DOCSLIB.ORG

Nature Produces a Wide Variety of Glues That Outperform All Synthetic Adhesives

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Nature Produces a Wide Variety of Glues That Outperform All Synthetic Adhesives Bioadhesives Getting stuck in Nature produces a wide variety of glues that outperform all synthetic adhesives. Michael Gross looks into this sticky subject SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY PHOTO SCIENCE 52 | Chemistry World | December 2011 www.chemistryworld.org Glue is something we buy in plastic bottles or tubes, and apply to ‘clean, dry surfaces’. How then do mussels and barnacles stick to the hulls of ships and to the steel structures of piers exposed to seawater? If we leave a glue container open for a couple of hours, it dries out and becomes unusable. But carnivorous plants expose glue drops to the air waiting for an insect to stick to them, remaining sticky for as long as it takes. Clearly, nature knows a lot about gluing things together that we haven’t mastered yet. Thus, it would make sense to find out more about nature’s glues. But where to begin? There is a bewildering array of sticky materials in many different species of plants and animals, sharing few general principles other than being sticky. Patrick Flammang from the FOTOSTOCK/SUPERSTOCK AGE University of Mons, Belgium, who chairs a European collaborative fine hairs, with a tiny droplet of Sea cucumbers expel weapon in their posterior body cavity project on natural adhesives – polysaccharide solution crowning sticky spaghetti-like consisting of sticky white threads, Biological adhesives: from biology the tip of each hair. When an insect tubules to trap attacking known as smooth cuverian tubules. to biomimetics – admits that the gets stuck on these, the leaf curls to organisms One end of each thread is attached field is difficult to survey. ‘The enclose it from all sides, allowing to the animal’s respiratory tree (its diversity of biological adhesives is for more efficient digestion. This lungs), while the other floats freely huge,’ he says, ‘but at the same time plant’s glue is a viscoelastic aqueous in the fluid that fills its body cavity, it represents an opportunity to look solution of a polysaccharide based the coelomic fluid. When the animal for adhesives with novel interesting on a repeating dimer of glucuronic feels threatened, it will point its properties.’ acid and mannose. Other sugars backside towards the disturbance including arabinose, xylose and and contract its entire body. The Caught in a trap galactose are found in its side chains contraction causes the spaghetti- Charles Darwin marvelled at the and end groups. There is nothing carrying cavity to burst open, and phenomena of carnivorous plants else present in the glue before an the fluid to erupt into the cloaca (the that snare insects for additional insect gets caught, only after capture posteria opening). The free ends of nutrition, publishing a book on does the plant leaf secrete digestive dozens of those spaghetti will be them in 1875. Many of these plants enzymes into the fluid. expelled via the cloaca and shot at use glue for this purpose, as it The glue from the Portuguese the hapless adversary. prevents the bugs escaping while sundew (Drosophyllum lusitanicum), The animal then pumps these the plant digests them. which Darwin obtained through tubules (still connected to the In his book, Darwin described a contacts in Portugal and described respiratory tree) full of water, which plausible evolutionary path from the in detail, has a similar composition extends them to a multiple of their use of sticky leaves for defence only, and is slightly acidic as it contains original length. When they hit a via the accidental uptake of nutrients ascorbic acid. It smells of honey surface (eg the suspected predator), from trapped insects degraded by and is strongly hygroscopic (it can the inflated tubes instantly develop bacteria, to the secretion of digestive collect water from fog). In a recent strong adhesive properties. In the enzymes enabling the plant to ‘eat’ review article, Wolfram Adlassnig last phase of the attack, the tubes the prey. Darwin also described the and colleagues from the University In short detach from the respiratory tree and first practical application of such of Vienna, Austria, concluded that Natural adhesives the animal can take flight, leaving plants – people in Portugal used the glue of these species would currently outperform all behind a frustrated predator tangled them to keep houses free of insects. be an interesting material for synthetic glues up in a sticky mess. Given this illustrious history, pharmaceutical applications, as ‘it The wide range of The black sea cucumber surprisingly little is known about the is non-toxic, remains stable under natural glues share few (Holothuria forskali) is the most molecular details and mechanisms varying environmental conditions, general principles other studied of these animals. The of action of the carnivorous plant and even exhibits antibiotic than being sticky material left on the trapped glues. They can be organised into properties’.1 However, other than More fundamental predators once the tubules are two major groups: