Herpetological Highlights

Toads continue to amaze us - this time they are using their sense of the Earth's magnetic field to find their way home. But how important this sense is for cane toads as they travel home from long journeys, and how much are they relying on their sense of smell, was a mystery, until a clever new study tested the toads. Then we briefly touch on how pythons digest bones so successfully. Main Paper References: Fernandez RC, Sotelo MI. 2025. A toad’s journey home: towards elucidating the neural and sensory basis of amphibian navigation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 292. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2025.0525. Shaykevich DA, Pareja-Mejía D, Golde C, Pašukonis A, O’Connell LA. 2025. Neural and sensory basis of homing behaviour in the invasive cane toad, Rhinella marina. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 292:20250045. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2025.0045. Other Mentioned Papers/Studies: Lignot J-H, Pope RK, Secor SM. 2025. Diet-dependent production of calcium- and phosphorus-rich ‘spheroids’ along the intestine of Burmese pythons: identification of a new cell type? Journal of Experimental Biology 228:jeb249620. DOI: 10.1242/jeb.249620. Other Links/Mentions: Starr M. 2025.New Cell Discovered in Pythons Allows Them to Completely Digest Bones. Available at https://www.sciencealert.com/new-cell-discovered-in-pythons-allows-them-to-completely-digest-bones (accessed August 25, 2025). Editing and Music: Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com

In this episode we are talking chameleons, one of nature's most famous colour changers. But despite their famous status, very few studies have actually demonstrated that they can change colour under controlled conditions. Research led by our very own Tom Major has shown that flap-necked chameleons from Tanzania are capable of changing their colour, and brightness, to match their surroundings and escape predation. 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: Major T, Hesten ACM, Stipala J, Cant MA, Stevens M, Troscianko J. 2025 Flap-necked chameleons change colour to match their background. Biology Letters 21: 20250134 Other Mentioned Papers/Studies: Drown, R. M., Liebl, A. L., & Anderson, C. V. (2022). The functional basis for variable antipredatory behavioral strategies in the chameleon Chamaeleo calyptratus. Journal of Experimental Biology, 225(10), jeb242955. Stuart-Fox, D., Whiting, M. J., & Moussalli, A. (2006). Camouflage and colour change: antipredator responses to bird and snake predators across multiple populations in a dwarf chameleon. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 88(3), 437-446. Editing and Music: Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com

A monumental new study has addressed the likely impacts of climate change on the activity of desert lizards in Africa and Australia. Hotter temperatures will likely ‘squeeze’ the activity window of some lizards, especially those active during the day. We chat about the ramifications of this paper, before turning to news of dogs being attacked by anacondas. 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: Wild KH, Huey RB, Pianka ER, Clusella-Trullas S, Gilbert AL, Miles DB, Kearney MR. 2025. Climate change and the cost-of-living squeeze in desert lizards. Science 387:303–309. DOI: 10.1126/science.adq4372. Other Mentioned Papers/Studies: Starace, F., & Ineich, I. (2025). Predation on dogs by Green Anacondas, Eunectes murinus (Linnaeus, 1758): two cases from French Guiana. Herpetology Notes, 18, 415-419. Other Links/Mentions: Rhinella alata call from James LS, O’Mara MT, Touchon JC, Ryan MJ, Bernal XE, Page RA. 2025. The ontogeny of decision-making in an eavesdropping predator. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 292:20250450. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2025.0450. AmphibiaWeb - Rhinella alata. Available at https://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-scientific_name=Rhinella+alata&rel-scientific_name=contains&include_synonymies=Yes (accessed June 19, 2025). Editing and Music: Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com

