While the study concludes that around a fifth of the reptiles are threatened with extinction, the conservation status for 15% of species are unknown. 'Sea level rise can affect island species as only small rises will cause many islands around the world to disappear beneath the waves.' 'These are generally fragile ecosystems, and so any long-term changes and extreme events can add to existing natural and anthropogenic extinction pressures,' says Stephen. Co-author Prof Stephen Blair Hedges said this would put pressure on species living in isolated habitats such as islands as their ability to disperse is limited. In future, the threat of climate change is likely to grow as its impact become more severe. As a result, reptiles living in forests were among the most threatened, with 30% of species at risk of extinction. Other forms of land use change and habitat destruction, such as urban development, logging and pollution, were also among the severe threats facing the group. The trade in turtle shells and crocodile skins, as well as the consumption of their flesh, is driving down populations across the world. The study found that the greatest threat facing reptiles was agriculture, which threatened more than half of all lizards and snakes.įor turtles and crocodiles, direct persecution such as hunting is the most prominent threat. The animals face challenges across all of their habitats, primarily due to the influence of humans. Around 10,000 species of reptile have been described, living on every continent on Earth except Antarctica. Reptiles first appeared more than 300 million years ago, and have since diversified into species which can fly, swim, burrow and climb. What extinction threats do reptiles face? The researchers have warned that the outcome of international negotiations on biodiversity set to be held in China later this year will be 'especially critical' to saving these threatened species. 'Their future survival depends on us putting nature at the heart of all we do.' 'Many reptiles, like the tuatara or pig-nosed turtle, are like living fossils, whose loss would spell the end of not just species that play unique ecosystem roles, but also many billions of years of evolutionary history. 'From turtles that breathe through their genitals to chameleons the size of a chickpea, reptiles are an eclectic bunch,' says Mike. The scientists warn that the equivalent of 15.6 billion years of evolutionary history, longer than the age of the universe itself, will be lost if these species are wiped out.Ĭo-author Mike Hoffmann, the Head of Wildlife Recovery at the Zoological Society of London, says that this will lead to the extinction of unique species with ways of living unlike any other in the world. This is significantly more than birds, of which 13.6% are threatened, but less than the 40.7% of amphibians at risk of extinction. The first comprehensive conservation assessment of reptiles found that 21.1% of the animals were classed as Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered. It does not store any personal data.Over half of turtles and crocodiles could be driven to the edge in the coming decades, as human hunting drives them towards extinction. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly.
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