http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/frogs_and_reptiles/ Snakes, lizards, alligators, frogs and toads. From habitat information to frogs in stem cell research, you will find all the reptile and amphibian news here. en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:05:01 EST Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/frogs_and_reptiles/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111092051.htm Amphibians, for years considered a leading indicator of environmental degradation, are not uniquely susceptible to pollution, according to a new meta-analysis. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111092051.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112249.htm Researchers found that removing all of the trees from a section of the forest had a negative effect on amphibians during their later life cycles, but had some positive effects during amphibians' aquatic larva stages at the beginning of their lives. To lessen the negative effects during the later life stage, scientists recommend partial or selection cuts to forests rather than completely removing trees from an area. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112249.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029125532.htm Biologists have shown that independent but similar molecular changes turned a harmless digestive enzyme into a toxin in two unrelated species -- a shrew and a lizard -- giving each a venomous bite. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029125532.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028140043.htm Researchers are using a remotely operated vehicle and satellite-linked data loggers to learn more about turtle behavior in commercial fishing areas and to develop new ways to avoid catching turtles in fishing gear. This marks the first time an ROV has been used to follow turtles in the wild to learn about their behavior and how they interact with their habitat Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028140043.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029125538.htm As the nation copes with a shortage of vaccines for H1N1 influenza, a team of Alabama researchers have raised hopes that they have found an Achilles' heel for all strains of the flu -- antioxidants. In a new study, they show that antioxidants -- the same substances found in plant-based foods -- might hold the key in preventing the flu virus from wreaking havoc on our lungs. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029125538.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019141538.htm A workshop at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama has nearly doubled the number of people capable of quatitatively testing for chytridiomycosis, dramatically improving the ability of conservationists and regulatory agencies to monitor the spread of one of the deadliest frog diseases on Earth. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019141538.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015112138.htm The fact that they eat a lot -- and often -- may explain why most people and other mammals are protected from the majority of fungal pathogens, according to new research. Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015112138.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013132129.htm Five giant non-native snake species would pose high risks to the health of ecosystems in the United States should they become established here, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey report. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013132129.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929203027.htm The world's largest living lizard species, the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), is vulnerable to extinction and yet little is known about its natural history. New research by a team of palaeontologists and archaeologists from Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia, who studied fossil evidence from Australia, Timor, Flores, Java and India, shows that Komodo Dragons most likely evolved in Australia and dispersed westward to Indonesia. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929203027.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090927151724.htm A bird-eating fanged frog, a gecko that looks like it's from another planet, and a bird which would rather walk than fly -- these are among the 163 new species discovered in the Greater Mekong region last year that are now at risk of extinction due to climate change, says a new report. Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090927151724.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922160100.htm Everyone knows that frogs are in trouble. But a recent analysis of frog surveys done at eight Central American sites shows the situation is worse than thought. Under pressure from an invasive fungus, the frogs in this biodiversity hot spot are undergoing "a vast homogenization." "We're witnessing the McDonaldization of the frog communities," comments the lead author of the new study. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922160100.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916103439.htm While developing a more efficient, safer way to extract venom, researchers noticed the venom delivered by an isolated population of Florida cottonmouth snakes may be changing in response to their diet. Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916103439.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916133515.htm A new analysis of extinct sea creatures suggests that the transition from egg-laying to live-born young opened up evolutionary pathways that allowed these ancient species to adapt to and thrive in open oceans. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916133515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903093149.htm Reptiles are not known to be the most social of creatures. But when it comes to laying eggs, female reptiles can be remarkably communal, often laying their eggs in the nests of other females. New research suggests that this curiously out-of-character behavior is far more common in reptiles than was previously thought. Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903093149.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902133629.htm Scientists have traced the evolution of the four-chambered human heart to a common genetic factor linked to the development of hearts in turtles and other reptiles. The research shows how a specific protein that turns on genes is involved in heart formation in turtles, lizards and humans. Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902133629.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727080834.htm A disease may be causing a behavioral change in frogs. The research has unearthed a surprising fact about our long-tongued friends: wild frogs in the UK may be changing their mating behavior. Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727080834.