Contribution to Herpetology

A nice article here on the development of a reference guide to the 22-volume Biology of the Reptilia series, by 85-year-old Ernest Liner.

Pacific Iguanas

There's a new study from BYU regarding the biogeography of iguanas, specifically how they reached the isolated islands of Fiji and Tonga.

Axolotl Research

Scientists are looking to the Mexican axolotl as a model for spinal cord regeneration. (News source.)

Catlina Island Rattlers

Researchers are investigating whether the rattlesnakes on Santa Catalina Island may be a different subspecies from their California mainland kin. (News source.)

Canadian Horned Lizard Research

Information on Canadian research into the greater short-horned lizard here.

Lesser-Known Venomous Snakes

A grant has been won by two researchers (one being Dr. Bryan Fry, University of Melbourne) to investigate the venom of Australia's lesser-known venomous snakes. (News source.)

Turtle Bridges

Kim Komando's video of the day on a wood turtle researcher, here.

Everglades Python Hunt

The technology is expanding in the Everglades python hunt: thermal imaging equipment is being tested. (News source.)

Shed Tail Movements

Lizard tails that are shed in response to possible predation have a bit of the spinal cord in them, which appears to coordinate movement in response to stimuli. (News source.)

Gecko Talent Studied

Researcher have discovered that in order to induce their amazing grip, "geckos must be on an incline in order to trigger the deployment of their adhesive system." (Eurekalert.)

Overblown Python Numbers

This really shouldn't come as any surprise, but wildlife experts are starting to question the high numbers of estimated pythons in the Everglades. (News source.)

Sherando Salamander Research

A Washington and Lee University professor and his students are trying to determine if the Sherando salamander in the George Washington National Forest is actually a distinct species. (News source.)

More on the New Georgia Salamander

The recently described "patch-nosed salamander" is pictured here, and one of the researchers who described it is profiled here.

Turtle Tech

Researchers are using GPS-devices to track diamondback terrapins. (News source.)

Lizard Locomotion

Researchers have now shown that neon blue tailed tree lizards (Holaspis guentheri) actually do glide when leaping from trees, because of their light weight, which makes their Mass to Surface Area ratio the same as that of the gliding gecko. (Eurekalert.)

Sandfish (a desert lizard) swim like snakes through the sand. (Eurekalert.)

Rip Van Frog

Researchers are investigating how some burrowing frogs can sleep in mud for months or years. (News source.)

Amphibian News

Frog deformations may be the result of dragonfly nymphs, according to some researchers. (News source.)

A pic here of a recently discovered transparent frog in Ecuador.

A fish-surfing frog photographed in the UK, here.

Axolotls are being studied for limb regeneration research. (News source.)

Python News

A Uganda man got into an argument with wildlife officials when he demanded compensation for damage to a goat from a python. (News source.)

Researchers are investigating whether Burmese pythons could survive in South Carolina. (News source.)

Gator Survey

There are over a million alligators in Florida, and biologists continue to monitor the population. (News source.)

Herp Researchers

Biologists are mounting cameras on Galapagos tortoises to view their behavior. (News source.)

Biologists are studying the "jumping frogs of Calaveras County" to see why the leap so far. (News source.)

Snake Venom News

An article on the Global Snakebite Initiative, here.

And, the southern Pacific rattlesnake may be becoming more toxic. (News source.)

Tail Loss to Prevent Envenomation

Lizards lose their tails to predators primarily due to the potential for snakes to envenomate them. (News source.)

Frogs

New Zealand researchers have found some Maud Island Frog living into their 30's. (News source.)

You can create frog ponds to help declining amphibian populations.

Frog and Toad News

Half of the zoo population of Archey's frogs at Auckland Zoo have died, apparently due to husbandry difficulties. (News source.)

Research shows that European tree frog females prefer a male with a reddish vocal sac. (News source.)

An oversized cane toad found in Australia was discovered to have eaten several whole crabs and molluscs. (News source.)

Coral Snake Antiserum Research

Details on some interesting research on antiserum for Micrurus corallinus here.

"Besides an improvement in our knowledge of the composition of coral snake venoms, which are very poorly known when compared to Old World elapids, the expression profile suggests abundant and diversified components that may be used in future antiserum formulation. As recombinant production of venom antigens frequently fails due to complex disulfide arrangements, DNA immunization may be a viable alternative.
"In fact, the selected candidates provided an initial evidence of the feasibility of this approach, which is less costly and not dependent on the availability of the venom."

