Photo credit: Nick Moulton, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Trust
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Winter climate change in british reptiles
PhD student Miary Raselimanana is conducting a project investigating the consequences of increasing winter temperatures on British reptiles, focusing particularly on the common wall lizard, Podarcis muralis. For this research, we are collecting a small number of wild wall lizards from the south coast of England to experimentally test the effects of warmer hibernation conditions on their behaviour and physiology.
WHY?
There is a growing understanding of the effects of climate change on animal health and populations. Ectothermic animals such as reptiles, which rely on external temperatures to regulate their bodily processes, may be especially vulnerable. To date, studies have primarily focused on the effects of summer warming. However, winter temperatures are rising at a faster rate than summer temperatures. Neglecting the effects of warming winters means we are missing potentially important aspects of how overall warming trends are likely to impact reptile species.
WHAT?
We are bringing wall lizards into our specialised reptile facilities at Bangor University, where they are temporarily housed under the care of our experienced animal care technicians. This period of captivity includes a naturalistic overwinter hibernation period, such as they would experience in the wild. Their behaviour is observed to detect any changes due to slight variations in temperature.
The data we generate will contribute important information towards the study of climate warming effects on herpetofauna in previously understudied regions. We are grateful to collaborators the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, and the partnership of Bournemouth City Council, in facilitating this work!
Please direct any queries about this work to Dr K MacLeod.
WHY?
There is a growing understanding of the effects of climate change on animal health and populations. Ectothermic animals such as reptiles, which rely on external temperatures to regulate their bodily processes, may be especially vulnerable. To date, studies have primarily focused on the effects of summer warming. However, winter temperatures are rising at a faster rate than summer temperatures. Neglecting the effects of warming winters means we are missing potentially important aspects of how overall warming trends are likely to impact reptile species.
WHAT?
We are bringing wall lizards into our specialised reptile facilities at Bangor University, where they are temporarily housed under the care of our experienced animal care technicians. This period of captivity includes a naturalistic overwinter hibernation period, such as they would experience in the wild. Their behaviour is observed to detect any changes due to slight variations in temperature.
The data we generate will contribute important information towards the study of climate warming effects on herpetofauna in previously understudied regions. We are grateful to collaborators the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, and the partnership of Bournemouth City Council, in facilitating this work!
Please direct any queries about this work to Dr K MacLeod.