Rock N Roll Reptiles

04/07/2025

Grab your d20s and House Stark apparel, looks like dire wolves are back. However, these aren't true dire wolves merely genetically modified gray wolves.

Colossal Biosciences has genetically engineered the first dire wolf to live in over 10,000 years. Here's what that means for other extinct species.

04/07/2025

The tale of the bat's tail.

A new study from Tel Aviv University reveals that the greater mouse-tailed bat (Rhinopoma microphyllum) uses its long tail as a natural tactile sensor to navigate backward in dark caves. The researchers discovered that the bat's long tail functions as a dynamic sensing tool, enabling it to avoid obs...

03/26/2025

What sound does a shark make? No, it’s not the theme music from Jaws.

03/24/2025

Croc vs Gator

A crocodile and an alligator were seen snapping, biting and hissing at each other in Everglades National Park. | See the video: bit.ly/41TWSuH

03/13/2025

Ultraviolet serpents.

In the study of why and how animals look the way they do, color is king—at least, the range of color humans can see. A University of Michigan study has examined a color range that humans can't see and often ignore: color in the ultraviolet range. Examining snakes, the researchers categorized how t...

02/08/2025

What an amazing discovery!

For the first time, scientists have completed an in-depth analysis of fossilized soft tissues from a plesiosaur

02/01/2025

Now that ain’t something you see everyday.

01/28/2025

Ever seen a tiger eat a bear?

01/08/2025

You are what you eat.

Evolution has resulted in the development of both herbivores and carnivores—but how? What type of food did extinct vertebrates eat? And how can we gain insight into the diets of these creatures? In living animals, we can simply observe what they feed on today. In the case of extinct species, howev...

12/21/2024

While taking out the trash, I accidentally interrupted these opossums’ dinner. I originally thought this was a mom and her near-independent joey but after some post-filming research it turns out this was a date. December is the start of the breeding season and the males click in order to attract females.

12/18/2024

Predatory squirrels? That’s just nuts.

A ground squirrel with cheeks stuffed with nuts, seeds or grains, is a common sight. But a new study provides the first evidence that California ground squirrels also hunt, kill and eat voles. The study, led by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and UC Davis, is the first to chronicle widespread carnivorous behavior among squirrels.

Published in the Journal of Ethology, the study fundamentally changes our understanding of ground squirrels. It suggests that what was considered a granivorous species actually is an opportunistic omnivore and more flexible in its diet than previously assumed.

Read more about this squirrel research by visiting https://ucdav.is/4gElbT5

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Image description: A ground squirrel runs while carrying a vole in its mouth. A blue gradient and white text reading "Carnivorous Squirrels Documented in California" is overlaid with the UC Davis logo.

11/18/2024

Here be dragons.

As tourism to see the endangered species is on the rise and their habitat decreases, on some very rare occasions, the animals bite

11/06/2024

Let sleeping dragons lie.

Sleep is one of the most mysterious, yet ubiquitous components of our biology. It has been described in all major groups of animals, including worms, jellyfish, insects or cephalopods, and in all vertebrates, from fish to humans. Common characteristics of sleep include reduced movement, decreased mu...

11/02/2024

This discovery is the s**t. Literally.

In a unique paleontological breakthrough, the Calvert Marine Museum has revealed the discovery of an ancient coprolite, or fossilized f***s, containing the impression of a previously unknown species of parasitic marine isopod.

https://southernmarylandchronicle.com/2024/10/29/18-million-year-fossil-p**p-yields-rare-isopod-parasite/

10/17/2024

The science of snake p**p.

They might not p**p often, but when they do, you’ll know about it.

10/06/2024

Lion, it’s what’s for dinner.

Martial eagles hunt lion cubs for lunch in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve.

In this photo, a juvenile martial eagle snatches a three-week-old lion cub. No one saw the bird kill the cub. Based on the fledgling eagle’s behavior, researchers suspect that an adult female gave the cub to the fledgling.

While witnessing such predator-prey interactions can be distressing, it’s important to remember that these things often go both ways in the natural world—lions could and probably have hunted adult eagles or nests. Learn more about these complex behaviors at https://on.natgeo.com/4gTmApz