Herpetological Highlights
Episodes
245 A Vegetation Investigation
14 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're diving into two reptile papers: the first is about desert lizards being secret nutritional strategists, timing what they eat across th...
244 Frogs Bringing the Pain
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Bradykinin is a hormone that is released naturally in response to tissue damage, so if you hurt yourself, it makes it hurt. Quite a few animals from w...
243 Pythons are Seed Pipelines
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Invasive species are well known to damage ecosystems by directly eating other animals and disrupting the food chain. But their impacts can go much dee...
242 Spot the Viper to Survive
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Pitvipers of the genus Bothrops are famed for their camouflage and for being deadly ambush predators. New insights from snake CCTV have revealed tha...
241 Poison Frog Parents
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Mimic poison frogs are utterly amazing, famous for mimicking multiple different frog species, and like other dart frogs they demonstrate bi-parental c...
240 Small Homes for Small Gators
14 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Chinese conservationists have worked hard to protect the critically endangered Chinese alligator, creating new habitats for them after significant alt...
239 Side Effects of Albinism
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Common knowledge suggests that albino animals are rare in the wild because they stick out like a sore thumb and get eaten by predators, but studies su...
238 Antivenom Breakthrough
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New methods in antivenom technology may yield a treatment that works on most of the cobras in Africa, thanks to the blood of alpacas and some very cle...
237 City Slickin' Wall Lizards
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Urban areas represent both opportunities and risks for animals, and they adapt their behaviour in many ways to cope with this fast-paced lifestyle. No...
236 Grippy Australian Geckos
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Research from Asian geckos generally suggests that sticky pads are used for smooth surfaces, while claws help grip onto rougher surfaces like wood and...
235 Magnetoad Goes Home
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Toads continue to amaze us - this time they are using their sense of the Earth's magnetic field to find their way home. But how important this sense i...
234 Hot Dragons, Cold Dragons
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We recap some of our recent travels, and then chat about bearded dragons. A new study shows that these lizards are making decisions about how they mai...
233 Colour-matching chameleons
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we are talking chameleons, one of nature's most famous colour changers. But despite their famous status, very few studies have actuall...
232 The Glass is Half-full for Tortoises
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The minds of reptiles remain largely mysterious to us, and we often wonder what kind of emotions they are capable of feeling. In this episode we dig i...
231 Hotter Times for Desert Lizards
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A monumental new study has addressed the likely impacts of climate change on the activity of desert lizards in Africa and Australia. Hotter temperatur...
230 Bats Listen to Hear Which Frog is Tastiest
29 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bats have famously good hearing, and fringe-lipped bats in Panama have tuned theirs to listen out for frogs calling out for mates. But these bats are ...
229 Tokay Geckos Will Remember You
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New research suggests that tokay geckos can distinguish between different people, shedding further light on the intelligence of lizards. We delve into...
228 Why do pythons have heat pits?
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Almost all pythons and some boas have heat pits on their faces. This extraordinary adaptation lets these snakes 'see' the heat signature of their unsu...
227 The Colourful Diet of Day Geckos
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Day geckos and certain plants share a long evolutionary history, with day geckos feasting on nectar and in return pollinating plants. A study from bac...
226 Iguanas on Tour
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A new study has proven that ancient iguanas rafted over sea all the way from North America to Fiji, a staggering 8,000 km away. We discuss this epic v...
225 Smooth Snakes vs Vipers
06 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are rare meadow vipers under threat from the world’s smoothest snake? We find out, then we chat about why asp vipers come in different colours. Be...
224 Raptors Cannot Resist Rattlesnakes
23 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is all about the problems rattlesnakes face in the wild. A brilliant new study uncovers whether predatory birds in America are resistant ...
223 Sky-diving Salamanders
09 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Some tree-dwelling salamanders have a remarkable ability to ‘sky-dive’, controlling their descent after leaping away from predators. New research ...
222 Aesculapian Snake Special
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are talking about our own work this week, focusing on our latest research into Europe’s foremost colubrid, the Aesculapian snake. We chat about r...
