How Does Global Warming Affect Animals?

 how does global warming affect animals?-No one can deny that the impacts of climate change are not limited to humans. Wildlife, such as marine life, animals, and birds, are also subject to constant temperature fluctuations. Greenhouse gas emissions make it completely unnatural for birds and plants to survive in such harsh conditions. It is also predicted that most species will go extinct if this constant change remains the same. To understand how global warming is affecting animals, we need to understand the latest trends in the climate and how animals are responding to these changes.

How Does Global Warming Affect Animals?

Catastrophic disasters such as floods, droughts, heat waves, and wildfires are caused by rapid increases in temperature. Global warming is affecting the entire planet, but it is important to recognize that all species are losing their habitat. More than 70 species of frogs are already extinct, and many others are also threatened with extinction. The inhabitants of a rapidly shrinking territory, animals like polar bears and penguins, have become desperate creatures in search of a place to call home.

Effect On Penguins

The International Union for Conservation of Nature states in its study that 11 of the 17 known species of penguins are now threatened with extinction. Emperor and Adélie penguins are the two most threatened species of the 11 penguin species. These penguins are struggling to survive, but it is the chicks that are most at risk.

Emperor Penguin

Emperor penguins give birth to their chicks on the ice of the inland sea. Nonetheless, sea ice continues to peel away from the mainland due to dramatic increases in temperatures in the Antarctic and Arctic peninsulas. The chicks have not developed waterproof ability yet, so they are in danger of being swept away easily into the sea. The constant loss of sea ice is also posing problems for the survival of adult emperor penguins. 

Adelie Penguin

Unlike emperor penguins, Adélie penguins do not breed on sea ice. Rather, they nest on pebbles in small snow-free areas of the arctic coast. However, in the western Antarctic Peninsula, warmer temperatures allow clouds to hold more water for a longer period of time. So when the temperature finally gets cold enough to snow, the snow gets even heavier.

Effects Of Polar Bear

Like penguins, polar bears depend on sea ice to survive. Direct impacts of sea ice loss include reduced ice access to marine products, poor health and drought. In 2004, four polar bears drowned while trying to reach sea ice off the coast of Alaska. Problems like these are driving more and more polar bears to leave the sea ice and live on land.  

American Pika

Another endangered animal is the American pika. This species was once common in the United States, but is now adapted to cold climates. Rising global temperatures have caused the pikas to retreat towards the summit. However, some people live at lower elevations because they can find caves that are colder than outside.

These animals can die if the temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius. The American pika has completely disappeared from some of its former habitats, according to the National Wildlife Association. After minor habitat destruction in the past, pikas have dispersed over several mountain ranges. As temperate species continue to decline in alpine regions, American pikas have less chance to escape.

Effect On Aquatic Life

The aquatic life also goes to the survival stage! Shrinking glaciers are slowing rivers, creating problems for fish returning from spawning grounds. When they talk about salmon, they are faced with a reduction in the flow of the river. and an increase in water temperature. But recent temperatures above 71 degrees could spell catastrophe for aquatic life.

Effect On Insects

Another group of animals severely affected by climate change and global warming are insects. One insect particularly affected by this change is the alpine butterfly. A study from the University of Alberta found that deforestation in the Canadian Rockies is leading to local extinctions and reproductive depression.

Effect On Birds

However, climate change is affecting wildlife and biodiversity in many ways. Ecologists are watching their behavior and behavior changes. For example, birds lay eggs earlier than expected, plants flower earlier, and vertebrates wake up earlier from hibernation. It doesn't stop here! Animal distributions and migratory trends are also affected by the constant increase in global temperature. Birds migrate and show up in settlements earlier, and the settlements they migrate to aren't as far away as they used to be. In some countries, the environment is reasonably durable throughout the year, so birds no longer live there.

Wrap Up

Since the 19th century, the earth's temperature has gradually changed. If we don't bother to change our destructive activities, rising temperatures and rising sea levels will drive many creatures to the brink of extinction. Different species quickly discover that they have nowhere to hide. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of other species affected by global warming. If we don't do something, our life is in danger.