Latest research
Newly published papers on reptiles and amphibians from the HerpAtlas research library, updated automatically. Browse by animal on the species pages.
- Supplementary description of Boulenophrys elongata (Anura, Megophryidae): Sexual dimorphism and observations on reproductive behaviours.
Wang J, Zhan BB, Tan L et al. · Biodiversity data journal · 2026-07 · open access
Background The genus Boulenophrys displays high species diversity, yet most species are known only from isolated localities with narrow geographic distributions. Fundamental ecological data and reproductive traits remain largely undocumented across the genus. Boulenophrys elongata is one of the…
- Neoteny and Evolutionary Strategy: Reconsidering Developmental Arrest in the Axolotl and the Olm.
Mussies M · Acta biotheoretica · 2026-07 · open access
This article examines neoteny and regressive evolution in two emblematic amphibian species: Ambystoma mexicanum (axolotl) and Proteus anguinus (olm). Rather than framing larval persistence and trait loss as evolutionary shortcomings, the paper proposes an alternative interpretation in which…
- Cross-Species Spillover of Tiger Frog Virus Caused Lethal Systemic Disease in Captive Geochelone sulcata : Etiology, Pathology, and Genomic Characterization.
Lai C, Shan F, Song D et al. · Viruses · 2026-07 · open access
In 2025, a severe mass mortality outbreak struck captive Geochelone sulcata at a zoo in Guangdong Province, China. To trace the causative agent, identify the viral strain and characterize associated pathological lesions, respiratory tract samples collected from diseased tortoises were subjected to…
- Red-winged blackbirds adjust aggression with brood value and predator type, but show broadly similar responses to snake predators of differing risk
Shelby L. Lawson, Angela H. Zbaracki, Russell M.L. Campbell et al. · Behavioral Ecology · 2026-07
- Stable Isotopes, Mercury and Organochlorines in the Eastern Foxsnake (Pantherophis vulpinus) and Eastern Gartersnake (Thamnophis siratilis sistalis) from Southwestern Ontario, Canada.
Drouillard KG, Cashera A, Gosselin M et al. · Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology · 2026-07
- Into the unknown: a literature review of helminths of amphibians and reptiles in Mesoamerica.
Estrada-Pull T, Boza-Oviedo E, Alfaro-Segura P et al. · Parasites & vectors · 2026-07 · open access
Background Helminths are an important but understudied component of amphibian and reptile biodiversity, particularly in Mesoamerica, a global biodiversity and cultural hotspot. Methods We conducted a comprehensive literature review of helminth parasites reported from amphibians and reptiles across…
- First report of a Brucella inopinata -like atypical Brucella strain isolated from a waxy monkey treefrog ( Phyllomedusa bicolor ) in the Republic of Korea: Case Report.
Kim M, Hmohn ZZW, Han JI · Frontiers in veterinary science · 2026-07 · open access
Atypical Brucella spp., which include Brucella inopinata and related lineages, have emerged as unconventional pathogens with an expanding host range, particularly among exotic amphibians. A captive waxy monkey treefrog ( Phyllomedusa bicolor ) presented with a focal ulcerative skin lesion above its…
- Reconstituting a two-step pathway for N , N -dimethyltryptamine (DMT) biosynthesis in bacteria.
Junges LH, Pontes FLD, Mota FJT et al. · Metabolic engineering communications · 2026-07 · open access
N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a bioactive indole alkaloid that could greatly benefit from scalable, fermentation-based production for research and pharmaceutical applications. In this study, we reconstructed a two-step bacterial pathway converting L-tryptophan to DMT via tryptamine. This involved…
- Climate change implications on thermal biology of the African hallow in South America, the endemic skink Trachylepis atlantica.
Diele-Viegas LM, Proença J, Menezes VA et al. · Journal of thermal biology · 2026-07
- Combined wildlife passages and ecological corridors best mitigate highway impacts on a threatened species.
Jiménez-Franco MV, Graciá E, Rodríguez-Caro RC et al. · Journal of environmental management · 2026-07 · open access
- Otolithic organs and vibratory sensitivity in frogs: do saccular otoconial volumes vary according to lifestyle?
Mason MJ, Goutte S, Seal PJ et al. · Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology · 2026-07 · open access
Of the three otolithic organs found in frogs, the sacculus is known to possess acute sensitivity to seismic vibrations. Simple models of otolith function suggest that increasing size of an otolith should improve vibratory sensitivity. In the first part of this paper, we provide a short review of…
- Vasotocin influences mother-offspring associations in a facultatively family-living lizard.
