Some species resemble us more than we might imagine. Just as we tend to go out during the cooler hours in summer, Alpine ibexes are becoming increasingly nocturnal animals as a result of global warming. This is revealed by a study coordinated by a group of researchers from the Universities of Sassari and Ferrara, published on 17 January in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Research conducted by two Italian universities

The nocturnal activity of these mammals, known for being champion climbers, increases as temperatures rise, especially on brighter nights. The researchers reached this conclusion by monitoring, from 2006 to 2019, the behaviour of 47 Alpine ibexes (Capra ibex) in the Gran Paradiso National Park and the Swiss National Park, using GPS collars equipped with motion sensors.

An unexpected finding on Alpine ibexes

While on the one hand we can say that Alpine ibexes show a good capacity for adaptation, on the other hand all of this exposes them to new risks. Consider that their main predator, the wolf, is accustomed to hunting during the night-time hours. "We expected to record greater nocturnal activity from the ibexes in Switzerland, where wolves were not present (at the time the data were collected, ed.). Instead, we witnessed exactly the opposite, recording greater activity in the presence of predators," Francesca Brivio, co-author of the study, explained to the British newspaper Guardian.

The behaviour of females

The data suggest that female specimens are also more concerned about heat than about predators, although their behaviour is more cautious than that of males, especially when they have young to protect. This, according to the researchers, supports the hypothesis that increased nocturnal activity may represent a common strategy adopted by diurnal endothermic (warm-blooded) animals in response to global warming.

The impact of the climate crisis on Alpine ibexes

Researchers Francesca Brivio, Marco Apollonio and Stefano Grignolio had already demonstrated, in a study published in Scientific Reports in 2019, that the climate crisis affects the spatial distribution of Alpine ibexes, causing them to move to higher altitudes, even at the cost of encountering a lower availability of food resources.

The conclusions they reached are consistent with what was observed by Dr Cagnacci of the Mach Foundation, namely that "above fifteen degrees, ibexes interrupt their activities: it is as if they take an afternoon siesta." The need to implement new strategies aimed at protecting mountain environments and alpine fauna is therefore clear.