It had long been thought snakes can only feel vibrations through the ground. New research shows they can not only sense airborne sound, but can likely detect human voices.
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Articles on Snakes
Displaying 1 - 20 of 76 articles
It was assumed snakes didn’t have a clitoris – now it turns out they have two.
Less than a century ago, a slither of tiger snakes was abandoned on one of Western Australia’s tiny islets. Here’s how they adapted to survive.
The first description of the snake clitoris may change what we think we know about mating and courtship among the slithering reptiles.
Even by conservative estimates, Mozambique’s snakebite figures are far higher than previously thought.
The ability of the Osun River to support biodiversity is being threatened by pollution and can only be rescued if the contamination ends.
In a warming world, a species’ ability to acclimatise to temperatures is crucial. But young ectotherms can struggle to handle the heat.
New research has found that since the mid-1980s, the economic impact of invasive reptiles and amphibians totals more than US$17 billion.
Most people try their best to avoid snakes. This snake photographer couple spends their free time searching for them.
More than half of all crocodile species are a high priority for conservation according to the assessment.
Over 150 types of venomous snake live in Australia. But deaths from snakebite are vanishingly rare. From snake behaviour to human innovation, here are the reasons why.
In 2015, a published article described the fossil of a four-legged snake. New research has revealed that it is in fact a lizard, and the fossil is the centre of a scientific ethics debate.
Whether you’re hoping to maximise your chances of seeing one of these shy, fascinating critters or wanting to avoid them at all costs, this article is for you.
Reptiles get a bad rap, but this is because they’re misunderstood. Promoting healthy reptile pet ownership can contribute to conservation and education efforts.
How have snakes evolved venom fangs so many times in their evolutionary history? Research suggests it’s due to a structure called ‘plicidentine’ in their teeth that can evolve into venom grooves.
Two tongue tips are better than one – an evolutionary biologist explains why snakes have forked tongues.
When the snake is ready to shed its skin, it rubs its body along rocks, plants and other rough things to peel the old layer of scales — often in a single, snaky piece.
There are too many little-understood species for scientists to study them all. A new approach helps decide which ones to tackle first.
Some snakes have tough, blunt fangs for cracking crabs. Others have sharp needles for getting a grip on mice.
New research fired laser beams on tiger snake scales, and found arsenic was 20-34 times higher in wild wetland snakes than in captive snakes.
Top contributors
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Research Fellow and Co-head, Australian Venom Research Unit, The University of Melbourne
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Research Associate in Evolutionary Biology, University of Adelaide
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Professor of Herpetology, Environmental Physiology and Physiology, Ecology and Evolution, University of the Witwatersrand
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Associate Professor at the Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark
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Principal Lecturer in Wildlife Conservation, Nottingham Trent University
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Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Bangor University
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Honorary Research Fellow, Macquarie University
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Postdoctoral research fellow, CSIRO
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Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Venom Evolution Lab, The University of Queensland
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Professor in Evolutionary Biology (jointly appointed with South Australian Museum), Flinders University
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Director, Clinical Toxicology Research Group, University of Newcastle
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Reader in Zoology, Bangor University
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Research Manager, MCATS, Faculty and Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne
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Post Doctoral Researcher, Technical University of Denmark
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Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of Alberta
