Basil Shrimps (Gapow Goong)

Prepare:
1 cup big shrimps (peeled, clean and de-veined)
1 handful basil
1 handful sliced spring onion
2 tbsp. minced chili peppers (Ground them if you really want to get real taste)
2 tbsp. minced garlic
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
Some small amount of water
2 small drops black and sweet soy bean sauce
Cooking Instructions:
1. Soft boiled the shrimps. Ah! forgot to tell you the leave the tails on the shrimps, I think it looks better on the food (Doesn’t mean it will taste better, haha)
2. Here is what I do to make it real quick and short time for sneezing.
In a small cup, mix oyster sauce, black and sweet soybean sauce, sugar, fish sauce and water (5 tbsp.).
3. Next, heat the pan with medium and add vegetable oil. Wait until it gets warm and add minced garlic and chili peppers.
4. Cover your nose. :) don’t sneeze into the food.
5. Add spring onion, shrimps, basil and the sauce we already mix from number 2.
6. Stir-fry and count 1-2-3 then turn of the fire.
Mostly at Thai restaurant use only 3 tbsp. basil, however, at home my brother added 1 big cup of basil and make this recipe real sweet. He learnt to cook before me and loved to make crazy recipes for us.
The rule I have learned at home is just add whatever you want. :)

Pork Ribs in Isaan Style Soup in Thai, Gang Si Krong Moo Phak Boong

Prepare:
300 g. soft pork ribs2 cup cut morning glory (Phak Boong)1/4 cup fermented fish juice (Pla Rah)2 tbsp. vegetable oil5 cup stock from pork bone3 tbsp. fish sauce2 tsp. salt6 tbsp. concentrated tamarind juice1/2 tbsp. palm sugar2 kaffir lime leave
Prepare the paste:
1 tbsp. minced galingale4 tbsp. finely cut lemongrass3 kaffir lime leaves4 tbsp. minced garlic1 tbsp. minced turmeric
Cooking Instructions:
1. Ground galingale, lemongrass, garlic and turmeric together and rest them in a cup.
2. Boil fermented fish juice (Pla Rah) in a pot. When Pla Rah is boiling, turn off the fire and pour it on the filter to take just the juice part.
3. Next, heat the pan on medium fire. Add vegetable oil and fry the paste that we prepared from step 1. When the paste has aromatic smell, add stock from pork.
4. After that, add pork ribs. Lower the heat and cook for 15 minutes. Add morning glory, fish sauce, salt, tamarind juice, palm sugar and Pla Rah. Mix well.
5. Make the taste sour and salty. When it is boiling again, throw kaffir lime leaves and turn of the fire.

Ducks and other birds

Some people like more than one bird on their table, others like goose or duck. This is the place to share those non-turkey holiday meal ideasBeer Can Chicken1 (4-pound) whole chicken2 tablespoons vegetable oil2 tablespoons salt1 teaspoon black pepper3 tablespoons of your favorite dry spice rub1 can liquidYou can make a spice rub by mixing fresh and dry herbs and toasting them in a dry frying pan.You can also use coke, ginger ale, or coke instead of beer.Remove neck and giblets from chicken and discard. Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub chicken lightly with oil then rub inside and out with salt, pepper and dry rub. Set aside.Open beer can and take several gulps (make them big gulps so that the can is half full). Place beer can on a solid surface. Grabbing a chicken leg in each hand, plunk the bird cavity over the beer can. Transfer the bird-on-a-can to your grill and place in the center of the grate, balancing the bird on its 2 legs and the can like a tripod.Place the bird on the lowest rack in the oven, remove other rack. Cook at 325 until juices run clear.

