Rock N Roll Reptiles

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

09/19/2024

There's one thing Kong isn't king of, apparently. All jokes aside, it's actually a very interesting article

We knew all that chest beating was just overcompensating for something.

08/28/2024

So many teeth, so little time.

If a Cretaceous tooth fairy existed, they were very busy.

08/21/2024

Cetaceans are known for their intelligence, not many use tools.

Humpbacks may have just joined the elite list of animals that weld tools. New videos show the ingenious behavior in all its glory.

07/26/2024

Internal antlers in cetaceans.

Abstract. Skulls of many living and extinct beaked whales (Ziphiidae) contain various bizarre bone and tooth structures. Many of them show sexual dimorphis

07/26/2024

Looking for fun, unique gifts to give your loved ones, or yourself? Check out the Rock & Roll Reptiles Etsy shop. I just added some more fossil merchandise to the listings.

rocknrollreptiles.etsy.com

07/24/2024

Dragons with iron teeth.

The fearsome Komodo dragon, native to Indonesia and the world's largest living lizard, has a coat of iron on its razor-like teeth to help it kill its prey, scientists found in a study published Wednesday.

07/10/2024

Quadrupedal kangaroos? Crikey!

A type of extinct kangaroo that lived during the Pleistocene around two and a half million to 10 thousand years ago, known as the "giant wallaby," was a poor hopper, a study by scientists at the University of Bristol has found.

07/08/2024

While rare, man-eating snakes are not just the stuff of myths and movies.

The 36-year-old went missing after she went to buy medicine for her sick child, police said, prompting relatives to launch a search.