Pythons are spreading north in Florida, adapting to cold by using burrows. Scientists warn Brevard County is at risk.

GENESEE COUNTY, MI - A chinchilla twitched its nose as wide-eyed and excited children began petting its fluffy body and bushy tail. This was the first of several exotic animal encounters that ...

Spotting a Mojave Desert tortoise is increasingly difficult in the American Southwest. The tortoises, with their unmistakable domed patterned shells, live in California, parts of Nevada, Arizona and ...

On a gray December day in California, Amy Keeler pulled her Subaru up to a chain link-fenced patch of Joshua Tree dirt. “It’s literally just a flat piece of property with trash all over it,” Keeler ...

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After trudging upslope for weeks, a giant tortoise slows its hundreds of cumbersome kilograms to a stop. Dense woods defended by barbed wire–like blackberry bushes block its path. After a brief foray ...

In February, conservationists released 158 young tortoises onto Floreana Island in the Galapagos. The Floreana tortoise subspecies had long been thought extinct, but the discovery of close relatives ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. He spent decades in a zoo, fathered 900 children and helped ...

On Dec. 2, 2023, the comedy show "Saturday Night Live" raised an important question: What did naturalist Charles Darwin and "Crocodile Hunter"/conservationist Steve Irwin have in common? The answer, ...

Have you ever considered the idea of owning tortoises as pets? If you have, this guide is for you. Deciding to get a tortoise is basically a lifelong commitment, as many tortoises can live for over 50 ...

A man who admitted 'prolonged neglect' of a menagerie of exotic pets – including rats, snakes, parrots and tortoises – has been banned from keeping animals for five years. Christopher Jones, 39, ...

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today. Spotting a Mojave Desert tortoise is ...