Rising Global Temperatures Cooking Lots of Lizards

ABC ^ | Thursday, 13 May 2010 | RANDOLPH E. SCHMID

[Willie Green]

Lots of leapin' lizards living no longer; researchers say global warming threatens reptiles

Sometimes it can be too darn hot even for a lizard.

Cold-blooded creatures that have to soak up the rays to get going might seem like the last animals you would expect to be threatened by global warming.

Well, you would be wrong, researchers say.

It turns out lizards are going extinct in many places, and scientists who have studied them say it's because of rising temperatures. The heats affects reproduction.

"The results were clear. These lizards need to bask in the sun to warm up, but if it gets too hot they have to retreat into the shade, and then they can't hunt for food," said Barry Sinervo of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

He said he was "stunned and saddened" by the finding, reported in Friday's edition of the journal Science.

[colorado tanker]

Does it feel warm in here to you?

[Pollster1]

Ignoring the detail that the last decade of warming has been negative (proof that AGW is true), there's another interesting detail:

We're more than 4 degrees C below the long-term average and 12 degrees C below the Jurassic/Triassic temperatures that helped reptiles to thrive. Exactly what is a 1 degree C rise over100+ years supposed to do that harms species that according to scientists survived much higher temperatures as recently as 17 million years ago?

[a fool in paradise]

I missed that.

‘Annie’ comic strip ending after 85 years
Associated Press ^ | May 13, 2010
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2512854/posts

‘Little Orphan Annie’ comic canceled by Tribune Media Services
NY Daily News ^ | 5/13/10 | Larry McShane
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2512759/posts

[DallasDeb]

Maybe they’re not looking for them in the right places. How does one conduct a census of lizard population?

[PATRIOT1876]

“You know, you little people should be glad to walk to work in the freezing cold and blistering heat and enjoy hypothermia and heat stroke in your home to support our glorious cause of SAVING THE PLANET (applause sign pops up).
Now just because you are out of a job because of our economy-inconvenient green policies you must think about the tremendous work that we, your betters, go through to fabricate a believable psuedo-science so that you can tell your friends (and vile denier *spits* enemies of the Earth) that you are morally righteous in destroying civilization to rescue the Earth for those few of us that remain to enjoy it. Your sacrifices will not go unnoticed.
We will probably make a plaque in your honor or name a baseball field after you all have passed away from following our strict, but fair guidelines*

Well, I'm off to my new $9 million home to use 20 times the electricity of the average Amerikan (have we changed the spelling of that yet?) in my private jet.

Be sure to watch me on C-span when I address Congress about all of you adhering to new and exciting restrictions on your lives in my coal-powered jet chair.

Remember my motto: ‘DO AS I SAY NOT AS I DO’”
~High Priest Al Gore

*Failure to obey our guideline will result in Death, mutilation or lifetime imprisonment

[palmer]

I two am stuned and satined.

[driftdiver]

[WackySam]

We had a major die off of lizards locally

I haven't seen a single one here in Tampa since the big freeze we had. Normally they're everywhere.

[Nervous Tick]

>> I missed that.

Yeah, kind of sad.

I’m sure Little Orphan Annie’s demise has one of two causes:

a) Global warming
b) George Bush

[Red Badger]

I have hundreds of those little green guys running around my house. I love them. They eat bugs!.................

[avacado]

"Really... do tell me more..."

[a fool in paradise]

It was once critical of the New Deal and Communism.

Annie must’ve had a heart attack.

[Red Badger]

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0109/Snow-in-Florida-Big-chill-culling-unwanted-iguanas-and-pythons

[Texas resident]

Alligator tail meat is very tasty. I deep fry it with a spicy batter. Or cut it vertically along the axis of the tail to make circular steaks. Cook on the grill like you would any other steak. Small lizards are too small and don’t have much meat on them.

[Liberty Valance]

[printhead]

Funny, no mention of a single species going extinct nor a specific mention of those “many place” where they’re going extinct. This passes for journalism these days?

[Disambiguator]

How does one conduct a census of lizard population?

What a silly question. You mail them a form, of course!

;^)

[mlocher]

Bring on the fries and tarter sauce.

If the economy doesn't turn around quickly, a lot of people might find they "taste like chicken."

[Arrowhead1952]

Yep, and here in Texas the fire ants are killing a lot of ground creatures like lizards, armadillos, quail, etc.

[Texas resident]

They do. It is a white meat that is kinda stringy, but bouncier than chicken.