Herpetological Highlights
Herpetological Highlights
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Recent Episodes
247 Big Brains Ain't Free
Big brains are very useful, but they cost ENERGY and RESOURCES, at least for mammals and birds. Now a new study has shed light on what determines whether reptiles and amphibian species have evolved…
246 Salamanders vs Volcanoes
This week we delve into the evolutionary history of a fascinating little salamander from North America: the cascade torrent salamander. Volcanoes and flooding have shaped this species' history over…
245 A Vegetation Investigation
This week we're diving into two reptile papers: the first is about desert lizards being secret nutritional strategists, timing what they eat across the year to nail mating season and prep for…
244 Frogs Bringing the Pain
Bradykinin is a hormone that is released naturally in response to tissue damage, so if you hurt yourself, it makes it hurt. Quite a few animals from wildly different evolutionary histories have…
243 Pythons are Seed Pipelines
Invasive species are well known to damage ecosystems by directly eating other animals and disrupting the food chain. But their impacts can go much deeper, as a new study about seed dispersal by…
242 Spot the Viper to Survive
Pitvipers of the genus Bothrops are famed for their camouflage and for being deadly ambush predators. New insights from snake CCTV have revealed that these snakes can only really catch and eat…
241 Poison Frog Parents
Mimic poison frogs are utterly amazing, famous for mimicking multiple different frog species, and like other dart frogs they demonstrate bi-parental care where both male and female frogs team up to…
240 Small Homes for Small Gators
Chinese conservationists have worked hard to protect the critically endangered Chinese alligator, creating new habitats for them after significant alterations made most of their Yangtze River home…
239 Side Effects of Albinism
Common knowledge suggests that albino animals are rare in the wild because they stick out like a sore thumb and get eaten by predators, but studies supporting this are relatively scarce. Now,…
238 Antivenom Breakthrough
New methods in antivenom technology may yield a treatment that works on most of the cobras in Africa, thanks to the blood of alpacas and some very clever scientists. Then we follow up with two new…
237 City Slickin' Wall Lizards
Urban areas represent both opportunities and risks for animals, and they adapt their behaviour in many ways to cope with this fast-paced lifestyle. Now, a new study has detailed how urban wall…
236 Grippy Australian Geckos
Research from Asian geckos generally suggests that sticky pads are used for smooth surfaces, while claws help grip onto rougher surfaces like wood and rocks. But a new study using Australian geckos…
235 Magnetoad Goes Home
Toads continue to amaze us - this time they are using their sense of the Earth's magnetic field to find their way home. But how important this sense is for cane toads as they travel home from long…
234 Hot Dragons, Cold Dragons
We recap some of our recent travels, and then chat about bearded dragons. A new study shows that these lizards are making decisions about how they maintain their body temperature, and this has a…
233 Colour-matching chameleons
In this episode we are talking chameleons, one of nature's most famous colour changers. But despite their famous status, very few studies have actually demonstrated that they can change colour under…
232 The Glass is Half-full for Tortoises
The minds of reptiles remain largely mysterious to us, and we often wonder what kind of emotions they are capable of feeling. In this episode we dig into a new study which tries to uncover some of…
231 Hotter Times for Desert Lizards
A monumental new study has addressed the likely impacts of climate change on the activity of desert lizards in Africa and Australia. Hotter temperatures will likely ‘squeeze’ the activity window of…
230 Bats Listen to Hear Which Frog is Tastiest
Bats have famously good hearing, and fringe-lipped bats in Panama have tuned theirs to listen out for frogs calling out for mates. But these bats are quite particular about which amphibians they eat.…
229 Tokay Geckos Will Remember You
New research suggests that tokay geckos can distinguish between different people, shedding further light on the intelligence of lizards. We delve into this study and voice warranted concerns about…
228 Why do pythons have heat pits?
Almost all pythons and some boas have heat pits on their faces. This extraordinary adaptation lets these snakes 'see' the heat signature of their unsuspecting prey. A new study has determined the…
Frequently Asked Questions
Herpetological Highlights has published 250 episodes since May 2017, covering topics in Life Sciences, Natural Sciences.
Herpetological Highlights is currently moderate with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 46m.
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