Educational Science

Giant ball of Burmese pythons having sex discovered in Florida Everglades in record-breaking catch

An enormous mound of Burmese pythons entwined in a 7-foot-wide (2.1 meters) mating ball was recently found in Florida's Everglades after conservationists followed several tagged males that were out looking for sex. The mating ball contained a 14-foot-long (4.2 m) female and five males, and two additional males were found...

Blue Iguana Slithers Back from Extinction

Just a decade ago, the Grand Cayman blue iguana was on the brink of extinction, with only 10 to 25 individuals left in the wild. But the reptile has made a major comeback and is no longer listed as a critically endangered species. The blue iguana, which is only found...

Two new colorful species of lizards have been discovered in the Peruvian rain forest, in a little-explored section of the Andes Mountains in the northeast of the country. Both species of lizards sport colorful splotches of green and brown that allow them to blend into the mountain rain forests they...

We're finally close to a universal antivenom that works against cobra, krait and black mamba snake bites, say researchers

If you're bitten by a venomous snake, the medicine you need is antivenom. Unfortunately, antivenoms are species specific, meaning you need to have the right antivenom for the snake that bit you. Most of the time, people have no idea what species of snake has bitten them. And for some...

Newly Found Lizard May Be Lost Soon

Say hello, and maybe goodbye, to the coastal plains skink — a new species of lizard discovered in Australia that researchers say is already on the decline. The skink, named Ctenotus ora, lives in the sand dunes along Western Australia's Swan Coastal Plain, a stretch of coastline just south of...

How to Count Komodo Dragons

How do you count Komodo dragons? With some cameras and the element of surprise. Camera traps are frequently used to take pictures and monitor populations of large mammals like tigers and leopards, but until now, they haven't been used often to count Komodo dragons ― the world's largest lizards ―...

Elderly Woman Survives Komodo Dragon Attack

An 83-year-old Indonesian woman survived a recent attack by a fearsome 2-meter-long (6.6 feet) Komodo dragon and is currently recovering in the hospital. The attack occurred when Haisah, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, was making a broom from a coconut tree, Agence France-Press reported. The reptile pounced...

Images: Exotic Lizards Pop Out of the Ground in Florida

Tegu In Florida (Image credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)This South American lizard called a tegu was captured in Florida after it was abandoned by an exotic pet dealer. Tegu Trap (Image credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)Jake Edwards, an exotic wildlife technician for the Florida Fish and...

Real-Life 'Lizard King' Named for Doors' Jim Morrison

A lizard the size of a German shepherd once roamed Myanmar, a new fossil analysis reveals. The lizard, one of the largest ever known, has been dubbed Barbaturex morrisoni in honor of The Doors' singer Jim Morrison, who once wrote a song that included the lyrics, I am the lizard...

Cut Here: Gecko Tails Rip Off Along 'Dotted' Line

Like a pair of Velcro stripper pants, gecko tails come off easy. The lizards have pre-formed score lines in their tail that allow them to quickly rip off their tails when a predator has grabbed it, according to a new study. The gecko tails, which were described Wednesday (Dec. 19)...