Reptile Rooms

How Did Turtles Get Their Shells? Oldest Known Turtle Fossil, 220 Million Years Old, Give Clues
Since the age of dinosaurs, turtles have looked pretty much as they do now with their shells intact, and scientists lacked conclusive evidence to support competing evolutionary theories. Now with the discovery in China of the oldest known turtle fossil, estimated at 220 million years old, scientists have a clearer picture of how the turtle got its shell.

Developing A Global Antidote For Snake Bites: 100,000 People Die From Snake Bites Each Year
Globally snake bite affects the lives of some 4.5 million people every year, and conservative estimates suggest that at least 100,000 people die from snake bite, and another 250,000 are permanently disabled. The world's leading authorities on snake bite are launching a Global Snake Bite Initiative aimed at developing practical solutions to prevent and treat what is one of the world's most neglected tropical conditions.

Jurassic Turtles Could Swim
Around 164 million years ago the earliest aquatic turtles lived in lakes and lagoons on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, according to new research.

Turtles Alter Nesting Dates Due To Temperature Change
Researchers say turtles nesting along the Mississippi River and other areas are altering their nesting dates in response to rising temperatures.

Low Concentrations Of Pesticides Can Become Toxic Mixture For Amphibians
Ten of the world's most popular pesticides can decimate amphibian populations when mixed together even if the concentration of the individual chemicals are within limits considered safe, according to new research. Such "cocktails of contaminants" are frequently detected in nature, a new article notes.

Global Warming Link To Amphibian Declines In Doubt
Evidence that global warming is causing the worldwide declines of amphibians may not be as conclusive as previously thought, according to biologists. The findings, which contradict two widely held views, could help reveal what is killing the frogs and toads and aid in their conservation.

Loggerhead Turtle Release To Provide Vital Information To Scientific Community
Biologists will release two juvenile loggerhead sea turtles raised in captivity into the Indian River Lagoon near Sebastian Inlet. Dubbed Milton and FeeBee, the turtles were part of a sex ratio study.

Limb Loss In Lizards: Evidence For Rapid Evolution
Small skink lizards, Lerista, demonstrate extensive changes in body shape over geologically brief periods. New research shows that several species of these skinks have rapidly evolved an elongate, limbless body form.

Red-eyed Treefrog Embryos Actively Avoid Asphyxiation Inside Their Eggs
Red-eyed treefrog embryos react to environmental oxygen concentration before they have blood or muscular movement. These initial responses to the environment may be critical to the frogs' long-term survival.

Sea Snakes Seek Out Freshwater To Slake Thirst
Sea snakes may slither in saltwater, but they sip the sweet stuff. It has been the "long-standing dogma" that the roughly 60 species of venomous sea snakes worldwide satisfy their drinking needs by drinking seawater, with internal salt glands filtering and excreting the salt. Experiments with three species of captive sea kraits captured near Taiwan, however, found that the snakes refused to drink saltwater even if thirsty -- and then would drink only freshwater or heavily diluted saltwater.