Reptile Rooms

Turtles' mating habits protect against effects of climate change
The mating habits of marine turtles may help to protect them against the effects of climate change. The study shows how the mating patterns of a population of endangered green turtles may be helping them deal with the fact that global warming is leading to a disproportionate number of females being born.

Snakes improve search-and-rescue robots: New design uses less energy
Researchers have studied the movements of snakes to create more efficient search-and-rescue robots.

Extremely rare turtle is released into the wild
Biologists have successfully released a Southern River terrapin (Batagur affinis) – one of the most endangered turtles on Earth – into the Sre Ambel River in Cambodia.

World's smallest vertebrate: Tiny frogs discovered in New Guinea
Biologists just discovered two new species of frogs in New Guinea, one of which is now the world's tiniest known vertebrate, averaging only 7.7 millimeters in size -- less than one-third of an inch. It ousts Paedocypris progenetica, an Indonesian fish averaging more than 8 millimeters, from the record.

New 'horned' snake species discovered
Biologists have announced the discovery of a spectacularly colored snake from a remote area of Tanzania in East Africa.

Salt water alone unlikely to halt Burmese python invasion
Invasive Burmese python hatchlings from the Florida Everglades can withstand exposure to salt water long enough to potentially expand their range through ocean and estuarine environments.

Leaping lizards and dinosaurs inspire robot design
A new study of how lizards use their tails when leaping through the trees shows that they swing the tail upward to avoid pitching forward after a stumble. Theropod dinosaurs -- the ancestors of birds -- may have done the same. A robot model confirms the value of an actively controlled tail, demonstrating that adding a tail can stabilize robots on uneven terrain and after unexpected falls -- critical to successful search and rescue operations.

Before sounding an alarm, chimps consider their audience
It's a basic rule of effective communication: consider your audience. According to a new report that rule of thumb is not lost on wild chimpanzees. Chimps are more likely to make an alarm call about the presence of a snake when others in the group are unaware of the apparent danger they face, the new evidence shows.

I know something you don't know! Wild chimpanzees inform ignorant group members of danger
Many animals produce alarm calls to predators, and do this more often when kin or mates are present than other audience members. So far, however, there has been no evidence that they take the other group members' knowledge state into account. Researchers set up a study with wild chimpanzees in Uganda and found that chimpanzees were more likely to alarm call to a snake in the presence of unaware than in the presence of aware group members, suggesting that they recognize knowledge and ignorance in others.

Frogs use calls to find mates with matching chromosomes; Tree frogs that look similar hear chromosome difference in calls
When it comes to love songs, female tree frogs are pretty picky. According to a new study, certain female tree frogs may be remarkably attuned to the songs of mates who share the same number of chromosomes as they do. The discovery offers insight into how new frog species may have evolved.