water soluble and its use for fly catching, no applied research is needed removed has been found to contain more fat soluble. research has been reported yet. before scientists can a mixture of 60 per cent protein Several carnivorous plant understand the secrets and 40 per cent carbohydrates. families, including Droseraceae and A sticky mess of their success Flammang’s group has studied Lentibulariaceae, produce water- Any marine predator that approaches Natural and bioinspired the amino acid composition of the based polysaccharide glue. The a sea cucumber may end up looking glues are being considered protein portion and found that it house plant cape sundew (Drosera like they have had a nasty accident for medical applications is rich in glycine and other amino capensis), for example, has long with a bowl of spaghetti. Sea such as surgical adhesives acids with small side chains, and in leaves covered in hundreds of very cucumbers carry a bizarre defence and diabetes treatments charged and polar amino acids.2 www.chemistryworld.org Chemistry World | December 2011 | 53 Bioadhesives ‘Polar and charged amino acids are important for adhesive interactions with the surface. Different side chains (polar, positively charged and negatively charged) increase the number of possible interactions with the surface (Van-der-Waals, electrostatic etc),’ explains Flammang. ‘Small side chain amino acids are characteristic of the so-called elastomeric proteins, proteins that can deform considerably without breaking (eg elastin). This is important for the cohesive strength of the glue.’ While marine adhesive proteins from different groups of organisms can vary widely in their sequences, most of them share these fundamental aspects of their amino acid composition. Unlike the adhesive plaque proteins of mussels, the protein component does not appear to contain the modified amino acid 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (Dopa). However, phosphorylation of another amino acid – serine –previously ISTOCKPHOTO observed in mussel glue and tube worm cement, is present. forming strong adhesion, such that Barnacles and mussels Sticking together Currently, Flammang’s team is they are washed away by water are able to stick to Humans may have notions that analysing peptide fragments of the movement, have failed to stop diatom- structures immersed in love, mortgages, children and other glue proteins. The goal here is to based biofilms from growing.3 seawater shared interests keep couples identify the genes, allowing them to Nicole Poulsen and Nils Kröger together, but the northern spadefoot produce the pure proteins for more from the Georgia Institute of toad (Notaden melanoscaphus) of detailed analysis. The group has Technology in Atlanta, US, have just northern Australia – and three other also applied sugar-binding proteins launched a project to identify the species of the same genus – play it known as lectins to analyse the glue molecules of diatoms. ‘Diatom safe, using glue to make that special distribution of carbohydrates in the glues aren’t very well characterised bond. cuverian tubules. at the molecular level,’ Kröger says. These frogs (they are frogs, not There is more work to be ‘Lectin binding studies point to the toads as their name suggests) are so done, and the detailed molecular presence of carbohydrates, and well-rounded that they can’t cling on structure and adhesive mechanism the saw-tooth fingerprints you get to each other with their short limbs of the black sea cucumber glue still in force-distance plots when you during mating, like many other frog remains elusive. stretch the material in AFM [atomic species do. Instead they use glue to force microscopy] experiments stick together for the duration. Get it off me suggest the presence of protein Michael Tyler from the University While the sea cucumber is a glue domains.’ What exactly makes the of Adelaide, Australia, tested the producer we may want to emulate in diatoms stick and how one can stop Northern spadefoot toad adhesive power of the northern technology, interest in other marine them from doing so remains to be ‘couples’ glue themselves spadefoot toad secretions by using adhesives is directed towards the explored. together during mating it to stick two full, cold, wet beer question of how to stop them from cans together – lengthwise in one sticking to things. Organisms such experiment and bottom-to-top in as barnacles, mussels, bacteria and another. In both cases the frog glue algae find the steel structures that was strong enough to carry the humans immerse into their habitats weight of a full can. He also found – ship hulls and piers for example – that the glue can bind glass, plastics very appealing to settle on. and even ‘non-stick’ Teflon surfaces, This can cause significant no matter whether they are wet or problems. On ships, even simple dry, hot or cold. slime films consisting of bacteria Another team of Australian and diatoms (a group of algae) can scientists, led by Lloyd Graham increase fuel consumption by up at CSIRO Molecular and Health to 15 per cent.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Amphibian Abundance and Detection Trends During a Large Flood in a Semi-Arid Floodplain Wetland
