Another element that may work against a species is size. According to Albaladejo Robles, larger animals may struggle more as a result of climate change since they typically require longer stretches of undisturbed habitat and more food, both of which are easily endangered by habitat loss and the effects of climate change on the landscape and resources.
Compared to other smaller species that require fewer resources, elephants are more likely to be sensitive to severe droughts and deforestation, according to Albaladejo Robles. In general, tiny species will have a higher chance of surviving interactions with human change, such as climate change and land use change. Species with more specialized diets, like pandas and koalas, may also be more vulnerable to environmental change. In contrast, generalist feeders like crows and raccoons have a wider variety of foods to fall back on if one food source fails because of their diversified diets.
Another indicator of climate vulnerability is the tendency of larger species to reproduce more slowly.
Another recent study examined 461 animal species across six continents and examined the disruptive impacts of past land-use and temperature changes on their populations. Its findings were published in the journal Global Change Biology. Gonzalo Albaladejo Robles, a conservation biologist at University College London and the study's principal author, told Live Science: "What we found in our study is that animals that reproduce incredibly quickly are really good at exploiting new habitats — absorbing energy and translating it into offspring.
Faster breeding cycles give these species a "opportunity to survive these peaks in environmental disruption," such as extreme weather or habitat loss, according to Albaladejo Robles. Faster breeding cycles may benefit species in a changing climate because they are more adaptable to changing habitats. When temperature and environment changed, slower-breeding animals' populations decreased, which was the study's opposite result.
Animals' capacity for migration and habitat adaptation may potentially protect them from the unforeseen future. For example, many species that can only exist in freezing latitudes or in coral reefs, which may disappear as global warming continues, are at increased risk. Additionally, research has shown indications that creatures like parrots, bats, and shrews are "shape-shifting," growing larger beaks, wings, and tails across generations to help them cool themselves more efficiently in hotter climes and thus increasing their adaptability.