The Smallest Reptiles Ever?

Scientists have recently discovered four new chameleon species around Madagascar that may prove to be some of the smallest reptiles in the world.

At only about one inch long, these chameleons may represent a severe case of island dwarfism, a condition in which a species grows smaller over time to adapt to conditions. It’s no surprise that these reptiles were just now discovered; they wouldn’t exactly be easy to spot in the wild!

Via Discovery News.

How Animals Keep Their Cool

Now that summer’s here, a lot of us probably plan on spending our free time at the pool. When it’s hot outside, nothing’s better than jumping into some nice, cool water to relax. But, when a/c or an ice-cold dip isn’t an option, our bodies still find a way to keep us cool; we sweat. Animals in the wild don’t have the option to crank up the air conditioner when they get too hot, so they’ve developed their own ways to cool down.

Photo: CoolFox

Now, we all know that dogs will pant when they get hot, as their tongues are very effective at releasing heat from their bodies, but did you know they also sweat from their feet? Dogs don’t have a lot of sweat glands like we do, but if overheated they can sweat from between their toes. Other mammals such as squirrels sweat in this same way. Cows can sweat from their muzzles, and rabbits sweat from their lips, though neither nearly as much as humans. Birds have no sweat glands at all, so they will flare their feathers and open their mouths in hot weather to increase their surface area and evaporate water from the surface of their bodies.


Photo: Rene Modery

 Have you ever heard the phrase “sweating like a pig”? Well, that’s not really possible, because pigs don’t sweat at all. To regulate their body temperatures, pigs have to roll in mud or water, which draws the heat from their bodies. They look like a mess, but they’re just trying to stay cool!


Photo: Andrew Smith

Cold-blooded animals such as reptiles, amphibians, and fish have body temperatures that are the same as the air or water around them, and do not sweat. Land-going reptiles that are too hot will do their best to find shade or burrow into cool soil. If shade is not available, some have the ability to lighten their skin color, making it more reflective. Fish often seasonally migrate to deeper, cooler waters to regulate their temperatures.

Photo: Phillip Halling

Of course, we’re not the only ones who enjoy a nice swim in hot weather. Have a safe and happy summer!


Photo: Wen-Yan King



Female Whiptail Lizards Can Do It All

The whiptail lizard is the only unisexual reptile, which means it’s the only species of reptile that consists of just females. These female lizards are asexual and reproduce using a method called parthenogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction that produces an exact genetic duplicate of the mother. They have been around for generations, which makes their case especially interesting because without genetic variation, they can never evolve to adapt to their environment. Scientists still don't completely understand how they can survive without evolution, but for now, they seem to be adapting just fine.

Meet the Staff

Do you know of any company pets? Surely you've walked into a little boutique or a quirky bookstore and been met by the cat, dog, budgie or bunny that thinks they run things. Interaction with animals reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and prolongs your good health. We, at the Jungle Store, take our health very seriously and so our President has made sure to give us plenty of company pets to keep us calm and happy.

Malcom likes to stay close by our office's front doors. He's great at letting us know when guests arrive.

We have to keep Norton and Bruno at opposite ends of the warehouse. They tend to fight. Once we installed the company pool though, Norton got a lot happier. He spends the majority of his day there. The staff won't swim with him anymore as he tends to splash.

Patty, Maxine and Laverne help us oversee climate control. They get rather territorial about that thermostat.

Last week it was my turn to sort out a brief altercation among the Jamison Brothers. I don't know how many times we have to say it. Everybody gets just one donut on Fridays.

Iggy spends the warmer part of the day keeping the parkway free of weeds. What would we do without him?

Susan tends to the landscaping. She'll probably need more staff before the summer is over.


Last but not least, when something absolutely, positively must be there overnight, we ask Spike to take it. He's got a way with big packages.

Happy April Fools

An Indian reptile

I thought this week we’d focus on Asian animals. We’ll start with one new to me: the Gavial or Gharial. These crocodilelike reptiles have a long narrow snout—it’s almost tubelike—with razor sharp teeth. Fortunately gharials mostly feed on fish as they are 12 to 15 feet long!

These reptiles live in India and are endangered.

For pictures and more info check out this site.

JJ