Overlooked “Jurassic Park of Lizards” Discovered by Researchers
Scientists have found that a key modern group of reptiles that includes lizards and snakes – known as squamates – diverged in the Jurassic period,…
Reptiles News
Large Bodies Helped Ancient Sea Monsters With Extremely Long Necks Swim
A new research study finds that large bodies helped extinct marine reptiles with long necks swim. According to new research findings from scientists at the…
Gigantic New Beast – One of the Largest Animals Ever – Discovered High in the Alps
Largest ever ichthyosaur tooth is among fossil discoveries including remains of a new beast, sized longer than a bowling alley. Paleontologists have discovered sets of…
How Boas Save Themselves From Suffocating When Squeezing Their Prey to Death
Boa constrictors breathe with different sections of rib cage when constricting prey and digesting dinner. The later stages of pregnancy can make life difficult as…
World’s Largest Flying Animal – With a Wingspan Nearing 40 Feet – Leaped Aloft To Fly
With a wingspan nearing 40 feet, the giant pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus is the largest known animal to take to the sky. But known from only a…
Earth’s First Giant: Newly Discovered Species of Ichthyosaur Was Behemoth of Dinosaurian Oceans
The two-meter skull of a newly discovered species of giant ichthyosaur, the earliest known, is shedding new light on the marine reptiles’ rapid growth into…
Common Origin: Venoms in Snakes and Salivary Protein in Mammals Evolved From the Same Ancestral Gene
A new study has found that a class of toxins found in snake and mammalian venom evolved from the same ancestral gene. A new study…
Kyhytysuka: 130-Million-Year-Old Hypercarnivore “Fish Lizard” Discovered
A new 130-million-year-old swordfish-shaped marine reptile fossil sheds light on the evolution of hypercarnivory of these last-surviving ichthyosaurs. A team of international researchers from Canada,…
Surprising Diversity of Cretaceous Reptiles at Argentina Fossil Site – Revealed by Discovery of Ancient Teeth
Remains include the first armored dinosaurs and land-dwelling crocs from the region. Where skeletons are rare, isolated teeth can flesh out our understanding of ancient…
Newly Identified Mosasaur Was Enormous Fish-Hunting Monster
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati identified a new species of mosasaur — an 18-foot-long fish-eating monster that lived 80 million years ago. UC assistant…
Police Raid Uncovers Fossil of Exceptional Flying Reptile From Brazil
Complete skeleton provides first look at entire body of Tupandactylus navigans. A fossil acquired in a police raid has turned out to be one of…
The Dawn of Modern Reptiles: New Fossil Species Represents the Ancient Forerunner of Most Modern Reptiles
International team of researchers describe a new fossil species representing the ancient forerunner of most modern reptiles. Lizards and snakes are a key component of…
“Dental Origami” – How Snakes Got Their Fangs
‘Dental origami’ exploited by multiple species. Ever wondered how deadly snakes evolved their fangs? The answer lies in particular microscopic features of their teeth, research…
“Fearsome Dragon” Discovered That Soared Over Australian Outback
Australia’s largest flying reptile has been uncovered, a pterosaur with an estimated seven-meter wingspan that soared like a dragon above the ancient, vast inland sea…
One of World’s Rarest Chameleons Found Clinging to Survival in Patches of Rainforest in Malawi
Chapman’s pygmy chameleon had been feared extinct due to forest loss. Urgent conservation measures are needed to save a Critically Endangered species of chameleon which…
Killer of Critically Endangered Christmas Island Reptile Identified
Bacterium responsible for deaths of critically endangered species. With wild populations decimated, Lister’s gecko and the blue-tailed skink only exist in captivity. University of Sydney…
World’s Oldest Python Found in Messel Pit
Fossils suggest that the constrictors’ origin lies in Europe. Together with his colleague Hussam Zaher of the University in São Paulo, Senckenberg scientist Krister Smith…
Evolution of Reptiles Timeline: New Study Rebuts 75-Year-Old Belief About How and When Reptiles Evolved
New study by a team of Harvard-led researchers rebuts 75-year-old belief in reptile evolution. Challenging a 75-year-old notion about how and when reptiles evolved during…