It turns out that snakes might hold the secret to tackling one of humanity’s most painful problems, kidney stones. While reptiles have long been admired for their adaptability, scientists have now ...

Reptiles and birds have evolved to expel nitrogenous waste in the form of solids, known commonly as urates, which are predominantly uric acid crystals. Having solid or semisolid urine helps the ...

X-ray studies showed that the spheres consist of even smaller nanocrystals of uric acid and water. Additionally, they discovered that uric acid plays an important role in converting ammonia into a ...

Kidney stones and gout show up across age groups, lifestyles, and headlines every year. Both conditions are often linked to uric acid, so researchers spend a considerable amount of time studying how ...

Snake science and chemistry collide! These collaborators used chemical methods to analyze samples of snake pee solids, known as “urates.” And they found something that led them to an interesting ...

SUNDAY, Nov. 16, 2025 — Scientists think snakes and lizards could help them find new ways to prevent painful kidney stones and gout in people. And it all owes to an evolutionary trick.