[WEIRD] US Military Flyovers Force Asexual Lizards to Overeat; Here's Why It Happens

A new study revealed that U.S. military flyovers make lizards overeat.

This research focused on the Colorado checkered whiptail lizard (Aspidoscelis neotesselatus).

Based on the study's findings, the activities of the U.S. Army Fort Carson Military Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, are putting stress on these lizards.

The new study was published in the Frontiers in Amphibian and Reptile Science on Mar. 29.

US Military Flyovers Force Lizards to Overeat

According to Futurism's latest report, involved researchers requested army pilots to stop their flyover activities for three days.

They observed the behavior of checkered whiptail lizards during this period. When the flyover practices resumed, they continued studying the reptiles.

During the non-flyover days, researchers discovered that the noise in the area stayed between 30.1 to 55.8 decibels.

However, the noise increased by up to 112.2 decibels during flyover operations. The study's authors compared the sound in the area to an orchestra or a power saw.

Why do Lizards Overeat?

During their study, researchers discovered that the U.S. military flyovers cause checkered whiptails' cortisol levels to increase.

The most affected ones among these reptiles are those that are pregnant; showing extreme stress responses, especially overeating.

Aside from overeating, the study also discovered that when flyover operations are active, pregnant checkered whiptail lizards also move around less.

"Here we show that noise disturbance does have measurable physiological impacts on Colorado checkered whiptails," explained Megen Kepas, a Utah University doctoral student.

As of writing, scientists haven't urged the U.S. military to reduce their flyovers in the area of checkered whiptails. This is because these lizards are among the animals with least concern.

But, if the military flight activities are proven to reduce their population, there's a chance animal experts will ask for safety measures from the U.S. military officials.

If you want to learn more about their latest study about the effects of flyovers on lizards, you can visit this link.

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