How snakes got their fangs
Ever wondered how deadly snakes evolved their fangs? The answer lies in particular microscopic features of their teeth, research led by Flinders University and the South Australian Museum suggests......»»
Squamates with horns more likely to take "sit-and-wait" approach to hunting
An international research collaborative has found evidence showing that squamates (lizards and snakes) with horns are more likely to take a "sit-and-wait" approach to hunting than those without horns. In their project, reported in the journal Biology.....»»
Snake charm: Four reasons to love snakes
Picture this: the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and you're enjoying a hike in nature. You haven't a care in the world until you round the corner on your favorite walking trail. And then you see it......»»
Snake skulls show how species adapt to prey
By studying the skull shapes of dipsadine snakes, researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington have found how these species of snakes in Central and South America have evolved and adapted to meet the demands of their habitats and food sources......»»
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes review: a worthwhile prequel
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is an entertaining, overlong prequel......»»
"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" review: This return to Panem was well worth the wait
Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler lead "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes." This "Hunger Games" prequel dives into President Snow's role in the Tenth Hunger Games. Review. It's strange to say that a movie about child death-matches.....»»
A parasitic haunting: When snakes are eaten from within
Amidst the sawgrass and cypress swamps of Everglades National Park, a 16-foot Burmese python slithers in search of its next meal. But something else is preying on the python from within......»»
Ancient Egypt had far more venomous snakes than the country today, according to new study of a scroll
How much can the written records of ancient civilizations tell us about the animals they lived alongside? Published in Environmental Archaeology, Our latest research, based on the venomous snakes described in an ancient Egyptian papyrus, suggests mor.....»»
Genomic analysis in snakes shows link between neutral, functional genetic diversity
In the world of threatened and endangered species conservation, the genomic revolution has raised some complicated questions: How can scientists justify assessing species genetic diversity without consulting entire genomes now that they can be sequen.....»»
Fossil snake traces: Another world-first find on South Africa"s Cape south coast
Snakes are familiar, distinctive—and often feared—reptiles. And they've been around for a long time: body fossils found in the UK, Portugal and the US stretch all the way back to the late Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago......»»
Spotlight on mud snakes: Study unveils evolutionary secrets of enigmatic snake family from Southeastern Asia
A new University of Kansas genomic investigation of a group of unheralded but unique "mud snakes" from Southeast Asia is rewriting the evolutionary history of this family, named the Homalopsidae. The results just were published in the Bulletin of the.....»»
Researchers reveal the venomous secrets of European snakes
Not only in the tropics do snake bites lead to dangerous envenoming—bites from European venomous snakes can also cause severe physical damage. But their venom also contains active substances that could be used against bacterial pathogens in the fut.....»»
Scientists voyage to Greenland"s melting sanctuary
With rugged red mountains rising on either side, a sailboat carrying scientists deftly snakes between icebergs brimming Greenland's Scoresby Fjord, as they rush to document this understudied region on the frontline of climate change......»»
What do a jellyfish, a cat, a snake, and an astronaut have in common? Math.
Across the animal kingdom there are creatures that move through their environments not by walking or running or climbing but instead by simply changing the shape of their bodies. This kind of locomotion is found in snakes as they slither, in stingray.....»»
Harmful substances impacting tiger snakes across Perth, study finds
New research has found tiger snakes in Perth's urban wetlands are accumulating high levels of chemical substances from ingesting PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), impacting the venomous reptiles' overall health......»»
Prisoners in Bolivia trading rare jaguar parts for fashion items, researchers discover
Prisoners in Bolivia are trading in jaguar skins and other wild animal body parts to produce wallets, hats, and belts for sale in local markets. The fangs and bones of jaguars are being illegally exported for use as traditional Asian medicine......»»
Snake genome reveals burrowing past and re-adaptation to surface life
Chromosome-level assembly of 14 snakes in a study led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, has created a high-resolution genomic reference for the study of snake evolution. In a paper, "Large-scale snake genome analyses provide insights into ve.....»»
Editing a snake genome to stop production of dorsal scales
A team of geneticists and evolutionary specialists at the University of Geneva working with a colleague from the University of Zurich report that the hexagonal patterns seen on the backs and sides of some snakes are not self-organizing. In their stud.....»»
Studying the parenting behavior of poison frogs using tadpole-like robots
Over the past few decades, roboticists have developed robots inspired by a wide range of animals, including dogs, snakes, birds, spiders, bats, octopus, and different types of insects. These robots were primarily designed to tackle real-world practic.....»»
Snakes as therapy animals: Reptiles help heal in Brazil
A yellow-and-brown boa constrictor wraps itself around David de Oliveira Gomes's neck like a scarf, but the 15-year-old Brazilian with autism is fascinated, not afraid......»»
The Hunger Games prequel The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes gets first trailer
Head back to Panem and discover the origins of a young Coriolanus Snow in the first trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. .....»»