About Salmonella

Salmonella is one of the most common enteric (intestinal) infections in the United States. Salmonellosis (the disease caused by Salmonella) is the second most common foodborne illness after Campylobacter infection. It is estimated that 1.4 million cases of salmonellosis occur each year in the U.S.; 95% of those cases are foodborne-related. Approximately 220 of each 1000 cases result in hospitalization and eight of every 1000 cases result in death. About 500 to 1,000 or 31% of all food-related deaths are caused by Salmonella infections each year. Salmonellosis is more common in the warmer months of the year.
Salmonella infection occurs when the bacteria are ingested, typically from food derived from infected food-animals, but it can also occur by ingesting the feces of an infected animal or person. Food sources include raw or undercooked eggs/egg products, raw milk or raw milk products, contaminated water, meat and meat products, and poultry. Raw fruits and vegetables contaminated during slicing have been implicated in several foodborne outbreaks.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection
The acute symptoms of Salmonella gastroenteritis include the sudden onset of nausea, abdominal cramping, and bloody diarrhea with mucous. Fever is almost always present. Vomiting is less common than diarrhea. Headaches, myalgias (muscle pain), and arthralgias (joint pain) are often reported as well. The onset of symptoms usually occurs within 6 to 72 hours after the ingestion of the bacteria. The infectious dose is small, probably from 15 to 20 cells.
Reiterís Syndrome, which includes and is sometimes referred to as ìreactive arthritis,î is an uncommon, but debilitating, result of a Salmonella infection. The symptoms of Reiterís Syndrome usually occur between one and three weeks after the infection. Reiterís Syndrome is a disorder that causes at least two of three seemingly unrelated symptoms: reactive arthritis, conjunctivitis (eye irritation), and urinary tract infection. The arthritis associated with Reiterís Syndrome typically affects the knees, ankles, and feet, causing pain and swelling. Wrists, fingers and other joints can be affected, though with less frequency. With Reiterís Syndrome, the affected person commonly develops inflammation where the tendon attaches to the bone, a condition called enthesopathy. Some people also develop heel spurs, bony growths in the heel that cause chronic or long-lasting foot pain. Arthritis from Reiterís Syndrome can also affect the joints of the back and cause spondylitis, inflammation of the vertebrae in the spinal column. The duration of reactive arthritis symptoms can vary greatly. Most of the literature suggests that the majority of affected persons recover within a year. The condition, can, however, be permanent. For more information, visit the Marler Clark sponsored Web site about Reiterís Syndrome.
Detection and treatment of Salmonella infection
Salmonella bacteria are discovered in stool cultures. Although blood cultures are rarely positive, bacteremia (bacteria in the blood stream) does occur in 5% of adults with Salmonella gastroenteritis and can result in spread to the heart (endocarditis), spleen, bone (osteomyelitis), and joints (Reiterís Syndrome or reactive arthritis). However, blood cultures are often not performed and in most cases the blood stream is not infected. In the stool, the laboratory is challenged to pick out Salmonella from many other similar bacteria that are normally present. In addition, many persons submit cultures after they have started antibiotics, which may make it even more difficult for a microbiology lab to grow Salmonella. So, the diagnosis of salmonellosis may be problematic and many mild cases are culture negative.
Salmonella infections usually resolve in five to seven days, and many times require no treatment, unless the affected person becomes severely dehydrated or the infection spreads from the intestines. Persons with severe diarrhea may require rehydration, often with intravenous fluids. Treatment with antibiotics is not usually necessary, unless the infection spreads from the intestines, or otherwise persists, in which case the infection can be treated with ampicillin, gentamicin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, or ciprofloxacin. Some Salmonella bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics, possibly as a result of the use of antibiotics to promote the growth of feed animals.
For those persons who develop Reiterís Syndrome, symptomatic treatment with high doses of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug and steroid injections into affected joints can be helpful in reactive arthritis. For people with severe joint inflammation, injections of corticosteroids directly into the affected joint may reduce inflammation. A small percentage of patients with reactive arthritis have severe symptoms that cannot be controlled with these treatments, in which case medicine that suppresses the immune system, such as sulfasalazine or methotrexate, may be effective. Exercise, when introduced gradually, may help improve joint function. Topical corticosteroids can be applied directly on the skin lesions associated with reactive arthritis.
Preventing Salmonella infection
To prevent salmonellosis, cook poultry, ground beef, and eggs thoroughly before eating. In order to insure that eggs do not contain viable Salmonella they must be cooked at least until the yoke is solid, and meat and poultry must reach 160∫F or greater throughout. Be particularly careful with foods prepared for infants, the elderly, and those with a compromised immune system.
Do not eat or drink foods containing raw eggs, such as homemade eggnog and hollandaise sauce. Avoid drinking raw (unpasteurized) milk or products made from raw milk.
Wash hands, kitchen work surfaces, and utensils with soap and water immediately after they have been in contact with foods of animal origin. Also, wash hands with soap after handling reptiles, amphibians or birds, or after contact with pet feces. Infants and immunocompromised persons should have no direct or indirect contact with such pets.

E. coli O157:H7 AND HEMOLYTIC UREMIC SYNDROME

E. coli is the name of a common family of bacteria, most members of which do not cause human disease. E. coli O157:H7 is a specific member of this family that can cause bloody diarrhea (hemorrhagic colitis) in man. In the eighteen years since E. coli O157:H7 was first identified as a cause of diarrhea, this bacterium has established a reputation as a significant public health hazard.
Overview of Medical Impacts of E. coli O157:H7
After a susceptible individual ingests a sufficient quantity of E. coli O157:H7, the bacteria attach to the inside surface of the large intestine and initiate an inflammatory reaction. This reaction is believed to be due to chemicals secreted by the bacteria, and results in the bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps characteristic of the intestinal illness. The incubation period is usually about 3 to 8 days, but slightly more or less is common. A wide spectrum of disease is possible from mild diarrhea without blood, to life-threatening and severe bloody diarrhea with excruciating abdominal pain. In most infected individuals the intestinal illness lasts about a week and resolves without any long-term sequelae. Antibiotics do not improve the illness and some believe these medications might even increase the risk of complications. Apart from good supportive care, which should include close attention to hydration and nutrition, there is no specific therapy. About 5 to 10% of individuals go on to develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe life-threatening complication of the intestinal illness.
HUS was first described in 1955 and is recognized as the most common cause of kidney failure in childhood. E. coli O157:H7 is responsible for over 90% of the cases of HUS that develop in North America. When HUS follows a diarrhea illness the correct terminology is diarrhea-associated HUS (D+HUS) to distinguish the disease from a less common variety of HUS that occurs as a familial, recurrent, or isolated form associated with other clinical situations.
D+HUS is believed to develop when the E. coli O157:H7 enters into the circulation through the inflamed bowel wall and releases a specific chemical known as shiga-like toxin (SLT). SLT, and most likely other chemical mediators, attach to receptors on the inside surface of blood vessel cells (endothelial cells) and initiate an inflammatory reaction that damages the organs supplied by these tiny arteries. Some organs seem more susceptible, perhaps due to the presence of increased numbers of receptors (kidney, pancreas, and brain). Red blood cells and platelets are also damaged, either directly by the SLT or secondarily due to the clotting process in damaged blood vessels. By definition, when fully expressed, D+ HUS presents with the triad of hemolytic anemia (red blood cells break down), thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), and acute renal failure (loss of the filter function of the kidney).
There is no known therapy to halt the progression of D+HUS. The active stage of the disease usually lasts one to two weeks during which a variety of complications are possible. D+HUS is a frightening illness that even in the best American centers has a mortality rate of about 5%. By comparison, the mortality rate in the developing world is over 75%. About 50% of patients require dialysis due to kidney failure, 25% develop pancreatitis, 25% experience seizures, and 5% suffer from diabetes mellitus. The majority requires transfusion of blood products and develops complications common to the critically ill. The illness is a living nightmare for the patients and families, and leaves a painful memory that lingers long after the acute illness.
Among survivors, about 5% will eventually develop end stage kidney disease with the resultant need for dialysis or transplantation, and another 5 to 10% will develop neurological or pancreatic problems which significantly impair quality of life. Since the longest available follow-up studies of D+HUS are about 20 years, an accurate lifetime prognosis is not available, and as such, lifetime medical follow-up is indicated for even the mildest affected

