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.

Reptiles don’t just pee; they crystallize their waste to save water.

Researchers who examined the solid urine of more than 20 reptile species recently reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society that all contained minuscule spheres made of uric acid.

The finding underscores how reptiles have developed a unique way to store and excrete waste in a crystalline form — findings that could one day lead to new ways of treating human conditions linked to uric acid build up.

"This research was really inspired by a desire to understand the ways reptiles are able to excrete this material safely, i

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