221 Salamander Salvation
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Salamanders and frogs return to their home pools to breed, but removal of these pools is making life more difficult for them. New research discovers h...
220 Toxic Toads A Tale of Two Species
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Asian common toad (aka Asian black-spined toad, Asian toad, black-spectacled toad) is a remarkably successful species, living alongside humans and...
219 Ball Pythons Care About Friendship
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our understanding of the social lives of snakes is evolving at breakneck speed. This week we discuss a new study which has revealed that ball pythons ...
218 Sleepy Skinks Love Tomatoes
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A wildly ambitious new study manages to test how the personalities of sleepy skinks influence their success at finding food in the wild. Then we hit u...
217 Blindsnake Takeover
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Blindsnakes have taken over the continent of Australia at rapid speed. We chat about their different body types and finish with some listener-submitte...
216 Bearded Dragons Master Imitators
15 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A clever new experiment has shown that bearded dragons can learn skills by copying other dragons. Then we have a brand new orange and black newt speci...
215 How Snakes Tackle Scorpions
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Despite their boring name, ground snakes exhibit a variety of gnarly behaviours to help them take down invertebrate prey like spiders, scorpions and c...
214 Stinky Worm Lizards
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Worm lizards are strange legless animals that live underground. Turns out they communicate by smell and are able to pass on surprisingly complex messa...
213 Can you sex a blue-tongued skink?
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this Patreon-selected double bill we investigate the tricky task of sexing blue-tongued skinks and the strange underworld of olms. Become a Patreon...
212 King Cobra Species Split
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We chat about vipers hissing before hitting on some massive news with multiple new species of king cobra being described. Become a Patreon: https://ww...
211 Babies Crying Attracts Crocodiles
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Crocodiles and apes have a long history together, and they might have been dining on our young... Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighli...
210 Box Turtle Personality
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Turtles have personalities and these can be influenced by the environments they live in, with urban environments seemingly changing the way turtle pop...
209 Eggs, Tails, and Leucistic Snakes
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A bunch of new research up for discussion with frogs building nests, two-tailed geckos jogging about, and a leucistic snake that's venomous and poison...
208 Smoked Out Lizards
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are lizards from fire-prone areas more savvy to smoke? New research suggests they are, plus we chat about a newly discovered green frog whose beautifu...
207 Monitor Lizards Munching Manky Marsupials
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Australia rotten meat is a valuable commodity that monitor lizards compete for against dingoes and red foxes. Plus new work from a team including Z...
206 Lizards on Red Alert
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about tourists intimidating lizards, pythons eating each other, and some fun skink action including a brand new dragon-like skink. Become a Pa...
205 SquaMates Podcast Crossover
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At the World Congress of Herpetology in Borneo we had the pleasure of meeting Mark and Hiral from the SquaMates Podcast, and took the opportunity to r...
204 World Congress of Herpetology
07 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Back from the World Congress in Borneo, we catch up about the experience, and finish with the recording of the mini podcast we did in front of a live ...
203 Impulsive Skinks
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is all behaviour, looking at whether Australian lizards can exercise inhibitory control. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphi...
202 Homeward Hopping Frogs
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we are looking at egg-feeding poison frogs and their ability to find their way back to their home territory. Species of the Bi-week is a ...
201 Toxic Toe-tapping Frogs
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Popular pets, dart frogs are known to tap their toes, but the precise reasoning behind it has eluded scientists until now. Become a Patreon: https://w...
200 Episode 200
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
To celebrate 200 episodes we test each other on how well we remember them, before diving in to a paper about urban water snakes. Become a Patreon: htt...
199 Frog Saunas Save Lives
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Frogs are being severely impacted by Bd fungus, but in this episode we look at a paper highlighting a potential buffer that may protect them –heat. ...
198 Ultra-violet Snakes
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is all about why snakes have UV colouration. We have a blue-headed lizard for the Species of the Bi-week. Become a Patreon: https://www.p...
