Reptiles, amphibians flee uphill from Gobal Warming

Tag : reptiles and amphibians

BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Global warming could cause at leasttwo toad species and one gecko species to go extinct by the end ofthis century as 30 species of reptiles and amphibians are movinguphill to find cooler temperatues, a biologist warns.
The animals that could go extinct are two species of narrow-mouthtoads (Plethodontohyla tsarartananensis and Plethodontohyla sp. Z)and one species of gecko (Phelsuma l. punctulata) found inMadagascar's mountainous north, says researcher ChristopherRaxworthy of the American Museum of Natural History.
Uphill movement is a predicted response to increased temperatures,Raxworthy says. Earlier studies in Costa Rica have providedevidence of how tropical animals respond to climate change.