![]() His dream was always to break out of his migrant shell and he did. His parents were Mexican immigrants and he was born in Texas, 1935. Tomas Rivera's own history reflects the situation of his characters. Rivera’s story highlights the inequity and poverty of immigrants during this time, but it also points toward a future where things might change. Rivera’s story describes both the pain and pride that the young Jose feels at realizing his community is larger Knowing this gives the boy and his community a bit of hope. It has churches, schools and other standard facilities that Americans too often take for granted. Despite their greater population, the other town has far more wealth. Jose’s census reveals that there are more people in his “town” than in the nearby town where they get their groceries. The camp is on a farm owned by an American. Jose is a fifteen year old boy who lives in the migrant work camp with many other Mexicans. One of the children, Jose, decides to ward off boredom by taking a census (a population count) to see how many people are in their community. They wake the next day and endlessly repeat the same, excruciatingly boring, cycle. When it’s dark, they go to the market and then back to their meager camp to sleep. ![]() The immigrants and their children work in the fields, day after day. By understanding their habitat needs, metabolic functions and morphology, the Smithsonian hopes to be the first North American institution to breed Japanese giant salamanders, and to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on salamander disease.Tomas Rivera’s short story, “Zoo Island,” describes how Mexican immigrants suffered in the 1920s and 1930s, but it also offers a bit of hope. The Japanese giant salamanders at Reptile Discovery Center are gifts from ASA Zoo in Hiroshima, Japan. Experts are also interested in learning more about a type of amphibian chytrid fungus that is unique to Japanese giant salamanders and does not seem to impact other amphibian species in Japan. The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is a leader in research on the reproductive biology of this species. Zoos and aquariums play an important role for species threatened in the wild, including the Japanese giant salamander. The larger, more aggressive Chinese giant salamander now occupies some of the same crucial habitat that the native Japanese giant salamander relies on. Cases of hybrid salamanders have been recorded in the wild, due to the accidental release of imported Chinese giant salamanders. Additionally, it makes traveling upriver to breeding sites extremely difficult.Ī lack of genetic variation may also impact this species, especially as populations of Japanese giant salamanders are reduced. Sedimentation from agriculture, mining, logging and the construction of dams makes it difficult for the salamanders to get the adequate amount of oxygen they require. ![]() Habitat loss, alteration and degradation continue to be the major threat to these salamanders. They are also used in some traditional medicinal practices. However, these salamanders are still sometimes hunted for their meat, which is considered a delicacy in parts of Japan. In 1952, Japan designated this animal as a special natural monument, making hunting it illegal. Japanese giant salamanders are considered near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and are also listed on CITES Appendix I. Japanese giant salamanders belong to the Cryptobranchid family, which includes three regionally distinct salamanders: Japanese giant salamanders, Chinese giant salamanders and North American hellbenders. Giant salamanders have amazing regenerative capabilities and are able to regrow skin and bone, if necessary. This has given them a common name in Japan that translates to "big pepper fish." The sticky secretion has a pungent odor and smells like Japanese peppers. When aggravated or stressed, Japanese giant salamanders secrete a sticky, white mucus that may be toxic to predators. These salamanders do have a single lung, but it is used primarily to control their buoyancy in the water. Flaps of skin, or wrinkles, increase the surface area for this respiration. The smooth skin acts as a respiratory surface for gas exchange, where oxygen enters the body and carbon dioxide is released. Like other salamanders, Japanese giant salamanders "breathe" primarily through their skin. This species does not exhibit sexual dimorphism (distinct differences in appearance between males and females), except during the breeding season when males develop a swollen cloaca. They have small eyes and rely on their other senses to detect prey. Like their North American cousins, Japanese giant salamanders have flat heads, elongated bodies and long, broad tails. Some appear quite dark, while others have lighter patches of browns. Japanese giant salamanders have wrinkled skin mottled with varying patterns of black and shades of brown.
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