Nearly a fifth of the world’s reptile species are at risk of extinction, according to a new study.

The globe-horned chameleon is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List

The study, led by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) in collaboration with 200 experts from the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission, is the first of its kind to summarise the global conservation status of the world’s reptiles.

By analysing a random sample of 1,500 reptile species, it found that around 19% of reptiles are threatened. Of these, 12% are classified as Critically Endangered, 41% as Endangered and 47% as Vulnerable.

Reptiles under threat

The findings of the study, published in the journal Biological Conservation, also highlighted the possible extinction of three reptile species. These include the jungle runner lizard (Ameiva vittata), which has only ever been recorded in one part of Bolivia but has not been seen since its habitat was destroyed.

The study also showed that threats to reptiles are particularly high in tropical regions, where deforestation and the spread of agriculture are significant concerns.

Freshwater turtles, such as the pig-nosed turtle, are some of the most threatened of all reptiles

Of all the reptile groups, freshwater turtles are one of the most threatened, with half of all freshwater turtle species believed to be at risk of extinction, mainly due to harvesting for food and the pet and medicine trades. Overall, 30% of all reptiles associated with freshwater and marine environments are under threat.

Sensitive to change

There are over 9,000 known species of reptiles in the world, and this diverse group includes turtles, tortoises, snakes, crocodiles, lizards, tuataras, and the worm-like amphisbaenians. Reptiles play an important role in ecosystems, both as predators and prey.

“The risk is – if you lose a really important food source you can change food webs quite dramatically,” said Dr Monika Böhm, lead author of the study.

Classified as Critically Endangered, the gharial is under threat from habitat loss

“Reptiles are often associated with extreme habitats and tough environmental conditions, so it is easy to assume that they will be fine in our changing world,” she said. “However, many species are very highly specialised in terms of habitat use and the climatic conditions they require for day to day functioning. This makes them particularly sensitive to environmental changes.”

Reptile conservation priorities

One of the aims of this study was to provide an indicator of reptile biodiversity that can be compared with other species groups and monitored over time. The findings of the study will also help scientists to decide which species should be priorities for conservation action.

“Gaps in knowledge and shortcomings in effective conservation actions need to be addressed to ensure that reptiles continue to thrive around the world,” said Ben Collen, Head of ZSL’s Indicators and Assessments Unit and one of the co-authors of the study. “These findings provide a shortcut to allow important conservation decisions to be made as soon as possible and firmly place reptiles on the conservation map.”

The Critically Endangered Antiguan racer is one of the world’s rarest snakes

According to Philip Bowles, Coordinator of the Snake and Lizard Red List Authority of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, “The findings sound alarm bells about the state of these species and the growing threats that they face. Tackling the identified threats, which include habitat loss and over-harvesting, are key conservation priorities in order to reverse the declines in these reptiles.”

Read more on this story at BBC – World’s reptiles at risk of extinction and The Guardian – One in five reptile species face extinction – study.

View photos and videos of reptiles on ARKive.

Liz Shaw, ARKive Text Author

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Back in November, we caught up with Professor Brendan Godley, one of the world’s leading sea turtle experts, to talk about his focal species group, and in particular to learn about the fascinating and charismatic green turtle. Since then, Brendan has been involved in some great work with the giants of the marine turtle world, the leatherbacks, so we thought we’d have another chat with him to find out more!

Professor Brendan Godley

Hi Brendan, welcome back to the ARKive blog! So, tell us a little bit about leatherbacks…what makes them special?

Leatherbacks are a one-off. They are the biggest of the turtles, and they don’t have a hard outer shell, instead having a leathery skin coating.  Not cold blooded in the strictest sense, they can swim across ocean basins into cool waters as far north as Iceland and Canada. Amazingly, they manage all of this on a diet of jellyfish. They are even found in UK waters every year.

What are the main threats to leatherbacks, and where are current leatherback conservation efforts being focused?

Although leatherbacks have traditionally been harvested for meat and eggs, this has largely desisted around the world. The major concern nowadays is the incidental capture of leatherbacks in longlines and gillnets. Although research into incidental capture originally focused on industrial fisheries, work around the world by excellent NGOs such as Prodelphinus is showing that artisanal or small-scale fisheries are currently a major issue. While these vessels and their gear are not individually large, there are so many of them that they add up to a great deal of fishing effort . These fisheries often focus on fishing along the coastal shelf or in the nearby deeper waters which are productive and are being shown to be very much frequented by leatherbacks. In many instances, extreme poverty further compounds the situation, often leading to a poor result for the turtles.

I hear that you are currently involved in an exciting bit of leatherback research involving tagging and tracking…can you tell us a bit more about that?

