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Nest Site Choice As A Potential Climate Response In The Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus), A Threatened Species, Meghan Craft
Nest Site Choice As A Potential Climate Response In The Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus), A Threatened Species, Meghan Craft
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Climate warming is expected to continue in coming decades, posing a threat to species worldwide. While some species may be able to shift their ranges in the pursuit of cooler temperatures, a large portion of species may have to find ways to adapt to warmer conditions in situ. Oviparous reptiles may be able to buffer against rising temperatures by altering nest site choice. In this study, I quantified nest site choice and its thermal consequences in a population of the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) in southwestern Florida. I found marked variation in the openness of selected nest sites, …