Behavioural research priorities for the study of animal response to climate change

Behavioural traits are thought to be important determinants of the resilience of animal species to a rapidly changing global climate. Although increasing temperature has taken centre stage in the debate over climate change, animals will have to survive more than just extreme heat to persist in the Anthropocene. The aim of this review is to stimulate interest in the opportunities for integrative and applied behavioural study of how animals can survive life-threatening weather events, in order to help achieve the societal goal of maintaining viable wildlife populations under future climate scenarios. First, using the thermoregulatory behaviour of a hypothetical ground squirrel species as an example, we explore how different scenarios of behavioural flexibility, plasticity, adaptation, exaptation and management action can lead to population persistence or extinction. Next, we propose that considering weather events such as heatwaves, storms and floods, wildfire and drought as selective pressures worthy of investigation provides a new research framework for climate-related conservation behaviour. In our review we provide examples of the responses of animals to different types of weather extremes and describe behavioural adaptations to environments with extreme climates. We give methodological recommendations to jump start climate change research by behaviourists. Finally, we conclude with suggestions for using citizen science and a public video repository to foster evidence-based decision making for managing habitats and prioritizing species conservation efforts in light of the threats to biodiversity posed by climate change.