Reptiles | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/reptiles/RSS feed for ReptilesenWed, 26 Aug 2026 18:28:04 +0000See 16 Stunning Animal Images From the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awardshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-16-stunning-animal-images-from-the-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-awards-180989397/Now in its 62nd year, the famed competition has released a sneak peek of the entries from this contest ahead of announcing the winners in OctoberWed, 26 Aug 2026 18:28:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-16-stunning-animal-images-from-the-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-awards-180989397/This 15-Foot Python Is the First Known Snake to Receive Electrochemotherapy for Cancer. Now, She's Officially Free of the Diseasehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-15-foot-python-is-the-first-known-snake-to-receive-electrochemotherapy-for-cancer-now-shes-officially-free-of-the-disease-180989385/The pioneering treatment makes it easier for traditional chemotherapy drugs to penetrate cancer cells. After the procedure, the reptile, named Jodie Foster, made a speedy recoveryMon, 24 Aug 2026 17:31:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-15-foot-python-is-the-first-known-snake-to-receive-electrochemotherapy-for-cancer-now-shes-officially-free-of-the-disease-180989385/This Amazing Archive of Animal Photography Reveals 18,000 Species and Counting. Here's How Joel Sartore Built His 'Photo Ark'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-amazing-archive-of-animal-photography-reveals-18000-species-and-counting-heres-how-joel-sartore-built-his-photo-ark-180989282/For 20 years, the National Geographic photographer has showcased Earth’s animals in a series of striking images that make even the tiniest creatures look immenseFri, 07 Aug 2026 19:15:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-amazing-archive-of-animal-photography-reveals-18000-species-and-counting-heres-how-joel-sartore-built-his-photo-ark-180989282/Rare Fossil Reveals a Three-Tier Food Chain Frozen in Time: a Pterosaur Eaten by an Ichthyosaur Eaten by a Pliosaurhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-fossil-reveals-a-three-tier-food-chain-frozen-in-time-a-pterosaur-eaten-by-an-ichthyosaur-eaten-by-a-pliosaur-180989243/Uncovered in part by amateur fossil hunters in Australia, the fossil preserves a unique look at prehistoric predatory dynamicsFri, 31 Jul 2026 18:40:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-fossil-reveals-a-three-tier-food-chain-frozen-in-time-a-pterosaur-eaten-by-an-ichthyosaur-eaten-by-a-pliosaur-180989243/How Did Some Reptiles Lose Their Limbs to Become Snakes? An 80-Million-Year-Old Fossil Helps Uncover the Winding Evolutionary Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-some-reptiles-lose-their-limbs-to-become-snakes-an-80-million-year-old-fossil-helps-uncover-the-winding-evolutionary-history-180989203/Researchers have long suspected that the first of these slithering creatures lived in water, on land or underground. New research hints that more than one environment might be correctWed, 29 Jul 2026 17:20:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-some-reptiles-lose-their-limbs-to-become-snakes-an-80-million-year-old-fossil-helps-uncover-the-winding-evolutionary-history-180989203/An Endangered Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Named Pancake Makes a Triumphant Return to the Ocean After Months of Rehabilitationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-endangered-kemps-ridley-sea-turtle-named-pancake-makes-a-triumphant-return-to-the-ocean-after-months-of-rehabilitation-180989205/The cold-stunned turtle was rescued last fall on Cape Cod and has since made a full recovery. The reptile, whose sex remains unknown, is estimated to be between 2 and 5 years old and weighed 11 pounds at the time of releaseTue, 28 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-endangered-kemps-ridley-sea-turtle-named-pancake-makes-a-triumphant-return-to-the-ocean-after-months-of-rehabilitation-180989205/Predatory Sharks Grew to Enormous Sizes in Prehistoric Times. These Five Strategies Helped Them Get So Bighttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/predatory-sharks-grew-to-enormous-sizes-in-prehistoric-times-these-five-strategies-helped-them-get-so-big-180989199/By cannibalizing their siblings in the womb or avoiding meat-eating pliosaurs, fearsome carnivores like the megalodon ballooned to proportions that would dwarf any shark alive todayMon, 27 Jul 2026 18:22:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/predatory-sharks-grew-to-enormous-sizes-in-prehistoric-times-these-five-strategies-helped-them-get-so-big-180989199/These 16 Splendid Aerial Views Capture Wildlife From Above, Revealing the Beauty and Mystery of Naturehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-16-splendid-aerial-views-capture-wildlife-from-above-revealing-the-beauty-and-mystery-of-nature-180989141/The second International Aerial Photographer of the Year contest selected its winners and 101 top images. Here’s a selection of the photos that spotlight animals from a new perspectiveFri, 17 Jul 2026 13:36:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-16-splendid-aerial-views-capture-wildlife-from-above-revealing-the-beauty-and-mystery-of-nature-180989141/