Gharial Study

Gharials are being radio-tagged in Nepal for study. (News source.)

Tortoise News

Australian loggerhead turtles ride the ocean currents to the waters off South America. (News source.)

Some conservationists argue that the Red List of endangered animals includes species that are actually safe from extinction (including several sea turtles) which takes conservation focus and dollars away from species that truly do need the help. (News source.)

Venom Extraction for Cancer Researchers

Copperhead venom contains a protein of interest to cancer researchers, and a SC man extracts the venom for research. (News source.)

Snake Deterrent

A new invention here is meant to keep reptiles out of public restrooms.

Frog Researcher

A New Zealand researcher is studying the tiny Hochstetter’s frog. (News source.)

Racers in Canada

A Canadian researcher is studying eastern yellow-bellied racers in Saskatchewan. (News source.)

Leaping Lizards

Losing a tail to a predator means anoles are at a distinct disadvantage when dropping from a tree. (Eurekalert)

Gila Research Reprieve

NV Dept. of Wildlife officials nearly ruined ongoing research into Nevada's gila monster population, but DoW Commissioners overturned the decision, and the research can continue. (News source.)

Turtle Issues

South Carolina is looking into legislation to protect the native turtle population from being shipped by the thousands overseas. (News source.)

A Pacific sea turtle database is being brought online. (News source.)

3000 tortoises were confiscated by Indian officials, when they were discovered being smuggled out of Uttar Pradesh. (News source.)

Customs officers at Atlanta's airport seized illegal (CITES) turtle meat and eggs from a passenger. Species not mentioned, but perhaps sea turtle? (News source.)

Research Woes

Varanid specialist Daniel Bennett returned from field research to find his samples of lizard excrement (2 years into his PhD program) had been accidentally thrown out by lab techs. He went ahead and finished his PhD thesis, but apparently is now suing the university. (News source.)

Snake Hunting Techniques

Researchers in Georgia are using a trained Labrador retriever to sniff out eastern indigo snakes. (News source.)

A Malaysian man has created a snake catching device for hands-off capture of venomous snakes. (News source.)

Amphibians

A new (strange-looking) toad found in Tanzania, pictured here.

Researchers are looking at a compound in tadpoles as a potential resource to prevent skin cancer. (News source.)

Saving the AZ Poison & Drug Info Center

A poorly-considered legislative move in Arizona could spell the end for the AZ Poison and Drug Information Center, considered a key educational, research, and consultive facility for (among other things) venomous animal bites/stings. Info here. News story on this here.

Cobra Spitting Explained

New research shows that spitting cobras rely on a two-part method for accuracy. (News source.)

Horned Toad Study

Texas biologists are studying the genetics of horned lizards across populations in that state. (News source.)

Tracking a Sea Turtle

Ecuador is tracking a hawksbill turtle via satellite as it lives its life along the Ecuador coast. (News source.)

Fox Snake Study

A grad student in Michigan is continuing his research into fox snakes. (News source.)

Turkey Point Crocs

The Turkey Point Nuclear Plant played an inadvertent role in the conservation of the American crocodile, as the cooling canals built around the plant created a favored breeding grounds for the species. (News source.)

And, a profile here on a croc researcher who has studied the American crocs at Turkey Point for two decades.

Gators at University

Researchers at Southeastern Oklahoma State University are working with some young alligators that were found abandoned by their mother in the state. (News source.)

Turtle News

Mississippi researchers are studying the diamondback terrapin. (News source.)

The AVMA has an interesting article on the 4-inch turtle law debate. (News source.)

Venom and Politics

A Pakistani snake hunter says that foreign traders are removing one of Pakistan's treasures: the venom of snakes. He is proposing that a venom lab be built. (News source.)

Sandfish Swimming

Interesting findings on how a sandfish actually "swims" through sand. (Eurekalert.)

Reptiles of Nauru

An interesting paper has been published in Pacific Science, reprinted on RedOrbit.

Horned Lizard Tactics

Horned lizards that specialize on harvester ants (with strong mandibles and stings) have specialized mucus-producing tissue in their throat, which allows them to quickly coat and swallow the noxious insects. (News source.)

Snake Vision

A study on the vision of watersnakes found that the snakes can see just as well as dogs and cats. (News source.)

Sea Turtle Research

Five sea turtles have been tagged with satellite transmitting devices by Kenyan researchers. (News source.)

Frog Hunt in Costa Rica

BBC has a "frog blog" as researchers look for frogs in the rainforest of Costa Rica.

