The past, present, and future of predator-prey interactions in a warming world: using species distribution modeling to forecast ectotherm-endotherm niche overlap

Climate change has the potential to disrupt species interactions across
global ecosystems. Ectotherm-endotherm interactions may be especially
prone to this risk due to the possible mismatch between the species in
physiological response and performance. However, few studies have examined
how changing temperatures might differentially impact species’ niches or
available suitable habitat when they have very different modes of
thermoregulation. An ideal system for studying this interaction is the
predator-prey system. In this study, we used ecological niche modeling to
characterize the niche overlap and examine biogeography in past and future
climate conditions of prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) and Ord’s
kangaroo rats (Dipodomys ordii), an endotherm-ectotherm pair typifying a
predator-prey species interaction.