Extinction fear for reptiles

Published on 15/02/2013 01:13

Almost one in five reptiles is facing extinction, experts have warned. The first global assessment of its kind of reptile species, which include crocodiles, lizards, snakes, tortoises and turtles, estimated that 19 per cent of them are struggling to survive.

Of those under threat, 12 per cent are considered to be critically endangered, meaning they are at the highest risk of extinction, while 41 per cent are endangered and 47 per cent vulnerable to going extinct, the study in the journal Conservation Biology said.

The biggest threats to reptiles are man-made habitat loss, for example from agriculture or logging, and being harvested by people.