Good News, Bad News

First, the University of Colorado is studying Burmese pythons in an effort to treat heart disease. (News source.)

But, a student zookeeper in Argentina was killed by a 3m-long Burmese python. (News source.)

Lizard News

Islanders are upset that Conservancy control of the Komodo National Park has created situations that endanger the locals. (News source.)

Geckos rely on their tails for mobility. (News source.)

Burms Stuck in South Florida

A new study shows that climatic changes are likely to limit the invasive Burmese python to southern Florida. (Eurekalert)

"The results of the models suggest that the pythons are restricted to the vicinity of the Everglades in extreme south Florida, so while wildlife authorities will have their hands full dealing with established populations of these snakes, people outside of Florida should not fear an inexorable northward expansion."

Rattlesnake News

Wisconsin biologists are trying to restore the massasauga. (News source.)

And, a California columnist came across two male rattlers in a dominance display. (News source.)

Cincinnati Lizard Study

A professor and grad student are studying the genetics of the introduced Italian wall lizards in Cincinnati, Ohio. (News source.)

Fang Research

Interesting developmental biology research into the formation of snake fangs here.

Leatherbacks

More research here on leatherback migration routes.

Frog & Toad News

An orange-morph garden frog was found in the UK. (News source.)

Researchers are using a "robo-frog" to test mating call variations. (News source.)

Fewer than 1% of all cane toad hatchlings survive to adulthood in Australia, but that small number is still a threat, increasing the population. (News source.)

Haast Honored

Miami gave venom pioneer Bill Haast the key to the city. (News source.)

Baking Soda for Frogs?

A Hawaii man says that baking soda will kill the invasive coqui, but that the manager of the official frog control program won't listen to him. (News source.)

Turtle Transmissions

Tracking devices have been placed on nine loggerhead sea turtles from an Australian population for research purposes. (News source.)

Lizard Study

Info on a study of collared and long-nosed leopard lizards in Colorado here...

Boreal Toad Anomaly

The boreal toads in Colorado are dying off from the chytrid fungus, but it doesn't seem to be killing the populations in Wyoming or Montana (despite being present). Researchers are investigating the apparent immunity... (News source.)

Salamander Study

An article here on researchers looking at the endangered Red Hills salamander in Alabama.

Amphibian News

Researchers are investigating how toads use their muscles to quickly snatch insects with their tongue. (News source.)

More tests show that probiotic bacteria may help frogs fight skin diseases. (News source.)

Naming Rights

A 10-year old New Jersey girl won a contest to name a new species of gecko from New Caledonia. (News source.)

New Gecko Family

Based on genetic sequencing (rather than the standard foot morphology), researchers have created a new family of geckos. (News source.)

Researcher Profile

A venom researcher is profiled for his work in Papua New Guinea, here.

Snake Study

Missouri biologists are studying the mobility and movement of snakes, particularly their seasonal migration across roads, to try and reduce roadkill. (News source.)

Vietnam Turtle Controversial

A Vietnamese biologist contends that recent reports of the rediscovery of Rafetus swinhoei in the wild (by US zoo researchers) is not conclusive, and better evidence needs to be offered -- not just a picture. (News source.)

Zoo Rediscovers Turtle

From the announcement:

"Cleveland Metroparks Zoo today announced the discovery of a critically endangered turtle in northern Vietnam that previously was thought to be extinct in the wild. Experts from the Zoo's Asian Turtle Program confirmed they have identified the only known living specimen of a Swinhoe's soft-shell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) in nature.
"After three years of searching, Zoo-sponsored researchers focused on a lake just west of Hanoi after residents reported spotting the gigantic turtle there. Field biologists, along with Education for Nature in Vietnam, found and photographed the turtle, allowing scientists to verify it was the rare Swinhoe's soft-shell turtle, which is considered a national treasure in Vietnam."

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.)

Herpetologist Profile

Here's a profile on herpetologist L. Lee Grismer.

Lungless Frog

A rare aquatic frog, Barbourula kalimantanensis, from Borneo has been confirmed as the only known (so far) lungless frog. The frog "lives in cold, fast-flowing water, they noted, so loss of lungs might be an adaptation to a combination of factors: a higher oxygen environment, the species’s presumed low metabolic rate, severe flattening of their bodies that increases the surface area of their skin, and selection for negative buoyancy—meaning that the frogs would rather sink than float." (Eurekalert)

How Fungus Kills Frogs

Recent research shows how, exactly, frogs are killed when infected with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis fungus.

