Have you ever wondered how climate change affects animals and wildlife? Climate change does not only affect icebergs and air temperature but also puts pressure on the habitats of many animals. Since it is vital that we understand how climate change affects animals and the ecosystems around them, we have created this article telling you about the top 7 animals that are affected by climate change. 

The Snow Leopard:

• • In the short-term, climate change will likely lead to disruptions in snow leopard habitat. Due to human encroachment & changing climate conditions in central Asia, the survival of both snow leopards and their primary prey species, the antelope and the javelina, are in danger. Long-term, it is possible that climate change could lead to irreversible changes in snow leopard distributions and animal populations. According to wildnet.org, “When people move into the snow leopard’s traditional habitat, the big cat loses much of its traditional prey.”

Monarch Butterfly:

• • Climate change poses a serious threat to Monarch Butterfly populations. Hibernation is crucial for Monarch Butterflies to save energy throughout the long winter months. The extensive winter months also provide ideal conditions for caterpillars to grow rapidly. Due to climate change, the warmer winters cause a problem not just for Monarch Butterflies, but it is a problem for their main food source, milkweed. The higher temperatures hinder the growth and quality of milkweed thereby decreasing the food source Monarch caterpillars feed on.

Green Sea Turtle:

• • The temperature of sand used to lay eggs determines the sex of the young turtles. Due to climate change, erratic changes in temperature are causing injury or death for hatchlings. In addition, if the water temperature is too warm or too cold, a batch of green sea turtle eggs may become all male or all female. This has a direct effect on the long-term population of green sea turtles, due to a gender misbalance to make enough offspring for keeping the population thriving.

Giant Panda:

• • The overall climate change impact on the giant panda habitat in Sichuan Province is a general loss of habitat. WorldWildLife.org states that Giant Pandas have only been able to survive at elevations that are too high to be used for productive agriculture. Logging and infrastructure development pose the threat of destroying much of the habitat of the Giant Pandas. In addition, as the agricultural land value increases in the Sichuan Province due to climate change, activities such as logging and infrastructure development will further diminish the Giant Pandas’ habitat.

Sea Lions:

• • There is a wide range of factors that influence ocean currents, including temperature, salinity, wind speed, and direction. Sea lions feast on a vast array of fish, including but not limited to anchovies, salmon, and sardines. However, due to climate change and its effect on ocean currents, their fish prey abundance is heavily affected. This leads to a substantial decrease in prey for the sea lion, thereby keeping their population under threat.

Tiger:

1. • • Tigers inhabit an array of different landscapes, from rainforests to savannas and swamps. However, it is estimated that tigers have lost around 95% of their historical habitat, which was destroyed for human purposes. Some serious threats posed to the tiger’s environment are activities such as the clearing of forests for agriculture, roads and other infrastructure being built through their habitat, to name a few.  Tigers are notorious for needing a wide range of land in order to live because these animals are very territorial and have large home ranges.  Due to the shrinking of their habitat, tigers are forced to live in smaller areas which will lead to inbreeding and force tigers to move into areas beyond their protected areas, which makes these tigers more vulnerable to poaching.

Polar Bear:

• • As a repercussion of climate change, the Arctic is heating up twice as fast compared to anywhere else on the planet, which in turn melts 14% of the Arctic sea ice cover per decade. Due to the rapid melting of the Arctic sea ice cover, there are not only fewer opportunities to feed, but also there are also fewer opportunities to rest. The ice is the polar bear’s home. Without it, they cannot find space to rest and store energy for the summer, especially when food can be limited. If polar bears aren’t able to find enough food, some polar bears will suffer from malnutrition or starvation. Malnourished bears can lead to lower reproduction rates which can lead to extinction in certain areas.