Israel-Hamas war stresses lizards

The sound of rocket explosions during the Israel-Hamas war may be causing stress in geckos, researchers have found. In a study published recently in Ecology, researchers discovered that bombing noise prompted a doubling in the metabolic rates of dune geckos (Stenodactylus sthenodactylus) in the lab—an effect that lasted for at least four hours. Researchers also found that the lizards’ breathing rate increased, and they showed visible signs of stress. “In a situation of ongoing conflict, such as the current reality in Gaza, the Gaza Envelope, and along the Israeli-Lebanese border, the metabolic cost can be significant and have a real impact on the energy reserves and activity periods of reptiles and other animals,” said Eran Levin, a professor at Tel Aviv University, in a press release. “This can exacerbate their conservation status, especially for species that are already endangered.”

Read more at Phys.Org.