Climate change drives shift in Mediterranean reptile diversity and composition.
The study looked at how climate and land use affect the types of reptiles found in the French Mediterranean region. By analyzing data on 25 reptile species and their traits, researchers found that species richness and diversity changed with climate and elevation. Reptile diversity increased as you moved from urban areas to higher elevations, with more forest-related species appearing. This suggests that climate plays a bigger role than land use in shaping reptile communities in the region.