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817143554.htm Researchers in China have discovered the first protein-based toxin in an amphibian -- a 60-amino-acid neurotoxin found in the skin of a Chinese tree frog. This finding may help shed more light into both the evolution of amphibians and the evolution of poison. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817143554.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729092536.htm Mammals and many species of birds and fish are among "evolution's winners," while crocodiles, alligators and a reptile cousin of snakes known as the tuatara are among its losers, according to a new study. The study also shows new species emerge nearly as often as they die off. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729092536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810162148.htm Over 350 new species including the world's smallest deer, a "flying frog" and a 100-million-year old gecko have been discovered in the Eastern Himalayas, a biological treasure trove now threatened by climate change. A decade of research carried out by scientists in remote mountain areas endangered by rising global temperatures brought exciting discoveries such as a bright green frog that uses its red and long webbed feet to glide in the air. Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810162148.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805201539.htm A new discovery reveals how venomous sea snakes deceive their predators into believing they have two heads. Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805201539.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090726093404.htm For the first time in nearly 50 years, a population of a nearly extinct frog has been rediscovered in the San Bernardino National Forest's San Jacinto Wilderness. Biologists retracing a 1908 natural history expedition rediscovered the rare mountain yellow-legged frog. Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090726093404.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090721163115.htm Counting the horns of California's horned lizard, or coast horned lizard, is one way to try to distinguish separate species, but a new study shows that to be unreliable. Biologists considered genetic, morphological and ecological data to separate the species into three, ranging from Baja to Northern California. Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090721163115.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090717090824.htm Neon blue-tailed tree lizards are perfectly happy scurrying from branch to branch in their arboreal homes, but it wasn't clear whether they simply leaping between branches or glide. Researchers compared the tree lizards' jumps with common wall lizards' and gliding geckos' leaps, and found that the tree lizards glide because they are incredibly light. Their bones are packed with tiny air bubbles that make them feather light. Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090717090824.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618170024.htm Forget the old folk tales about snakes hypnotizing their prey. The tentacled snake from South East Asia has developed a more effective technique. The small water snake has found a way to startle its prey so that the fish turn toward the snake's head to flee instead of turning away. Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618170024.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081133.htm Burrowing frogs can survive buried for several years without food or water. Scientists have discovered that the metabolism of their cells changes radically during the dormancy period allowing the frogs to maximize the use of their limited energy resources. This discovery could prove to have important applications in the long term for treating energy-related disorders such as obesity. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081133.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604124015.htm Whether baby lizards will turn out to be male or female is a more complicated question than scientists would have ever guessed, according to a new report. The study shows that for at least one lizard species, egg size matters. Mon, 22 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604124015.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090530173402.htm Marine turtles are vanishing from Viet Nam's waters and illegal trade is largely to blame says a new study. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090530173402.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615144215.htm As part of ongoing research on Sao Tome and Principe, a new Phallus mushroom has been discovered and described. Phallus drewesii belongs to a group of mushrooms known as stinkhorns which give off a foul, rotting meat odor. There are 28 other species of Phallus fungi worldwide, but this particular species is notable for its small size, white net-like stem, and brown spore-covered head. It is also the only Phallus species to curve downward instead of upward. Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615144215.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608101334.htm New research documents a surprising chemical weapon used by some Amazonian poison frogs. The study identified for the first time a family of poisons never before known to exist in these brightly colored creatures or elsewhere in nature: the N-methyldecahydroquinolines. The authors then speculated on its origin in the frogs' diet, most likely ants. Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608101334.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608182435.htm Snakes use both friction generated by their scales and redistribution of their weight to slither along flat surfaces, researchers have found. Their findings run counter to previous studies that have shown snakes move by pushing laterally against rocks and branches. Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608182435.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090522171001.htm When evolution has lucked into efficient solutions for life's most fundamental problems, it adopts them as invaluable family heirlooms, passing them down as one species evolves into another. So it was reasonable to expect that a key regulator of embryonic development -- a strand of RNA that shepherds stem cells through the process of differentiation -- might play the same role in all vertebrates, from fish to people. New research, however, has shown that when it comes to microRNAs, what works for one animal may not work the same way in another. Thu, 28 May 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090522171001.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518172650.htm The effectiveness of the Komodo dragon bite is a combination of highly specialized serrated teeth and venom, a new study shows. The authors also dismiss the widely accepted theory that prey die from septicemia caused by toxic bacteria living in the dragon's mouth. Tue, 19 May 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518172650.