For the last few years, supported by the Darwin Initiative, we have been involved with a range of partners in Gabon, the country that hosts the world’s largest nesting population of leatherbacks. Although we have tracked these animals in the past, showing them to go as far as South Africa and Uruguay, we are currently tracking a group to assess their habitat use at the nesting site in Gabon, gain insights into just how many clutches they lay, and, of course, to find out where they go when they are finished. These animals can be followed live on the excellent website run by SEATURTLE.org. There you can subscribe to daily updates and have maps sent to your e-mail.

You told us a rather amusing story last time about a student almost getting buried by a green turtle during fieldwork! Any funny stories to report from your time working with leatherbacks?!

No real funny ones, but as I outlined in the green turtle blog, my formative experiences with sea turtles were in Trinidad in 1989 as part of a student expedition. There were great experiences to be had but at that time there was a great deal of illegal killing of leatherbacks for meat. This really got me interested in conservation and I think it was a pivotal point in my life. I returned to the island in 1991, and in a small way helped the Government of Trinidad and Tobago extend their surveys, which resulted in the growth of a great force for good, the NGO Nature Seekers.

Brendan in Trinidad in 1989

Have you ever had to use your vet skills on a sea turtle in distress?

In my time working in the Mediterranean I have unfortunately had to put some severely injured animals to sleep that had been wounded after interactions with fisheries. More often, however, my vet pathology skills have been involved, carrying out post-mortems on dead animals including a leatherback which stranded in UK waters. The post-mortem took me right inside one of nature’s giants. The amount and redness of the blood was truly memorable, as was the amount of blubber – just like a marine mammal.

Why is it important to conserve sea turtles?

Although many populations are starting to rebound, others are still in decline. This is particularly true for leatherbacks in the Indo-Pacific. To me, a good enough reason to act is that it would simply be a great shame if these magnificent animals were lost from any major part of their range. In addition, sea turtles can act as useful flagship species for coastal development, and at near natural high population levels they undoubtedly play important ecological roles as predators, prey, fertilisers of dune systems and, in some cases, as habitat for a diversity of species that live on the surface of their bodies. Although not a panacea for sea turtle conservation, wildlife tourism revenue, such as that generated by the successful Nature Seekers project, is clearly a dividend in some cases.

What is your favourite leatherback photo on ARKive?

Well, I think I am going to cheat again and choose multiple photos. The one of the turtle wrapped in fishing nets is particularly evocative and sums up what I believe to be the major threat to this and many other marine vertebrate species.

Leatherback turtle caught in fishing net

For personality, including highlighting the jellyfish-handling beak, I like this one:

Male leatherback turtle in open ocean

Finally, for its sheer quirkiness, I would highlight the one where the catfish is predating the hatchling.

Baby leatherback turtle being eaten by a catfish

Thanks, Brendan!

If you enjoyed this blog and love sea turtles, then why not join us on Wednesday 20^th February for a Twitter chat with Brendan! Pop online at 15:00 UK time when Brendan will be taking over the ARKive Twitter account to answer all your sea turtle-related questions! It’ll be turtley awesome!

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Golden lancehead (Bothropoides insularis)

Species: Golden lancehead (Bothropoides insularis)

Status: Critically Endangered (CR)

Interesting Fact: The golden lancehead is unique to a tiny island off the coast of Brazil, where has a total range of just 0.43 square kilometres.

The golden lancehead is a highly venomous pitviper with heat-sensitive pits on its face which help it to detect prey. Although its mainland relatives feed mainly on rodents, this island species has switched to a diet of birds. To prevent its prey from flying away before the snake’s highly toxic venom can take effect, the golden lancehead holds it in its mouth after biting it. This snake is unusual in that it appears to exist as three genders: males, females, and ‘intersex’ females, which have both female and male reproductive organs.

The golden lancehead has a small population which is entirely restricted to one tiny island, making it particularly vulnerable to any threats. Its forest habitat is being lost due to clearance and burning, and the snakes themselves are collected illegally for the wild animal trade. Conservation efforts are underway to study and monitor the golden lancehead, and there are plans to breed it in captivity and research the potential medicinal uses of its venom. Educational programmes and more effective enforcement may also help protect this fascinating snake.

Find out more about conservation efforts for the golden lancehead at Neotropical Snakes Conservation.

Find out more about snakes on the ARKive snakes page.

See images and videos of the golden lancehead on ARKive.

Liz Shaw, ARKive Text Author

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The 10th of February 2013 will mark the start of Chinese New Year, and around the world many people will be taking part in colourful celebrations to welcome in the Year of the Snake. The snake is the 6th of the 12 animal signs in the Chinese Zodiac, and those born in the year of the snake are said to be wise, calm and responsible.

According to ancient Chinese wisdom, a snake in the house is seen as a good omen and a sign that the family will not go hungry. Snakes are well known for their ability to swallow large prey, and after eating an impala whole, I don’t think this African rock python will be hungry any time soon either!

During Chinese New Year the colour red is worn as it is considered to symbolise good fortune and joy. Red also represents fire and is thought to scare away evil spirits. Being characterised by its bright red belly, Kirtland’s snake is sure to fit in well at any New Year Celebration!

