The tuatara is quite possibly my favorite reptile. Not only are they, well, adorable, but they are one of the most primitive and, sadly, most endangered of the herps ("herps" are amphibians and reptiles, collectively). There is a short Sciencespot on the ScienceNow link below that describes the predicted consequences of their temperature-dependent system of sex determination (cooler temperatures trigger the embryos to develop into females while warmer temps lead to males) combined with global warming. Other herps, like some lizards, turtles, and alligators & crocodiles, also have similar systems of sex determination; so global warming could also skew the sex ratios in these species. However, the tuataras (a.k.a Sphenodons or Rhynchocephalians) are in much more imminent danger of going extinct.
