How Animals Adapt to Rising Temperatures?

Climate change not only impacts human lives but also severely affects animal species on Earth. This forces them to change to adapt to the increasingly hot climate by being able to change the shape or size of certain body parts to dissipate heat more easily.

Climate change is warming the Earth. (Photo: NASA Science)

Associate Professor Michael P. Moore (University of Colorado Denver, USA) and Associate Professor James T. Stroud (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA) said that some plant and animal species are adapting to climate change by changing their color, breeding time, or tolerance.

According to a study published in the journal Science Advances, Earth will lose nearly 20% (30% in the worst-case scenario) of vertebrate animal biodiversity by the end of this century due to climate change.

So how have animals changed?

• The body size of some Australian parrot species has increased by 4 to 10% since 1871, in proportion to the average increase in summer temperature each year.

• Many animals such as voles, shrews and bats tend to increase the size of their tails, legs or wings to adapt to climate change.

• California sea lions have not only changed their geographical range but also changed their neck flexibility and bite force to make hunting easier.

• Dragonflies have become lighter in color to adapt to hot weather.

Sea lions change their neck flexibility and bite force to make hunting easier. (Photo: Shutterstock)

But on the other hand, there are still animals that cannot adapt quickly enough to the rate of warming because it is affecting their food chain. According to a study by ecologist Giovanni Strona, insects and rodents will adapt better to climate change than larger animals that are higher in the food chain.

Elephants are one of the most vulnerable species as Earth’s temperature rises. (Photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock)

It is necessary to reduce the use of fossil fuels and greenhouse gases to slow down the warming process of the Earth and protect the habitat of animals.

Source: Vnexpress, Vietnamplus