For the past few decades, there has been limited progress in the development of novel antibacterials. Previously, we postulated that the gut microbiota of animals residing in polluted environments are a forthcoming supply of antibacterials. Among var...
Water monitor lizards (WMLs) reside in unhygienic and challenging ecological surroundings and are routinely exposed to various pathogenic microorganisms. It is possible that their gut microbiota produces substances to counter microbial infections. He...
Some Australian elapids possess potently procoagulant coagulotoxic venoms which activate the zymogen prothrombin into the functional enzyme thrombin. Although the activity of Australian elapid prothrombin-activators has been heavily investigated with...
Neoplasia has been reported in lizards, but more research is needed to accurately document the prevalence and prognosis of the various known neoplasms that affect lizards. This study reviewed medical records from an online database, the Exotic Specie...
The tree monitor lizards of the subgenus Hapturosaurus are an understudied but increasingly important group of reptiles in zoos. The routine blood analysis of reptiles in captivity is highly recommended; however, the lack of reliable reference values...
Duplicate control regions (CRs) have been observed in the mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of most varanids. Duplicate CRs have evolved in either concerted or independent evolution in vertebrates, but whether an evolutionary pattern exists in vara...
Angiostrongyliasis in humans causes a range of symptoms from mild headache and myalgia to neurological complications, coma and death. Infection is caused by the consumption of raw or undercooked intermediate or paratenic hosts infected with Angiostro...
The Komodo dragon is a unique reptile with an elongated tail that exhibits hitherto unknown adaptations and functions. This tail, composed of 60–86 vertebrae, serves diverse ecological and physiological roles. In juveniles, it is essential for...
Since the Komodo dragon has been included on The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, it is crucial to know in detail its biology as there is a limited availability of research material on these animal...
The Spiny-tailed Lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia), a vulnerable species native to the desert and semi-desert regions of the Middle East, remains poorly understood, particularly regarding its daily activity patterns in northern Saudi Arabia. This study, co...
A lack of effective methods for sampling lizards in terrain that is inaccessible to human observers limits our knowledge of their ecology and conservation needs. Drones are increasingly being used in wildlife monitoring, but their potential use for s...
Reptiles rely on hibernation to survive harsh winters, but climate change and pesticide use in agriculture jeopardize their survival, making the ecosystem vulnerable. S-metolachlor (SM), a commonly found herbicide in soil, and its metabolite metolach...
The expansion of human activities across natural environments is now well known. This includes agricultural activities that effectively render many former natural environments sterile habitats for animals. Very often, what remains of the natural habi...
The stable operation of climbing robots exposed to high winds is of great significance for the health-monitoring of structures. This study proposes an anole lizard-like climbing robot inspired by its superior wind resistance. First, the stability mec...
The soil environment has been considered capable of storing toxic substances without serious consequences for the inhabitants since plants are able to bioaccumulate pollutants without compromising their survival. The application of chemicals to incre...
Understanding the spatial ecology of species has important implications for conservation, as it helps identify suitable habitats and minimum requirements for biodiversity monitoring and management. The spiny-tailed lizard Oplurus cyclurus is a widesp...
The development of novel bioactive molecules is urgently needed, especially with increasing fatalities occurring due to infections by bacteria and escalating numbers of multiple-drug-resistant bacteria. Several lines of evidence show that the gut mic...
Anguimorphan lizards are a morphologically variable group of squamate reptiles with a wide geographical distribution. In spite of their importance, they have been cytogenetically understudied. Here, we present the results of the cytogenetic examinati...
Human angiostrongylosis is an emerging zoonosis caused by the larvae of three species of metastrongyloid nematodes of the genus Angiostrongylus, with Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Chen, 1935) being dominant across the world. Its obligatory heteroxenou...
Circadian rhythms of Neotropical lizards have been poorly studied, which represents a problem when designing ecological studies or monitoring such species based on direct observations. In this work, 1000 m-long transects were established in an agroec...