Lake J, While GM, Ophir AG et al. · Behavioral ecology : official journal of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology · 2026-07 · open access
Parent-offspring associations provide the basis for more complex care and breeding systems. One proximate mechanism by which parental behavior is facilitated across animal taxa is via nonapeptide hormones such as arginine vasotocin (AVT). However, existing research largely comes from obligately…
- Hologenomic rewiring facilitates dietary adaptation to chitin-rich marine resources in the crab-eating frog.
Zhang Y, Chang ZH, Gan S et al. · Frontiers in zoology · 2026-07 · open access
Background Secondary adaptation of amphibians to marine environments is exceptionally rare. The crab-eating frog, Fejervarya cancrivora, is the only known amphibian capable of completing its life cycle in intertidal zones, where it faces dual challenges: high salinity stress and a diet rich in…
- Microbiome varies by body site in the yellow mud turtle, Kinosternon flavescens, from the Chihuahuan Desert.
Madison JD, Davis DR, Genter BW et al. · Microbiology spectrum · 2026-07 · open access
Microbiomes are important to the ecology and evolution of their associated animal hosts. These important functions range broadly from individual animal health to population-level adaptations. Turtle-associated microbiomes are under increasing investigation, given turtles' conservation status and…
- First epidemiological characterization of Leishmania tarentolae in sand flies collected in southern France and Corsica Island.
Porcelli S, Sevila J, Mekarnia N et al. · PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026-07 · open access
Leishmania tarentolae, a reptile-associated parasite, is poorly documented in France. This study provides the first molecular survey of L. tarentolae in sand flies across mainland France and Corsica (2023-2024), combining morphological and molecular vector identification with PCR-based parasite…
- Peristaltic locomotion with a twisted and bent spine in Dermophis mexicanus.
Kohara A, Tamai Y, Kutara K et al. · The Journal of veterinary medical science · 2026-07 · open access
- TinyDINO VHaar based Bi-directional Chameleon optimized LightASDNet for autism spectrum disorder detection.
Chandran MK, Sudhamathy G · Psychiatry research. Neuroimaging · 2026-07
- Beyond thermoregulation: Active behavioural regulation of ultraviolet light exposure by a free-ranging lizard.
Lattanzio MS · The Journal of animal ecology · 2026-07 · open access
- Diversity of Hepatozoon (Apicomplexa: Hepatozoidae) parasites in snakes from the Amazonia region, with description of a new species.
de Paula FR, Picelli AM, da Silva Costa G et al. · Parasitology international · 2026-07
- Amphisbaenians facultatively oviposit in ant and termite nests.
Braz HB, Santos LC, Almeida-Santos SM · Die Naturwissenschaften · 2026-07 · open access
Oviposition-site selection is a key maternal decision in oviparous animals, involving trade-offs among incubation conditions, offspring performance, and maternal constraints. In amphisbaenians (worm lizards), a clade of highly specialized fossorial reptiles, oviposition has long been assumed to…
- Long-term eradication of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis from a large Xenopus laevis husbandry.
Teichmann U, Kimmina S · Laboratory animals · 2026-07 · open access
The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (BD) poses a serious threat to amphibian species worldwide. BD infects keratinocytes of the skin and interferes with their physiological barrier function. The African clawed frog Xenopus laevis is a species with low susceptibility to BD.…
- A nutritionally-explicit test of the food-safety trade-off under predation risk.
Banerjee A, Thaker M · Scientific reports · 2026-07 · open access
- Introduced Urban Lizards ( Podarcis muralis ) Exhibit Plastic Activity Patterns and Precise Behavioral Thermoregulation.
Plunkett GH, Fraire L, Spears S et al. · Ecological and evolutionary physiology · 2026-07
- Early maturation of host antimicrobial peptide defences is associated with host-pathogen coexistence.
Jervis PA, Rosa GM, Bates KA et al. · Nature chemical biology · 2026-07 · open access
Epizootic outbreaks of invasive pathogens, such as the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), are increasingly recognized as a global threat to biodiversity. However, not all susceptible host populations are equally impacted by these disease outbreaks. While some populations persist…
- Spatial organization of cutaneous microbiomes reveals putative microbial contributions to host chemical defenses in the American toad.
McCammon SD, Chen See JR, Wright JR et al. · Frontiers in microbiology · 2026-07 · open access
Chemical defenses are widely evolved throughout the tree of life. Animals can exploit mutualisms with toxin-producing symbionts as a mechanism of chemical defense. However, this has only begun to be explored in depth, and how these mutualisms may relate to how animals synthesize or acquire their…
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