid of quantum gravity. This proposal challenges the current theory of physics and raises questions about the nature of gravity and how to interpret it. This proposal could have a significant impact on the field of physics and our understanding of the universe and its laws.

Strange Entities May Be the Only Amphibians with Venomous Bites

By Christie Wilcox on July 3, 2020

New research suggests that strange entities may be the only amphibians with venomous bites. A recent study found that these entities contain glands near their teeth that secrete venom. This discovery is important for understanding biodiversity and evolution in the animal world.

The strange entities resemble snakes but new studies suggest that they may also be capable of delivering a venomous bite. This study raises the possibility that strange entities are the first amphibians discovered to possess the ability to deliver a venomous bite.

Pedro Mailho-fontana, a developmental biologist at the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, has been studying strange entities for several years, particularly the glands in their skin. He helped show that these animals have separate glands for secreting mucus on their heads and venom on their tails.

However, one day in early 2018, while dissecting the skin of a dead strange entity for a better look at its mucus glands, Mailho-fontana saw something that made his hair stand on end: large glands in the animal’s upper and lower jaws containing ducts leading to its teeth.

Mailho-fontana, along with fellow evolutionary biologists Marta Antoniozzi and Carlos Jared also at the Butantan Institute, began characterizing these unexpected oral glands in several species of strange entities using standard and electron microscopes. Perhaps the most impressive finding is that the glands arise from tooth tissues. This is similar to venom glands in snakes, but is new for amphibians.

The team also conducted preliminary chemical tests on the fluid within the new glands, discovering it contained phospholipase A2 enzymes, a large group of fat-splitting proteins that are recurring components in animal venoms. However, the work was halted before it was conclusively shown that the animals are venomous.

Venoms are not completely foreign to amphibians; some use bony protrusions to inflict wounds on attackers and deliver skin-derived toxins in this way. Jared and colleagues previously discovered the only known poisonous frogs (SN: 8/6/15). However, Jared notes that these amphibians cannot inject their toxins, relying instead on attackers pressing against their sharp points.

The oral glands of strange entities do not appear to assist in injecting secretions either. The team found no tubes or grooves in the teeth that could facilitate the delivery of fluid. Instead, the glands seem to operate more similarly to the venom systems of other venomous reptiles: the glands simply secrete the fluids onto the teeth, which enter the victim when the teeth tear flesh.

Animals that resemble snakes seem to have a venomous bite even if it somewhat resembles a snake’s bite, and this is not a coincidence according to Antoniozzi. “We believe this has to do with the fact that they have similar body shapes,” she says. With no limbs to grasp prey, both strange entities and snakes benefit from having chemical weapons in their mouths.

The teeth of strange entities and their associated glands are “extremely impressive,” according to Karthik Sonegar, a developmental biologist at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, who compares them to “something out of a science fiction movie.” However, it remains unclear whether the secretions of the glands are truly venomous and play a functional role in feeding or defense, according to Sonegar.

He says

Sonagar tracking the genes that are turned on or off in oral glands compared to venom glands in the tail or other tissues can provide a better understanding of the content of saliva secretions and whether they are unique to these glands. The team hopes to provide further evidence that these amphibians are toxic soon, including a detailed analysis of the components of the oral glands, which will highlight these mysterious and poorly studied animals. Jared states that the strange entities are “perhaps the least known vertebrates” and that “this project has opened the door to future studies.”

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This article was published in the August 1, 2020 issue of Science News.

References:

P. Mailho-Fontana et al. Morphological evidence for an oral venom system in caecilian amphibians. iScience. Published online July 3, 2020. doi:10.1016/j.isci.2020.101234.

C. Jared et al. Skin gland concentrations adapted to different evolutionary pressures in the head and posterior regions of the caecilian Siphonops annulatus. Scientific Reports. Vol. 8, February 23, 2018. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-22005-5.

Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/caecilians-amphibians-venomous-bites