    Herpetological Conservation and Biology 11:408–425. Submitted: 26 January 2016; Accepted: 2 September 2016; Published: 16 December 2016. Amphibian Abundance and Detection Trends During a Large Flood in a Semi-Arid Floodplain Wetland Joanne F. Ocock1,4, Richard T. Kingsford1, Trent D. Penman2, and Jodi J.L. Rowley1,3 1Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia 2Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, Institute of Conservation Biology and Environmental Management, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia 3Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 6 College St, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia 4Corresponding author, email: [email protected] Abstract.—Amphibian abundance and occupancy are often reduced in regulated river systems near dams, but com- paratively little is known about how they are affected on floodplain wetlands downstream or the effects of actively managed flows. We assessed frog diversity in the Macquarie Marshes, a semi-arid floodplain wetland of conserva- tion significance, identifying environmental variables that might explain abundances and detection of species. We collected relative abundance data of 15 amphibian species at 30 sites over four months, coinciding with a large natural flood. We observed an average of 39.9 ± (SE) 4.3 (range, 0-246) individuals per site survey, over 47 survey nights. Three non-burrowing, ground-dwelling species were most abundant at temporarily flooded sites with low- growing aquatic vegetation (e.g., Limnodynastes tasmaniensis, Limnodynastes fletcheri, Crinia parinsignifera). Most arboreal species (e.g., Litoria caerulea) were more abundant in wooded habitat, regardless of water permanency.
    [Show full text]
  • Water Balance of Field-Excavated Aestivating Australian Desert Frogs
    3309 The Journal of Experimental Biology 209, 3309-3321 Published by The Company of Biologists 2006 doi:10.1242/jeb.02393 Water balance of field-excavated aestivating Australian desert frogs, the cocoon- forming Neobatrachus aquilonius and the non-cocooning Notaden nichollsi (Amphibia: Myobatrachidae) Victoria A. Cartledge1,*, Philip C. Withers1, Kellie A. McMaster1, Graham G. Thompson2 and S. Don Bradshaw1 1Zoology, School of Animal Biology, MO92, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia and 2Centre for Ecosystem Management, Edith Cowan University, 100 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, Western Australia 6027, Australia *Author for correspondence (e-mail: [email protected]) Accepted 19 June 2006 Summary Burrowed aestivating frogs of the cocoon-forming approaching that of the plasma. By contrast, non-cocooned species Neobatrachus aquilonius and the non-cocooning N. aquilonius from the dune swale were fully hydrated, species Notaden nichollsi were excavated in the Gibson although soil moisture levels were not as high as calculated Desert of central Australia. Their hydration state (osmotic to be necessary to maintain water balance. Both pressure of the plasma and urine) was compared to the species had similar plasma arginine vasotocin (AVT) moisture content and water potential of the surrounding concentrations ranging from 9.4 to 164·pg·ml–1, except for soil. The non-cocooning N. nichollsi was consistently found one cocooned N. aquilonius with a higher concentration of in sand dunes. While this sand had favourable water 394·pg·ml–1. For both species, AVT showed no relationship potential properties for buried frogs, the considerable with plasma osmolality over the lower range of plasma spatial and temporal variation in sand moisture meant osmolalities but was appreciably increased at the highest that frogs were not always in positive water balance with osmolality recorded.
    [Show full text]
  • Australia's Biodiversity and Climate Change
    Australia’s Biodiversity and Climate Change A strategic assessment of the vulnerability of Australia’s biodiversity to climate change A report to the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council commissioned by the Australian Government. Prepared by the Biodiversity and Climate Change Expert Advisory Group: Will Steffen, Andrew A Burbidge, Lesley Hughes, Roger Kitching, David Lindenmayer, Warren Musgrave, Mark Stafford Smith and Patricia A Werner © Commonwealth of Australia 2009 ISBN 978-1-921298-67-7 Published in pre-publication form as a non-printable PDF at www.climatechange.gov.au by the Department of Climate Change. It will be published in hard copy by CSIRO publishing. For more information please email [email protected] This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the: Commonwealth Copyright Administration Attorney-General's Department 3-5 National Circuit BARTON ACT 2600 Email: [email protected] Or online at: http://www.ag.gov.au Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for Climate Change and Water and the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. Citation The book should be cited as: Steffen W, Burbidge AA, Hughes L, Kitching R, Lindenmayer D, Musgrave W, Stafford Smith M and Werner PA (2009) Australia’s biodiversity and climate change: a strategic assessment of the vulnerability of Australia’s biodiversity to climate change.
