Rattlesnakes thrive in California amid increasingly hot temperatures

Study finds Pacific rattlesnakes, which can't control their own temperature, prefer places where the climate averages 80F

Many species are suffering at the hands of a warmer world, but one California inhabitant seems to be enjoying hotter temperatures: the Pacific rattlesnake. Their populations across the south-west are thriving, according to a study by researchers at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and the University of Michigan.

The study found that when given the choice, rattlesnakes - which cannot control their own temperature and rely on the environment for warmth - actually prefer to live in places where the climate averages more than 80F, suggesting they're likely to do well as the planet gets hotter.