Chinese New Year is tied to the lunar calendar, with the celebrations starting at the arrival of the new moon and continuing for 15 days. In Australia, the orange-naped snake is also commonly known as the ‘moon snake’. Although this species is venomous, it generally isn’t considered a danger to humans.

There are several different stories regarding how the 12 animals were chosen for the Chinese Zodiac, and why they appear in the order that they do. One of the most popular tales tells of how the Jade Emperor declared that the animals must race across a fast flowing river, and that the 12 years of the zodiac would be named after the winners. Snakes are certainly excellent swimmers, with some species adopting an entirely aquatic lifestyle, such as the olive-brown sea snake.

Chinese Year of the Snake – Get Involved!

Celebrate the Chinese Year of the Snake the wild way by joining us on Facebook and Twitter every day this week.

What does the Year of the Snake have in store for you? We’ll reveal all on Facebook! *Like* us to open your fortune cookie each day.

Love a challenge? Why not join our daily snake hunt on Twitter? Each day we’ll set you on a mission to hunt down some awesome snake photos and videos from ARKive. The winners can pick their favourite ARKive photos to go on the homepage. So what are you waiting for… start the snake hunt.

Here’s your first clue: Snake, rattle and roll – find and tweet a video of a rattlesnake shaking its thing! We’ll be waiting on Twitter to see if you track it down!

We have also launched a brand new snakes page full of amazing snake facts, photos a videos – make sure you check it out!

Claire Lewis, ARKive Researcher

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Forget about snakes on a plane, we have snakes on a page - a blog page! These fascinating legless carnivorous reptiles have featured as terrible man killers in works of fiction for centuries. More often than not this reputation is unfounded and most snakes will actively avoid human contact. Different species of snake vary dramatically in shape, size and colour and are found in a range of different habitats on 6 out of the 7 continents in the world – from dry deserts to lush jungles and even under the sea.

Unsurprisingly, it is the species of snake that are potentially deadly to human that get the most attention (even if there are no reported cases) and we have no shortage of them on ARKive. Here is ARKive’s Top 10 Deadliest Snakes.

Black mamba

A double dose of deadly – two black male mambas fight it out for dominance

The black mamba is a long and extremely venomous snake found in Southern Africa. It gets its name from its distinctive black mouth.  If its neurotoxic venom was not enough for you, the black mamba is also highly aggressive and very fast – not a good mix if you were to stumble into its territory.

Olive-brown sea snake

Danger in the deep -the olive-brown sea snake

The olive-brown sea snake is specially adapted to a life at sea with special glands located in the mouth that allow it to get rid of excess salt. This snake is also somewhat docile making its enzyme-loaded venom (that digests prey from the inside)  slightly less terrifying.

King cobra

The king cobra rests…for now

The forest dwelling king cobra lives the longest out of all venomous snakes – the same can’t be said about its prey: other snakes! At least it will give you a warning if it feels threatened by your presence - it growls!

Namaqua dwarf adder

A hidden danger waiting to strike – the Namaqua dwarf adder

The Namaqua dwarf adder is found in southern Africa and is the smallest venomous snake in the world, but don’t think that means its not afraid to use it long hinged fangs…

Adder

The adders in the UK have British venom in the land!

As Britain’s only venomous snake, the adder automatically wins the title of Britain’s deadliest snake. Though as it is a somewhat shy and timid species you would have to be quite lucky to see one and very unlucky to get bitten by one.

Horned sea snake

That look says it all really

Being on the receiving end of a stare from the horned sea snake would be a scary experience indeed. I doubt knowing that it was also one of the most toxic sea snakes would ease your mind but there have actually no recorded cases of bites to humans.

Green anaconda

The green anaconda showing that you don’t need to be venomous to be deadly

You don’t need to be venomous to be deadly and the green anaconda, the world largest snake, relies solely on constricting its prey to suffocate it so it may be swallowed whole. Despite what you may have seen in various films, attacks on humans are very rare – though there are reported cases.

Arabian horned viper

The desert dwelling Arabian horned viper

King of the desert, the Arabian horned viper is an ambush predator that lies and waits to strike, loading its prey with large quantities of powerful venom.

Indian cobra

An Indian cobra locked in mortal combat with a mongoose

Though often seen with snake charmers in India, the Indian cobra is probably not as easy to win over as you may think. Its neurotoxic venom can paralyse prey and in some cases even cause the heart to stop.

Caucasian viper

Famously venomous – the caucasian viper

The caucasian viper has some of the most potent of all vipers though it is also widely used medicinally to stop heavy bleeding. This snake will often release its prey after it has injected it and track it down later after it has conceded to the venom.

Year of the Snake 2013

In Chinese culture, the 10th February 2013 marks the start of the Year of the Snake. To celebrate, check out our fortune cookies on Facebook and join in with our daily snake hunt on Twitter.

George Bradford, ARKive Media Researcher

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