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090517212653.htm Scientists have identified a nesting population of leatherback sea turtles in Gabon, West Africa as the world's largest. The research involved country-wide land and aerial surveys that estimated a population of between 15,730 and 41,373 female turtles using the nesting beaches. The study highlights the importance of conservation work to manage key sites and protected areas in Gabon. Mon, 18 May 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090517212653.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090508192231.htm Scientists report on the only known frog species that can communicate using purely ultrasonic calls, whose frequencies are too high to be heard by humans. Known as Huia cavitympanum, the frog lives only on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo. Sat, 09 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090508192231.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505061942.htm Between 129 and 221 new species of frogs have been identified in Madagascar, practically doubling the currently known amphibian fauna. The finding suggests that the number of amphibian species in Madagascar, one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, has been significantly underestimated. According to the researchers, if these results are extrapolated at a global scale, the number of amphibian species worldwide could double. Tue, 05 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505061942.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090418081508.htm Leatherbacks are the largest turtles on Earth with evolutionary roots that go back more than 100 million years. But their numbers, particularly in the Pacific, are declining at an alarming rate due to egg harvest, fishery bycatch, coastal development, and highly variable food availability. Researchers have attached satellite transmitters to track them in the Great Turtle Race. Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090418081508.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090415141225.htm Researchers recently took a 75-million-year-old turtle for a CT scan to look for its skull, additional eggs and possible embryos. Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090415141225.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090403114927.htm An international team of scientists has discovered a new acarine species (Ophionyssus schreibericolus) that lives off black green lizards from the Iberian Peninsula. This involves the first recording of the Ophionyssus genus that feeds off and lives on animals endemic to the peninsula. The researchers now think that these parasites could be found in other reptiles in the region. Tue, 14 Apr 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090403114927.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401101745.htm A fungus threatens amphibians all over the globe and has contributed to extinctions. A consideration of amphibian immune responses to the fungus suggests that acquired as well as innate immunity play a role, and preliminary experimental results support this conclusion. Understanding the genetics of both types of immunity could help predict the spread of Bd and possibly support efforts to counter it. Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401101745.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090406073551.htm It fits on a fingertip: Noblella pygmaea is a midget frog, the smallest ever found in the Andes and among the smallest amphibians in the world. Only its croaking was to be heard from the leaves on the mossier ground of the "elfin forests" in the highlands of Manu National Park, before German and Peruvian herpetologists discovered the tiny little thing in south-eastern Peru. Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090406073551.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090330091601.htm Ecologists in Australia have discovered that cane toads are far more susceptible to being killed and eaten by meat ants than native frogs. Their research reveals a chink in the cane toad's armor that could help control the spread of this alien invasive species in tropical Australia. Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090330091601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090325170604.htm Ecologists have answered a question that has puzzled biologists for more than a century: What is the main factor that determines a lizard's ability to shed its tail when predators attack? Fri, 27 Mar 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090325170604.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090325132330.htm Jumping spiders, a tiny chirping frog and an elegant striped gecko are among 56 species believed new to science discovered during a Conservation International Rapid Assessment Program expedition to Papua New Guinea's highlands wilderness. Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090325132330.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324091207.htm The last remaining populations of broad-headed snakes are being threatened by encroaching woodland that is destroying their habitat, a study by scientists. Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324091207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090315224258.htm Leatherback turtles, the most widely distributed reptiles on Earth, are threatened with extinction themselves, in large part due to the carelessness of humans. A professor addresses the threat of plastics to this endangered species. Since leatherbacks prefer eating jellyfish, it's widely believed they mistake bags or other plastics for their meals. Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090315224258.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090227095000.htm It seems we're not the only ones struggling to adapt to the summer weather -- Australian researchers have found the increased temperatures may be affecting turtles too. Scientists found that green turtle hatchlings from Heron Island weren't swimming as well as expected. Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090227095000.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090309205313.htm Colorful poison frogs in the Amazon owe their great diversity to ancestors that leapt into the region from the Andes Mountains several times during the last 10 million years, a new study suggests. Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090309205313.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090227122252.htm Scientists have discovered how changes to a frog's immune system may be the key to beating a viral infection which is devastating frog populations across the UK. Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090227122252.htm