Lizards

Freaky Jurassic Reptile Is a Weird Mix of Snake and Lizard

It’s “an important reminder that evolutionary paths can be unpredictable.”

Biology Gayoung Lee Oct 1

A Fijian crested iguana (Brachylophus vitiensis).

Iguanas Pulled Off ‘Crazy’ Record-Breaking Ocean Voyage, Scientists Say

The trek—from the North American desert to Fiji—now represents the longest known migration of any terrestrial animal.

Biology Isaac Schultz Mar 17

Iron Coating on Komodo Dragon Teeth Sets Them Apart as the Most Metal Lizards

If Komodo dragons weren't terrifying enough already, researchers accidentally discovered that their razor sharp, serrated teeth are coated in metal.

Biology Adam Kovac Jul 25

Image: Reuters / Galápagos Conservancy / Gizmodo

Critically Endangered Pink Iguana Babies Found in the Galápagos

This is the first time scientists have found hatchlings of the rare species.

Conservation Lauren Leffer Dec 21

8 New Geckos Just Dropped

Meet the new members of the Lygodactylus genus, natives of northern Madagascar.

Biology Isaac Schultz Sep 1

Tropical Lizard With Built-in Scuba Gear Can Stay Submerged for 16 Minutes

Unprecedented footage from Costa Rica shows tiny tropical lizards “breathing” from an air sac suspended atop their snouts—an apparent scuba tank that helps them stay submerged for extended periods. This footage comes courtesy of Lindsey Swierk, an ecologist from Binghamton University in New York. While observing water anoles in southern Costa Rica back in 2015,…

Biology George Dvorsky Dec 21

Lizards With Toxic Green Blood Are Super Freaky

Lurking quietly in the deep dark jungles of New Guinea are a group of lizards who share a rather striking feature: green blood. It’s a rare trait for vertebrates to have, but new insights into this strange blood could lead to innovative medical treatments. According to Star Trek lore, Spock’s blood was green because it…

Biology George Dvorsky May 17

Freaky Ancient Lizard Had Four ‘Eyes’

An ancient species of monitor lizard that went extinct some 34 million years ago had four eyes, according to new research. It’s the first time that scientists have ever seen such a thing in a jawed terrestrial animal—an observation that’s filling a gap in our understanding of how these features evolved. In addition to its…

Biology George Dvorsky Apr 2

If You Want to Catch a Lizard You May Have to Flirt With It

Humans are the ultimate predator. If you’re armed with the right tools there’s virtually nothing else that can beat you in a standoff (except maybe antibiotic resistant bacteria, but let’s forget about that). If you want to befriend the animal, though, it’s a whole different story. Researchers know that some animals can be sensitive to…

Biology Ryan F. Mandelbaum Aug 10

A Single Winter Storm Forced These Lizards to Start Evolving Practically Overnight

We typically think of evolution as an agonizingly gradual process, but there are occasions when nature compels species to move at a quicker pace. By studying a population of lizards both before and after a particularly severe cold snap, scientists have documented natural selection in fast motion, where the surviving reptiles—after just a single winter…

Tech News George Dvorsky Aug 4

Nothing Is More Romantic Than Snuggling on a Star Wars Dewback Sofa

Setting the mood for a night in usually involves dim lighting, soft music, and a comfy place for a couple to cozy up. Unless you and your loved one both happen to be Star Wars fans, in which case glowing lightsabers, John Williams’ Imperial March, and a loveseat shaped like a Dewback lizard are more…

io9 Andrew Liszewski Apr 27

This Freaky Gecko Detaches Its Giant Scales to Escape Predators

Many lizards are capable of detaching their tails when a predator strikes, but one group of geckos has evolved a particularly gruesome escape strategy: unusually large scales that tear off when a predator tries to take hold, allowing the tiny animals to break free. As described in the latest edition of Peer J, this new…

Tech News George Dvorsky Feb 7

First Scientific Account of a Tarantula Eating a Snake Is Pure Nightmare Fuel

Imagine the most elegant of dinner parties. The meal: a ground snake. Your guest: a tarantula. No silverware necessary, as your dining partner has brought its digestive juices with it. This party took place one afternoon around 1:30PM on October 23, 2015, in the beautiful Serra do Caverá in far southern Brazil. A team of…