New research suggests that tokay geckos can distinguish between different people, shedding further light on the intelligence of lizards. We delve into this study and voice warranted concerns about the intelligence of these little maniacs. 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: Damas-Moreira I, Bégué L, Ringler E, Szabo B. 2025. Tokay geckos adjust their behaviour based on handler familiarity but according to context. Scientific Reports 15:11364. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-95936-5. Other Mentioned Papers/Studies: Correa, C., Riveros-Riffo, E., & Donoso, J. P. (2025). Lost for more than a century: the rediscovery of Alsodes vittatus (Philippi, 1902)(Anura, Alsodidae), one of the rarest and most elusive amphibians from Chile. ZooKeys, 1230, 195. Other Links/Mentions: Pensoft Publishers. 2025.Ghost Frog Found: Scientists Stumble Upon Species Missing Since 1902. Available at https://scitechdaily.com/ghost-frog-found-scientists-stumble-upon-species-missing-since-1902/ (accessed May 1, 2025). Editing and Music: Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com

Day geckos and certain plants share a long evolutionary history, with day geckos feasting on nectar and in return pollinating plants. A study from back in the mid 2000s proved this neatly, and we delve into it this episode. After that, we have a snake eating somebody's underwear, and a very novel new method for controlling invasive cane toads in Australia. 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: Hansen DM, Beer K, Müller CB. 2006. Mauritian coloured nectar no longer a mystery: a visual signal for lizard pollinators. Biology Letters 2:165–168. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2006.0458. Other Links/Mentions: Brann M. 2025. Woman finds python eating her bra and shirt for breakfast. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-25/cattle-producer-finds-python-eating-bra-and-shirt/104976022 de Kruijff P. 2025. Cannibal cane toad tadpoles that never grow up could help toad control. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2025-04-08/cane-toad-created-that-never-grows-up-and-eats-its-siblings/105100286 Editing and Music: Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com Intro visuals – Paul Snelling

Are rare meadow vipers under threat from the world’s smoothest snake? We find out, then we chat about why asp vipers come in different colours. 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: Wenner B, Móré A, Radovics D, Bancsik B, Budai M, Rák G, Kovács G, Szabolcs M, Korsós Z, Mizsei E. 2025. The Smooth Snake is not a threat to the Meadow Viper: predator–prey interactions of a reptile specialist snake. Community Ecology. DOI: 10.1007/s42974-025-00234-9. Dubey S, Zwahlen V, Mebert K, Monney J-C, Golay P, Ott T, Durand T, Thiery G, Kaiser L, Geser SN, Ursenbacher S. 2015. Diversifying selection and color-biased dispersal in the asp viper. BMC Evolutionary Biology 15:99. DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0367-4. Editing and Music: Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com Intro visuals – Paul Snelling

Some tree-dwelling salamanders have a remarkable ability to ‘sky-dive’, controlling their descent after leaping away from predators. New research tests the gliding ability of a number of different species, and finds that some are more adept than others. We follow up with a brand new frog species described from Kangaroo Island, Australia. 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: Brown CE, Sathe EA, Dudley R, Deban SM. 2022. Aerial maneuvering by plethodontid salamanders spanning an arboreality gradient. Journal of Experimental Biology 225:jeb244598. DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244598. Species of the Bi-Week: Parkin T, Rowley JJL, Elliott-Tate J, Mahony MJ, Sumner J, Melville J, Donnellan SC. 2024. Systematic assessment of the brown tree frog (Anura: Pelodryadidae: Litoria ewingii) reveals two endemic species in South Australia. Zootaxa 5406:1–36. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5406.1.1. Other Mentioned Papers/Studies: Brown, C. E., Goldenberg, W. P., Hinds, O. M., O'Donnell, M. K., & Staub, N. L. (2025). Vascular and Osteological Morphology of Expanded Digit Tips Suggests Specialization in the Wandering Salamander (Aneides vagrans). Journal of Morphology, 286(1), e70026. Other Links/Mentions: Sounds of Northern Pacific Treefrog - Pseudacris regilla. Available at https://californiaherps.com/frogs/pages/p.regilla.sounds.html (accessed February 18, 2025). Editing and Music: Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com Intro visuals – Paul Snelling