Titicaca Water Frog

Telmatobius culeus, commonly known as the Titicaca water frog, is a very large
and critically endangered species of frog in the family Telmatobiidae. It is
entirely aquatic and only found in Lake Titicaca and rivers that flow into this lake in
the Andean highlands of South America.
While the lungs are greatly reduced, this frog has excessive amounts of skin, used to help
the frog respire in the cold water in which it lives. The color is highly variable, but generally
gray, brown or greenish above, and paler below.
In the early 1970s, an expedition led by Jacques Cousteau reported frogs up to 50 cm
(20 in) in outstretched length and 1 kg (2.2 lb) in weight, making these some of the largest
exclusively aquatic frogs in the world. Females grow larger than males.
The Titicaca water frog spends its entire life in oxygen-rich water that typically is 1017 C
(5060 F). It mainly stays near the bottom and it does not surface to breathe if the water is
well-oxygenated. The Titicaca water frog feeds on amphipods, insects, snails, tadpoles
and fish (including Orestias). It has an extremely low metabolic rate; below that of all other
frogs. Breeding is in shallow, coastal water where the female lays about 500 eggs.
Once common, the Titicaca water frog has declined drastically and is now facing extinction
due to over-collecting for human consumption, domestic and agricultural water pollution,
and predation of tadpoles by introduced trout. It may also be threatened by the
disease chytridiomycosis. It is estimated that it has declined by more than 80% in the last
three Titicaca water frog generations, equalling 15 years.
Conservation projects for the Titicaca water frog have been initiated, including studies to
find the reason for the mass deaths and an attempt of establishing a secure captive
population that may form the basis for future reintroductions into places where it has
disappeared. Earlier attempts of captive breeding were unsuccesful, but projects started in
2010 have succeeded in breeding the species at facilities in both Cochabamba (Bolivia)
and Lima (Peru). In 2016, the project was expanded when a group of Titicaca water frogs
was sent to Denver Zoo in the United States. Captives have lived for up to 20 years.
The marvellous spatuletail (Loddigesia mirabilis) is a medium-sized (up to 15 cm long)
white, green and bronze hummingbird adorned with blue crest feathers, a
brilliant turquoise gorget, and a black line on its white underparts. It is the only member of
the monotypic genus Loddigesia. It is sexually dimorphic.
A Peruvian endemic, this species is found on forest edges in the Ro Utcubamba region. It
was first reported in 1835 by the bird collector Andrew Matthews for George Loddiges, after
whom the genus is named.
The marvellous spatuletail is unique among birds in having just four feathers in its tail. Its
most remarkable feature is the male's two long racquet-shaped outer tail feathers that cross
each other and end in large violet-blue discs or "spatules". He can move them
independently.
Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size, and limited range, the marvellous
spatuletail is evaluated as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
In 2006, American Bird Conservancy provided Peruvian conservation partner ECOAN with
support to sign a conservation easement with the Pomacochas Community to protect and
manage about 100 acres (0.40 km2) of significant habitat for the marvelous spatuletail
hummingbird. Over 30,000 saplings of native trees and bushes have been planted there for
the marvelous spatuletail. This conservation easement is the first of its kind in Peru.
After two decades in space, NASA's Cassini spacecraft is nearing the end of
its remarkable journey of exploration. Having expended almost every bit of
the rocket propellant it carried to Saturn, operators are deliberately plunging
Cassini into the planet to ensure Saturn's moons will remain pristine for
future explorationin particular, the ice-covered, ocean-bearing moon
Enceladus, but also Titan, with its intriguing pre-biotic chemistry.

Beginning in 2010, Cassini began a seven-year mission extension in which it

completed many moon flybys while observing seasonal changes on Saturn
and Titan. The plan for this phase of the mission was to expend all of the
spacecraft's propellant while exploring Saturn, ending with a plunge into the
planet's atmosphere. In April 2017, Cassini was placed on an impact course
that unfolded over five months of daring divesa series of 22 orbits that
each pass between the planet and its rings. Called the Grand Finale, this
final phase of the mission has brought unparalleled observations of the
planet and its rings from closer than ever before.

On Sept. 15, 2017, the spacecraft will make its final approach to the giant
planet Saturn. But this encounter will be like no other. This time, Cassini will
dive into the planet's atmosphere, sending science data for as long as its
small thrusters can keep the spacecraft's antenna pointed at Earth. Soon
after, Cassini will burn up and disintegrate like a meteor.

To its very end, Cassini is a mission of thrilling exploration. Launched on

Oct. 15, 1997, the mission entered orbit around Saturn on June 30, 2004
(PDT), carrying the European Huygens probe. After its four-year prime
mission, Cassini's tour was extended twice. Its key discoveries have
included the global ocean with indications of hydrothermal activity within
Enceladus, and liquid methane seas on Titan.

And although the spacecraft may be gone after the finale, its enormous
collection of data about Saturnthe giant planet itself, its magnetosphere,
rings and moonswill continue to yield new discoveries for decades.
Cassini grand finale: Nasa breaks up above
Saturn after historic 20-year mission
Even as Nasas Cassini probe hurtled towards its final, fiery destruction in the
atmosphere above Saturn, controllers back on Earth were hoping it would reveal
one final secret.

The 20-year mission to investigate the ringed planet and its moons had been
hailed as one of the dazzling successes of space exploration, yet it had so far
failed to solve one of Saturns most intriguing riddles: why the northern
hemisphere has a shorter day than the southern.

Scientists believe the answer lies in the mosaic of magnetic fields near the
planets surface.

The only way to pass through them, however, was as part of a suicide dive.

Yesterday, as the 22-foot craft buffeted through Saturns upper layer of clouds,
scientists at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, were left praying
the 20th Century-built machine could keep stable long enough to collect and
transmit the vital data.

Teams will now spend months poring over the new information, but the early
indications look positive - the probe was beaming back information right until
the end.

Cassini performed exactly as she was supposed to, said Professor Jonathan
Lunine, from Cornell University, New York, meanwhile Astronomer Royal Lord
Rees described the final descent as the grand finale of the greatest scientific
and engineering achievements in space exploration.

Saturns out-of-sync hemispheres have baffled scientists since Cassini first

spotted the variation when it arrived in 2004.

While the northern hemisphere completes a full rotation in approximately 10.6

hours, in the south it takes 10.8 hours.

Dr Daniel Brown, an astronomer at Nottingham Trent University, said cracking

this conundrum would yield insights into the science of planet formation in
general.

Central to that endeavour was Cassinis 30-foot protruding boom, housing the
magnetometer, which is certain to have been ripped off seconds after the craft
lost contact as it spun out of control at 77,000 miles per hour.

So important was this information, Nasa prioritised collecting it in the precious

final few moments at low altitude in favour of taking pictures, the last of which
were transmitted on Thursday.