Golden Toad - Facts and Figures

Golden Toad - Facts and Figures Name: Golden Toad; also known as Bufo periglenes Habitat: Tropical forests of Costa Rica Historical Epoch: Pleistocene-Modern (2 million-20 years ago) Size and Weight: About 2-3 inches long and one ounce Diet: Insects Distinguishing Characteristics: Bright orange males; larger, less colorful females About the Golden Toad Last seen in 1989and presumed to be extinct, unless some individuals are miraculously discovered elsewhere in Costa Ricathe Golden Toad has become the poster genus for the mysterious worldwide decline in amphibian populations. The Golden Toad was discovered in 1964, by a naturalist visiting a high-altitude Costa Rican cloud forest; the bright orange, almost unnatural color of the males made an immediate impression, although the slightly larger females were much less ornate. For the next 25 years, the Golden Toad could only be observed during the spring mating season, when large groups of males would swarm over less numerous females in small ponds and puddles. (See a slideshow of 10 Recently Extinct Amphibians.) The extinction of the Golden Toad was sudden and mysterious. As recently as 1987, over a thousand adults were observed mating, then only a single individual in 1988 and 1989 and none thereafter. There are two possible explanations for the demise of the Golden Toad: first, since this amphibian relied on very specialized breeding conditions, the population could have been knocked for a loop by sudden changes in climate (even two years of unusual weather would have been enough to wipe out such an isolated species). And second, its possible that the Golden Toad succumbed to the same fungal infection that has been implicated in other amphibian extinctions around the world.

US vs. British English Knowing the Difference

US vs. British English Knowing the Difference US vs. British English: Knowing the Difference Those crazy Brits with their Royal Families and metric systems (among other weird things). Whatll they think of next? We’re guessing more linguistic tricks, as they’ve already got plenty of strange spellings going on. It’s therefore important to know the differences between US and British English, especially since British spellings are confusing sometimes. I mean, come on Britain, who spells â€Å"center† with â€Å"re† at the end? Just because you invented English doesn’t mean you’re right. Herein, we run through some of the differences between US and British English, which should help you when reading texts published in the UK or writing for a British audience. Spelling Differences Rather than focus on individual words, it’s easier to learn the systematic differences between US and UK spelling: -er/-re English is full of words borrowed from other languages, and British spelling tends to keep the original forms. This includes in words that end -er/-re, such as â€Å"center† (UK = â€Å"centre†) and â€Å"fiber† (UK = â€Å"fibre†). -or/-our Another word ending to look out for is -or/-our, since British spelling adds a â€Å"u† to words like â€Å"humor†Ã‚  (UK = â€Å"humour†) and â€Å"color† (UK = â€Å"colour†). -ize/-ise Words that end â€Å"-ize† in US English – like â€Å"characterize† or â€Å"organize† – can also be spelt with â€Å"-ise† in British English (e.g., â€Å"characterise† and â€Å"organise†). The same applies to variations of these words where â€Å"-z-† appears in the middle (e.g., â€Å"organization† can also be spelt â€Å"organisation† in the UK). Weirdly, although British English accepts either â€Å"-ize† or â€Å"-ise,† this isn’t the case when a word is spelt with a â€Å"-yze.† As such, words like â€Å"analyze† are always spelt with an â€Å"s† (i.e., â€Å"analyse†) in the UK. Vowel + L Words that end in a vowel plus an â€Å"-l,† like â€Å"travel† or â€Å"shovel,† use a double â€Å"l† in British English when adding a suffix beginning with a vowel (e.g., â€Å"-ing,† â€Å"-ed,† â€Å"-er†). For example, in the UK, â€Å"traveling,† â€Å"traveled† and â€Å"traveler† become â€Å"travelling,† â€Å"travelled† and â€Å"traveller† respectively. -s-/-c- Some words that contain an â€Å"s† in US English are spelt with a soft â€Å"c† in British English, particularly when the word ends â€Å"-ense.† â€Å"Offense† and â€Å"defense,† for instance, are spelt â€Å"offence† and â€Å"defence† in the UK. Confusingly, the British also have two spellings for â€Å"practice.† This depends on whether it’s used as a noun (â€Å"practice†) or a verb (â€Å"practise†), so it pays to be careful with these words. Vocabulary As well as spelling, there are many differences in vocabulary between US and British English. In the USA, for example, we walk along the sidewalk, eating a cookie on the way to the movies. But in Britain they walk along the pavement, eating a biscuit on the way to the cinema. We won’t list all the differences here, but it’s worth keeping vocabulary in mind if you’re writing for a British audience.