As global warming intensifies, the geographical environment around the world is also changing, the ice at the north and south poles is accelerating, the global sea level continues to rise, some low-altitude areas will be submerged by seawater in the future; the tundra of Siberia is continuing to disappear; the already arid areas will become more and more arid in the future... Extreme weather such as storms, heat waves, and heavy rains may grow more than one year.
The survival of many of the world's wildlife is under threat from climate change, and one might ask, are there any species that will benefit from it? The answer is yes, the most obvious is the rattlesnake.
Rattlesnakes are found almost all over the American continent, but they are commonly found in the southwestern United States and are one of the most widely known venomous snakes in the region. Rattlesnakes have a string of rings at the end of their tails, which are the remnants of their multiple molts, but they have become their characteristic warning signal transmitters, and when encountering other aggressive animals, they will quickly swing the tail rings, reaching a frequency of 40-60 times per second, making a very loud sound, trying to scare away the other party.
But if the other party insists on attacking the rattlesnake, this conservative venomous snake will use its secret weapon, venom. The toxins in the rattlesnake's venom can destroy the platelets of uninvited guests, causing blood to be difficult to coagulate and eventually causing internal bleeding. However, some of these toxins can enlarge platelets, coagulate into jelly, and block blood flow, eventually leading to blood vessel rupture.
A new study published this month in the journal Ecology and Evolution shows that as average temperatures rise around the world, rattlesnakes spend less time hibernating and spending more time wandering in the wild. Rattlesnake prefers a hot and dry environment, and global warming over the next century may cause the global average temperature to rise by 1 to 2°C, and the duration of the arid climate will be longer, which is what the rattlesnake prefers.
The reason is related to the fact that the rattlesnake is a cold-blooded animal. Hayley Crowell, a Doctoral student at the University of Michigan and lead author of the study, and her team studied the Pacific rattlesnake because it can be found in desert regions like Southern California and colder climates like Washington State. The researchers observed that the snakes' favorite body temperature was 30-32 degrees Celsius, much higher than the temperature in nature, because the body temperature of cold-blooded animals changes with changes in the temperature of the environment, so it is difficult for the body temperature of rattlesnakes to reach the ideal state.
Hayley Klauer said: "They usually live in a lower temperature than would be required in an ideal world. If the climate rises a few degrees, from a physiological point of view, these snakes may be happier because it is closer to the body temperature they prefer. "If temperatures continue to warm, rattlesnake hibernation may end early in the spring, and they may remain active as they enter winter in late fall." Basically, they have more time to grow and reproduce. ”
The researchers also said that even if rattlesnakes do benefit from higher temperatures, they will still suffer some negative effects, as heat and drought are expected to lead to fewer prey such as squirrels and lizards, which are on the rattlesnake menu, and rattlesnakes could also be victims of increased wildfires and lack of water.
However, rattlesnakes do have a way to combat food shortages, as Hayley Klauer's team also notes that their metabolism is lower than that of other snakes, and sometimes they can survive by eating only a dozen times a year. "They don't need much food at all to survive," she said. "If needed, rattlesnakes can only survive on one or two large squirrels a year."
Even if they don't eat much, humans are still victims of rattlesnakes and other venomous snake bites. The local Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 7,000 to 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year, with an average of five deaths. But being bitten by a rattlesnake can leave lasting marks, and even if the threat of toxins has been lifted, 10 to 44 percent of people bitten by a rattlesnake end up with sequelae such as loss of ability to use limbs or disability.
Fortunately, Hayley Crowle says don't panic, that more rattlesnake activity doesn't mean "a huge boom in more rattlesnakes," and instead, they may be noticed more often and won't significantly increase the number of bites each year.