LingVo.club
📖+20 XP
🎧+15 XP
+25 XP
Warmer temperatures make invasive brown anoles more aggressive — Level A2 — A close up of a patch of green plants

Warmer temperatures make invasive brown anoles more aggressiveCEFR A2

17 Dec 2025

Adapted from Stacey Plaisance-Tulane, Futurity CC BY 4.0

Photo by Naoki Suzuki, Unsplash

Level A2 – High beginner / Elementary
2 min
101 words

Researchers at Tulane University tested how temperature changes affect interactions between brown anoles and green anoles. They put pairs of the two species together in controlled enclosures that simulated seasonal temperatures, from cool spring days to hotter summer conditions expected in the future.

Across the tests, brown anoles showed higher aggression than green anoles. Both species became more aggressive when temperatures rose, but the increase was larger for brown anoles. Earlier work found high lead levels in some brown anoles, and researchers say they cannot yet fully rule out a link, but current evidence points to temperature as the main factor.

Difficult words

  • researcherPerson who studies things and collects data
    Researchers
  • interactionWays two or more animals affect each other
    interactions
  • enclosureA closed space where animals are kept
    enclosures
  • seasonalRelated to different times or seasons of year
  • aggressionAngry or violent behaviour between animals or people
  • evidenceInformation that shows if something is true

Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.

Discussion questions

  • Have you seen small lizards like anoles? How did they behave?
  • How could higher temperatures change animals where you live?
  • Do you think pollution can affect animal behaviour? Why or why not?

Related articles

Fungi that thrive after wildfires — Level A2
4 Feb 2026

Fungi that thrive after wildfires

Researchers studied fungi at seven California burn sites over five years. They found genes and survival traits that let some fungi grow after fire and feed on charcoal, with possible uses for pollution cleanup and landscape restoration.

Heat and Young Children’s Development — Level A2
9 Dec 2025

Heat and Young Children’s Development

New research links high temperatures to slower early childhood development. The study compared child development records with local monthly temperatures and found higher heat is associated with lower literacy and numeracy milestone attainment.