Frisky lizards in climate change warning

The blue-tongue lizards of my home state are now mating early as mother nature tell us that the climes are a-changing:

As a result, its behaviour - along with other native flora and fauna - is being catalogued for an ecological database that meteorologists hope will give an insight into climate change and its effect on nature.

Dr Lynda Chambers helped establish the database at Melbourne's Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre after noticing "astounding" behavioural changes.

"Change to plant and animal behaviour is nature's own yardstick," she said today.

"When we see and record ecological changes, it's an indicator of how the climate is changing.

"The Sleepy Lizard is now mating weeks earlier due to the warmer and drier winters.

Dr Chambers' work will be presented during an international conference on greenhouse and climate change at Melbourne from November 14-17. She records changes across the board.

"The fact that so many different species are exhibiting changes is quite astounding."