Animals, features and articles | Educational Science

May 27, 2020

Meet Goliath, a Massive Tadpole as Long as Your Face

UPDATE: The tadpole titan affectionately known as Goliath died in 2019, according to a tweet written on May 26, 2020 by herpetologist Earyn McGee; she introduced Twitter to Goliath in 2018, when this article was originally published. Scientists with the Southwestern Research Station in Arizona preserved the tadpole and are...

May 19, 2022

What's the difference between a frog and a toad?

The main difference between frogs and toads can be seen in their hind legs and skin. Both frogs and toads are amphibians that belong to the scientific order Anura within the animal kingdom. In general, toads have warty, drier skin with heavyset bodies and stumpy legs, whereas frogs have silky...

Jul 29, 2023

Axolotl: The adorable amphibian that can regrow its body and stay looking young forever

Name: Mexican salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum) also known as an axolotl Where it lives: Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco, near Mexico City What it eats: a variety of small invertebrates, along with some small fish Why it's awesome: Despite its rarity, the axolotl's incredibly cute looks has made it one of...

Oct 18, 2023

Toxic pigment that causes red hair discovered in 10 million-year-old frog fossil

Paleontologists have discovered the earliest molecular evidence of the toxic pigment that causes red hair in the fossil record — in 10 million-year-old frog fossils. The ancient amphibians had preserved fragments of pheomelanin (also spelled phaeomelanin), a yellowish-red pigment that produces ginger-colored hair in animals, including humans, according to a...

Dec 30, 2023

Paradoxical frog: The giant tadpole that turns into a little frog

Name: Paradoxical frog (Pseudis paradoxa), also known as shrinking frog Where it lives: Northern South America and Trinidad What it eats: Invertebrates, mainly insects Why it's awesome: This rather odd species is unusual because it gets smaller as it grows up — it is notably larger in the larval stage...

Apr 11, 2012

Group Aims to Bring World's Most Endangered Turtles Back from the Brink

Good news if you belong to one of the world's most endangered turtle species: The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is doubling down on its efforts to save threatened tortoises and freshwater turtles from extinction. More than half of the approximately 330 species that belong to these groups are threatened by...

May 17, 2012

Ancient Turtle Was as Big as Small Car

A turtle the size of a small car once roamed what is now South America 60 million years ago, suggests its fossilized remains. Discovered in a coal mine in Colombia in 2005, the turtle was given the name Carbonemys cofrinii, which means coal turtle. It wasn't until now that the...

Jun 20, 2012

Loggerhead Turtle Migration Follows Magnetic Map

This Behind the Scenes article was provided to LiveScience in partnership with the National Science Foundation. Nesting season for loggerhead turtles — a threatened species — is in full swing on the sandy beaches between Florida and North Carolina. Nesting began this year in the first days of April, several...

Jun 22, 2012

Baby Tortoise Hatches at San Diego Zoo

A Madagascar spider tortoise has successfully hatched at the San Diego Zoo, the zoo announced this week. The zoo is home to two males and two females of this species; the sex of the newly hatched tortoise is not yet known. The zoo has been working with this species since...

Jul 12, 2012

Giant, Round Prehistoric Turtle Discovered

Updated at 5 p.m. ET. A newfound giant turtle that lived 60 million years ago in what is now northwestern South America would have been more than a mouthful for a neighboring predator, the world's largest snake Titanoboa. The turtle's huge carapace, or shell, was nearly circular, like a tire,...

Jul 26, 2012

Photo: Host of Tiny Turtles Born at Aquarium

A big baby boom of teeny turtles has hit the Tennessee Aquarium, and keepers have their hands full caring for their newly-hatched charges, among them some rare species whose populations are facing steep declines in the wild. The Chattanooga institution has welcomed 20 reptilian bundles of joy in recent weeks....

Sep 21, 2012

Blood Tests Show Where Loggerhead Turtles Go

Every year, thousands of endangered loggerhead sea turtles crawl ashore at Florida's Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge to lay eggs before dragging their leathery bodies back into the sea. But where they go after their trek isn't well-known. Scientists can use GPS devices to record turtles' travels, but these geolocator...

Oct 5, 2012

Endangered Sea Turtle Saved from 'Pirate Fishermen'

Rangers at Cocos Island, a Costa Rican national park in the Pacific Ocean, say they recently found an endangered green sea turtle hooked by fishermen in protected waters. The turtle was released alive, but injured, and conservation officials say the episode highlights the threat of illegal long-line fishing. Pirate fishermen...

Oct 11, 2012

Potty Mouth! Turtle Dips Head in Puddles to Pee

Soft-shelled turtles from China can essentially expel pee from their mouths, researchers say. This odd ability may have helped them invade salty environments, researchers explained. Scientists investigated the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis). These turtles are often found in brackish swamps and marshes. Intriguingly, these reptiles submerge their heads in...

Oct 19, 2012

Sea Turtles Make Strong Showing in Florida

Loggerhead sea turtles are nesting along Florida's beaches in strong numbers this year, according to researchers with the state's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). This year, surveyors counted 58,172 loggerhead nests along nearly 250 miles of Florida's coastline. The FWC said this is one of the highest counts since...