    [Show full text]
  • A Preliminary Risk Assessment of Cane Toads in Kakadu National Park Scientist Report 164, Supervising Scientist, Darwin NT
    supervising scientist 164 report A preliminary risk assessment of cane toads in Kakadu National Park RA van Dam, DJ Walden & GW Begg supervising scientist national centre for tropical wetland research This report has been prepared by staff of the Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist (eriss) as part of our commitment to the National Centre for Tropical Wetland Research Rick A van Dam Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist, Locked Bag 2, Jabiru NT 0886, Australia (Present address: Sinclair Knight Merz, 100 Christie St, St Leonards NSW 2065, Australia) David J Walden Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist, GPO Box 461, Darwin NT 0801, Australia George W Begg Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist, GPO Box 461, Darwin NT 0801, Australia This report should be cited as follows: van Dam RA, Walden DJ & Begg GW 2002 A preliminary risk assessment of cane toads in Kakadu National Park Scientist Report 164, Supervising Scientist, Darwin NT The Supervising Scientist is part of Environment Australia, the environmental program of the Commonwealth Department of Environment and Heritage © Commonwealth of Australia 2002 Supervising Scientist Environment Australia GPO Box 461, Darwin NT 0801 Australia ISSN 1325-1554 ISBN 0 642 24370 0 This work is copyright Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Supervising Scientist Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction
    [Show full text]
  • December 2010 Issue
    FROGCALLNewsletter No. 110 The Frog and Tadpole Study Group of NSW INC December 2010 [email protected] PO Box 296 Rockdale NSW 2216 www.fats.org.au ABN: 34282154794 Best Frog pics FATS Frogographic winners Horror in the Shire! Our President reports on FATS’s role in stopping Cane toads in the shire Anstis in FNQ Marion goes the extra mile for unique frogs and eggs Frogging Out Back David Nelson reports in Image: Neobatrachus centralis, Desert trilling frog. David Nelson FROG & TADPOLE www.fats.org.au STUDY GROUP NSW Toads on the March Recent Toads Invasions of the Shire Toads quickly spread from the cane fields In January 2010, Sutherland Shire Council raised Toads Invade across Queensland and moved into the the alarm over an apparent steep increase in Toads Northern Territory and New South Wales (Figure the number of toads being found in the Shire- 3). When they reached Brisbane they quickly especially around Taren Point. Instead of single became a common sight around houses and toads being found, multiples were being found the Shire light poles at night (Figure 4).The first toads or reported. In addition, the toads ranged reached NSW in 1967 (at Murwillimbah). Their enormously in sizes. spread down the east coast of New South Invade Wales has been slower than their trip down The Response the east coast of Queensland. Toads were first Sutherland Shire Council decided to devote reported in Sydney in 1983 and the first record resources into determining the extent of the for the Shire was 1986. toad invasion .I was engaged to do the initial assessment of the problem and to advise on Fig 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Biodiversity Management Plan AUR- Author N
    Biodiversity Management Plan AUR- Author N. Warren Created 13/05/2016 Approved M Williams Review date 20/06/2019 Version Rev 7 Updated 20/06/2019 BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT PLAN Document Control Edition Revision Author Comment Date Authorised by 1 Rev 1 N. Warren Initial document 8/4/16 P Cameron 2 Rev 3 M Bland Review 13/5/16 J Thompson 3 Rev 4 N. Warren Final Review 18/5/16 J Thompson 4 Rev 5 N. Warren 1/6/1 D Geering 5 Rev 6 N. Warren 23/12/16 6 Rev 7 J Coffey (SLR) Update following Mod 5 20/6/19 Reference Page i of 152 Location O:\Administration\Documents Biodiversity Management Plan AUR- Author N. Warren Created 13/05/2016 Approved M Williams Review date 20/06/2019 Version Rev 7 Updated 20/06/2019 Reference Page ii of 152 Location O:\Administration\Documents Biodiversity Management Plan AUR- Author N. Warren Created 13/05/2016 Approved M Williams Review date 20/06/2019 Version Rev 7 Updated 20/06/2019 Contents LIST OF ACRONYMS .............................................................................................................................. VI 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 SCOPE ............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 BACKGROUND AND APPROVED ACTIVITIES ............................................................................. 5 1.3 OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES ....................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Antipredator Mechanisms of Post-Metamorphic Anurans: a Global Database and Classification System
    Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU Ecology Center Publications Ecology Center 5-1-2019 Antipredator Mechanisms of Post-Metamorphic Anurans: A Global Database and Classification System Rodrigo B. Ferreira Utah State University Ricardo Lourenço-de-Moraes Universidade Estadual de Maringá Cássio Zocca Universidade Vila Velha Charles Duca Universidade Vila Velha Karen H. Beard Utah State University Edmund D. Brodie Jr. Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/eco_pubs Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons Recommended Citation Ferreira, R.B., Lourenço-de-Moraes, R., Zocca, C. et al. Behav Ecol Sociobiol (2019) 73: 69. https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s00265-019-2680-1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Ecology Center at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ecology Center Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 1 Antipredator mechanisms of post-metamorphic anurans: a global database and 2 classification system 3 4 Rodrigo B. Ferreira1,2*, Ricardo Lourenço-de-Moraes3, Cássio Zocca1, Charles Duca1, Karen H. 5 Beard2, Edmund D. Brodie Jr.4 6 7 1 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Ecossistemas, Universidade Vila Velha, Vila Velha, ES, 8 Brazil 9 2 Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United 10 States of America 11 3 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais, Universidade Estadual 12 de Maringá, Maringá, PR, Brazil 13 4 Department of Biology and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States of 14 America 15 16 *Corresponding author: Rodrigo B.
