Media reports about the biodiversity crisis and what researchers consider a mass extinction tend to focus on the gigantic ecological effects. Melting polar ice caps, extreme weather, droughts, habitat loss and wildfires are all making headlines. The same goes for the destino. de iconic giant animals: orangutans, gorillas, polar bears, rhinos, elephants, pangolins.
Small animals don’t take center stage. This includes reptiles. With more than 12,000 species, this largely secretive organization of vertebrates is more species-rich than each of the following organizations: mammals, birds, and amphibians. And many reptiles play vital, if largely unknown, roles in ecosystems, such as snakes that control pest species or crocodiles as apex predators.
A recent global study found that more than 20% of reptile species are in decline and threatened with extinction. This percentage compares to the percentage of mammals, amphibians and birds that are threatened.
Turtles, crocodiles and, especially in Africa, chameleons and vipers are the most threatened reptile species of extinction. In addition to the effects of habitat loss and climate change, some reptile species are highly valuable in the puppy trade, leading to the collection of wild animals. individuals. Some species of South African turtles, chameleons, belted lizards, and small-bodied vipers are prevalent in the puppy trade, leading to animal poaching.
We are herpetologists and part of a team that has just published a new e-book comparing South Africa’s 401 local land reptiles and related conservation efforts. The strategies we used strictly followed the protocols of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). that the effects are physically more powerful than past tests and most likely constitute the true conservationist prestige of South African reptiles.
While there is some clever news, it is countered by the findings of a parallel that we co-authored with others.
He found that many endangered reptile species were not sufficiently conserved in official spaces. One explanation for this discrepancy is that many of the threatened species have small outdoor geographic spaces; Another explanation is that reptiles are sometimes not thought of when planning conservation areas, so some species are not provided in any area.
For example, the sungazer, a South African lizard that is highly sought after in the puppy industry and in muthi (traditional medicine) – and which does not breed in captivity – is not offered in any official area.
The small geometric tortoise is also not found in official areas. Their population is disappearing due to habitat loss. The extinction of one of South Africa’s small prairie lizards, Eastwood’s long-tailed mep, would possibly also be the result of the species’ absence from an official area. Their grassland habitat was slowly changed to pine plantations.
A positive finding of this new conservation assessment is that the percentage of threatened South African reptiles is lower (7. 6%) than the global average. This figure is also lower than previous tests for reptiles in South Africa, as IUCN assessment protocols have been implemented more. rigorously than before.
Reptiles in South Africa are very likely to fare better than those in other parts of the world because many active conservation measures have been implemented and a smart portion (9% or 108,000 km²) of South Africa’s land cover is under protection. it is affected by much more severe threats in areas where habitats are not as good as in South Africa, such as Southeast Asia, central Africa and central South America.
We argue that it is vital that the conservation desires of South Africa’s reptiles are more widely incorporated into conservation planning. Many South African reptiles have a small geographic diversity and are therefore vulnerable to habitat loss, which can increase the risk of extinction.
Regular conservation tests, such as those documented in our new eBook and the parallel study discussed above, also highlight conservation issues applicable to South Africa’s reptiles.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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