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A tomography image in greyscale of snake tissues
Snakes Have Clitorises After All, Study Finds
Researchers visualize the snake clitoris in detail for the first time, finding evidence that the organ may be evolutionarily important for snake sex.
Snakes Have Clitorises After All, Study Finds
Snakes Have Clitorises After All, Study Finds

Researchers visualize the snake clitoris in detail for the first time, finding evidence that the organ may be evolutionarily important for snake sex.

Researchers visualize the snake clitoris in detail for the first time, finding evidence that the organ may be evolutionarily important for snake sex.

snake

An Edith’s checkerspot butterfly
Genome Spotlight: Edith’s Checkerspot Butterfly (Euphydryas editha)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Aug 25, 2022 | 3 min read
A high-quality genome sequence for this versatile insect will likely aid eco-evolutionary research.
leatherback sea turtle making its way across a beach
Fifteen-Year Project Quantifies Threat to Reptiles
Shawna Williams | Apr 28, 2022 | 1 min read
The study estimates that one-fifth of reptile species worldwide are at risk of extinction.
snake eating another snake
Male Snakes Cannibalizing Females Present Evolutionary Puzzle
Chloe Tenn | Nov 15, 2021 | 4 min read
The Scientist speaks with organismal biologist Xavier Glaudas about possible reasons for his recent finding that male Montpellier snakes cannibalize female conspecifics.
Illustration showing how seagull chicks know when predators are lurking
Infographic: Animal Embryos Coopt Sound to Survive and Thrive
Amanda Heidt | Nov 1, 2021 | 1 min read
Across the tree of life, animals use sound and other vibrations to glean valuable sensory information about their environments even before they are born.
Conceptual image of an embryo with sound waves
Embryonic Eavesdropping: How Animals Hear and Respond to Sound
Amanda Heidt | Nov 1, 2021 | 10+ min read
Recent findings buck the traditional idea that embryos are passive agents and instead suggest that by tuning into vibrations, organisms can better prepare to enter the outside world.
Several tadpoles in clear eggs
Slideshow: How Animal Embryos Eavesdrop on the Outside World
Amanda Heidt | Nov 1, 2021 | 4 min read
Watch and listen to reptiles, amphibians, insects, and birds respond to sound from inside their eggs.
front-facing photo of a western diamondback rattlesnake against a black background
Snakes on a Plain
Annie Melchor | Aug 19, 2021 | 5 min read
Researchers discover that rattlesnakes change their rattling frequency when a perceived threat approaches—tricking humans into thinking the snake is closer than it really is.
a Tasmanian devil peaks out of a hollow log
How to Reintroduce a Long-Lost Species
Shawna Williams | Oct 20, 2020 | 9 min read
Conservation biologist John Ewen discusses the recent reintroduction of Tasmanian devils to mainland Australia after a 3,000-year absence and issues that need to be considered when bringing long-departed animals back into an area.
snake venom stem cells
Snake Venom Gland Organoids Produce Functional Toxins
Amy Schleunes | Jan 24, 2020 | 2 min read
Stem cells from nine snake species respond to tissue culturing techniques previously used only on mouse and human stem cells.
Image of the Day: Snake in Smoke
Emily Makowski | Dec 4, 2019 | 1 min read
An image of a Malagasy tree boa wins first place in the British Ecological Society’s annual photography competition.
Image of the Day: Making Waves
Carolyn Wilke | Mar 6, 2019 | 1 min read
Slithering snakes mimic waves of light, “diffracting” as they pass by an obstacle.
Image of the Day: Snakes Alive
Sukanya Charuchandra | Jul 19, 2018 | 1 min read
Scientists have found the 99-million-year-old remains of a baby snake.
Researchers Look to Sex Pheromones to Trap an Invasive Snake
Steve Graff | Jul 1, 2018 | 4 min read
The brown tree snake has wreaked havoc on the island of Guam, but one solution to the problem could lie in the serpent’s own physiology.
Image of the Day: Snacking on Snails
Sukanya Charuchandra | Jun 20, 2018 | 1 min read
Five newly identified species of snakes suck the mollusks right out of their shells.  
Caught on Camera
The Scientist | Jan 1, 2018 | 1 min read
Selected Images of the Day from the-scientist.com
Snake Venoms Cause and Block Pain
Kerry Grens | Jan 1, 2018 | 2 min read
Painful snake bites may hold clues to developing analgesic drugs.
Image of the Day: Overkill
The Scientist and The Scientist Staff | Oct 6, 2017 | 1 min read
The Sakishima habu (pitviper; Protobothrops elegans) can compensate for inept traits in the chemical composition of its venom by overdosing its prey.
Snake Sex Determination Dogma Overturned
Abby Olena, PhD | Jul 6, 2017 | 3 min read
Researchers find that boas and pythons use an XY sex chromosome system, rather than the previously assumed ZW system found in some other snakes.
A Snake Species Not Seen Alive for 64 Years Appears in Brazil
Ignacio Amigo | Jun 1, 2017 | 4 min read
Locals helped researchers find the extremely rare boa.
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