    [Show full text]
  • Predation by Introduced Cats Felis Catus on Australian Frogs: Compilation of Species Records and Estimation of Numbers Killed
    Predation by introduced cats Felis catus on Australian frogs: compilation of species records and estimation of numbers killed J. C. Z. WoinarskiA,M, S. M. LeggeB,C, L. A. WoolleyA,L, R. PalmerD, C. R. DickmanE, J. AugusteynF, T. S. DohertyG, G. EdwardsH, H. GeyleA, H. McGregorI, J. RileyJ, J. TurpinK and B. P. MurphyA ANESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia. BNESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Research, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia. CFenner School of the Environment and Society, Linnaeus Way, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2602, Australia. DWestern Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Bentley, WA 6983, Australia. ENESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Desert Ecology Research Group, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. FQueensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Red Hill, Qld 4701, Australia. GCentre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood campus), Deakin University, Geelong, Vic. 3216, Australia. HNorthern Territory Department of Land Resource Management, PO Box 1120, Alice Springs, NT 0871, Australia. INESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub, School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia. JSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom. KDepartment of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, WA 6106, Australia. LPresent address: WWF-Australia, 3 Broome Lotteries House, Cable Beach Road, Broome, WA 6276, Australia. MCorresponding author. Email: [email protected] Table S1. Data sources used in compilation of cat predation on frogs.
    [Show full text]
  • ARAZPA YOTF Infopack.Pdf
    ARAZPA 2008 Year of the Frog Campaign Information pack ARAZPA 2008 Year of the Frog Campaign Printing: The ARAZPA 2008 Year of the Frog Campaign pack was generously supported by Madman Printing Phone: +61 3 9244 0100 Email: [email protected] Front cover design: Patrick Crawley, www.creepycrawleycartoons.com Mobile: 0401 316 827 Email: [email protected] Front cover photo: Pseudophryne pengilleyi, Northern Corroboree Frog. Photo courtesy of Lydia Fucsko. Printed on 100% recycled stock 2 ARAZPA 2008 Year of the Frog Campaign Contents Foreword.........................................................................................................................................5 Foreword part II ………………………………………………………………………………………… ...6 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................9 Section 1: Why A Campaign?....................................................................................................11 The Connection Between Man and Nature........................................................................11 Man’s Effect on Nature ......................................................................................................11 Frogs Matter ......................................................................................................................11 The Problem ......................................................................................................................12 The Reason
    [Show full text]
  • 3Systematics and Diversity of Extant Amphibians
    Systematics and Diversity of 3 Extant Amphibians he three extant lissamphibian lineages (hereafter amples of classic systematics papers. We present widely referred to by the more common term amphibians) used common names of groups in addition to scientifi c Tare descendants of a common ancestor that lived names, noting also that herpetologists colloquially refer during (or soon after) the Late Carboniferous. Since the to most clades by their scientifi c name (e.g., ranids, am- three lineages diverged, each has evolved unique fea- bystomatids, typhlonectids). tures that defi ne the group; however, salamanders, frogs, A total of 7,303 species of amphibians are recognized and caecelians also share many traits that are evidence and new species—primarily tropical frogs and salaman- of their common ancestry. Two of the most defi nitive of ders—continue to be described. Frogs are far more di- these traits are: verse than salamanders and caecelians combined; more than 6,400 (~88%) of extant amphibian species are frogs, 1. Nearly all amphibians have complex life histories. almost 25% of which have been described in the past Most species undergo metamorphosis from an 15 years. Salamanders comprise more than 660 species, aquatic larva to a terrestrial adult, and even spe- and there are 200 species of caecilians. Amphibian diver- cies that lay terrestrial eggs require moist nest sity is not evenly distributed within families. For example, sites to prevent desiccation. Thus, regardless of more than 65% of extant salamanders are in the family the habitat of the adult, all species of amphibians Plethodontidae, and more than 50% of all frogs are in just are fundamentally tied to water.