About E. coli O157:H7

E. coli O157:H7 was identified for the first time at the CDC in 1975, but it was not until seven years later, in 1982, that E. coli O157:H7 was conclusively determined to be a cause of enteric disease. Following outbreaks of foodborne illness that involved several cases of bloody diarrhea, E. coli O157:H7 was firmly associated with hemorrhagic colitis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated in 1999 that 73,000 cases of E. coli O157:H7 occur each year in the United States. Approximately 2,000 people are hospitalized, and 60 people die as a direct result of E. coli O157:H7 infections and complications. The majority of infections are thought to be foodborne-related, although E.coli O157:H7 accounts for less than 1% of all foodborne illness.
E. coli O157:H7 bacteria are believed to mostly live in the intestines of cattle but have also been found in the intestines of chickens, deer, sheep, goats, and pigs. E. coli O157:H7 does not make the animals that carry it ill; the animals are merely the reservoir for the bacteria.
While the majority of foodborne illness outbreaks associated with E. coli O157:H7 have involved ground beef, such outbreaks have also involved unpasteurized apple and orange juice, unpasteurized milk, alfalfa sprouts, and water. An outbreak can also be caused by person-to-person transmission of the bacteria in homes and in settings like daycare centers, hospitals, and nursing homes.
Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 infection
E. coli O157:H7 infection is characterized by the sudden onset of abdominal pain and severe cramps, followed within 24 hours by diarrhea. As the disease progresses, the diarrhea becomes watery and then may become grossly bloody - bloody to naked eye. Vomiting can also occur, but there is usually no fever. The incubation period for the disease (the period from ingestion of the bacteria to the start of symptoms) is typically 3 to 9 days, although shorter and longer periods are not that unusual. An incubation period of less than 24 hours would be unusual, however. In most infected individuals, the intestinal illness lasts about a week and resolves without any long-term problems.
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) is a severe, life-threatening complication of an E. coli O157:H7 bacterial infection. Although most people recover from an E. coli O157:H7 infection, about 5-10% of infected individuals goes on to develop HUS. E. coli O157:H7 is responsible for over 90% of the cases of HUS that develop in North America. Some organs appear more susceptible than others to the damage caused by these toxins, possibly due to the presence of increased numbers of toxin-receptors. These organs include the kidney, pancreas, and brain. Visit the Marler Clark sponsored Web site about Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome for more information. www.about-hus.com
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) is a clinical syndrome defined by the presence of thrombocytopenia (low blood platelet counts) and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia. This has generally been recognized as ìadult HUS.î There are many possible causes, including E. coli O157:H7, all of which act through the common mechanism of inducing endothelial cell damage. The damage triggers a cascade of biochemical events that ultimately leads to the characteristic feature of TTP - widespread dissemination of hyaline thrombi, composed predominantly of platelets and fibrin, which block the terminal arterioles and capillaries (microcirculation) of most of the major body organs, commonly, the heart, brain, kidneys, pancreas and adrenals. Other organs are involved to a lesser degree. The pathophysiology of this disease results in multisystem abnormalities and the clinical manifestations of the syndrome. To learn more about Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, visit the Marler Clark sponsored Web site about TTP. www.about-ttp.com
Detection and treatment of E. coli O157:H7
Infection with E. coli O157:H7 is usually confirmed by detecting the bacteria in the stool of the infected individual. Antibiotics do not improve the illness, and some medical researchers believe that medications can increase the risk of complications. Therefore, apart from good supportive care, such as close attention to hydration and nutrition, there is no specific therapy for E. coli O157:H7 infection. The recent finding that a toxin produced by E. coli O157:H7 initially greatly speeds up blood coagulation may lead to medical therapies in the future that could forestall the most serious consequences. Most individuals recover within two weeks.
Preventing E. coli O157: H7 infection
Eating undercooked ground beef is the most important risk factor for acquiring E. coli O157:H7. Cook all ground beef and hamburger thoroughly. Because ground beef can turn brown before disease causing bacteria are killed, use a digital instant read meat thermometer to ensure thorough cooking. Hamburgers should be cooked until a thermometer inserted into several parts of the patty, including the thickest part, reads at least 160∫ F. Persons who cook ground beef without using a thermometer can decrease their risk of illness by not eating ground beef patties that are still pink in the middle. If you are served an undercooked hamburger or other ground beef product in a restaurant, send it back for further cooking.
Avoid spreading harmful bacteria in your kitchen. Keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat foods. Wash hands, counters, and utensils with hot soapy water after they touch raw meat. Never place cooked hamburgers or ground beef on the unwashed plate that held raw patties. Wash meat thermometers in between tests of patties that require further cooking.
Drink only pasteurized milk, juice, or cider. Commercial juice with an extended shelf life that is sold at room temperature (such as juice in cardboard boxes or vacuum-sealed juice in glass containers) has been pasteurized, although this is generally not indicated on the label. Most juice concentrates are also heated sufficiently to kill pathogens.
Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, especially those that will not be cooked. Children younger than 5 years of age, immunocompromised persons, and the elderly should avoid eating alfalfa sprouts until their safety can be assured. Methods to decontaminate alfalfa seeds and sprouts are being investigated.
Drink municipal water that has been treated with chlorine or other effective disinfectants, or bottled water that has be sterilized with ozone or reverse osmosis (almost all major brands use one or the other method).
Avoid swallowing lake or pool water while swimming, especially pool water in public swimming facilities.
Avoid petting zoos and other animal exhibits unless there are good hand washing facilities available and other sanitation measures have been taken. Wash your hands and your childrenís hands after handling animals.
Make sure that persons with diarrhea, especially children, wash their hands carefully with soap after bowel movements to reduce the risk of spreading infection, and that persons wash hands after changing soiled diapers. Anyone with a diarrheal illness should avoid swimming in public pools or lakes, sharing baths with others, and preparing food for others.

