Tuatara Problem

Turns out older tuataras will eat hatchlings... (News source.)

Ultrasonic Frogs

The female concave-eared torrent frog, Odorrana tormota, uses ultrasonic chirps to attract males over the sounds of rushing water and waterfalls in central China. (Eurekalert.)

Gharials Nesting

Gharial nests have been found in Chambal's sanctuary, so there's (some) hope for the species... (News source.)

Cat in a Snake

An Australian family's pet cat was eaten by a 2-meter python. X-rays proved it. (News source.)

Komodo Research

Research on Komodo dragon skulls shows that while the bite force is low and the skull is comparatively lightweight, but sharp teeth and unique biting methods driven by strong neck musculature make for an effective predator. (Eurekalert.)

Smokin' Turtle

A Chinese man has taught his pet turtle to smoke cigarettes... (News source.)

Sand-Walking

Here is an article in Nature regarding sand-walking by zebra-tailed lizards.

Gecko Behavior

BBC's Life in Cold Blood series has been advertising various segments lately. The latest involves a day gecko "begging" for honeydew from a plant-hopper. It is an interesting behavioral partnership, though they don't know what the plant-hopper gets out of it. (Maybe the reassurance it won't get eaten...) (News source.)

Early Nesting Record

A leatherback nest in February at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center is the earliest ever recorded in Florida. (News source.)

Nine Days of Labour

A lizard, the skink Egernia whitii, will, under warm light conditions, spread the births of its live young over a period of up to nine days. Under reduced light conditions, the births happen quicker, so that the offspring can take advantage of the light as soon as possible. (News source.)

PNG Croc Attacks

PNG officials have organized a crocodile cull after recent deaths involving humans who have intruded on crocodile territory during breeding season. (News source.)

The Church Turtle

A United Methodist church in Florida has a box turtle that lives in the atrium. It's a friendly turtle that comes when called and plays with visitors. From the news:

"Churchie's home, alongside a statue of Saint Francis of Assisi, consists of a large confined area with a palm tree, monkey grass, oyster plants, mulch and natural plant vegetation. Head Custodian Conan Gross observed Churchie hanging on the pants leg of a roofer working at the church after some damage in the 2004 hurricanes. The roofer was surprised at the extra weight on his leg as he went up the ladder, and more surprised to see Churchie hanging on affectionately.
"The turtle likes to grab Conan's shoe laces and will gently latch on to most anyone, but especially to Conan or Churchie's main caretaker, Kevin Oldebloom, who maintains the atrium."

Rubber Snakes to the Rescue

Crows have been swiping large white stones from an Australian government building's pebble garden, apparently thinking they're eggs (as they drop them in an attempt to smash them open). Rubber snakes are being employed, and seem to be keeping the birds at bay. (News source.)

Bully Crocs

A researcher at the Darwin Crocodile Farm is looking into farm-raised crocodile social-interaction. Bully crocs can create problems when they pick on runts, making the latter unprofitable for farming. (News source.)

Squirrels Scent with Rattlesnakes

California ground squirrels have another means of fooling their rattlesnake predators. They take rattlesnakes' shed skins, chew them and lick the scent on parts of their body. This helps fool any rattler who might investigate a sleeping squirrel's burrow. (News source.)

Cat & Snake

An Australian cat wandered home with a venomous copperhead (an Australian elapid) around its neck. Wildlife rescuers removed the snake. The cat had been bitten, and suffered some paralysis later, but was treated with antivenom and is expected to recover. (News source.)

Amphibian Breeding Strategies

A researcher is suggesting that alternative breeding strategies by amphibians are an attempt to avoid parasites, etc. From the Eurekalert:

"Brian Todd, a researcher at the UGA Odum School of Ecology Savannah River Ecology Lab, explains that most amphibians start their lives in water (tadpoles are a good example), and then make their way onto land as adults and return to the water to breed. But there are other breeding strategies as well. Take, for instance, the Darwin’s frog, the species that swallows its eggs and, a few weeks later, regurgitates its young. Or the marsupial frog, a species that carries its eggs on its back until they hatch. Several species lay eggs in small puddles on land or high up in trees where they hatch as miniature versions of adults, bypassing the larval stage entirely.
"Researchers have hypothesized that natural selection favored these non-traditional breeding strategies as a way to avoid predatory fish or the risk of a breeding pond or stream drying up. In a review article published in the November issue of The American Naturalist, Todd argues that the diversity of reproductive strategies that amphibians employ might also be influenced by the benefits that come from avoiding viruses, fungi and other parasites."