Gecko Tails

Research on house gecko tails shows some interesting new functions, including helping the lizard stabilize while running on slippery surfaces. (News source.)

Rattler Expert

Here's a profile on Bruce Means, a rattlesnake biologist.

Gator News

Shifting lungs allows alligators to be agile and quick underwater. (News source.)

Two suspects in the vandalism at St. Augustine Alligator Farm have been caught. (News source.)

Toads vs Cancer

Australian scientists are investigating toad toxins for anti-cancer purposes. (News source.)

Frogs Against Diabetes

The South American paradoxical frog (Pseudis paradoxa) has compounds in its skin that may help medical researchers in the fight against diabetes. (News source.)

Arafura Filesnake

You can listen to an mp3 about the unusual characteristics of the Arafura filesnake. (News source.)

Gharial Investigation Continues

Live gharials are been captured and tested to acquire baseline data, so that researchers can figure out what's killing the species in India. (News source.)

"Post mortem analysis of dead Gharials found ulcerated lesions in the stomach and some inflammation in the intestine. Absence of external injuries rules out accidental death or poaching. Toxicological and pathological examination of the organs of the dead gharials by the IVRI, Bareilly, and ITRC, Lucknow found lead concentrations between 0.7-1.4 ppm. Liver and kidney tissues indicate degenerative changes. Presence of various stages of protozoan parasite was also detected. Autopsies conducted on 4 dead gharials on 27th January, 2008 revealed significant gout – both visceral and articulate. Even the feet and tail joints had uric acid deposits. Gout is indicative of kidney failure as a result of toxic poisoning or disease. However, the gharials seemed in good health condition with fat deposits."

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.)

Gecko Adhesive

University of California, Berkeley, engineers have designed a gecko-foot mimicking adhesive that is very strong but easy to separate. 42 million tiny hard plastic microfibrils are found on a single square centimeter. It takes hold when it slides down a smooth surface, rather than being pressed against. Two square centimeters can hold .88 lbs. (News source.)

No Camouflage for Chameleons

New research proposes that the color changing in chameleons is strictly for mating displays, and has no camouflaging purpose. (News source.)

Leatherback Journey

A leatherback sea turtle has been tracked on the longest confirmed ocean migration, 12,774 miles before the signal was lost. It was tracked by satellite as part of a project to learn more about the species' ocean movements. (News source.)

New Anoles

A 2006 expedition to Serrania de Tabasara, in the Panamanian highlands, found four new anole species. The expedition found a new salamander and two more new anoles closer to to Costa Rica in the western highlands of Cordillera Central. (News source.)

NY Massasaugas

A study on a colony of eastern massasauga rattlesnakes in New York, near Syracuse, shows that the population is stable. (News source.)

Sea Turtle Deaths in 2007

The Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network notes that sea turtle deaths increased in some zones along the Florida coast in 2007, mostly due to red tide. (News source.)

Nutrient Pollution Drives Parasitic Infections

Amphibian deformities derived from parasitic infections are driven by nutrient pollution (increased levels of nitrogen and phosphorus), according to a new study. The nutrients cause algal blooms, which increase the number of snails, which release more parasitic trematodes, which form cysts in amphibians, causing developmental anomalies. (News source.)

Gecko Stickiness Research

Research continues into the adhesive properties of gecko feet... (Eurekalert.)

Rattler with Elapid-like Toxin Elements

Sequencing of the venom of a western massasauga brought a few interesting aspects to light. "A cocktail of recognized venom toxin sequences was detected in the library, but the venom also contained three-finger toxin-like transcripts, a family of poisons thought only to occur in another family of snakes (Elapidae). The team also spotted a novel toxin-like transcript generated by the fusion of two individual toxin genes..." (Eurekalert.)

Alligators & Anti-Scarring

An anti-scar drug is being developed based on research on alligator embryos, where researchers found transforming growth factor beta-3. (News source.)

Elephants and Frogs

A study at Kruger National Park is looking at the effect elephants have on frog populations. (News source.)

Snake Conference

The Snakes of the Northeast Conference is currently taking place at University of Massachusetts - Amherst. (News source.)

Salamander Study

Here's a study on plethodontids showing that the single known Asian species is descended from North American ancestors.

Tree Frog Study

Some UK researchers are investigating the skin properties of tree frogs that bask in the sun. (News source.)

New Pit Viper?

A three-member team in India appears to have discovered a new species of viper in Arunachal Pradesh. Genetic testing is in progress. (News source.)