Tag temperature

RESEARCH: When the weather is too hot, Spiny Lava Lizards spend less time trying to attract a partner 

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When the weather is too hot, Spiny Lava Lizards spend less time trying to attract a partner, says an article in New Scientist (26 July 2023). In fact, they get less selective – less picky – in the heat. 

Nicola Rossi at the National University of Cordoba in Argentina, and his colleagues, studied the behaviour of the Spiny Lava Lizard (Tropidurus spinulosus), which is a reptile native to South America. 

The researchers tested two groups of Spiny Lava Lizards living in a nature reserve in Argentina. One group lives on a rocky outcrop that receives lots of sunlight with an average temperature of 30 degrees Celsius (86F). The second group lives in a zone with lots of shade trees, where the average temperature is 26.5C (80F). The researchers watched the lizards in the wild for 20 days.

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Animals and the Climate

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Animal scientists, called zoologists, study animal habitats and populations as well as behaviour. They observe the implications of changing conditions. If climate conditions change, animals might face changes to their food, water, and other resources. For example, if plants and animals die during a drought, it will impact the lives of other animals that feed on them.

When the habitat changes, some animals migrate, some move, some adapt, some die, some thrive, and some change their behaviour. For example, animals may look for different food and prey that they would not usually eat if their usual prey moves out of the region or if the vegetation changes.

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RESEARCH: Albatrosses divorce more often when ocean waters are warm

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Research scientists think that albatrosses divorce and seek new partners when conditions are harsher than usual, reported Science News in November 2021. The research was documented in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, Series B.

The albatross is a large seabird in the Diomedeidae family. The albatross is a monogamous bird, which means that it stays with the same partner for life. However, when ocean waters are warmer than average, more of the albatross birds break up and look for a new partner, says a recent study.

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RESEARCH: Fish are getting smaller as sea temperatures rise

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Scientists think that adult fish are getting smaller as sea temperatures rise. 

Research scientists have been studying the size of fish in the ocean over the past 50 years, since 1970, and they think that they are shrinking in size due to warmer oceans.

At the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom, Idongesit Ikpewe and his colleagues have found that warmer seas are linked to changes in fish size. They looked at trends in four commercially fished species: cod, haddock, whiting, and saithe. They researched these fish in two locations: (1) the North Sea and (2) in the waters of Scotland. 

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