The time is right for action

said in my previous blog that India 's building sector is growing fast – 20 million dwellings, 19 million sq m of commercial space, 13 million sq m of retail space, 50,000 hotel rooms over the next five years.
Business-as-usual would mean a rapid increase in the sector's energy consumption, absorbing a growing proportion of India's incremental energy production in the years to come along with a necessary expansion of its energy infrastructure. On the other hand an energy-efficient development path would reduce overall energy use, pollution and CO 2 emissions. India's energy security would also improve. It's a win-win-win scenario.


The time is right to make it happen. At the EEB Outreach event last month, high government officials expressed their political will and declared it a priority. Businesses said they see it as an opportunity. Civil society naturally welcomed and supported a new direction.
Words are easy, of course. But how to make it happen? There are many barriers in India , just as there are elsewhere. In fact we found they are very similar to barriers we encountered in our Outreach events in China and Europe. (They are well documented in the report we published recently).
But while the barriers may be similar, it is not appropriate to “copy and paste” western solutions to India.

Sightings

Christmas in our house is a time for books. This year brought many and it will be many months before all are read and digested. Several are for the birds.
We’ve already read the first of those and it is a fine little book. Sightings. By Sam Keen. With lovely, not-to-be-missed illustrations by Mary Woodin. It is a little book about a large subject. Mr. Keen measures his life by numinous encounters with birds. Not “numerous”; “Numinous.”

Born into a family of Calvinists which, “shaped my psyche to be always anxious and striving, an easy grace descended on me whenever I escaped the embrace of my loving family.” His escapes were to eastern woods near his home and his first sacred sighting was on May 29, 1942. It was an Indigo Bunting. That sighting was followed by a Cardinal and a school teacher who also was a mentor and a birder. Since then Turkey vultures, Wild Turkeys, Mourning doves, and many other birds have opened for Mr. Keen vistas beyond birds. Birders, he asserts, are like other mystics, “. . .blessed with a special kind of vision of the world — the capacity to see eternity in a grain of sand or the presence of the sacred in the precision flying of a flock of blackbirds.” Birders are, “unusually susceptible to the emotion of awe.”
The book is a search for wisdom. Mr. Keen notes, “According to tradition the owl — the symbol of Athena, the goddess of wisdom — spreads its wings only with the arrival of dusk. Wisdom is the paradoxical art of seeing in the dark.”
His descriptions are precise. Here he is on the Wood Thrush. “You can identify the species by its eloquent dress. Think of a well-turned out English gentleman of the old school. The bird’s crown is tawny, passing into cinnamon brown on its back and shoulders, giving way to an olive-gray tail. It wears a contrasting polka-dot vest the color of clotted cream sprinkled liberally with blueberries.”

The best known member of the Thrush family is probably the American Robin but there are several more including all three Bluebird species found in North America. The Wood Thrush is a resident of the United States east of the Mississippi. At the end of the Wood Thrush’s chapter he writes, “Over the years, the Thrush’s shaman song has gradually transformed me into an enchanted agnostic. Unknowing. Amazed.” You can listen here (If you are taken to the main search page, type in “wood thrush.”)
Mr. Keen appears; however, not to be agnostic at all. Instead he seems religious. He efers frequently to the sacred, the numinous and, in an annoying affectation, to “G —” when he means God. Unless he is using the language carelessly, which seems unlikely given that he has been a professor of philosophy and religion, birds are for him a means to the sacred. An agnostic might accept “wondrous” or “awe” but not “sacred” nor “numinous.”
But this is quibbling. Mr. Keen did not write a book engaging in the great debate between Spinoza and Leibniz; he wrote a book about the wonder of birds, and he succeeded. It is a wondrous little book about wondrous birds and the joy they can bring to those attuned to them. We recommend it heartily. We’ll reread ourselves before our next birding trip.

Rufous Hummingbird Strategy

In our last post we suggested one way to help keep Rufous Hummingbirds from keeping all your other Hummingbirds away from your feeders. Here is another: Have about 50 Hummingbirds feeding from one feeder.
We have friends who live in the Rocky Mountains. We love them dearly but perhaps not as much as their annual group of Hummingbird visitors love them. This last spring, when the first Hummingbird arrived, it flew directly in front of one friend’s nose and then flew over to the place where the feeder is normally hung. The bird did this three times. Then they hung the feeder and it left them alone.

the first photo it is the Rufous that is staring directly at the camera. They simply have so many Hummingbirds that it is hopeless for one Rufous to keep the others away, so he gives up and just joins in, which you can see in the second photo

The chief Bird Brain Blogger is away for the weekend. We’ll be back early next week.

