Climate Change Threatens Reptile Species: Study Explores Relocation as a Solution

Climate change and shrinking habitats are pushing several reptile species to the brink of extinction, including South Australia's endangered pygmy bluetongue lizard. Researchers at Flinders University have been conducting a study to determine if relocating these burrow-dwelling skinks to cooler, greener environments can ensure their survival. The study, published in Biology, examined the adaptation of three pygmy bluetongue lizard populations to different microclimates across South Australia, revealing the challenges of translocation and the importance of maintaining specific body temperatures for the lizards' survival.

Key Takeaways:

• The study found that relocating pygmy bluetongue lizards to cooler environments could be a promising long-term strategy to reduce extinction risk.
• Acclimatization to new temperatures, humidity, and water availability may take over two years and vary by origin.
• The lizards' dependence on specific body temperatures for basic bodily functions increases their risk of dehydration in higher temperatures.
• Deanne Trewartha, a PhD candidate at Flinders University's Lab of Evolutionary Genetics and Sociality, stated that the lizards may take time to adjust to new environments due to their reliance on surroundings to regulate body temperature.
• The initial results suggested that translocation may still be a viable option despite the challenges of adaptation.
• Australia is home to the world's highest reptile diversity, making translocation an urgent strategy to safeguard small burrow-dwelling reptiles and other ectotherms from biodiversity loss.
• Pygmy bluetongue lizards, originally native to the Flinders Ranges, have been relocated to areas in the Mid North region near Burra, Tarlee, and Kapunda in South Australia.

Statistics:

• 2 years: estimated time required for lizards to acclimatize to new environments.
• 3: number of separate pygmy bluetongue lizard populations studied.
• 150 km: distance from the original habitat to the Mid North region where lizards were relocated.
• 21 June 2025: date the study's results were released to the public.
• The study was published in Biology.

Sources:

• Biology
• Deanne Trewartha, PhD candidate at Flinders University's Lab of Evolutionary Genetics and Sociality
• "Press Release from Flinders University in South Australia"