Video Library

Videos 1 & 2: Researchers in the EPAC lab at Rhodes College conducted a study to determine which identification marking techniques are most suitable for very small toads. In addition to assessing mark reliability, researchers also assessed effects on water balance and locomotor performance. In this video, researchers are measuring the jumping speed of a marked toad by placing it on a custom scale and allowing it to jump in any direction. By knowing the distance between each concentric circle, researchers can later use Photoshop to measure the distance traveled in three consecutive jumps and the time of spent jumping (less the interval between jumps).

Videos 3 & 4: The critically endangered Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) uses small legs to propel itself slowly through its artificial aquatic habitat in a breeding farm, Shaanxi Province, China.

In order to permanently identify adult Chinese giant salamanders (Andrias davidianus) at the Ningshan Andrias breeding farm in China, Dr. Jon Davis injects a Passive Integrative Transponder (PIT) tag into the tail of a large adult salamander. Each PIT tag has a unique identification number that can be read with a hand-held scanning device to accurately identify individuals in a group. This is the same technology your vet may use to identify your pet in case it gets lost.