From eft to newt, the complex life of a CT amphibian

Amphibian populations are in decline in many places around the world, and the reasons become clear during a trip to the Connecticut woods. Amphibians have complex life cycles, during which they may metamorphose from one stage to another multiple times, and rely on a network of diverse and finicky habitats, such as our vernal pools and forests, for their survival. They don't tolerate change well, and thus are early indicators of habitat degradation and pollution.We went with herpetologist Brian Kleinman to the Enders State Forest in Granby the other day, and discovered a good example in one amphibian's remarkable adaptations. Brian gave us a tour of amphibian habitats here, and shared his knowledge of local inhabitants, such as the Red-spotted newt, along the way.After years spent wandering the forest floor as a juvenile, the brightly colored red eft, the terrestrial stage of the Red-spotted newt (lower left), grows into a greenish-brown adult stage (upper right), and returns to the water.Each stage of life is perilous for the Red-spotted newt, and it takes years for them to reach adulthood. They start life as eggs laid in weed choked aquatic habitats in late spring. Weeks later, gilled larvae hatch and feed on insect larvae and small aquatic animals. By mid-summer, many have grown into the red eft stage, and emerge from wetland pools to wander forest floors and colonize new habitats. They remain as efts for 2-7 years until they turn olive green, their tails begin to flatten to aid in swimming, and they return to the water as adult newts. Under some conditions, newts may even skip a life stage.As we walked the trail at Enders, red efts of varying sizes were abundant in the leaf litter, and seemingly everywhere. Their bright orange color serves as a warning to would-be predators foolish enough to consider biting them. Far from appetizing, Red-spotted newts secrete foul tasting toxins through their skin that can cause severe reactions in amphibians and reptile predators.Of course, this defense is of little use against human impacts such as habitat loss or water pollution. More and more Connecticut communities are taking declining numbers of native amphibians as dire warnings. Towns have begun to work with conservation groups such as Metropolitan Conseration Alliance and Conservation Districts of Connecticut to implement development plans and wildlife managment strategies that are effective at preserving amphibian habitats.

Five-lined Skink, CT's only native lizard

Only one lizard, the Five-lined Skink, is native to New England. Skinks are rare throughout their range, including Connecticut. They are found in a few, isolated populations, leaving them vulnerable to localized environmental disturbances or catastrophes such as fire. A Five-lined Skink showing the red coloration males take on around their jaws and head during breeding season. Photo by herpetologist Brian Kleinman, made in Connecticut. © Perry Heights Press 2005.Younger individuals can show five, distinct, yellowish stripes or lines down their backs and tails. Juveniles can also show a deep blue color on their tails. During breeding season, males heads turn bright red, but skinks' colorations tend to fade as the season progresses, and as individuals grow older. Evidence collected by herpetologist Hank Gruner, of the Science Center of Connecticut, suggests skinks are insectivorous, and eat a variety of bugs such as flies, ants, and beetles.

Ice, sea and sand

We think of beaches as summer places, but a trip to the coast in winter promises its own rewards. I went with the boys to the Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center at Milford Point recently. We spent hours on the sandbar, chasing floating ice and poring over shells and old bits of horseshoe crabs.After a cold wind forced us to retreat, we walked to the Center’s main building. Before going in, we climbed the tower at the corner to view two of Connecticut’s “critical habitats,” the tidal marsh to the west, and sandy beach to the east.The Center is located between the beach of the Smith-Hubbell Wildlife Refuge and the tidal marsh of the Wheeler Wildlife Management Area, where the Housatonic River runs into the Long Island Sound, in Milford.Shotgun blasts revealed hunters braving the cold in a small boat while (we imagined) they dreamed of duck for dinner. We headed inside, where the view through the bank of windows is nearly as spectacular, and where it is warm.Tidal marshes are fragile places, where land and sea meet. On cold days it’s easy to imagine how they formed following the last Ice Age, and to see the threat that the homes, towers and stacks looming in the distance pose to their future.During the ice advance of 20,000 years ago, the sea was lower and further out, some 70 miles south of Long Island. As the glacier retreated, water once locked in ice contributed to a rise in sea level that over thousands of years flooded the Atlantic coastal plain and “drowned” its river valleys.Connecticut College Professor R. Scott Warren described how tidal marshes formed. “As the waters of Long Island Sound flooded coastal uplands they moved the shoreline inland, a process termed ‘marine transgression.’ Drowned coastal river valleys are our present day coves and tidal marshes.”Grasses colonized coastal areas that filled with sediments. Plant remains accumulated as peat. Complex living communities arose, according to their elevation above the sea. Today, our marshes support a web of life—plankton, marine animals, birds, reptiles and mammals—in part due to tides that bring minerals and nutrients twice daily.But, sea levels are on the rise again, at rates that now threaten to overwhelm our marshes. In the past, the marshes could move inland with the coastline. Today, there are buildings and highways in the way. As a result, tidal marshes are declining and in areas such as Greenwich, may soon disappear altogether.

A Forest Buried Alive

Newport, Oregon—Beach sands come and go. Along the central Oregon coast recently, unusually low tides scoured beaches down to their lowest sand levels in years, perhaps centuries. So much was removed that remains of ancient forests, buried alive by building sands thousands of years ago, once again saw the light of day.

