Reptiles

Hong Kong police arrested a woman after discovering a 1.5-meter-long crocodile on her balcony, leading to the finding of approximately 100 additional reptiles in her home. Authorities, including the Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department, conducted a follow-up search and found more animals.

An educational program at LSU’s Hilltop Arboretum focuses on Louisiana's reptiles and amphibians, aiming to highlight these often-overlooked species. The event provides an opportunity to learn about the state's hidden herpetofauna.

Palaeontologists discovered new evidence indicating that the early ancestors of amphibians, reptiles, and mammals did not possess a larval stage with external gills, challenging previous assumptions about their transition to land.

Jose Manuel Perez trafficked reptiles worth more than $739,000 into the U.S. from Mexico and Hong Kong using social media, according to federal officials. He is set to be sentenced to federal prison for smuggling.

A California man was sentenced to 65 months in prison for smuggling at least 1,700 reptiles into the United States from Mexico, Hong Kong, and other countries over six years. The trafficking involved multiple international sources and a prolonged criminal activity period.

A Ventura County man who smuggled at least 1,700 reptiles from Mexico to the United States over six years was sentenced to 65 months in federal prison. The trafficking involved reptiles smuggled across the border during a six-year period.

Scientists have resolved a 320-million-year mystery regarding how reptiles evolved protective skin armor. The research reveals that armor-like skin bones evolved independently in multiple lizard groups rather than from a single common ancestor, with the remarkable discovery that Australian goannas lost this armor and then re-evolved it millions of years later.

A 289-million-year-old mummified reptile, Captorhinus aguti, has been discovered with evidence of a rib-powered breathing system, offering insights into how vertebrates transitioned to land. This finding redefines understanding of early terrestrial respiration in reptiles, birds, and mammals.