    [Show full text]
  • Adhesive Defence Mucus Secretions in the Red Triangle Slug (Triboniophorus Graeffei) Can Incapacitate Adult Frogs
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/544775; this version posted February 11, 2019. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. Adhesive defence mucus secretions in the red triangle slug (Triboniophorus graeffei) can incapacitate adult frogs John Gould1*, Jose W. Valdez2*, Rose Upton1 1School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, 2308 NSW, Australia 2 Department of Bioscience - Biodiversity and Conservation, Aarhus University, 8410 Rønde, Denmark *John Gould and Jose W. Valdez should be considered joint first author. Correspondence: John Gould, Conservation Biology Research Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia email: [email protected] Jose Valdez, Biodiversity and Conservation, Department of Bioscience, Grenåvej 14, Rønde 8410, Denmark email: [email protected] Abstract Gastropods are known to secrete mucus for a variety of purposes, including locomotion, reproduction, adhesion to surfaces, and lubrication. A less commonly known function of mucus secretion in this group involves its use as a defence against predation. Among the terrestrial slugs, mucus that serves this particular purpose has been studied for only a handful of species under laboratory conditions, where it is thought to be produced for self-fouling or to make individuals difficult to consume. However, the mechanisms of how these defensive secretions operate and their effectiveness in deterring predation in the natural world have not be described in much detail.
    [Show full text]
  • Amphibia: Anura: Limnodynastidae, Myobatrachidae, Pelodryadidae) in the Collection of the Western Australian Museum Ryan J
    RECORDS OF THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM 32 001–028 (2017) DOI: 10.18195/issn.0312-3162.32(1).2017.001-028 An annotated type catalogue of the frogs (Amphibia: Anura: Limnodynastidae, Myobatrachidae, Pelodryadidae) in the collection of the Western Australian Museum Ryan J. Ellis1*, Paul Doughty1 and J. Dale Roberts2 1 Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, Western Australia 6106, Australia. 2 Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management, University of Western Australia, PO Box 5771, Albany, Western Australia 6332, Australia. * Corresponding author: [email protected] ABSTRACT – An annotated catalogue is provided for all primary and secondary type specimens of frogs (Amphibia: Anura) currently and previously held in the herpetological collection of the Western Australian Museum (WAM). The collection includes a total of 613 type specimens (excluding specimens maintained as possible paratypes) representing 55 species or subspecies of which four are currently considered junior synonyms of other species. The collection includes 44 holotypes, 3 lectotypes, 36 syntypes, 462 paratypes and 68 paralectotypes. In addition, the collection includes 392 specimens considered possible paratypes where paratype specimens could not be confrmed against specimens held in the WAM for fve species (Heleioporus barycragus, H. inornatus, H. psammophilus, Crinia pseudinsignifera and C. subinsignifera). There are 23 type specimens and seven possible paratypes that have not been located, some of which were part of historic disposal of specimens, and others with no records of disposal, loan or gifting and are therefore considered lost. Type specimens supposedly deposited in the WAM by Harrison of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney, for Crinia rosea and Pseudophryne nichollsi were not located during the audit of types and are considered lost.
    [Show full text]