Fossil tree root masses such as those exposed at Moolack Beach, Oregon, (above) tell tales of ancient seaside "ghost forests" that thrived here thousands of years ago.In Connecticut, we’re accustomed to tides and wave action reshaping beaches and sand spits at places such as Bluff Point State Park’s Bushy Point, but the erosion and pace of change along Oregon’s central Coast has been several orders of magnitude greater.During our summer vacation, we found the Marine Gardens beach at Otter Rock, Oregon, practically scraped bare, down to the marine sediments underlying it, rocks normally buried beneath several feet of medium-grain sand. Finding it in such a state, with its headlands significantly eroded in the past six months and ordinarily abundant tide pool fauna such as anemones forced further seaward, was distressing.“It looks like some unusual erosion is going on--erosion that has not happened much in 4,000 years,” geologist Roger Hart of the Oregon Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries and an expert on central coast tree remains told the Newport News-Times.

At many beaches here, from Moolack Beach (above) to neighboring Beverly Beach, to others further north, such as Neskowin Beach, recent erosion has exposed very large root masses and great tree trunks, particularly where creeks excavated even deeper. Low “minus tides” of –1.4 feet resulted in extraordinary views of these prehistoric fossil tree parts and tree bases, some as much as thirty or forty-feet across.The roots, stumps, trunks and cones are between 4,100 years old (based on radiometric dating) and 2,500 years old (based on archaeological studies of Native American sites around Newport’s Yaquina Head). They are the remains of what were great seaside forests of Sitka Spruce trees, titans of the primordial Northwest rainforests and ancestors of Sitka Spruce that dominate coastal forests today.Following the retreat of glacial ice, forest trees had spread over Oregon’s Coast Range Mountains and down to the Pacific coast. Roger Hart says that about 4,000 years ago, vast amounts of sand (which Yaquina Head reveals to have been piled hundreds of feet high) came to quickly penetrate the forests and bury them alive. Dunes grew to entomb trees so completely they were protected from decay by oxygen and bacteria and preserved for the millennia.Hart and fellow researcher Curt Peterson have reported 14 fossil sites and 520 fossil stumps or root masses. They describe a three-part process of forest advance, sand burial and erosion/exposure. The cycle began long ago with the seaward advance of the forest; was followed by its burial and preservation by deep deposits of beach and/or dune sands; and brought full-cycle with the removal of the sand, and re-exposure of the forest, by wave action and the landward erosion of coastal headlands today.

It’s hard to imagine that geologic change can sometimes be so quick as to bury giant trees alive, but the pace at which surficial features along the Oregon coast have been eroded in the past six months reveals how such events can sometimes be as swift as they are catastrophic.

New Box Turtle Resident at LIghthouse

Florida Box Turtle (Terrapene Carolina bauri)FLORIDA BOX TURTLE[Here's a sample of pages on St. Augustine Lighthouse widlife being created--Chuck Meide, Administrative Director of LAMP, found a box turtle crossing the road in front of his house and brought the turtle for release at the Lighthouse, perfect habitat for box turtles. The photos are Chuck's.]
Description; Small land turtle, maximum length, 7.5 inches.High domed upper shell (carapace). Lower shell (plastron) is hinged about half way down to allow tight closure to protect head and legs. Upper shell has a black or brownish background with radiating yellow lines. These lines fade as the turtle ages. Can live to over 100 years. Notice the yellow on the side of the head and on the foot in the pictures above and below. Males have slight indentations on plastrons to help balance when mating with a female. Females have flat plastrons.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse now has a population of 4 or 5 resident Florida Box Turtles on 6 acres of land.
Habitat: Mesic or moist woods, fields, gardens. If undisturbed, usually lives whole life in a football-field sized territory. Chuck Meide of the LAMP program found this Florida Box Turtle (male) trying to cross a busy road and released it on the grounds of the St. Augustine Lighthouse where there’s appropriate habitat.
Behaviors: Omniverous: eats vegetation, berries, snails, slugs, fungi, roots, flowers, small snakes, worms. Does not dig burrows like the Gopher Tortoise, but creates small depression in leaf litter under low plants called a “form.” Here they spend nights and retreat during the day to rest. Prefers to keep body heat between 84 and 100 degrees farenheit and during periods of high temperatures, retreats to cool shady areas, sometimes coming out only in mornings and after rains.Breeding: Mating begins in spring; female may mate several times though summer. Nesting, May through July. Females dig nests in sandy or loamy soil, usually lay four or five eggs, cover cavity; several clutches a year. Incubation takes around three months, but varies with soil conditions.

