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Tadpoles and adults of the extinct frog species Notobatrachus degiustoi (illustrated) lived in temporary ponds in what is the Patagonia region of Argentina today. Illustration by Gabriel Lío While searching for dinosaurs in the sediment and soft ash, Palentoligist Federico Agnolín and his colleagues kept stumbling across frogs at their site at Estancia La Matilde in the Santa Cruz province of Argentina. They were finding all adult Notobatrachus degiustoi, which is an extinct species. They believed that the frogs at the time did not have a tadpole stage, but they were about to learn otherwise in a very exciting discovery!

The researchers who described the fossil in Nature today estimate it to be between 161 to 168 million years old, beating the previous record holder by around 30 million years. The find provides solid evidence frogs have had a tadpole stage for at least that long. “It’s a beautiful confirmation of what many experts had suspected,” says herpetologist Alexander Haas of the Leibniz Institute in Bonn, Germany. Reconstructing tadpole evolution based on their diversity today, Haas and others previously predicted that tadpoles would have existed this early on.

Herpy Halloween from this little trick or treater in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user rosebuds ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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So bright and sassy, this little adorable little Pine is a bright spot in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user jodscovry ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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So simple and so beautiful. That is the black racer in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user ReptileProducts ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! Let's celebrate with this fantastic in situ Eastern Diamondback in Alabama, uploaded by kingsnake.com user SalS? Be sure to tell them you liked it here! As always on Friday, we celebrate all of our venomous reptiles for their contribution to the world.

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It is a whole lotta squee in this two for Tuesday pair of hatching Hognose in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user caracal ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Beautiful shot of a blood python in the garden in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user grimlin ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Our Herp Photo of the Day shows and amazing look inside the egg of a Russian Tortoise to be, uploaded by kingsnake.com user tortusjack!
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Saturday was Reptile Awareness day, so we wanted to show off how the Chicago Herpetological Society educated thousands on reptiles with this lovely rosy boa in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user PHFaust! Mike is sharing his years of knowledge and love of snakes with anyone who wants to stop. This moment may not seem like much but it changes minds! The Chicago Herpetological Society ran a wonderful event called Reptile Fest for decades until Covid. Are you a member of your local herp society? Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! How cool is this calico Pygmy Rattlesnake, uploaded by kingsnake.com user abyssus? Be sure to tell them you liked it here! As always on Friday, we celebrate all of our venomous reptiles for their contribution to the world.

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So precious! We love hatching photos, like this awakening Gecko in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user SA! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Shiva has her eye on you in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user musicloverhoney! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Love this shot! You can feel the texture and see the amazing variety of colors on this kingsnake in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Tony D ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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There is so much to love about Colubrids, so why not celebrate them with a big ole pile of beauty in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user xtranch ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! The detail in this headshot of an Atrox is amazing in our photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user scserpents ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! As always on Friday, we celebrate all of our venomous reptiles for their contribution to the world. It is our goal to help dispel the fears surrounding our beloved venomous creatures.

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