Desert tortoises observe brumation, a reptilian hibernation, in the colder months. But they emerge from their burrows when things begin to warm up, and that emergence is the basis for local contests for area schoolkids.
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Desert-Tortoise-Emergence-Season-Kicks-Off-503685091.html
Due to an unusual biological trait of turtles, warmer temperatures can affect the resulting gender of turtle hatchlings. Currently, about 52 percent of hatchling green turtles, one of the seven sea turtle species, is female but that number could grow into an overwhelming majority of females as temperatures rise around the world.
Spring is coming. So snakes, lizards and turtles — all are reptiles and vertebrates (that means they have backbones) — will be out in force as early as March. Any spate of warm days could awaken these leg-less creatures from hibernation. Snakes could be roaming farther from burn areas this spring in search of a new food supply, say ecologists.
http://www.sgvtribune.com/in-defense-of-snakes-and-lizards-in-southern-california
The Mojave rattlesnake, living in the deserts of the southwestern United States and central Mexico, is characterized by its lethal venom that can either shut down your body or tenderize your insides. Clemson University researchers say which one depends on where you’re located.
A new study led by researchers at UC Santa Cruz looked at the conservation potential of marginal farmland in the San Joaquin Desert and found that restoration of fallowed farmland could play a crucial role in habitat protection and restoration strategies for the blunt-nosed leopard lizard and other endangered species.
https://phys.org/news/2019-01-idled-farmland-habitat-opportunities-san.html
Under natural conditions, only about one in 1,000 baby sea turtles survives to adulthood. They are tiny, after all, and the ocean is vast. Add to that threats caused by human development and habit degradation—the eggs are delicate, sensitive to light, sound, and touch—and these gentle beings have become endangered in many places.
https://qz.com/1524076/theres-good-news-for-endangered-sea-turtles-and-marine-mammals/
DEAR JOAN: I just moved into a house that backs onto an open field that is infested with frogs from January through September.
We find them on the handles to our front doors and garage, and hopping into our house. It’s really bad. I was going to install a new fountain but I am storing it in the garage instead, in fear it will attract more frogs.
Can you share anything that might help us control them and keep them away from our yard and house?
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/01/16/frog-invasion-has-homeowner-a-little-freaked-out/
