About a fifth of reptile species - from the Galapagos tortoises to the Komodo dragon of the Indonesian islands, from West Africa's rhinoceros viper to India's gharial - are threatened with extinction, researchers said on Wednesday in the first comprehensive global status assessment for reptiles.
The study examined 10,196 reptile species including turtles, crocodilians, lizards, snakes and the tuatara, the only surviving member of a lineage dating back more than 200 million years. They found that 21% of species are critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable to extinction as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature , the global authority on the status of species. They also identified 31 species that already have gone extinct.
Previous status reports found about 41% of amphibian species, 25% of mammal species and 14% of bird species were threatened with extinction. Species status assessments consider distribution, abundance, threats and population trends. "Destruction of forests for timber and to prepare land for agriculture, including ranching, is widespread. Arid habitats have fewer natural resources and are less suitable for agriculture than forests such that, to date, they have been less altered than forested habitats," Young said.
Among some other well-known reptiles: the Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard, is endangered; the king cobra, the world's longest venomous snake, is vulnerable; the leatherback, the largest sea turtle, is vulnerable; the Galapagos marine iguana is vulnerable; and the various Galapagos tortoise species range from vulnerable to extinct.In the Caribbean, for example, the Jamaican rock iguana and a lizard called the blue-tailed galliwasp are critically endangered.
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