To celebrate 200 episodes we test each other on how well we remember them, before diving in to a paper about urban water snakes.

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:

Mészáros B, Bürgés J, Tamás M, Gál B, Schmera D, Hamer AJ. 2024. Urban oasis? Abundant dice snake (Natrix tessellata) populations along artificial lakeside habitats in urban landscapes. Landscape Ecology 39:124. DOI: 10.1007/s10980-024-01917-w.

Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:

Fondren A, Swierk L, Putman BJ. 2020. Clothing color mediates lizard responses to humans in a tropical forest. Biotropica 52:172–181. DOI: 10.1111/btp.12744.

Rai TP. 2020. An Elongated Tortoise Attempting to Prey on a Buff-striped Keelback the Turtle Rescue and Conservation Centre in Eastern Nepal. IRCF Reptiles & Amphibians 27:297–299.

Brock KM, Chelini M-C, Ayton C, Madden IE, Ramos C, Blois JL, Pafilis P, Edwards DL. 2022. Colour morph predicts social behaviour and contest outcomes in a polymorphic lizard (Podarcis erhardii). Animal Behaviour 191:91–103. DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.06.017.

Nirody JA, Jinn J, Libby T, Lee TJ, Jusufi A, Hu DL, Full RJ. 2018. Geckos Race Across the Water’s Surface Using Multiple Mechanisms. Current Biology 28:4046-4051.e2. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.10.064.

Editing and Music:

Podcast edited by Wojciech– https://www.fiverr.com/buczar

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy

Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com

Frogs are being severely impacted by Bd fungus, but in this episode we look at a paper highlighting a potential buffer that may protect them –heat.

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:

Waddle AW, Clulow S, Aquilina A, Sauer EL, Kaiser SW, Miller C, Flegg JA, Campbell PT, Gallagher H, Dimovski I, Lambreghts Y, Berger L, Skerratt LF, Shine R. 2024. Hotspot shelters stimulate frog resistance to chytridiomycosis. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07582-y.

Editing and Music:

Podcast edited by Alex – https://www.fiverr.com/alexanderroses

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy

Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com

This episode is all about why snakes have UV colouration. We have a blue-headed lizard for the Species of the Bi-week.

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:

Crowell HL, Curlis JD, Weller HI, Davis Rabosky AR. 2024. Ecological drivers of ultraviolet colour evolution in snakes. Nature Communications 15:5213. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49506-4.

Species of the Bi-Week:

Venegas PJ, García-Ayachi LA, Chávez-Arribasplata JC, Marchelie A, Bullard S, Quispe E, Valencia JD, Odar J, Torres-Carvajal O. 2024. Two new species of wood lizards (Hoplocercinae: Enyalioides) from Cordillera de Colán in north-eastern Peru. Journal of Vertebrate Biology 73. DOI: 10.25225/jvb.23074.

Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:

Das S, Greenbaum E, Brecko J, Pauwels OSG, Ruane S, Pirro S, Merilä J. 2024. Phylogenomics of Psammodynastes and Buhoma (Elapoidea: Serpentes), with the description of a new Asian snake family. Scientific Reports 14:9489. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60215-2.

Editing and Music:

Podcast edited by Alex – https://www.fiverr.com/alexanderroses

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy

Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com

Bearded dragons are big and slow, so they can't run from venomous snakes. Instead, they have evolved venom resistance to take the bites and keep on moving.

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:

Chandrasekara U, Mancuso M, Sumner J, Edwards D, Zdenek CN, Fry BG. 2024. Sugar-coated survival: N-glycosylation as a unique bearded dragon venom resistance trait within Australian agamid lizards. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology 282:109929. DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2024.109929.

Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:

Rowley, J.J.L., Callaghan, C.T., Cutajar, T., Portway, C., Potter K., Mahony, S, Trembath, D.F., Flemons, P. & Woods, A. (2019). FrogID: Citizen scientists provide validated biodiversity data on frogs of Australia. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 14(1): 155-170.

Other Links/Mentions:

FrogID (2020). FrogID. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available: http://www.frogid.net.au (Accessed: Date [e.g., 1 January, 2020]).

