I like hellbenders because they are so different from anything else that we
different from anything else that we
different from anything else that we have in this country even in this
have in this country even in this
have in this country even in this hemisphere unlike a lot of other
hemisphere unlike a lot of other
hemisphere unlike a lot of other salamanders they breathe entirely
salamanders they breathe entirely
salamanders they breathe entirely through their skin and so imagine if you
through their skin and so imagine if you
through their skin and so imagine if you are in a river and you’re dragging your
are in a river and you’re dragging your
are in a river and you’re dragging your lungs around behind you things are not
lungs around behind you things are not
lungs around behind you things are not going to go well if that river is
going to go well if that river is
going to go well if that river is polluted or muddy or murky hellbenders
polluted or muddy or murky hellbenders
polluted or muddy or murky hellbenders are one of these unique species that
are one of these unique species that
are one of these unique species that really is starting to show a decline in
really is starting to show a decline in
really is starting to show a decline in the status throughout many States and
the status throughout many States and
the status throughout many States and we’re attributing that mainly to
we’re attributing that mainly to
we’re attributing that mainly to temperature and water quality related
temperature and water quality related
temperature and water quality related issues when you have this overall
issues when you have this overall
issues when you have this overall warming trend when you have this
warming trend when you have this
warming trend when you have this degradation of the streams you have
degradation of the streams you have
degradation of the streams you have pollutants coming in animals can’t stem
pollutants coming in animals can’t stem
pollutants coming in animals can’t stem this wave of all these factors coming at
this wave of all these factors coming at
this wave of all these factors coming at them at one time and that seems to be a
them at one time and that seems to be a
them at one time and that seems to be a real big issue we know that hellbenders
real big issue we know that hellbenders
real big issue we know that hellbenders are really sensitive to disease and we
are really sensitive to disease and we
are really sensitive to disease and we find animals that have evidence of skin
find animals that have evidence of skin
find animals that have evidence of skin disease quite often in the wild but we
disease quite often in the wild but we
disease quite often in the wild but we don’t know what’s causing it what tends
don’t know what’s causing it what tends
don’t know what’s causing it what tends to happen is that hellbenders start with
to happen is that hellbenders start with
to happen is that hellbenders start with kind of a reddening of their bottom feet
kind of a reddening of their bottom feet
kind of a reddening of their bottom feet and that can progress all the way to
and that can progress all the way to
and that can progress all the way to loss of the entire foot that’s pretty
loss of the entire foot that’s pretty
loss of the entire foot that’s pretty serious
serious
serious for a group of animals that tend to have
for a group of animals that tend to have
for a group of animals that tend to have incredible healing abilities not to be
incredible healing abilities not to be
incredible healing abilities not to be able to heal themselves we’re completing
able to heal themselves we’re completing
able to heal themselves we’re completing the second study now where we’re
the second study now where we’re
the second study now where we’re examining the impacts of warmer
examining the impacts of warmer
examining the impacts of warmer temperatures on hellbenders and we’re
temperatures on hellbenders and we’re
temperatures on hellbenders and we’re doing this in a way that precisely
doing this in a way that precisely
doing this in a way that precisely mimics the temperatures that they
mimics the temperatures that they
mimics the temperatures that they experience in the wild so hour by hour
experience in the wild so hour by hour
experience in the wild so hour by hour we recreate the exact temperatures that
we recreate the exact temperatures that
we recreate the exact temperatures that we measure out in the river where they
we measure out in the river where they
we measure out in the river where they came from and for a second group of
came from and for a second group of
came from and for a second group of hellbenders we add about three degrees
hellbenders we add about three degrees
hellbenders we add about three degrees to those hour by hour values and so one
to those hour by hour values and so one
to those hour by hour values and so one of the things that we’re looking at is
of the things that we’re looking at is
of the things that we’re looking at is their ability to resist bacterial
their ability to resist bacterial
their ability to resist bacterial infection by specifically looking at our
infection by specifically looking at our
infection by specifically looking at our study and temperature variation and
study and temperature variation and
study and temperature variation and understanding how that affects
understanding how that affects
understanding how that affects hellbender physiology and how that makes
hellbender physiology and how that makes
hellbender physiology and how that makes them resistant to bacteria that’s just
them resistant to bacteria that’s just
them resistant to bacteria that’s just one tiny piece of the large puzzle that
one tiny piece of the large puzzle that
one tiny piece of the large puzzle that we need to solve in order to figure out
we need to solve in order to figure out
we need to solve in order to figure out why they’ve lasted through mass
why they’ve lasted through mass
why they’ve lasted through mass extinctions through ice ages and now
extinctions through ice ages and now
extinctions through ice ages and now we’re starting to see decline we need to
we’re starting to see decline we need to
we’re starting to see decline we need to act now we don’t want to have this
act now we don’t want to have this
act now we don’t want to have this responsive crisis strategy and we
responsive crisis strategy and we
responsive crisis strategy and we shouldn’t wait until it’s too late and
shouldn’t wait until it’s too late and
shouldn’t wait until it’s too late and until there are only a few individuals
until there are only a few individuals
until there are only a few individuals left
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