Animals Thriving Due to Global Warming

Over the years, there has been a lot of talk about climate change and global warming. While it was mostly a theory in the past, we are seeing the realities set in. Temperatures are rising, and the fabric of the planet is changing over time. Now, many animals are put in harm's way as these new realities take place. However, all animals aren't created equal and many are actually doing better than ever. To show you what you mean, we have this list of the animals thriving due to global warming.

There are various different types of animals on this list and they're all thriving despite global warming in different ways. Several different bird species are making the most of climate change. One of them, the long-tailed tit, is taking advantage of longer and warmer spring seasons, and their populations are increasing. This list also includes marine life, such as the zebrafish, which has the specific muscle composition that allows it to swim better in warmer water temperatures. You'll even see that some of the more common animals, like cats, are also enjoying longer breeding times, which is vastly increasing the feline population.

To determine the animals thriving due to global warming, 24/7 Tempo searched out many environmental and zoological websites, including Sierra Club, the US Environmental Protection Agency, Ocean Conservancy, and more. We think you'll be amazed at how many of these animals are finding a way to survive and thrive in new and uncharted territory. Want to learn even more shocking animal facts? Check out this list of the 15 surprising cat abilities you've never heard of.

The Long-tailed tit can thrive during global warming due to a longer breeding time.

Most experts believe that one of the animals that will likely be thriving due to global warming is the long-tailed tit. These birds are mostly found in the UK and are considered to be the smallest birds in the area. A recent survey turned what most people thought about these birds was wrong. It was found that the birds were more likely to survive during warmer and drier breeding seasons. Global warming may mean warmer springs, and the tits will live longer as a result. Easier warmer seasons can also mean they'll have more energy when the weather grows colder.

Increased carbon dioxide levels are leading to an increase of food for wild boars.

As the weather gets warmer and warmer, the wild boar population is growing exponentially. There are several reasons. One is that overall warmer temperatures mean warmer winters that make it easier for older boars to thrive and newly born boars to survive in winter to survive. Also, as a positive side effect of global warming, increased sunlight leads to an increase in carbon dioxide levels, which means that trees are producing more food, especially chestnuts and acorns, which boars eat for sustenance and energy. More energy also means increased reproduction. Overall, wild boars are doing quite well.

Anoles can live in many different climates, so global warming likely won't hurt them.

In a recent study, scientists who were trying to learn how animals would react to climate change relocated a population of anoles to a warmer place. The scientists watched as brown anoles were able to move faster and get to food quickly, hence proving their ability to survive in a new climate. Scientists also believe that when the anoles reproduce, they'll pass on their adaptable genetic qualities to their offspring which means that the species likely has a long and promising future. Hundreds of years from now, it may only be the anoles that are left standing.

The genes of zebrafish allow them to thrive in harsher climates.

If there's one thing we know for sure about zebrafish, it's that they are adaptable to warm climates. While small, zebrafish have incredible muscle composition that makes them great swimmers, especially in hotter water temperatures. They're genes also give them an edge in harsher climates. At some point, the water can get so warm that it can start to harm the fish, but scientists are unsure of what that dangerous temp may be. In the meantime, zebrafish have a great chance at surviving global warming.

Many swans will fly further because of global warming and they're finding new environments to live and thrive in.

Many times, the reason why global warming can be good for a certain species of animal is because it forces them to do things they wouldn't normally do, and it turns out for the best. In the case of trumpeter swans, the warmer temperatures are encouraging the birds to fly further north into places they wouldn't normally go. As it turns out, the swans are finding thousands of new acres of land that they never before tried and it's working out well for their population. That's pretty good news considering that this type of swan almost went extinct in the 1800s.

Global warming can cause changes in wind intensity which help the albatross to fly further and longer.

Another bird that is thriving and will continue to do well as global warming gets worse is the mighty albatross. The reason is related to the wind, which is affected by global warming. The benefit to the albatross has been the changes in wind intensity over the ocean, which help the bird to fly faster and stay in the air longer, so the species has a better chance of finding food. The more the birds can eat and thrive, the more they can breed, and thus there will be more albatross around as climate change escalates.

Many marine species, including the octopus are extremely adaptable to new environments.

Many of the animals thriving due to global warming are marine species that are included in the cephalopod family. The number of cephalopods in the world have increased over the last 60 years as the Earth continues to get warmer. Part of their secret may be that cephalopods are extremely adaptable to new scenarios. They're adaptability is so well known that they're often referred to as the "weeds of the sea." If global warming and climate change continues to increase, you'll likely see an increase in the number of cephalopods.

Sea lions are learning from their new world and are swimming further to find plentiful food.

One of the themes of this list is that many of the animals are thriving because they found a new way to live which can help them to survive harsher and warmer climates. The sea lion is another example of this theory. Researchers have been watching California's sea lions and noticing that they're more flexible when it comes to finding food. To overcome prey challenges connected to global warming, the sea lions are venturing out further into the oceans to find food, and they're finding what they need. This flexibility could prove to be instrumental in the changing natural world.

Ratnakes are learning to hunt at night so they can't be hunted themselves and their species can survive during global warming.

Whether you like it or not, ratsnakes are thriving due to global warming. One reason is that like most other snakes, they are very adaptable when it comes to changing temperatures. The changes in temperature could mean that there are more ratsnakes in the population. Another reason for their success on a warmer planet is that, to survive, ratsnakes will likely go out at night instead of during the day so it's not as warm. Hawks and other predators try to attack ratsnakes during the day, and when they're not around, it means that they're numbers will stay up.

Many starfish can live longer in elevated temperatures.

It's believed that starfish are also living well even during global warming. That's mostly because they thrive on increased carbon dioxide levels and elevated temperatures. They even grow faster in these specific conditions. In fact, researchers put starfish in a tank with higher levels of carbon dioxide and many of them grew quite dramatically. Another reason why starfish can last in global warming is because they have less armor than many other sea creatures, so they don't heat up as much, and so they can adapt to the changing temps.

Cats will have longer breeding periods due to global warming.

The final entry of the animals thriving due to global warming is the cat population. As the global temperatures increase, so does the number of cats. Most cats breed during the warm weather in spring. Now that winters are getting a bit shorter, cats have more warm weather to do their business. However, there is a downside. It's that the more the cat population explodes, the more stray and feral cats there are. With that said, cats are still interesting creatures, that's why a cat was one of the animals that were put on trial as late as 2004.