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Speaking of skinks: short limbed, long tailed & prehistoric
Perched head down on the lower trunks of coconut palms on the Fijian island of Rotuma, the skink Emoia oriv uses its vantage point to scan the ground for worms, insects and other prey. Coppery brown...
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Two rare Cuban crocodiles born at the National Zoo
Two Cuban crocodiles were born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo on July 6 and 14 and they are among the most genetically valuable in the Cuban crocodile population under human care. The Zoo has not...
View ArticleWith the recent hatching of two Cuban crocodiles, the National Zoo just got a...
The post With the recent hatching of two Cuban crocodiles, the National Zoo just got a little snappier! appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.
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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
Emerald tree boa at the National Zoo (Photo by Jessie Cohen) According to legend St. Patrick (circa 387–460 or 492 AD) banished all snakes from Ireland, chasing them into the sea after they attacked...
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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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Fossil shows Prehistoric Reptile Gave Birth in Open Ocean
A Clidastes mosasaur gives birth to live young in the open ocean 85 million years ago. (Illustration by Julius Csotonyi) A case of mistaken identity turned out to be the key for proving that a...
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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...
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Warming may shrink ancient range of heat loving desert lizard
Desert horned lizard, Joshua Tree National Park (Photo by Stacy Manson/National Park Service) The Mojave Desert and Death Valley are among the hottest, driest places in North America. So how might...
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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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Five fun turtle and tortoise facts from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Critically endangered, radiated tortoises sport star patterns on their shells and live in the forests and scrubland of Madagascar. (Images courtesy National Zoological Park. Click any photo to learn...
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