Enrichment has become a key aspect of captive husbandry practices as a means of improving animal welfare by increasing environmental stimuli. However, the enrichment methods that are most effective varies both between and within species, and thus eva...
Traffic intensification, often in conjunction with habitat fragmentation, has caused frequent roadkill incidents, particularly among reptiles, amphibians, and other taxa. Herpetofauna species, which are slow moving and habitat dependent, are particul...
Lateralisation of eye use indicates differential specialisation of the brain hemispheres. We tested eye use by zebra finches to view a model predator, a monitor lizard, and compared this to eye use to view a non-threatening visual stimulus, a jar. We...
Reptiles are rarely included in urban freshwater biodiversity monitoring and conservation. We explored the global persistence of freshwater dependent turtles, lizards, crocodilians and snakes in cities with a population greater than 100,000 using spe...
Most lizards lay eggs inside nests where embryos experience daily fluctuations in temperature. As embryos are sensitive to exposure to high temperatures, increases in nest temperatures may pose a risk to lizards. In the velvet gecko Amalosia lesueuri...
Domestic cats (Felis catus), one of the most popular pets, are widespread worldwide. This medium-sized carnivore has well-known negative effects on biodiversity, but there is still a need to better understand the approximate causes of their predation...
The interplay between predator and prey has catalyzed the evolution of venom systems, with predators honing their venoms in response to the evolving resistance of prey. A previous study showed that the African varanid species Varanus exanthematicus h...
Accurate identification of animal species is necessary to understand biodiversity richness, monitor endangered species, and study the impact of climate change on species distribution within a specific region. Camera traps represent a passive monitori...
Environmental enrichment has been shown to enhance the behavioural repertoire and reduce the occurrence of abnormal behaviours, particularly in zoo-housed mammals. However, evidence of its effectiveness in reptiles is lacking. Previously, it was beli...
Antibiotic resistance is a global threat to public health, further accelerated by the misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals. Our recent studies have shown that gut bacteria of animals living in polluted environments are a potential source of an...
Lizards within the Iguana iguana species complex are among the most common reptilian pets, with the widest natural geographic range among iguanids. Deep phylogenetic divergence distinguishes multiple mitochondrial clades, and several taxonomic change...
Tacinga inamoena (K. Schum.) N.P. Taylor & Stuppy (Cactaceae, Opuntioideae) is a native Brazilian species found in the Caatinga phytogeographic domain. Although its flowers are adapted for bird pollination (ornithophily), few birds visit these pl...
We evaluated the global distribution of Anolis sagrei based on bibliographic records, GBIF, and iNaturalist data. Native to Cuba and the Bahamas, this lizard has spread across mainland America, particularly in the Caribbean, Central America, and part...
Geckos are an excellent group to study the evolution of sex determination, as they possess a remarkable variability ranging from a complete absence of sex chromosomes to highly differentiated sex chromosomes. We explored sex determination in the Mada...
Since SARS-CoV-2 caused the COVID-19 pandemic, records have suggested the occurrence of reverse zoonosis of pets and farm animals in contact with SARS-CoV-2-positive humans in the Occident. However, there is little information on the spread of the vi...
Coral reef bleaching events have become more frequent all over the world and pose a serious threat to coral reef ecosystems. Therefore, there is an urgent need for better detection of coral reef bleaching in a time- and cost-saving manner. In recent...
Several ungulate species are showing increasing population patterns within their geographical distribution ranges, leading to constant interactions with other animal species. Varying densities and activities of different ungulates may result in diver...
Regression models are extensively used to explore the relationship between a dependent variable and its covariates. These models work well when the dependent variable is categorical and the data are supposedly independent, as is the case with general...
Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging arbovirus isolated in 1959 (Usutu River, Swaziland). Previously restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, the virus was introduced in Europe in 1996. While the USUV has received little attention in Africa, the virus emergenc...
Given the growing number of events involving exotic animals, it is crucial to prioritize the well-being of the animals involved. This study aims to evaluate the quality of animal presentation at a selected fair in Poland and assess the level of anima...