Reptiles, features and articles | Educational Science

Jun 30, 2015

Myth Debunked: Boa Constrictors Don't Suffocate Prey to Death

Boa constrictors are notorious for their deadly grip, squeezing their next meal until it expires. But scientists have long wondered whether this fatal hug kills prey by suffocation or by obstructing blood flow in the snake's victims. Now, a new study finds that rats attacked by boas don't die from...

Apr 30, 2015

Male Snakes Spend Mega Calories When They Mate

Every spring, red-sided garter snakes leave their hibernation burrows to engage in a frenzied jumble of mating. But a new study finds that doing the deed is no easy feat for males; in fact, they can spend up to a whopping 18 percent of their daily energy making special plugs...

Jan 31, 2016

Python Facts

Pythons are nonvenomous snakes found in Asia, Africa and Australia. Because they are not native to North or South America, they are considered Old World snakes. The word python can refer to both the family Pythonidae or the genus Python, found within Pythonidae. There are 41 species of python found...

Aug 31, 2022

Ancient 'dragons' were Earth’s first gliding reptiles

While most ancient reptiles crawled, scuttled and hopped through their prehistoric habitats, one stealthy creature opted for an airborne technique: gliding. Tiny, dragonlike Coelurosauravus elivensis (see-luh-roh-SAW'-rah-vus eh-lih-VEN'-sis) used a pair of patagials — thin membranes that extended from its torso to its front limbs, forming a winglike structure to travel...

Mar 9, 2022

Man caught at Mexican border allegedly had more than 50 reptiles stuffed into his clothing

U.S. border officers have caught an accused wildlife smuggler allegedly attempting to cross from Mexico to the United States with more than 50 reptiles concealed in his clothing, just one day after he had been charged with trafficking up to 1,700 animals into the U.S. The man, a U.S. citizen,...

Jul 15, 2022

Crocodiles: Facts and photos of some of the toothiest reptiles

Crocodiles are large reptiles found in tropical regions of Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. They are members of the order Crocodilia, which also includes caimans, gharials and alligators. There are 13 crocodile species, and they range in size. The smallest, the dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis), grows to about 5.6...

Oct 5, 2022

Tiny Triassic critter provides new insight into the evolution of 1st flying reptiles

More than a century ago, researchers unearthed the remains of a tiny, ancient reptile from inside a swath of sandstone in northeastern Scotland. Most of its skeleton was long gone, but scientists recently reconstructed the animal for the first time, identifying it as a reptilian predecessor of pterosaurs — the...

Oct 14, 2022

New Species of Ancient Flying Reptile Discovered

An ancient reptile with a 9-foot wingspan was soaring over the sea in what is now North Texas some 95 million years ago when – plop – it fell into the water and died. That paleo-death tale comes from a fossilized jaw that was discovered embedded in soft, powdery shale...

Apr 20, 2023

Gigantic, 13-foot crocodile found with its head torn off on Australian beach

An idyllic beach in Australia turned into a nightmare scene earlier this week, when locals discovered an enormous, beheaded crocodile rotting in the sand. Some residents think the mutilation could have been an act of vengeance following a recent spate of crocodile attacks against humans along the Queensland coast between...

May 11, 2023

Rare and deadly albino cobra slithers into house during intense rainstorm

An extremely rare and potentially deadly albino cobra had to be removed from a house in India after the white snake slithered in during a severe rainstorm. Neighbors spotted the pale cobra climbing out of fast flowing water on the ground and into a passageway beside the house in Coimbatore...

May 19, 2023

Do snakes have ears?

Snakes are unique animals, with their limbless bodies, flicking tongues and the ability to devour prey whole. They mostly rely on their sense of smell to hunt prey, although they do use sight and sound too. But do snakes have ears? Yes and no, Sara Ruane, a herpetologist at the...

Jun 5, 2023

Burmese pythons are helping rats take over Florida's Everglades — and that could help spread disease

Burmese pythons are inadvertently helping rats dominate parts of the Everglades in Florida by wiping out their traditional predators, researchers have found. The rise in rodents could further disrupt an already fragile ecosystem and increase the risk of disease to humans. The first Burmese python (Python bivittatus) was found in...

Jun 5, 2023

Crocodiles and gharials are getting bizarre orange 'tans' in Nepal. Here's why.

Freshwater mugger crocodiles and gharials are turning orange in Nepal, and scientists think it's down to iron in the waters where they hang out. The orange crocs were spotted in Chitwan National Park, a protected area of the Himalayan foothills. Have these crocs been drinking too much Sunny D? Messily...

Jun 6, 2023

Man survives crocodile attack by prying its jaws off his head. How did he escape such a powerful bite?

A man in Australia recently escaped from the reptilian jaws of death after a crocodile clamped down on his head. Marcus McGowan was snorkeling about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the Cape York coast in Queensland when a saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) attacked him from behind. These reptiles have the...

Jun 6, 2023

'Virgin birth' recorded in crocodile for 1st time ever

Scientists have announced the first ever recorded case of a crocodile virgin birth after a female that had been isolated for 16 years was discovered with a clutch of eggs. The discovery provides tantalizing insights into the evolutionary origins of the trait, potentially shedding light on the reproductive capabilities of...