How climate change impacts reptiles in the wild - and what to do about it

As temperatures in their native ranges change, male reptiles may need to disperse to survive. That's according to a study published in the journal BMC Ecology. From BBC Nature News:

Alligators, some turtles, and the tuatara - found only in New Zealand - all produce offspring whose gender is determined by temperature. These species are considered to be especially vulnerable to climate warming, because at higher temperatures they produce only one sex. Previous studies have suggested that the best way for reptiles to respond is to alter the temperature of their nest by seeking shaded areas, digging deeper nests and nesting earlier in the season. But the authors say their study is the first to demonstrate that dispersal by the sex that occurs least in a population may be just as important, if not more so, in compensating for the effects of climate change.

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