Earth is teeming with life: creatures big and small have spread and adapted to vastly different environments. Many animals can also change their physiology – how their bodies function – in response to local fluctuations. Just think of hibernating bears in winter, for example.

But some places experience less fluctuation. When you imagine the tropics, you’re likely picturing something akin to a travel brochure – lush and always warm.

Indeed, temperatures in the tropics are relatively stable, so some biologists have suggested tropical animals can’t adjust their physiology in response to a changing environment.

For animals in tropical rainforests that’s somewhat true. However, a bigger portion of the tropics consists of savannas with strongly seasonal rainfall. For the animals that live here, water is as important as temperature when it comes to shaping their physiology.

My colleagues and I studied geckos from Australia’s seasonal tropics to see if they can adjust to the seasons. Our new study, published in The Journal of Experimental Biology, challenges conventional views on what we know about reptiles and their ability to adjust to the seasons.

How geckos avoid drying out

With their scaly skin and ability to survive in deserts, reptiles are often viewed as being impervious to seasonal........

© The Conversation