Amphibian Research

First, an article on research into frogs in Sri Lanka.

Also, some research into the occasional cross-breeding of spadefoot toad species.

Australian Croc Jailed

An aggressive crocodile was put behind bars by police after lunging at fishermen. It will be moved to a croc farm. (News source.)

Turtles Tip

Some researchers have been looking into how turtles are able to right themselves after being tipped. (Nature article.)

Beetle vs Snake

A Connecticut professor has discovered that a burying beetle, Nicrophorus pustulatus, specifically parasitizes snake eggs. There are concerns because ratsnakes are declining in parts of the northeast. (News source.)

Tortoise Snack

Here's a news site, with video showing a leopard tortoise eating hyena dung to aid in digestion. (News source.)

Lizards Listen to Birds

Galapagos iguanas keep an ear out for alarm calls by the islands' mockingbirds, warning of predatory hawks. (News source.)

Dwarf Croc Fathers Clutch

A 67-year-old (at least) dwarf croc at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo fathered a small clutch of babies. (News source.)

Crocodile Tears

Turns out that, rather than being a myth, many crocodilians do "tear up" while eating their food, possibly due to air moving into their sinuses while "huffing" as they tear into a meal, stimulating the tear glands. (News source.)

Lizards Play Rock-Paper-Scissors

The "rock-paper-scissors" competition of mating strategies known among side-blotched lizards in North America has also been found in the European common lizard (Lacerta vivipara). From the Eurekalert:

"A quick look at their undersides reveals the strategy: males who sport orange bellies are brutes who invade other lizards' territories to mate with any female they can catch. But while they're gone, drab yellow-bellied males slink onto the vacant territory and mate with unguarded females. White-bellied males guard their mates closely, and cooperate with other white-bellied lizards to keep the yellows at bay. Hence the analogy to rock-paper-scissors: force (orange) defeats cooperation (white), cooperation defeats deception (yellow), and deception defeats force." ...

"The cycle goes like this: one color type--orange, for example--is common in a patch of habitat for a year or two. During that time, the orange bullies spend their time attacking white-bellied lizards on nearby territories. The effort leaves females on their own territories unguarded, allowing yellow-bellied lizards to sneak in and sire offspring. So yellow males become prevalent for the next year or two. After that, white-bellied lizards proliferate as they team up to protect their mates from yellows' intrusions. But once the white-bellied males become numerous, they're easy pickings for the remaining orange-bellied males, who regain superior numbers as the cycle starts again."

Cane Toads

When trapping cane toads, use soft mating calls rather than loud ones, research suggests. (News source.)

Home-Loving Crocodiles

Three saltwater crocodiles that were tagged with satellite trasmitters and relocated from 52 to 130 km from their home, managed to find their way back. (News source.)

Sea Turtles

Over 100 million eggs are laid by sea turtles in five days at Ostional Beach in Santa Cruz. Photos at news source.

Crows Eat Cane Toads

Folks in Darwin, Australia, have observed that crows have figured out how to safely eat the invasive noxious cane toad. (News source.)

Snakes vs Frogs

A few Australian frogs have toxins that will kill predatory snakes; those toxins break down a short time after the frog is dead, though, and some venomous snakes have learned to bite, kill, then sit back and wait until the frog is edible. (News source.)

Legless Lizard Prey Capture

Interesting discussion on a recent paper published on Burton's legless lizards, and their prey capture mechanism (which includes retracting their eyes to prevent damage from struggling prey).

Shark vs Crocodile

Fascinating photo here, showing an Australian salwater croc eating a bull shark it caught in the Daly river.

Squirrels vs Rattlesnakes

California ground squirrels have learned to heat up their tails and shake them at approaching rattlesnakes as a defense mechanism. (News source.)