Grasslands & Green Snakes

Connecticut is home to a variety of snakes that are striking in appearance, such as the Eastern Milk Snake, Northern Ringneck, Worm Snake, Northern Redbelly, and the Smooth Green Snake. For the past two seasons, Brian Kleinman has been capturing images of these remarkable reptiles, working under the supervision of leading herpetologists and with the appropriate state permits.Brian Kleinman holds the Smooth Green Snake he came across during a visit to a grassland area in Rhode Island last week. Photo by Brian Kleinman."After two summers of searching I finally found a smooth green snake for the DVD!" he wrote in an email, referring to the two videos about Connecticut amphibians and reptiles being produced by Perry Heights Press using scenes he has taped of the animals in the wild. The videos provide remarkable glimpses of the life cycles of local frogs, toads, salamanders, turtles, snakes and lizards and comprise one of the most remarkable portrayals of native wildlife available.The Smooth Green Snake Opheodrys vernalis has declined in southern New England over the past half century according to Amphibians and Reptiles of Connecticut by Michael Klemens, State Geological and Natural History Survey, 1993. It "favors open, unforested habitats including meadows, pastures, fens, coastal grasslands [and] mountaintop 'balds.'" Today, they are most common in our region in southeastern Connecticut, into Rhode Island.The decline in green snakes mirrors a decline in grasslands in general in Connecticut over the past century, as "agricultural lands was abandoned and reverted to deciduous forest," says Klemens. Many wildlife species, from plants to invertebrates to reptiles and birds, that were characteristic of native grassland communities have come under increasing pressure as habitat has been lost.Like the Green Snake, their "survival is closely tied to land management practices which maintain fields and meadows," says Klemens. "Open fields and meadows in state parks, forests, and game management areas that contain smooth green snakes should be maintained..."By protecting grassland habitats populations of these remarkably beautiful snakes will be protected, along with entire communities of wild things adapted to surviving in Connecticut's open field ecosystems.

Heat bugs: all the buzz

"Heat bugs" may never show up on Google's list of top keyword searches, but in the last week we've had more hits on a post about cicadas we put up last summer (Heat bugs: the sound of money) than any topic to date.It's typically on hot summer days that male cicadas produce their raspy, buzzing mating calls, earning this group of insect families their nickname, heat bugs. Given the steamy weather that came with the Bermuda High that stalled over Connecticut this past week it's easy to imagine why so many people were searching the net for information about them.Above: The recently shed exoskeleton, or carapace, of a cicada or heat bug.Cicadas come in two varieties, the so-called annual cicadas, generations of which generally emerge from the ground as nymphs, shed their skin, mature to adults and mate every couple of years, and the periodical, (also known as locusts) which have generations that emerge all at once, together, in cycles of between 13 and 17 years. Cicadas are harmless, unless you're a plant, in which case they may well try to suck the juice out of you.A great site with lots of (useful?) information about cicadas (e.g. don't eat 'em because they're loaded with mercury!) is Cicada Mania by Dan Century. One of the best sites for information about periodical cicadas is The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Insect Division site. Two UConn researchers, John Cooley (above left) and David Marshall (above right) and Mark O'Brien are the authors of the site. Cooley and Marshall were featured in Cicada Subtleties, an article about periodical cicadas posted on Science News Online.So, the next time you're sweating out another heat wave and trying to figure out what makes heat bugs call on hot days, try visiting a couple of these sites. And if you find yourself really getting into it, check out UConn Professor Chris Simon's site for the skinny on cicadas and their broods' cycles around the world.

Frog skin diabetes treatment hope

The paradoxical frog is native to South AmericaSkin secretions from a South American "shrinking" frog could be used to treat type 2 diabetes, researchers say.
A compound isolated from the frog, which grows to 27cm as a tadpole before shrinking to 4cm in adulthood, stimulates insulin release.
A synthetic version of the compound - pseudin-2 - could be used to produce new drugs, delegates at the Diabetes UK annual conference heard.
Around two million people in the UK have type 2 diabetes.
The condition, which is often associated with being overweight, develops because the body does not produce enough insulin, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly.
It means people cannot regulate their blood glucose levels properly.
Scientists from the University of Ulster and United Arab Emirates University have tested a synthetic version of pseudin-2, a compound which protects the paradoxical frog from infection.
More research is needed, but there is a growing body of work around natural anti-diabetic drug discovery that, as you can see, is already yielding fascinating results
Dr Yasser Abdel-Wahab
They found it stimulated the secretion of insulin in pancreatic cells in the laboratory.
And importantly, there were no toxic effects on the cells.
The synthetic version was better at stimulating insulin than the natural compound, opening the way for it potential development as a drug for treating diabetes.
Amphibians
Study leader Dr Yasser Abdel-Wahab, senior lecturer in biomedical sciences at the University of Ulster, said there had been a lot of research into bioactive molecules from amphibian skin secretions.
One recently developed diabetes drug - exenatide - was developed from a hormone in the saliva of the Gila monster - a lizard found in south-western United States and northern Mexico.
"We found that it stimulated the secretion of insulin and that the synthetic version is more potent that pseudin-2 itself.
"More research is needed, but there is a growing body of work around natural anti-diabetic drug discovery that, as you can see, is already yielding fascinating results."
Douglas Smallwood, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said although type 2 diabetes could be managed with diet and physical activity, the condition was progressive and may require medication to control it effectively.
"Good diabetes control reduces the risk of complications including blindness, heart disease, kidney problems and amputation so new treatments are vital."

Florida Tree Snails Arrive at Lighthouse

The Lighthouse Summer Camp kids and their teachers, Jeff Wessel and Andy Magee, found two Florida tree snails crawling on the Lighthouse patio on August 7, 2007. Why is this worth noting? Florida tree snails normally populate coastal hammocks in South Florida and the Keys. The northernmost area reporting tree snails is Indian River County. There, tree snails have been found on orange and grapefuit trees and since they do no harm to the trees they should not be disturbed.

