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Herpetological Highlights: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Herpetological Highlights
In Herpetological Highlights we will explore the recent scientific discoveries in the field of Herpetology. We'll cover everything from lizards to frogs, snakes, and toads. Every episode we'll be digging into the biology and ecology of these reptiles and amphibians in an attempt to disentangle the science. Hosted by Tom Major and Ben Marshall. Like us on facebook: www.facebook.com/herphighlights
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 1 weeks ago29 min
249 Lizards Under Pressure
Lizards can get stressed just like everyone else, and this week we are talking two extremes: weird legless ones living under the ground, and chameleons up in the trees. Chameleons are responding to heat and cold, while the underground amphisbaenians are feeling social stress thanks to some magic gel. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights Merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/herphighlights/shop Full reference list available here: http://www.herphighlights.podbean.com Main Paper References: Martín J, Cuervo JJ, Recio P, Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Barja I, López P. 2026. Going stressed underground: corticosterone-induced stress responses alter the movement and spatial ecology of males in a fossorial reptile. Movement Ecology 14:48. DOI: 10.1186/s40462-026-00655-9. Tolley KA, Barends JM, Stanton-Jones WK, Alexander GJ. 2026. Natural history observations of the Knysna Dwarf Chameleon, Bradypodion damaranum (Boulenger, 1887): thermal extremes and feeding on flora. Herpetology Notes 19:219–228. Editing and Music: Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com
- 2 weeks ago30 min
248 Eat Lead Lizards!
Anoles aren't known for being tolerant, but when it comes to lead they seem to be able to tolerate monumental amounts that would spell disaster for a puny human. We delve into how they survive being so lead-laden, as well as where that lead has come from, and what this might mean for lizard-kind. Then we hit upon a newly described species of snake which is even more slender than most. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights Merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/herphighlights/shop Full reference list available here: http://www.herphighlights.podbean.com Main Paper References: Blanchette A, Su K-J, Frick AJ, Karubian J, Gunderson AR. 2025. Unprecedented lead tolerance in an urban lizard. Environmental Research 285:122531. DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.122531. Species of the Bi-Week: Chen H-L, Zhang L, Liu G-X, Liu Z-F, Kwok C-T, Vogel G, Wang J-Y, Wu Z-J, Chen Z-N. 2026. A new genus and species of Dipsadidae (Reptilia: Squamata: Serpentes) from Guangdong and Hunan Provinces in Southern China. Zootaxa 5849:213–226. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5849.2.5. Other Mentioned Papers/Studies: Chen M, Gazze L, DiTraglia FJ, Das R, Nriagu J, Erel Y, Boyle EA, Taylor CM, Weiss D. 2025. Environmental lead risk in the 21st century. Communications Earth & Environment 6:776. DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02735-x. Editing and Music: Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com
- May 12, 202636 min
247 Big Brains Ain't Free
Big brains are very useful, but they cost ENERGY and RESOURCES, at least for mammals and birds. Now a new study has shed light on what determines whether reptiles and amphibian species have evolved to be clever, or nice but dim. We also discuss cannibalism by snakes, which is actually pretty common albeit difficult to document due to their secretive lifestyles. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights Merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/herphighlights/shop Full reference list available here: http://www.herphighlights.podbean.com Main Paper References: Song Z, Griesser M, Schuppli C, Van Schaik CP. 2023. Does the expensive brain hypothesis apply to amphibians and reptiles? BMC Ecology and Evolution 23:77. DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02188-w. Falcão BB, São Pedro VA, Entiauspe‐Neto OM. 2026. Occurrence and evolution of cannibal behaviour in extant snakes. Biological Reviews 101:644–664. DOI: 10.1111/brv.70097. Other Links/Mentions: Rana catesbeiana call by Carlos Davidson and Cynthia Kaufman, from AmphibiaWeb. 2026. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 30 Apr 2026. https://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?special=call&genus=Rana&species=catesbeiana Turtle Alliance conference (no tickets yet but will appear here): https://www.turtlesurvival.eu/category/events/ Editing and Music: Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com
- May 6, 202639 min
246 Salamanders vs Volcanoes
This week we delve into the evolutionary history of a fascinating little salamander from North America: the cascade torrent salamander. Volcanoes and flooding have shaped this species' history over the last 15 million years, but they remain steadfast. Then we chat about some newly described frogs from Ecuador. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights Merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/herphighlights/shop Full reference list available here: http://www.herphighlights.podbean.com Main Paper References: Cousins CD, Olson DH, Millward LS, Adams MJ, Pearl CA, Rowe JC, Garcia TS. 2026. Genomics Reveals Extensive Population Structure and Undescribed Phylogenetic Relationships in the Cascade Torrent Salamander ( Rhyacotriton cascadae ). Journal of Biogeography 53:e70167. DOI: 10.1111/jbi.70167. Falcão BB, São Pedro VA, Entiauspe‐Neto OM. 2026. Occurrence and evolution of cannibal behaviour in extant snakes. Biological Reviews 101:644–664. DOI: 10.1111/brv.70097. Song Z, Griesser M, Schuppli C, Van Schaik CP. 2023. Does the expensive brain hypothesis apply to amphibians and reptiles? BMC Ecology and Evolution 23:77. DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02188-w. Species of the Bi-Week: Székely P, Hualpa-Vega S, Hualpa-Vega D, Székely D. 2026. Three new Pristimantis species in the subgenus Huicundomantis (Amphibia: Anura: Strabomantidae) from Reserva Biológica Cerro Plateado, southern Ecuador. PeerJ 14:e20930. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.20930. Editing and Music: Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com
- Apr 14, 202632 min
245 A Vegetation Investigation
