Alpine viper in changing climate: thermal ecology and prospects of a cold-adapted reptile in the warming Mediterranean.

ABSTRACT: In a rapidly changing thermal environment, reptiles are primarily dependent on in situ adaptation because of their limited ability to disperse and the restricted opportunity to shift their ranges. However, the rapid pace of climate change may surpass these adaptation capabilities or elevate energy expenditures. Therefore, understanding the variability in thermal traits at both individual and population scales is crucial, offering insights into reptiles' vulnerability to climate change. We studied the thermal ecology of the endangered Greek meadow viper (Vipera graeca), an endemic venomous snake of fragmented alpine-subalpine meadows above 1600 m of the Pindos mountain range in Greece and Albania, to assess its susceptibility to anticipated changes in the alpine thermal environment. We meas

SUBMITTER: Mizsei E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11329715 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature