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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Katharine Gammon

Rattlesnakes thrive in California amid increasingly hot temperatures

A rattlesnake's head pokes out of grass
A rattlesnake in San Diego, California, on 17 June 2021. Photograph: Michael Madrid/USA Today Sports

Many species are suffering at the hands of a warmer world, but one California inhabitant seems to be enjoying hotter temperatures: the Pacific rattlesnake. Their populations across the south-west are thriving, according to a study by researchers at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and the University of Michigan.

The study found that when given the choice, rattlesnakes – which cannot control their own temperature and rely on the environment for warmth – actually prefer to live in places where the climate averages more than 80F, suggesting they’re likely to do well as the planet gets hotter.

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