Frog calls by: Dane Trembath & Gayle McGuirk https://www.frogid.net.au/frogs/cyclorana-maini

Morris S. 2024. ‘Male’ Brazilian rainbow boa produces 14 baby snakes in ‘miracle birth.’ The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jun/25/brazilian-rainbow-boa-baby-snakes-miracle-birth

Editing and Music:

Podcast edited by Alex – https://www.fiverr.com/alexanderroses

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy

Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com

Bombs are terrifying for humans. Scientists have accidentally discovered that geckos probably find them scary too.

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:

Dubiner S, Vardi R, Meiri S, Levin E. 2024. Stressed reptiles pay the metabolic price of war. Ecology:e4370. DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4370.

Species of the Bi-Week:

Idiiatullina SS, Pawangkhanant P, Suwannapoom C, Tawan T, Chanhome L, Nguyen TV, David P, Vogel G, Poyarkov NA. 2024. Another new species of karst-associated pitviper (Serpentes, Viperidae: Trimeresurus) from the Isthmus of Kra, Peninsular Thailand. European Journal of Taxonomy 930. DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2024.930.2489.

Other Links/Mentions:

Kidangoor A. 2024.Studying snakes without rattling them? There’s now tech for that. Available at https://news.mongabay.com/2024/06/studying-snakes-without-rattling-them-theres-now-tech-for-that/ (accessed July 2, 2024).

Editing and Music:

Podcast edited by Alex – https://www.fiverr.com/alexanderroses

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy

Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com

Podcast edited by Alex – https://www.fiverr.com/alexanderroses

Snake bite is a global health issue. This episode we look at a paper that tries to determine the factors that make snakes more or less likely to bite.

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:

Alves-Nunes JM, Fellone A, Almeida-Santos SM, De Medeiros CR, Sazima I, Vuolo Marques OA. 2024. Study of defensive behavior of a venomous snake as a new approach to understand snakebite. Scientific Reports 14:10230. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59416-6.

Other Links/Mentions:

List of fatal croc incidents (compiled by Brandon Sideleau and colleagues) in Mexico since 2010: https://crocattack.org/fatal-crocodile-attacks-in-mexico-2010-present/

Editing and Music:

Podcast edited by Alex – https://www.fiverr.com/alexanderroses

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy

Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com

Some species come in different colour morphs, but how do species maintain these different morphs? Do they end up behaving differently? This episode we look at the territorial behaviour of salamanders in North America, and check in on a whole bushel of tiny chameleons for the Species of the Bi-week.

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:

Ryan JM, Kuchta SR, Watling JI, Hickerson C-AM, Anthony CD. 2024. Color Polymorphism and Phylogeographic Variation of Agonistic Behavior in the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus). Herpetologica 80. DOI: 10.1655/Herpetologica-D-22-00037.

Species of the Bi-Week:

Hughes DF, Behangana M, Lukwago W, Menegon M, Dehling JM, Wagner P, Tilbury CR, South T, Kusamba C, Greenbaum E. 2024. Taxonomy of the Rhampholeon boulengeri Complex (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae): Five New Species from Central Africa’s Albertine Rift. Zootaxa 5458:451–494. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5458.4.1.

Editing and Music:

Podcast edited by Alex – https://www.fiverr.com/alexanderroses

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy

Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com

The mirror test is often used to try and determine if animals have self recognition. If they recognise it is them in the mirror, they will react to a change in their appearance. But for snakes, sight is not the primary sense, so scientists have had to get a bit more creative.

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:

Freiburger T, Miller N, Skinner M. 2024. Olfactory self-recognition in two species of snake. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 291:20240125. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0125.

Other Links/Mentions:

Maggie Koerth-Baker. 2010. Kids (and Animals) Who Fail Classic Mirror Tests May Still Have Sense of Self. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/kids-and-animals-who-fail-classic-mirror/

Fejervarya cancrivora call by Zaharil Dzulkafly from: AmphibiaWeb - Fejervarya cancrivora

Crocodile sister hero: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-69002147.amp

Editing and Music:

Podcast edited by Alex – https://www.fiverr.com/alexanderroses

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy

Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com