This week we're diving into two reptile papers: the first is about desert lizards being secret nutritional strategists, timing what they eat across the year to nail mating season and prep for hibernation. Then we stumble into the chaotic world of rattlesnake seed dispersal, where a snake eats a rodent that ate a seed, and thanks to the snake, a tree grows. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights Merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/herphighlights/shop Full reference list available here: http://www.herphighlights.podbean.com Main Paper References: Acevedo M, Salywon AM, Blackwell SA, Hodgson WC, Hughes ZS, Davis MA, Schuett GW. 2026. The potential for seed rescue and secondary dispersal in rattlesnakes. Royal Society Open Science 13:251226. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.251226. Joshi M, Tatu A, Hawlena D, Raubenheimer D, Thaker M. 2026. Desert lizards modulate nutritional responses to match seasonal biological needs. Royal Society Open Science 13:251690. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.251690. Editing and Music: Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com
- Apr 10, 202640 min
244 Frogs Bringing the Pain
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 wildly different evolutionary histories have defensive toxins which are fake copies of this hormone. We discover which animals have them, when these defences evolved, and ultimately, how they are used for defence. For our Species of the Bi-Week there have been multiple new rock monitors discovered - slender predators of Australia's rocky outcroppings. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights Merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/herphighlights/shop Full reference list available here: http://www.herphighlights.podbean.com Main Paper References: Shi N, Touchard A, Schendel V, Koch TL, Starobova H, Niu P, Tran H, Ragnarsson L, Safavi-Hemami H, Vetter I, Robinson SD. 2026. Repeated convergent evolution of bradykinin mimics as defensive toxins. Science 391:1046–1052. DOI: 10.1126/science.adx0452. Species of the Bi-Week: Zozaya SM, Read WJ, Macor SA, Pavón-Vázquez CJ, Gale NP, Wright JM, Broady ES. 2026. Three new species reveal an unrecognized clade of rock monitors (Varanidae: Varanus ) from the eastern Australian savannas. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 206:zlaf192. DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf192. Other Links/Mentions: AphibiaWeb donation link: https://give.berkeley.edu/fund/FU0863000 Editing and Music: Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com
- Mar 10, 202625 min
243 Pythons are Seed Pipelines
Invasive species are well known to damage ecosystems by directly eating other animals and disrupting the food chain. But their impacts can go much deeper, as a new study about seed dispersal by pythons and tegus in the Everglades has shown - they may be contributing to the destruction of rare and unusual habitats. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights Merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/herphighlights/shop Full reference list available here: http://www.herphighlights.podbean.com Main Paper References: Figueroa A, Davis KR, Harman MEA, Bartoszek IA, Easterling IC, Yackel Adams AA, Romagosa CM. 2025. Double agents: invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) and Argentine black and white tegus (Salvator merianae) as potential seed dispersers in South Florida. Journal of Zoology:jzo.70082. DOI: 10.1111/jzo.70082. Other Mentioned Papers/Studies: Harman MEA, Fuller NR, Baiser B, Blackburn JK, Li X, Currylow AF, Yackel Adams AA, Falk BG, Romagosa CM. 2025. Dietary breadth and ecological plasticity facilitate invasion potential in a large omnivorous lizard. Frontiers in Amphibian and Reptile Science 3:1635085. DOI: 10.3389/famrs.2025.1635085. Sapkota, A., Karki, A., Sapkota, K. R., & Baral, R. (2025). First record of death-feigning behavior in common wolf snake Lycodon aulicus (Linnaeus, 1758) from Nepal. Nepalese Journal of Zoology, 9(2), 85-88. Other Links/Mentions: AmphibiaWeb 2008 Acris gryllus: Southern Cricket Frog <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/671> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Feb 24, 2026. Acris gryllus from James W. Beck: https://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?special=call&genus=Acris&species=gryllus Editing and Music: Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com
- Mar 3, 202636 min
242 Spot the Viper to Survive
Pitvipers of the genus Bothrops are famed for their camouflage and for being deadly ambush predators. New insights from snake CCTV have revealed that these snakes can only really catch and eat animals who can't spot them hiding in the leaf litter, and it's bad news for our furry friends. Then we chat about a jazzy new species of newt described from central China. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights Merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/herphighlights/shop Full reference list available here: http://www.herphighlights.podbean.com Main Paper References: Glaudas X, Souza ED, Schunck F, Banci K, Rojas A, Hingst‐Zaher E, Martins M. 2025. To be (cryptic) or not to be? Variation in detectability by prey explains the diet of an ambush predator. Oikos:e11906. DOI: 10.1002/oik.11906. Species of the Bi-Week: Li S, Shi S, Liu J, Luo Z, Wang J, Liao L, Wang Y, Gong R, Wu J, Wang B. 2026. Description of a new species of the Asian newt genus Tylototriton Anderson, 1871 (Urodela, Salamandridae) from central China. Zoosystematics and Evolution 102:181–197. DOI: 10.3897/zse.102.173283. Other Mentioned Papers/Studies: Wang B, Nishikawa K, Matsui M, Nguyen TQ, Xie F, Li C, Khatiwada JR, Zhang B, Gong D, Mo Y, Wei G, Chen X, Shen Y, Yang D, Xiong R, Jiang J. 2018. Phylogenetic surveys on the newt genus Tylototriton sensu lato (Salamandridae, Caudata) reveal cryptic diversity and novel diversification promoted by historical climatic shifts. PeerJ 6:e4384. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4384. Editing and Music: Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com
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About Herpetological Highlights
In Herpetological Highlights we will explore the recent scientific discoveries in the field of Herpetology. We'll cover everything from lizards to frogs, snakes, and toads. Every episode we'll be digging into the biology and ecology of these reptiles and amphibians in an attempt to disentangle the science. Hosted by Tom Major and Ben Marshall. Like us on facebook: www.facebook.com/herphighlights
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