5 legged Andrias

E

erik

Guest
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We found this Andrias with 5 legs in Japan last month.
 
It is a real challenge to get a SVL and sex on these guys. They really fight it, but eventually they will rest for a few seconds.

This animal only had 4 legs when collected last 2 years ago (it is a PIT tagged animal).
 
Only four legs before? What could explain the emergence of the fifth leg or might it just not have been noticed before? I've heard that a fifth leg can emerge from the site of an injury.

For those who don't know (and I was one of them), a PIT tag (Passive Integrated Transponder) is "a small externally mounted or implanted RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) product used to positively identify animals for a lifetime."

When I was at the Himeji museum, I saw a display with what might have been PIT tags, though I thought they were microchips. Same thing?

"Implantable tags are "integrated" circuits with an antenna that are encapsulated in glass...The tag only transmits its unique code when the tag is present in the transceiver's electromagnetic activation field...With no battery to fail, PIT tags are expected to last 100 years or more...Tag diameters are in the 2mm to 3.5mm range. Most tags are easily implanted using a modified hypodermic syringe-style device (implanter or injector) fitted with a 6 to 12 gauge needle. The tag can be implanted inside the animal body cavity, under the skin, in cartilage or in a muscle."

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source: http://www.biomark.com/default.html

I have a couple of outstanding invites to observe A.japonicus surveys, in Hyogo and in Aichi prefectures, but haven't yet found the time (and money) to do so. Eventually though! It must be a fantastic experience.

Looking forward to more photos, as usual!
 
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