Reptiles | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/reptiles/RSS feed for ReptilesenThu, 24 Jul 2025 19:44:24 +0000Scientists Feared the World's Smallest Snake Had Gone Extinct. They Just Found It Againhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-feared-the-worlds-smallest-snake-had-gone-extinct-they-just-found-it-again-180987044/When fully grown, the Barbados threadsnake is only three to four inches long—shorter than many earthwormsThu, 24 Jul 2025 19:44:24 +0000This Surprising Ancient Reptile Had a Colorful, Corrugated Sail on Its Back. New Research Suggests It Was Used to Communicatehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/this-surprising-ancient-reptile-had-a-colorful-corrugated-sail-on-its-back-new-research-suggests-it-was-used-to-communicate-180987031/A 247-million-year-old fossil from a German natural history museum reveals the secrets of MirasauraWed, 23 Jul 2025 15:00:01 +0000These Odd Bony Structures Were Hiding Beneath the Skin of Far More Lizards Than Thought, Researchers Findhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-odd-bony-structures-were-hiding-beneath-the-skin-of-far-more-lizards-than-thought-researchers-find-180987023/Called osteoderms, the chain mail-like plates may have helped some species adapt to Australia’s harsh environmentTue, 22 Jul 2025 19:22:38 +0000'Robo-Bunnies' Are the Newest Weapon in the Fight Against Invasive Burmese Pythons in Floridahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/robo-bunnies-are-the-newest-weapon-in-the-fight-against-invasive-burmese-pythons-in-florida-180987018/Scientists are experimenting with robotic rabbits in hopes of luring the destructive snakes out of hiding so they can be euthanizedMon, 21 Jul 2025 18:55:14 +0000Researchers Discover the Trick That Allows Burmese Pythons to Digest the Bones of Their Preyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-discover-the-trick-that-allows-burmese-pythons-to-digest-the-bones-of-their-prey-180987006/Special intestinal cells collect excess minerals into particles the snakes can poop out, according to a new studyFri, 18 Jul 2025 18:34:47 +0000See 15 Photos of Sensational, Slithering Snakeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/see-15-images-of-sensational-slithering-snakes-180986993/These reptiles often get a bad rap, but there are plenty of reasons to celebrate snakesFri, 18 Jul 2025 16:33:57 +0000A Paleontologist Matched Two Halves of the Same Fossil Stored at Different Museums—and Discovered a New Specieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-paleontologist-matched-two-halves-of-the-same-fossil-stored-at-different-museums-and-discovered-a-new-species-180986974/Meet Sphenodraco scandentis, a tree-dwelling, lizard-like reptile that roamed around with the dinosaurs during the Late Jurassic period roughly 145 million years agoFri, 11 Jul 2025 21:13:38 +0000A Rare, Pregnant Ichthyosaur Fossil Discovered in Chile Is Revealing More Secrets About the Early Cretaceous Worldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-pregnant-ichthyosaur-fossil-discovered-in-chile-is-reavealing-more-secrets-about-the-early-cretaceous-world-180986936/The fossil helps scientists better understand not just the animal, but our planet's geologyTue, 08 Jul 2025 19:51:14 +0000A Closer Look at the Kestrels, Hedgehogs and Other Wild Animals That Inhabit Romehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/from-kestrels-to-hedgehogs-a-closer-look-at-all-the-wild-animals-that-inhabit-rome-180986889/From antiquity to modern times, the city has been rife with creatures that creep, slither, scurry and nest among its pillars and palacesMon, 07 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000These Lizards Mysteriously Survived the Asteroid Strike That Killed the Dinosaurs—and Their Descendants Are Still Alive Todayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-lizards-mysteriously-survived-the-asteroid-strike-that-killed-the-dinosaursand-their-descendants-are-still-alive-today-180986879/Small and elusive night lizards probably persisted because they have slow metabolisms and like to hide out in rock crevices, a new study suggestsWed, 25 Jun 2025 20:21:11 +0000After Crocs and Lemurs Went Extinct on the Mainland, Many Survived on Islands for Millions of Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/after-crocs-and-lemurs-went-extinct-on-the-mainland-many-survived-on-islands-for-millions-of-years-180986875/Isolation allows creatures to thrive as their relatives perish due to the threats present on much larger landmassesWed, 25 Jun 2025 14:24:27 +0000A Jar of Fossil Bones Long Stored at a Museum Led Scientists to Discover a Goblin-Like Lizard From 76 Million Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-jar-of-fossil-bones-long-stored-at-a-museum-led-scientists-to-discover-a-goblin-like-lizard-from-76-million-years-ago-180986843/Fossils described in a new study speak to a previously unknown large-bodied lizard diversity that existed alongside dinosaursFri, 20 Jun 2025 14:45:51 +0000A Large, Invasive Lizard Was Spotted in a California Parkhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-large-invasive-lizard-was-spotted-in-a-california-park-180986763/Hikers at Joseph D. Grant County Park, just outside of San Jose, saw an Argentine black and white tegu last week—and rangers are now searching for the out-of-place reptileMon, 09 Jun 2025 20:14:56 +0000Florida Bobcat Kills 13-Foot Python for the First Time on Record. It's a Sign of Nature 'Fighting Back' Against the Invasive Snakeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/florida-bobcat-kills-13-foot-python-for-the-first-time-on-record-its-a-sign-of-nature-fighting-back-against-the-invasive-snakes-180986735/Burmese pythons are wreaking havoc on the Everglades ecosystem, but some native animals have been known to prey on the enormous reptilesTue, 03 Jun 2025 19:57:35 +0000