An international team of scientists from the United States and Israel found that deforestation combined with climate change will negatively affect 84% of lizards living on the North American continent. According to experts, similar processes may affect reptiles in other parts of the world. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Nature Climate Change (NCC).
According to the analysis, by the end of this century, the populations of 18 percent of lizard species will decline over the next 80 years.
Unlike mammals, which can regulate body temperature in a variety of ways, lizards and other cold-blooded animals have limited thermoregulatory strategies. Tree-climbing lizards move along trunks to bask in the sun. But when the ground gets too hot, they move higher or hide in the shadows.
The team modeled the lizards’ living conditions for different climate zones in North America. They found that tree loss could reduce lizard activity time by an average of 34% by the end of the century.
Without reptiles, animals would have to hide under rocks or in caves to avoid overheating.
The impact will be particularly pronounced for species living in warmer regions, where future summers will be too hot to remain on land.
As previous research has shown, by 2080, 54% of the lizard population in Mexico could become extinct due to the inability to adapt to the rapid warming of the planet.
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