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Reptiles

An artist's impression of the Late Cretaceous crocodilian Deinosuchus riograndensis and a much smaller, early alligator relative.

The Ancient ‘Terror Crocodiles’ of North America Weren’t Alligators After All, DNA and Fossils Suggest

A new study indicates the giant reptile Deinosuchus is not a close relative of modern alligators, as scientists previously thought, and it might have thrived by tolerating saltwater

Fossils indicate a variety of marine reptiles swam through ancient seas.

From Massive Eyes to Shark-Like Tails, Seven Amazing Adaptations That Helped Prehistoric Reptiles Thrive at Sea

The creatures cruised the world’s oceans with features we often associate with marine mammals, such as coats of blubber and the ability to birth live young

An Aldabra giant tortoise stands tall. Males can weigh more than 500 pounds.

Thousands of Giant Tortoises Anchor a Thriving Ecosystem on Aldabra, a Remote Atoll in the Indian Ocean

The animals graze the vegetation into a picturesque turf, fertilize the soil with their dung and disperse seeds over large distances

Gopher tortoises are disappearing from Florida, primarily because of habitat destruction that's often tied to residential development.

A Hurricane Swept These Tortoises Across Miles of Ocean to a New Home in Florida—and Now, They’re Thriving

Park rangers say at least 84 gopher tortoises are now living at Fort de Soto Park near St. Petersburg. Prior to Hurricane Helene in September, the local population was around eight

The four hatchlings are eating and putting on weight before their public debut on April 23. Their clutch included 12 other eggs, which have yet to hatch.

At 97, Endangered Tortoise Becomes Oldest First-Time Mom of Her Species With Four New Hatchlings—and Potentially More on the Way

Proud parents Mommy and Abrazzo are both nearly 100 years old, but they’re contributing to Galápagos tortoise conservation at Philadelphia Zoo

A male central Fijian banded iguana from Ovalau Island, Fiji.

Iguanas Floated a Whopping 5,000 Miles From North America to Fiji on Rafts of Plants in a Record-Setting Trip, Study Suggests

Since most iguana species live in the Americas, biologists have long debated how they could have arrived on the remote Pacific island in the first place

A hatchling Kemp's ridley sea turtle

Inside the Herculean Effort to Study and Save the World’s Smallest Sea Turtle

After years of steady gains, a decades-long conservation program dedicated to the Kemp’s ridley hits rough seas

Nutria have voracious appetites for vegetation, leading them to destroy wetland ecosystems.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wants You to Eat These Giant, Invasive Rodents

As part of National Invasive Species Week, the agency is calling on Americans to “eat the invaders,” including swamp-dwelling nutria

A crocodile wears a satellite tracker in Queensland, Australia. Scientists monitored the reptiles for 15 years and recorded their body temperatures.

Crocodiles in Australia Are Shifting Their Behavior Because of Climate Change, and It Might Harm Their Ability to Hunt

A new study finds that as temperatures rise, the animals are getting hotter, spending less time diving and putting more effort into cooling off

In captivity, baby loggerhead turtles do a little dance when they know food is coming.

Dancing Baby Sea Turtles Help Researchers Unravel the Mysteries of Their Navigational Superpowers

Loggerhead turtles can identify specific magnetic signatures, according to a new study, hinting at how the aquatic reptiles manage to return to the same foraging and nesting sites over and over again

Images and schematic line drawings of the recently discovered neck vertebra of Cryodrakon boreas that bears a puncture mark, presumably from a predator or scavenger.

Cool Finds

Rare Neck Fossil With Puncture Mark Suggests a Prehistoric Crocodilian Snacked on a Young Pterosaur 76 Million Years Ago

The fossil sheds light on interactions within the Cretaceous food web and may represent the first record of this type of predation in North America

An artist's illustration of a plesiosaur, based on new research that finds these now-extinct sea monsters had both smooth and scaly skin.

Rare Fossil of 183-Million-Year-Old ‘Sea Monster’ Reveals Both Smooth and Scaly Skin

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

The coast horned lizard (Phrynosoma blainvillii) depends on chaparral habitat to survive. It has declined across much of its range due to habitat loss, whether from development or invasion of non-native grasses. After fires, non-native grasses often fill in habitat and create problems for the species.

Here’s How the Los Angeles Wildfires Are Affecting Animals, From Fish to Snakes to Birds

While scientists were able to save and move some creatures in the aftermath, researchers are worried about the prospects for other species

A tiger keelback feeds on poisonous toads and stores the poison for its own use.

Six Clever Snakes to Celebrate as We Slither Into the Lunar New Year

These fascinating serpents embody acclaimed qualities including cunning and intelligence

A Surinam golden-eyed tree frog calls for a mate, puffing out its cheeks.

See 25 Incredible Images From the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest

Cast your vote for your favorite of the photographs, which are all contenders for the People’s Choice award, through January 29

Charlotte, an injured turtle, wears his custom-made, 3D-printed harness that helps him swim straight.

Sea Turtle With ‘Bubble Butt Syndrome’ Gets Another Chance at Floating Straight, Thanks to a 3D-Printed Harness

Named Charlotte, the animal was hit by a boat years ago, causing him to develop an affliction that traps air bubbles at the back of his shell

The Amazon tree boa (Corallus hortulana) is not a new species, but it's one of the reptiles documented on a 2022 expedition to the Alto Mayo region of Peru.

Expedition Discovers 27 New Species in Peru, From an ‘Exceedingly Rare’ Amphibious Mouse to a Blob-Headed Fish

The hidden creatures were found in a densely populated region known for its successful—and controversial—conservation tactics

Sombrero ground lizards (Pholidoscelis corvinus) are endemic to Sombrero Island, north of Anguilla, which means they're found nowhere else on the planet.

This Once-Rare Lizard Bounced Back From the Brink of Extinction After ‘Painstaking’ Restoration Efforts in the Caribbean

In 2018, fewer than 100 Sombrero ground lizards remained on Sombrero Island—but now, more than 1,600 of the critically endangered reptiles are scampering around the limestone landscape

A Nile crocodile.

Scientists Unlock the Secrets of Crocodile Skin and Its Irregular, Mystifying Patterns

The scales on crocodiles’ heads are very different from the skin appendages of other animals and even distinct from the scales on the rest of their bodies

New England Aquarium staff treat a cold-stunned sea turtle.

Hundreds of Sea Turtles With Hypothermia Are Washing Up in Cape Cod, Cold-Stunned as Temperatures Drop

New England Aquarium staff and volunteers are treating the reptiles, which have gotten trapped after venturing north earlier in the year. Experts say climate change is leading more turtles to get stranded in the bay

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