A study recently published in the journal ‘Biological Conservation’ has highlighted the perilous state many reptiles are in. The study was the result of collaboration between scientists at the Zoological Society of London and experts from the IUCN Species Survival Commission. Over 200 experts assessed a random selection of 1,500 species (out of a total of 9,084 known species), representing each group of global reptilian diversity. In total, 19% of all reptile species are threatened with extinction. Of this total, 12% are Critically Endangered, 41% are Endangered, and 47% are Vulnerable (in order of magnitude of danger, as categorised by the IUCN). Also, 7% of reptiles are in the Near Threatened category, meaning that they are likely to become threatened in the near future. Reptiles play vital roles in the functioning of ecosystems: as predators they control their prey populations, and as prey themselves they provide a vital food source for birds and mammals. They serve as useful biological indicators for the health of their environment.
Source:
The Ecologist
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/1828426/a_scaly_crisis_w…
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