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Wood frog, Rana sylvatica. Image credit: Peter Paplanus/Wikimedia Commons

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Published on 26 Mar 2025

Tadpoles try to flee dangerous virus in their pond by growing much faster than normal

Researchers from the US studied the plasticity in growth and development of wood frog larvae in response to the emerging disease ranavirus, which can kill off the entire population of ponds. They showed that tadpoles in infected ponds speed up the rate of growth and progression through the immature stages. They hypothesize that this plasticity boosts their physical condition and hence immune response to ranavirus, and allows them to metamorphose earlier and escape infection.

Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae). Image credit: cyfer13 / Wikimedia Commons

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Published on 20 Mar 2025

Mere whiff of penguin poo pushes krill to take frantic evasive action

Scientists have shown for the first time that Antarctic krill show a stereotypical reaction in the presence of guano from Adélie penguins: they swim faster and make more turns over greater angles. It is unknown to what kind of water-borne chemical cues they respond, but the authors speculate that this behavior might be a universal escape response to the excreta of predators, irrespective of species.

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