Reptiles
Reptile is the general term for tetrapods that sit in the Reptilia class, although there is some debate as to which animals sit in there. For example, crocodiles, the largest type of reptile, are more closely related to birds than lizards. Either way, these cold-blooded animals have existed for over 300 million years, and as well as turtles, snakes and other similar creatures, probably their most famous family member is the dinosaur.
Godzilla vs. Kong: Here's who'd actually win in a fight, according to science
Vertebrate zoologist Darren Naish uses what we know about primates and reptiles in the real world to declare a real winner.
What's the difference between alligators and crocodiles?
Here's how to tell your croc from your gator.
Turtles have figured out how to essentially stop ageing – why can't we?
Researchers studying slow-ageing animals like turtles, amphibians, snakes and crocodilians are beginning to understand why these creatures live longer than us, and how we might extend our own lifespan in the future.
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'Parachuting' salamanders move their bodies like skydivers
The amphibians live high in the canopies of giant redwood trees in California.
How long did it take dinosaur eggs to hatch?
Say you're opening a dinosaur theme park. How long would you have to incubate your eggs?
How similar are turtle shells to human ribs?
We're not ribbing you about this one...
Sarcosuchus imperator: The 'super croc' that could have hunted dinosaurs
How big was Sarcosuchus imperator, what did it eat and was it like a modern crocodile?
‘Scuba-diving’ lizards breathe underwater by attaching air bubbles to their snouts
Anoles found in the streams of Costa Rica can use the technique to stay submerged for up to 16 minutes.
From long legs to dolphin fins: Rapid evolution created a huge variety of ancient crocodiles
A wide variety of ancient crocodile species flourished thanks to rapid evolution.
How do sea turtles remember what beach they were born on?
Asked by: Seda Pirefendi
Jurassic 'sea dragon' discovered on UK beach
The ichthyosaur was found by an amateur fossil hunter.
Study Science 2020: 6 of the most exciting jobs in science
Considering studying science at university but not sure what to do once you graduate? Here’s our pick of some of the most exciting careers in science right now.
New species of Triassic marine reptile discovered
The small, lizard-like Brevicaudosaurus jiyangshanensis had neutral buoyancy, allowing it to walk along the seabed searching for prey.
Ancient teeth reveal how the first mammals lived more like reptiles
Much like the rings of trees, growth rings in the tooth sockets revealed that early mammals led longer, slower-paced lives than researchers thought.
Ig Nobel Prize | A knife made of poo and an alligator on helium among 2020 winners
The spoof Nobel prizes were also given to the professor who found many insect scientists are afraid of spiders, and to diplomats from India and Pakistan who rang each other’s doorbells in the middle of the night and then ran away.
Pterosaur's sensitive beak helped it detect nearby prey
Scientists believe the tip of pterosaur's beak had clusters of nerves, which it used to find prey like 'a dabbling duck probing around shallow water'.
Ancient reptile ‘well-preserved’ in stomach of slightly larger reptile
A five-metre-long ichthyosaur ate a four-metre-long thalattosaur around 240 million years ago.
Birds and reptiles cry tears just like our own
Knowing more about the similarities and differences between species' tears could lead to better eye treatments for humans, say researchers.
Mystery solved! 240-million-year-old reptile with 'extraordinarily long neck' lived in the ocean
Tanystropheus was first described in 1852 but until now, scientists didn't know whether the 6m-long reptile lived on land or under water because its "bizarre body didn’t make things clear".
Sea turtles create ‘decoy’ nests to trick predators and protect eggs
Female sea turtles scatter sand around where they have laid their eggs, not to camouflage the site but to distract predators with 'fake' nests.
Ichthyosaur's pebble-like teeth used to 'crush the shells of their prey'
The 250 million-year-old marine reptile evolved pebble-shaped teeth that crushed the shells of snails and clam-like molluscs on the seabed.
Ancient land-based crocodiles evolved to be more like whales
Thalattosuchia, an ancient crocodile relative, evolved an inner ear more suited to marine life in the same way as dolphins and whales.
3D models of dinosaur embryos created using particle accelerator
The scans reveal that the dinosaurs’ skulls developed in a remarkably similar way to those of today’s chickens, crocodiles, and lizards.
Ocean plastics smell like food to turtles
Over time, a layer of algae and microbes build up on the plastic and make it smell like food.