Cheetahs become more nocturnal on hot days. Climate change may up conflicts among Africa’s big cats.

By CHRISTINA LARSON
AP Science Writer

A new study finds that endangered cheetahs are more likely to hunt at dawn and dusk on hot days, which increases their odds of conflict with other nocturnal predators. The researchers placed GPS tracking collars on 54 large carnivores in Botswana — including cheetahs, lions, leopards — to track their hours of activity over eight years. They compared this data with maximum daily temperature records. When temperatures soared to nearly 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit), cheetahs became more nocturnal — increasing their overlapping hunting hours with rival big cats by 16%. The research was published Wednesday in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.