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Tentacled snakes born at the National Zoo
Tentacled snakesThe newest additions at the Reptile Discovery Center at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are eight tentacled snakes, born Oct. 21 to parents that have not produced viable young in the...
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Alligator relatives crossed ancient seaway
The uplift of the Isthmus of Panama 2.6 million years ago formed a land-bridge that has long thought to be the crucial step in the interchange of animals between the Americas. This includes the...
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Note to St. Patrick: Pls. keep the snakes
According to legend St. Patrick (circa 387–460 or 492 AD) banished all snakes from Ireland, chasing them into the sea after they attacked him during a 40-day fast atop a hill. Today we suspect that...
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Discovery: Turtle shells appeared 40 million years earlier than previously...
Unique among Earth’s creatures, turtles are the only animals to form a shell on the outside of their bodies through a fusion of modified ribs, vertebrae and shoulder girdle bones. The turtle shell is a...
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Turtle lineage solved in new study
Turtles have long been the subject of one the most contentious questions in evolutionary biology: where do they fit among vertebrates in the evolutionary tree of life? Now, in a new study in the...
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Lost species of nightsnake rediscovered in Mexico
After eluding scientists for nearly 80 years, the Clarion nightsnake (Hypsiglena ochrorhyncha unaocularus), a nocturnal reptilian species that was initially discovered in the first half of the...
View ArticleReptile rejuvenation at National Zoo
Reptiles have a rough exterior that make them seem like they don’t need a lot of very specific care. The reality is quite the opposite. Caretakers at Smithsonian’s National Zoo introduce us to some of...
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3 new species of dwarf dragons discovered in Ecuador & Peru
Adult male of the newly discovered woodlizard “Enyalioides altotambo,” found in the Chocoan rainforests of northwestern Ecuador. Not including its tail this specimen is 119 millimeters (4.68 inches)...
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Key Link in Turtle Evolution discovered
Pappochelys could grow up to 8 inches in length, had a long tail and used its tiny, peg-like teeth to feed on small insects and worms in what is now southern Germany. In June 2015, an international...
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Five Critically endangered Cuban crocodiles hatched at National Zoo
Five critically endangered Cuban crocodiles hatched at the National Zoo’s Reptile Discovery Center between July 29 and Aug. 7. The eggs were laid by Dorothy, a 57-year-old genetically valuable...
View ArticleScientists at a new National Zoo laboratory use DNA to diagnose illnesses and...
The post Scientists at a new National Zoo laboratory use DNA to diagnose illnesses and discover new species of animals appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.
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Two invasive species have Hawaiian reunion after 80-year separation
A cane toad (Flickr photo by John Claire) Fat, toxic and nocturnal, cane toads (Rhinella marina) are abundant today in Hawaii, even though they are South American natives. Released on the Hawaiian...
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Newly discovered prehistoric turtle co-existed with world’s biggest snake
The discovery of a new fossil turtle species in Colombia’s Cerrejón coal mine by researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and the Florida Museum of Natural History helps...
View ArticleScientists at a new National Zoo laboratory use DNA to diagnose illnesses and...
The post Scientists at a new National Zoo laboratory use DNA to diagnose illnesses and discover new species of animals appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.
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Genetic study confirms American crocodiles and critically endangered Cuban...
A new genetic study by a team of Cuban and American researchers confirms that American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) are hybridizing with wild populations of critically endangered Cuban crocodiles...
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New study reveals desert tortoise is actually two distinct species
A new study shows that the desert tortoise, thought to be a single species for the last 150 years, is in fact two separate and distinct species, based on DNA evidence and biological and geographical...
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Endangered river turtle’s genes reveal ancient influence of Maya Indians
A genetic study focusing on the Central American river turtle (Dermatemys mawii) recently turned up surprising results for a team of Smithsonian scientists involved in the conservation of this...
View ArticleHow do we know if dinosaurs cared for their young? Smithsonian curator...
The post How do we know if dinosaurs cared for their young? Smithsonian curator Matthew Carrano reveals the fossil evidence. appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.
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Largest snake the world has ever seen is being brought back to life by...
Slithering in at 48 feet long and weighing an estimated one-and-a-half tons, the largest snake the world has ever seen is being brought back to life. Sixty million years ago, in the mysterious era...
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New ‘Bumblebee’ gecko discovered in Papua New Guinea
Biologists from the Papua New Guinea National Museum and the U.S. Geological Survey have discovered a new species of gecko, adorned like a bumblebee with black-and-gold bands and rows of skin nodules...
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