Today we’re going to look at an article about lizards and global warming. Have a read and try to answer the questions.

Aquecimento global já leva populações de lagartos à extinção, Estadão

Excerpt: “O aquecimento global está inviabilizando a sobrevivência de várias populações de lagartos, reduzindo o tempo em que os animais  se mantêm ativos para buscar comida e gerar filhotes, diz estudo internacional publicado a revista Science. Pelo menos 5% das espécies existentes já estão comprometidas, afirma o pesquisador brasileiro Carlos Frederico Duarte Rocha, um dos autores do estudo. Rocha é professor do Departamento de Ecologia do Instituto de Biologia da UERJ.”

Questions

1. Where does the scientist in the article work? Where did the study take place?

2. Why is global warming contributing to lizard extinction?

3. The scientist studied the Liolaemus lutzae species, found in Rio de Janeiro. How many populations used to exist, and how many have disappeared?

4. What does the Science article predict will happen in 2080?

Answers

1. He works at the Biology Institute at the Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro. The study took place in Mexico.

2. The increased heat can cause overheating, so lizards spend less time in the sun, and by spending less time out in the open, they’re less likely to reproduce.

3. There were 24, and 7 disappeared.

4. The article predicts 20 percent of the world’s current lizard species will be extinct.