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River Parrett

The River Parrett flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England. Arising from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington, Dorset, it flows northwest through the Somerset Levels to its mouth at Burnham-on-Sea, into the nature reserve at Bridgwater Bay on the Bristol Channel, draining about 50 per cent of Somerset's land area. The 37-mile-long (60 km) river is tidal for 27 miles (43 km) up to Oath. During the Roman era, the Parrett was crossed by a ford, and in Anglo-Saxon times formed a boundary between Wessex and Dumnonia. From the medieval period, the river served the Port of Bridgwater, enabling cargoes to be transported inland. The arrival of the railways led to a decline and now commercial shipping only docks at Dunball. Along with its connected waterways and network of drains, the Parrett supports an ecosystem that includes several rare species of flora and fauna. The River Parrett Trail has been established along the banks of the river. (Full article...)

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Pristimantis elegans

Pristimantis elegans is a species of frog in the family Strabomantidae. It is endemic to the Colombian Andes, in the Cordillera Oriental, residing in páramos and cloud forests at elevations of 2,600–3,650 m (8,530–11,980 ft) above sea level. It is typically found in herbaceous vegetation and very small bushes. Pristimantis elegans is a stout-bodied frog, with males typically measuring 37–40 mm (1.5–1.6 in). Development is direct, without a free-living tadpole stage. Males of the species have a pulsed advertisement call, which is usually emitted at night, in vegetation. This Pristimantis elegans individual was photographed in Chingaza National Natural Park, Colombia.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

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