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Amphibians, Reptiles, & Natural History

A new giant fossil snake from northwest India’s Eocene

JCM

posted on

July 1, 2024

The snake family Madtsoiidae is an extinct clade of primarily Gondwanan terrestrial snakes, with a temporal range spanning approximately 100 million years from the Late Cretaceous to the Late Pleistocene. Their geographic range during the Late Cretaceous encompassed Madagascar, South America, India, Africa, and the European archipelago. The Cenozoic forms are primarily found in North…
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Prehistoric Amphibian Ancestor Is Named for Kermit the Frog

JCM

posted on

March 22, 2024

The species seemed to have bug eyes and a smile, so a team of researchers named it Kermitops gratus in honor of the banjo-playing Muppet. Michael Levenson, NYT One crawled across the rain-drenched ground of what is now Texas more than 270 million years ago, possibly feasting on fast-moving insects. The other endeared himself to…
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A Giant Armoured Skink from Australia’s Pleistocene

JCM

posted on

June 18, 2023

Tiliqua frangens is believed to be related to the living shingleback or sleepy lizard (Tiliqua rugosa), but is even larger and more heavily armored.
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A new lizard from the Triassic

JCM

posted on

December 4, 2022

The origins of mammals and birds are relatively well understood, while the roots of squamates have been obscure. In a new paper (Whiteside et al. 2022) report a modern-type lizard from the Late Triassic of England [202 million years (Ma)], comprising a partial skeleton, skull, and mandibles. It displays at least 15 unique squamate traits…
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Estimating the size of ancient amphibians

JCM

posted on

December 1, 2022

the temnospondyls used in this study, had heads that were more croc-like
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Leviathanochelys aenigmatica, a huge fossil turtle

JCM

posted on

November 24, 2022

The Press Story from the BBC says, This is the largest marine turtle ever found in Europe! It’s called Leviathanochelys aenigmatica, and researchers say it could grow to be as big as a small car (up to 4m). You won’t be coming across it any time soon if you have a dip in the sea…
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New skulls and skeletons of the Cretaceous legged snake Najash

JCM

posted on

November 24, 2019

Najash is an extinct genus of basal snakes from the Late Cretaceous (Candeleros Formation) of Patagonia. Some modern snakes retain traces of hind legs – boas, pythons, leptotyphlopids, and others. Some Cretaceous snakes also had hindlimbs or remnant hindlimbs, but Najash is unusual in having well-developed legs that extend outside the rib cage as well…
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World Snake Day is July 16. The day is important to the conservation of snakes. Snakes live on every continent except Antarctica and can vary from the longest species, the reticulated python, to the smallest Barbados Threadsnake. Snakes try to avoid human contact. They consider humans predators. Venomous snakes (and many) use their venom to obtain food and only use it for defense when forced to. World Snake Day can help remove people's fears and illusions about snakes, and help them gain recognition as a marvelous adaptable apex species. World Snake Day can be used to educate and inform people about how to deal with snakes. Let's not mis this opportunity.

August 14th is World Lizard Day. It's the perfect time to show some love for these remarkable creatures that have been sharing our planet since the time of the dinosaurs. With over 6,000 known species, lizards come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors, and patterns, and you can find them on every continent except Antarctica. But why should we celebrate lizards, you ask? Well, they're not just cool to observe in their natural habitats but also essential players in many ecosystems. Lizards help keep insect populations in check, which is vital to our ecosystems. So, let's give these amazing creatures the recognition they deserve on this special day! tems worldwide.

These extraordinary beings don’t merely excavate burrows that become abodes for various other species; they also provide a valuable service by assisting in maintaining the cleanliness of our beaches. Their diet includes the remains of deceased fish that wash ashore, making a substantial contribution to ecological equilibrium. This underscores the profound significance of safeguarding these gentle creatures.

World Turtle Day stands as an occasion specially designated to celebrate and protect both of these remarkable creatures. Its origins can be traced back to 2002 when American Tortoise Rescue introduced this meaningful event. It casts a spotlight on the myriad challenges that turtles and tortoises confront due to human intervention and environmental hazards. On this special day, educational institutions, rescue centers, and nature enthusiasts unite to deepen their understanding of these creatures and pledge unwavering commitments to their preservation.

Here are some impactful ways in which you can actively participate in the endeavor to safeguard these exceptional animals: Adopt a Turtle or Tortoise: Contemplate adopting a turtle or tortoise from a rescue shelter. These low-maintenance creatures make ideal companions, especially for families with young children.

Post List #4

California Kingsnake from se Arizona

Invasive Snakes refugia

Microhabitat use by the California Kingsnake in the Canary Islands

JCM Jan 14, 2026 3 min read

In this study, Maestresalas et al. (2026) characterize the shelter-use regime and the biotic and abiotic factors driving microhabitat selection by California kingsnake shelters on Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands. The intent is to help inform management. They expected that…

The Pacific tree frog (Pseudacris regilla), also known as the Pacific chorus frog, has a range spanning the Pacific Northwest, from Northern California, Oregon, and Washington to British Columbia in Canada and extreme southern Alaska. They live from sea level to more than 10,000 feet in many types of habitats, reproducing in aquatic settings. They occur in shades of greens or browns and can change colors over periods of hours and weeks.

Pacific Treefrogs, one, two, or three species?

JCM Oct 16, 2025 2 min read

Evolutionary divergence in sexual signals may lead to and maintain reproductive isolation between populations. Both selective forces—such as ecological and sexual selection—and random processes like genetic drift may influence the…

A female Burmese python with eggs.

Burmese Python Nest in Great Cypress Swamp

JCM Oct 16, 2025 3 min read

Lisa McBride, a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) biologist, led a study to document a record-setting Burmese python nest found in Big Cypress National Preserve in 2022. McBride’s work details the…

Jurassic reptile fossil discovery blurs the line between snake and lizard

Jurassic reptile fossil discovery blurs the line between snake and lizard

JCM Oct 7, 2025 3 min read

by American Museum of Natural History edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Robert Egan New research has uncovered a species of hook-toothed lizard that lived about 167 million years ago and has a…

Riama, a light bulb lizard from Ecuador

Discovering the lightbulb lizards of Ecuador

JCM Oct 7, 2025 2 min read

Alejandro Arteaga, a herpetologist in Ecuador sent out out the following email. If you have the resources for helping Alejandro I encourage you to do so. Today, I want to…