197 The Fortitude of Dragons
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bearded dragons are big and slow, so they can't run from venomous snakes. Instead, they have evolved venom resistance to take the bites and keep on mo...
196 Geckos on the Frontline
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bombs are terrifying for humans. Scientists have accidentally discovered that geckos probably find them scary too. Become a Patreon: https://www.patre...
195 What makes a snake bite?
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Snake bite is a global health issue. This episode we look at a paper that tries to determine the factors that make snakes more or less likely to bite....
194 Mighty Morphing Salamanders
22 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Some species come in different colour morphs, but how do species maintain these different morphs? Do they end up behaving differently? This episode we...
193 Snakes Can Smell Themselves
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The mirror test is often used to try and determine if animals have self recognition. If they recognise it is them in the mirror, they will react to a ...
192 Night of the Natrix
08 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Common grass snakes are a widespread European species that are often spotted by people and recorded using apps. To the surprise of scientists, they ha...
191 History Inside Frog DNA
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we chat about the thousands of frog ancestors whose stories can still be heard in the DNA of modern frogs. How did these frogs from the p...
190 Snake Food Fights
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is all about questioning the assumption that snake male-male combat is driven by competition for mates. We look at a paper that presents ...
189 What can Brown Snakes do for you?
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Killing snakes is bad karma, but it might also be bad for business. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights Merch: https://www.redbub...
188 Big Wetlands for Big Snakes
03 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Giant garter snakes are big beasts that like wetland areas - we chat about how they get on when faced with the challenge of moving to a new wetland. T...
187 Anoles on the Night-shift
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Anoles are adaptable creatures, but can they make the most of artificial light? Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights Merch: https:...
186 Sleeping Dragons
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hibernation is a pretty extreme biological process that shouldn’t be undertaken lightly. Bearded dragons are one of many beasts that have it perfect...
185 The tortoises are back in town
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tortoises return to an island in the Galapagos and prove themselves to be solid ecosystem engineers. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphig...
184 Skin-eating Caecilians
08 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Caecilians, the strange underground amphibians, are known to let their babies eat their skin. But the full benefits of this practice are only now beco...
183 Lizards Disrupting Dinner
25 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A wildly ambitious study which fundamentally alters the ecology of islands? Count us in. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights Merc...
182 Sea Snake Squad
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
More evidence of social behaviour in snakes, this time from snakes that live underwater. Then we chat about a new species of alligator-looking lizard....
181 Piebald Pythons
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Royal pythons, ball pythons, regardless of their name the colour morphs can be stunning. But have folk found which gene is responsible? And can that g...
180 Urban Chameleon Warfare
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Urban environments can be dramatically different from natural ones. New challenges face any animal finding themselves in the big city. This episode we...
179 Well-armed Newts
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An arms race between newts and snakes means biological warfare. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights Merch: https://www.redbubbl...
178 Meadow Vipers like Grazed Grass
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
New research sets out to work out what the meadow vipers like. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights Merch: https://www.redbubble.c...
177 Are Iguanas Unwelcome Guests?
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Gopher tortoises build wonderful and important burrows, but what happens when an invasive species decides to move in. Become a Patreon: https://www.pa...
176 Snakes and Pharaohs
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We are relatively familiar with modern snake bite advice, but what snakes did the ancient Egyptians deal with? Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.c...
175 Herding Turtles
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An exciting new study suggests turtles might be social creatures. Main Paper References: McKnight DT, Serano JC, Thompson DM, Ligon DB. 2023. They r...
174 Rotting Salamanders
28 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fire salamanders are the focus of this episode. Like humans, they have been facing a pandemic recently, and new research delves into how populations h...
173 Never Smile at a Crocodile
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Crocodiles leave their mouths open for long periods of time, and we don’t really know why. We also take a long tangent on the swiftlet nest business...
172 Super Hybrid Salamanders
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tracking and understanding invasive species is difficult, but even more so when the invasive can interbreed with the endangered native species creatin...
171 Weaponised Chameleons
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chameleons have evolved a diversity of weaponry. New research determines what these weapons are, and which chameleon groups are the most heavily-armed...
