Animals, features and articles | Educational Science

Mar 10, 2015

Chameleons' Color-Changing Secret Revealed

The chameleon's uncanny ability to change color has long mystified people, but now the lizard's secret is out: Chameleons can rapidly change color by adjusting a layer of special cells nestled within their skin, a new study finds. Unlike other animals that change color, such as the squid and octopus,...

Mar 25, 2015

6 Crazy Skills That Prove Geckos Are Amazing

Geckos can hang by their toe hairs, scamper up walls and regrow their tails. They've even gone to space. Geckos are amazing creatures with a toolbox full of tricks that science is continuing to uncover. Here's a look at six of their super skills and the science behind them. 1....

Apr 6, 2015

Here Be Dragons: 3 Spiky Lizard Species Found in Andes

Colorful, spiky and only a few inches long, three new lizard species discovered in the Andes may be the cutest dragon stand-ins on Earth. Woodlizards are often described as miniature dragons because of their probing eyes, richly patterned skin and rows of spikelike scales. Until now, only 12 species of...

May 27, 2015

Colorful Find: Madagascar Chameleon Actually 11 Distinct Species

The color-changing panther chameleon has long fascinated scientists, but there's more to the reptile than meets the eye: What was once considered to be one species is actually 11 distinct species of chameleon, a new study finds. The colorful finding is the result of a long road trip around the...

May 27, 2015

Photos: 11 Colorful Chameleons of Madagascar

The panther chameleon, admired for its color-changing abilities, is not a single species, as scientists long thought. Researchers went on a road trip around Madagascar and found more than 300 panther chameleons. An analysis of blood samples and photos of each individual suggest that instead of one species, the panther...

Jun 2, 2015

Chameleon Facts

Chameleons are reptiles that are part of the iguana suborder. These colorful lizards are known as one of the few animals that can change skin color. However, it is a misconception that chameleons change colors to match their surroundings. SizeAccording to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), there are 171...

Jun 4, 2015

Dragon Tales: Zookeeper's Komodo Bite Raises Questions

One woman recently became the heroine of her own modern-day fairy tale, after she was bitten by a dragon and lived to tell the tale. The woman, a zookeeper in Omaha, Nebraska, was bitten on the hand by a juvenile Komodo dragon while caring for the creature inside its cage,...

Jun 11, 2015

Iguana Facts

Iguanas are lizards identified by their stocky stature, the saggy skin on their throats and the spines that protrude from their heads, necks, backs and tails. Iguanas are popular pets and can live 15 to 20 years if cared for properly. SizeThe longest of the iguanas is the green iguana....

Sep 1, 2015

Iguana Relative Shows How Lizards Spread Worldwide

An 80-million-year-old lizard discovered in southern Brazil has provided a surprising clue about how these reptiles evolved, and where they once lived, according to a new study. Until now, researchers had found acrodontans only in the Old World, including Africa and Asia. (This is a type of lizard is called...

Oct 2, 2015

Why Some Chameleons Are Expert Tree Climbers

Chameleons may be known for their impressive color-changing abilities, but these curious creatures are also expert tree climbers. Now, new research suggests that chameleons can scale trees because they have twice as many bones in their wrists and ankles when they are developing as scientists had previously thought. Many chameleon...

Jan 4, 2016

Tiny Chameleons' Tongues Pack a Powerful Punch

The tiniest chameleons punch higher than their weight class, packing relatively more power into their tongues than their larger relatives. Small is mighty for these lizards, which can accelerate their tongues toward a cricket at up to 264 times the force of gravity, a new study shows. The top-performing tongues...

Jan 4, 2016

In Photos: Clever Chameleons Stick Out Their Tongues

Chameleons are known for their color-changing trickery and tongue-lashing feats. Now, scientists have found the tiniest of these clever reptiles also pack the most power in their elastic tongues. Here's a look at the amazing animals and their tongue-y feats. [Read full article on tiny chameleons] Tiny but mighty A...

Jan 26, 2016

Burning Love: Cold-Blooded Lizards Heat Up to Mate

Although lizards may have a chilly reputation, some species might not stay cold year-round: Tegu lizards can raise their body temperatures during mating season to several degrees higher than the environment around them, new research finds. That's no small feat for a cold-blooded reptile. Tegu lizards are not as hefty...

Mar 4, 2016

In Photos: Amber Preserves Cretaceous Lizards

Colorful scales (Image credit: Daza et al. Sci. Adv. 2016; 2 : e1501080)Amber preserves ancient animals with a level of detail unrivaled by specimens fossilized in rock. By scrutinizing a group of lizards trapped in amber 99 million years ago, scientists discovered a number of unusual features that helped them...

Mar 4, 2016

Rare Amber-Entombed Lizards Preserved in Amazing Detail

Amber-imprisoned lizards from Southeast Asia that date back 99 million years ago make up the oldest assemblage of tropical lizards ever found in amber, according to a new study. The tiny, trapped fossils, found in Myanmar, represent an unparalleled sampling of species diversity for tropical lizards from the Cretaceous era,...