We created a mini-habitat for our tree snails so we could photograph them and identify the species. It turns out these were both Manatee Tree Snails (Drymaeus dormani). Note details in the photos: spiral shaped shell, white background and 3 to 4 wide red/brown to yellow/brown bands; some bands of brown are broken into vertical designs; these two snails were 2/3s of an inch long. When it emerges, the body seems almost translucent, pale gray.
The Indian River County Extension service remarked that with the lack of freezes since 1989 and plants coming in from South Florida, tree snails have probably been introduced and are adjusting to North Florida habitats and weather.
So far eight native tree snails have been identified in Florida. What's unique about Florida tree snails, is 1) they live out their entire lives in trees, except when they go to ground to lay eggs; 2) food source: they scrape lichen, fungi, and algae from the trunk of hardwood trees, so they are beneficial and do no harm to plants; 3) they hiberbate: called aestirvation, hibernation is triggered by cooler weather, dry conditions, shorter days. When these conditions occur, the tree snail finds a protected place, usually on its "home tree," and secretes a mucus which serves to attach it to the tree and to protect it from dehydration during the winter months. If you find a tree snail that looks dead with its aperture shut tight, don't disturb it; 4) their life span: six to eight years!

But they are lucky if they reach old age. Tree snails have many predators: raccoons, oppossum, birds, rats, and the Rosy Wolf Snail that preys on other snails. As long as the tree snail stays in its tree, it's relatively safe from the Wolf Snail (it doesn't like to climb). Spraying for mosquitoes also harms tree snails. The residue from the spray clings to trees and if engested by tree snails will kill them. Habitat destruction in South Florida and over collecting caused these snails to be listed as a "Species of Concern" in Florida.
In South Florida tree snails prefer trees with smooth barks and in Indian River County they have been found in orange and grapefruit trees. If your backyard has lots of trees and a rich diversity, chances are that you may find tree snails there. Sightings in St. Johns County may increase as tree snails, and especially the Manatee Tree Snail move northward. Remember, they do no harm to plants, so share your space with them
Tree snails are hermaphrodites, both male and female, but genetics has proven that mating between individuals occurs anyway during July and August. After mating the snail descends to the ground at the base of its home tree and creates a shallow tunnel or chamber in which it lays two dozen white pea-sized eggs. The next spring warm rains cause the eggs to hatch and the tiny hatched snails make their way to the nearest tree.
If you find a tree snail (usually prefers smooth bark trees in a coastal hammock) in St. Johns County please call Gail Compton, naturalist, at 829-0745, ext 201 and report the finding. If you can photograph the snail or write down a detailed description, it helps. The two snails found at the Lighthouse were released to the LIghthouse coastal hammock the same day they were found.

Cuban tree frogs arrive in St. Augustine

Two weeks ago Darlene Humphreys, who works at the St. Augustine Lighthouse, asked me about huge tree frogs climbing up the walls of her home and coming to rest on the outside of the windows every night. I asked Darlene and her husband, Jay, to take pictures so I could identify these frogs. Two days later they sent several pictures via e-mail.In one picture Jay placed his hand beside a frog on the window so its size was immediately easy to see. The frog was at least 4 ½ inches long and would cover the palm of a human hand. Its toes ended in the familiar round tree frog toe pads, but this was definitely not a Florida tree frog. It has warty skin and can be cream or pale brown. The one in Darlene’s picture had pale green around the back legs and huge eyes.

These Giant Cuban Tree Frogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis) didn’t invade Florida on their own. They came into Florida in the early 1920s on shipping crates and plants from Cuba, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands. They found Florida’s climate just right and began to spread from the Keys and South Florida into north Florida. Recently they have been found as far north as Savannah, Georgia. One researcher with the University of Florida’s Gulf Coast Research and Education Center said, “We don’t really know how serious the issue is. They’re not going to attract the attention of citrus canker or some other problem that has huge economic importance.” But they are already having an impact on the native tree frogs of Florida.
They don’t just compete with our smaller tree frogs for food, they eat the smaller native treefrogs and may quickly take over a pond and eat tadpoles, minnows or goldfish. If they become established in natural areas, they could have a huge impact by completely wiping out Florida’s native tree frogs. No solution has been recommended yet, but researchers urge people to capture or kill the Cuban Tree Frogs. Most people are reluctant to outright kill these frogs. The most humane way is to put them in plastic containers and put them in the freezer. But it may be too late to close this Pandora's box. They seem to be attracted to urban areas but releasing them in natural areas could prove to be even more devastating. Be careful, these frogs have a toxic secretion irritating to your eyes and mouth. Wash your hands after handling.
Most people can't resist that gnome-like appearance and those huge eyes and simply leave them alone. An alternative to killing them would be to adopt one as a pet--since they are invaders and not native you can capture one as a pet. But be sure to get the right sized aquarium and be prepared to provide the proper food: it's said they'll eat anything they can catch and fit into their mouths! Souces say there's lots of care involved: keeping the humidity and temperature just right, cleaning the cage or aquarium (lots of poop), providing the right amount of food. Check out web sites that cover the behavior and care of the Cuban Tree Frog.
There have been many invasion scares in Florida, some very serious, others not so serious. The giant toad plaguing Miami is a serious threat as are the boa constrictors and pythons released in the Everglades. The Cuban brown anole has not turned out to be as threatening to the native green anoles as feared--they have simply agreed to disagree and the green anoles are found higher in bushes and trees while the brown anole prefers to remain on the ground and fences.We don't know how much an impact these Giant Cuban tree frogs will have. But it is a reminder that many exotics that become pests have been deliberately released when owners get tired of caring for them or the animal becomes a bigger problem than buyers expected.
Good advice: think ten times twice before buying any exotic animal. If you do buy, read everything you can get your hands on about the behaviors and needs of the animal. And, never release any exotic into Florida's habitats. Once it's yours, accept responsibility for the commitment. [Photos by Jay Humphreys taken at their home