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Gila monsters may struggle to survive climate change

A future Mojave Desert may have new pockets of habitat, but the reptiles may be stranded

A Gila monster scurries over rocks in the Mojave Desert.

Despite living in hot deserts, Gila monsters prefer cooler microhabitats, like shady burrows. As the Mojave heats up, these cool zones may vanish.

eliselipinski/inaturalist (CC BY-NC 4.0)

By Jake Buehler

For Gila monsters that live in the warming Mojave Desert, relocating to beat the heat may not be so simple. While climate change might create some better habitats, the lizards could be left behind in regions that become harder to tolerate, researchers report in the March Ecology and Evolution.