170 Meals for Mamushi
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
They call them mamushi, or the Japanese pitviper. New research determines whether these snakes operate in chilly weather, or if their prey are safe to...
169 Gecko Screams in the Night
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Vocal plasticity is the topic for this episode. Can tokay geckos modify their call? Do young turtle vocalisations help them coordinate their movements...
168 Similar Snacks for Sympatric Snakes
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Snake diets are difficult to study, but are deeply interesting. This episode we look at a paper that has gathered together records (paper and digital)...
167 Resistant Caecilians
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Caecilians are well adapted to a life underground, but a serious threat lives under there with them. All over the world, they have evolved the same me...
166 Emotional Support Rattlesnakes
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We chat about some new research on the social behaviour of rattlesnakes. Plus a brand new snake species just described from Australia. Become a Patreo...
165 Toad vs Toad
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Two toad species are wreaking havoc as invaders, but which is worse - and why? Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights Merch: https:/...
164 Isolated Indigo Snakes
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Humans get in the way of snakes finding love over long distances, and then we talk about a cool new gecko that glides, or does it paraglide? Become a ...
163 Geckos Understand the Smell of Trouble
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When surviving in the wilds, maximising all your senses is wise. When you can’t see a threat, maybe you’ll hear one… or smell one? We look at a ...
162 My squeak is as bad as my strike
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Animals make all sorts of noises for all sorts of reasons. Working out what they mean is difficult, especially if the animal is less than honest. This...
161 Do colourful lizards make better battlers?
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Colour morphs exist in many species, but are those colours linked to differences in behaviour or success? We look at a polymorphic lizard and whether ...
160 Glowing Salamanders
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we explore the weird world of glowing salamanders and speculate about the possible reasons behind this adaptation. Species of the Bi-week...
159 When Loggerheads come to blows
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone thinks turtles are chill, but they aren't always. They can be competitive when they need to be. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.co...
158 Colossal Crocs are Big River Chillers
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
New research on crocodiles sheds light on how these massive beasts interact with each other. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlight...
157 The Bushmasters of Brazil
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bushmasters are massive vipers that remain somewhat of a mystery. This episode we look at a paper investigating their spatial ecology and habitat pref...
156 Comfort Eating Lizards
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Stress can come from many places, loud noises are one example. So how do lizards react when their home is constantly bombarded by loud noises? We also...
155 No Eardrums, No Problem
30 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's a commonly held belief that snakes can't hear, or can't hear very well, because they have no external ear openings. Some clever new research puts...
154 The Frogs Who Live With Ants
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Some animals can escape the attention of ants with special chemical cues. We discuss a nice example of this and follow up with a brand new frog specie...
153 The Rising Toad Tide
09 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Toads are wonderful creatures, and their exceptional adaptability makes them superb invaders when transported to new lands by humans. Unfortunately, t...
152 Pythons as Prey
08 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We have previously talked about pythons in Florida eating everything they can fit in their mouths; but are there any creatures that eat them? We follo...
151 Glassfrogs and Their Transparent Tricks
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Some frogs can make themselves virtually invisible to would-be predators - we find out how. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights M...
150 The Underwater Antics of Turtles
05 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
New techniques allow unprecedented insight into the underwater behaviour of Australia's flatback sea turtles. Then we chat about some newly described ...
149 The Hidden Risk of Carrying Tadpoles
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Brightly coloured frogs warn predators of their toxicity, but can tadpoles stop this message from being delivered? Become a Patreon: https://www.patre...
148 Snakes with Dangerous Diets
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Eating without appendages is hard, and sometimes snakes make a meal of it. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights Merch: https://www...
147 Crocodiles can feel with their face
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Some animals use touch to forage; turns out crocodiles are among them. But when did this adaptation come about and do crocs share characteristics with...
146 Iguanas with a Sweet Tooth
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What are the impacts of tourists feeding iguanas grapes? We look at a paper detailing how well iguanas can handle so many sweet treats. Species of the...