Fluctuations in the Earth's climate have led to mass extinctions in the past, and many experts believe that current climate change is one of the factors leading us to another mass extinction; The effects of global warming are already being felt. Cold-adapted animals are moving higher up in the mountains, and reptiles are having abnormally high numbers of same-sex offspring because temperature determines sexual differentiation in the egg. Plants are flowering earlier in the year because the weather is milder than seasonal norms, with flowers opening and fading before pollinating insects emerge to forage. Storms and fires are becoming more frequent, causing the loss of vital habitat for wildlife. If predictions are correct, polar creatures could lose the sea ice they depend on, and coastal areas will be submerged as the ice melts. Marine animals are at just as much risk as land animals. (lemondedesanimaux_magazine)