Coping with a Changing Environment: Stress Physiology, Phenotypic Plasticity and Ecological Adaptations in Amphibians and Reptiles

Dear Colleagues,

Amphibians and reptiles are among the most threatened terrestrial vertebrates and require focused scientific attention. While amphibians are globally recognized as highly endangered, reptiles, particularly snakes, are often underrepresented in ecological research. Environmental stressors such as pollution, habitat loss and fragmentation, disease outbreaks, invasive species, and climate change are contributing to population declines in these groups worldwide.

This Special Issue aims to advance our understanding of how amphibians and reptiles cope with changing environments, with a focus on phenotypic plasticity and ecological adaptations. We welcome field and laboratory studies, as well as theoretical and modeling approaches, that provide insight into physiological and biochemical responses, morphological and behavioral plasticity, and life-history traits under environmental stress.

By integrating these perspectives, this Special Issue will contribute to a mechanistic understanding of amphibian and reptile resilience and inform effective conservation strategies for these vulnerable vertebrates.

Dr. Jelena Gavrić-Čampar
Guest Editor

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