Increased drought can harm painted turtle populations and upset the balance between males and females in them. This was reported by the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where the study was conducted.
Painted turtles live in freshwater in North America. They got their name because of the bright yellow, orange or red stripes on the bark. As with many other reptile and fish species, the sex of the offspring of the painted turtle depends on the average ambient temperature at the egg incubation stage. Eggs developed at lower temperatures tend to produce males and females if the average temperature is above a certain threshold.
Ellen Dolph and her colleagues found that in the absence of drought, males make up about 60-85% of the painted turtle litter. During the drought years, 60% of male tortoises were found among turtles.
Previous research has shown that the dramatic increase in female proportion expected under global warming conditions could pose an existential threat to turtles and other reptile species. The common painted turtle is less threatened, but other similar species may be more severely affected, the scientists say.
Also during this study, it was found that drought can reduce the probability of survival of offspring – about 7% in female painted turtles and 10% in males.
Formerly paleontologists to solvethat the ancient megalodon shark was warm-blooded.