Tech News Ryan F. Mandelbaum Jan 9

Global Warming Is a Major Threat to Our Overlords, the Lizards

Who run the world? Lizards, why of course. But their reign might be coming to an end, thanks to global warming. A new study suggests global warming is an even bigger threat to Earth’s most divine creature than we previously thought. A 2010 study conducted at the University of Santa Cruz predicted 40% of our…

Climate Change Eve Peyser Sep 5

This Frilled-Neck Lizard Chasing People Down Is My Jurassic Park Nightmare

Remember that annoying bastard of a dinosaur from Jurassic Park that sprayed his face open and spewed out poison at people? Yeah, that damn Dilophosaur terrified me as a kid. Actually, I’m still scared of it. So if I saw this frilled-neck lizard chasing me down like this, I’d totally lose it. This little lizard…

Sploid Casey Chan Jun 2

11 Species of Chameleon Masqueraded as One

Biologists just discovered 11 new species of chameleon hiding in plain sight—as chameleons tend to do. Most chameleons can change color, but the range of hues is limited, depending on the species. Madagascar’s panther chameleons are unusual because their color ranges varied depending on where they lived. On some parts of the island, the panther…

Biology Kiona Smith-Strickland May 25

Epic Fantasy Sculpture Wins Top Prize At World Ice Art Championships

Behold “Fighter,” crafted by a team of ice-carving artists (Japan’s Junichi Nakamura and Shinichi Sawamura, and the U.S.’s Chan Kitburi and Dean Murray). It took first prize in the multi-block division and a Governor’s Award (voted on by event volunteers) at the 2015 World Ice Art Competition. According to the event website, the Fairbanks, Alaska…

io9 Cheryl Eddy Mar 9

How Scientists Use CT Scans and 3D Printing to Understand Armored Lizards

In the video below, Dr. Ed Stanley explains why using these technologies is so important for scientists studying these lizards. Also, he holds up a 3D printed skull of one named Smaug giganteus. Yes, it’s named after exactly what you think it is. [Science Today]

io9 Katharine Trendacosta Sep 18

Tonight’s Jam Is John Oliver’s Sex Gecko Tribute Ballad

Quite correctly, John Oliver was devastated by the loss of Russia’s space sex geckos. So he and A Great Big World performed “Say Something” as a tribute. Complete with a sex gecko mascot.

io9 Katharine Trendacosta Sep 9

Oh Man, All The Space Sex Geckos Are Dead

Sad news from Russia’s Foton-M4 satellite. The spacecraft on which a group of geckos spent a few weeks trying to get it on in microgravity returned to Earth, as planned, earlier today. The only problem? The lizards were frozen solid. As you might recall, there was some drama a few days after the space-bound gecko…

Space & Spaceflight Jason G. Goldman Sep 1

Lizards

Freaky Jurassic Reptile Is a Weird Mix of Snake and Lizard

Iguanas Pulled Off ‘Crazy’ Record-Breaking Ocean Voyage, Scientists Say

Iron Coating on Komodo Dragon Teeth Sets Them Apart as the Most Metal Lizards

Critically Endangered Pink Iguana Babies Found in the Galápagos

8 New Geckos Just Dropped

Tropical Lizard With Built-in Scuba Gear Can Stay Submerged for 16 Minutes

Lizards With Toxic Green Blood Are Super Freaky

Freaky Ancient Lizard Had Four ‘Eyes’

If You Want to Catch a Lizard You May Have to Flirt With It

A Single Winter Storm Forced These Lizards to Start Evolving Practically Overnight

Nothing Is More Romantic Than Snuggling on a Star Wars Dewback Sofa

This Freaky Gecko Detaches Its Giant Scales to Escape Predators

First Scientific Account of a Tarantula Eating a Snake Is Pure Nightmare Fuel

Global Warming Is a Major Threat to Our Overlords, the Lizards

This Frilled-Neck Lizard Chasing People Down Is My Jurassic Park Nightmare

11 Species of Chameleon Masqueraded as One

Epic Fantasy Sculpture Wins Top Prize At World Ice Art Championships

How Scientists Use CT Scans and 3D Printing to Understand Armored Lizards

Tonight’s Jam Is John Oliver’s Sex Gecko Tribute Ballad

Oh Man, All The Space Sex Geckos Are Dead

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