Herpetology is the branch of zoological science dedicated to the study of amphibians and reptiles, encompassing their systematics, taxonomy, evolution, anatomy, physiology, behavior, ecology, and conservation biology. Herpetologists investigate phylogenetic relationships using morphological and molecular data, analyze population dynamics and life-history strategies, and examine adaptations such as thermoregulation, reproductive modes, and specialized sensory systems. The field also addresses pathogen dynamics (e.g., chytrid fungi in amphibians), habitat fragmentation, and climate change impacts, informing evidence-based management and conservation strategies. Herpetology integrates field surveys, experimental approaches, and bioinformatic analyses to understand biodiversity patterns and functional roles of these vertebrates in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Scientists from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador officially described Pristimantis milpe, an abundant and widely distributed species that had been confused with another species for more than a century. To solve ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 13, 2026
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14
Scientists have described a new species of lizard from the high mountain forests of western Thailand and have given it a name straight out of an American fantasy drama television series: Acanthosaura syrax, named after Syrax, ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 10, 2026
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Snakes are highly modified lizards, with more than 4,000 living species today. The origin of snakes has long been one of evolutionary biology's most debated questions. Their sparse fossil record has made it hard to pin down ...
Evolution
Aug 9, 2026
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2252
For the first time, researchers have discovered a new species of extinct amphibian from Ice Age Los Angeles at La Brea Tar Pits: a spadefoot toad they have named Spea labreae. Only one other extinct Pleistocene amphibian ...
Ecology
Aug 5, 2026
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290
Snakes are seemingly simple in structure: a head attached to a long, unremarkable noodle. They do have some pretty cool features at the front end, with venomous fangs and the ability to stretch their mouths and swallow large ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 4, 2026
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33
An international team of scientists has described seven new species of Madagascar's elusive diamond frogs (Rhombophryne), revealing that one of the island's most mysterious groups of amphibians is even more diverse than previously ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 3, 2026
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76
Ripley, a medium-sized dog with a strong prey drive, curiously approached Brian, a large western diamondback rattlesnake, until she got a quick zap on the neck meant to simulate a venomous viper's bite.
Ecology
Aug 1, 2026
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19
African gray foam-nest treefrogs (Chiromantis xerampelina) are common across the savannas and dry forests of southeastern Africa. Despite their unremarkable outward appearance, these small animals display some of the most ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 23, 2026
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8
The mystery of why some amphibian populations recover following outbreaks of a deadly fungus has been solved in a new study led by University College London (UCL), ZSL and Imperial College London.
Plants & Animals
Jul 14, 2026
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38
In the late 1990s in the Ajimu region of Japan's Oita Prefecture, researchers discovered three fossilized vertebrae belonging to the Cryptobranchidae family of giant salamanders. These were embedded in the Tsubusugawa Formation, ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Jul 9, 2026
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