Scientists want help finding these ‘Jesus’ lizards

Researchers in Florida want help finding brown basilisk lizards, are also called "Jesus lizards" because they can sprint across water.

Lourdes Mederos-U. Florida • futurity
Feb. 15, 2023 ~7 min

Native eastern fence lizards changed their bodies and behavior in response to invasive red imported fire ants

The ways eastern fence lizards have changed in response to red imported fire ants demonstrate how species can adapt to survive the presence of invasive predators.

Tracy Langkilde, Professor of Biology and Verne M. Willaman Dean, Eberly College of Science, Penn State • conversation
Jan. 13, 2023 ~10 min


City lizards sport genomic markers in common

"Understanding how animals adapt to urban environments can help us focus our conservation efforts on the species that need it the most..."

Rachel Harrison-NYU • futurity
Jan. 10, 2023 ~7 min

2 species are the oldest ancestors of living lizards

Two new lizard species fill important gaps in the fossil record and offer tantalizing clues about the complexity of lizard evolution

Jim Shelton-Yale • futurity
Dec. 5, 2022 ~5 min

Eating fire ants may prep lizards for future attack

Chowing down on fire ants might bolster lizard immune systems for attacks in the future, "somewhat like a vaccine," researchers say.

Camden Flath-Futurity • futurity
Oct. 24, 2022 ~6 min

Analysis of 231-million-year-old fossil sheds light on reptile evolution

With just a look Tiago R. Simões was sure a fossil was sui generis — and it turned out to belong to a previously unknown species of a lizard-like reptile, representing the earliest evolving member of a lineage that today includes all lizards, snakes, and their closest relatives.

Juan Siliezar • harvard
Aug. 30, 2021 ~7 min

Lizards with sticky toepads rule the trees

"Toepads are essentially a biological superpower for lizards to access new resources that lizards without toepads cannot."

Talia Ogliore-WUSTL • futurity
Aug. 6, 2021 ~6 min

Tail snips offer clues to saving tiny lizards in Sri Lanka

New research suggests how to conserve rough-nosed horned lizards, which live only in Sri Lankan rainforests.

Andrea Godinez-U. Washington • futurity
Aug. 3, 2021 ~6 min


Smelling in stereo – the real reason snakes have flicking, forked tongues

Two tongue tips are better than one – an evolutionary biologist explains why snakes have forked tongues.

Kurt Schwenk, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut • conversation
June 16, 2021 ~7 min

Godzilla vs. Kong: A functional morphologist uses science to pick a winner

Hollywood loves a good monster battle, and where better to turn for inspiration than the animal kingdom? Traits from real animals can provide clues about the fighting prowess of Kong and Godzilla.

Kiersten Formoso, PhD Student in Vertebrate Paleomorphology, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences • conversation
March 29, 2021 ~9 min

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