Climate Change's First Mammalian Victim

On Bramble Cay, a tiny coral reef atoll off the coast of Australia approximately 340 meters by 150 meters long, there used to be a mosaic-tailed rat who gained its name, Bramble Cay Melomys, from its only home. This mammal has become the known as the first mammal to have become extinct by the hands of climate change over the last few days.

It is a wonder that the small rodent managed to survive so long with populations as low as 93 in 1988. On such a small parcel of land, inbreeding was undeniably present, food was scarce, and predators could range from birds to dogs. In the end, the extinction of this animal was caused by none of these though. The island inevitably began to shrink as the climate grew warmer and the oceans rose. The mosaic-tailed rat slowly lost more and more of its habitat and was recently declared extinct after a thorough survey of the land. Global warming’s presence on this planet is growing more ominous by the day and the Bramble Cay is only one of many casualties. The drastic effect of global warming on our biosphere cannot be ignored and we cannot turn a blind eye to things just because they aren’t present in our everyday lives. Otherwise, we will continue to hurtle on through another mass extinction.

Sources:

Bramble Cay Melomys, Climate change claims its first species -- or does it?, Did Climate Change Drive the Bramble Cay Melomys to Extinction? Probably, First Mammal Species Goes Extinct Due to Climate Change

#globalwarming #extinction #climatechange