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A global reptile assessment highlights shared conservation needs of tetrapods

Author

Listed:
  • Neil Cox

    (IUCN-Conservation International)

  • Bruce E. Young

    (NatureServe)

  • Philip Bowles

    (IUCN-Conservation International)

  • Miguel Fernandez

    (NatureServe
    George Mason University
    Universidad Mayor de San Andrés)

  • Julie Marin

    (Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, INSERM, IAME)

  • Giovanni Rapacciuolo

    (California Academy of Sciences)

  • Monika Böhm

    (Zoological Society of London)

  • Thomas M. Brooks

    (IUCN
    University of The Philippines
    University of Tasmania)

  • S. Blair Hedges

    (Temple University)

  • Craig Hilton-Taylor

    (IUCN)

  • Michael Hoffmann

    (Zoological Society of London)

  • Richard K. B. Jenkins

    (IUCN)

  • Marcelo F. Tognelli

    (IUCN-Conservation International)

  • Graham J. Alexander

    (University of the Witwatersrand)

  • Allen Allison

    (Bishop Museum)

  • Natalia B. Ananjeva

    (Zoological Institute)

  • Mark Auliya

    (Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig)

  • Luciano Javier Avila

    (Grupo Herpetología Patagónica (GHP-LASIBIBE), Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales (IPEEC-CONICET))

  • David G. Chapple

    (Monash University)

  • Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia

    (Museo de Zoología, Instituto de Biodiversidad Tropical iBIOTROP, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ
    Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad)

  • Harold G. Cogger

    (Australian Museum Research Institute)

  • Guarino R. Colli

    (Universidade de Brasília)

  • Anslem Silva

    (Crocodile Specialist Group)

  • Carla C. Eisemberg

    (Charles Darwin University)

  • Johannes Els

    (Government of Sharjah)

  • Ansel Fong G.

    (Museo de Historia Natural “Tomás Romay”)

  • Tandora D. Grant

    (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)

  • Rodney A. Hitchmough

    (Department of Conservation)

  • Djoko T. Iskandar

    (Institut Teknologi Bandung)

  • Noriko Kidera

    (Okayama University of Science
    National Institute for Environmental Studies)

  • Marcio Martins

    (Universidade de São Paulo)

  • Shai Meiri

    (Tel Aviv University)

  • Nicola J. Mitchell

    (The University of Western Australia)

  • Sanjay Molur

    (Zoo Outreach Organization)

  • Cristiano de C. Nogueira

    (Universidade de São Paulo)

  • Juan Carlos Ortiz

    (Universidad de Concepción)

  • Johannes Penner

    (University of Freiburg
    Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science)

  • Anders G. J. Rhodin

    (Chelonian Research Foundation)

  • Gilson A. Rivas

    (Universidad del Zulia)

  • Mark-Oliver Rödel

    (Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science)

  • Uri Roll

    (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev)

  • Kate L. Sanders

    (University of Adelaide)

  • Georgina Santos-Barrera

    (UNAM)

  • Glenn M. Shea

    (Australian Museum Research Institute
    University of Sydney)

  • Stephen Spawls
  • Bryan L. Stuart

    (North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences)

  • Krystal A. Tolley

    (University of the Witwatersrand
    South African National Biodiversity Institute)

  • Jean-François Trape

    (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, MIVEGEC)

  • Marcela A. Vidal

    (Universidad del Bío-Bío)

  • Philipp Wagner

    (Allwetterzoo)

  • Bryan P. Wallace

    (Ecolibrium, Inc.)

  • Yan Xie

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

Comprehensive assessments of species’ extinction risks have documented the extinction crisis1 and underpinned strategies for reducing those risks2. Global assessments reveal that, among tetrapods, 40.7% of amphibians, 25.4% of mammals and 13.6% of birds are threatened with extinction3. Because global assessments have been lacking, reptiles have been omitted from conservation-prioritization analyses that encompass other tetrapods4–7. Reptiles are unusually diverse in arid regions, suggesting that they may have different conservation needs6. Here we provide a comprehensive extinction-risk assessment of reptiles and show that at least 1,829 out of 10,196 species (21.1%) are threatened—confirming a previous extrapolation8 and representing 15.6 billion years of phylogenetic diversity. Reptiles are threatened by the same major factors that threaten other tetrapods—agriculture, logging, urban development and invasive species—although the threat posed by climate change remains uncertain. Reptiles inhabiting forests, where these threats are strongest, are more threatened than those in arid habitats, contrary to our prediction. Birds, mammals and amphibians are unexpectedly good surrogates for the conservation of reptiles, although threatened reptiles with the smallest ranges tend to be isolated from other threatened tetrapods. Although some reptiles—including most species of crocodiles and turtles—require urgent, targeted action to prevent extinctions, efforts to protect other tetrapods, such as habitat preservation and control of trade and invasive species, will probably also benefit many reptiles.

Suggested Citation

  • Neil Cox & Bruce E. Young & Philip Bowles & Miguel Fernandez & Julie Marin & Giovanni Rapacciuolo & Monika Böhm & Thomas M. Brooks & S. Blair Hedges & Craig Hilton-Taylor & Michael Hoffmann & Richard , 2022. "A global reptile assessment highlights shared conservation needs of tetrapods," Nature, Nature, vol. 605(7909), pages 285-290, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:605:y:2022:i:7909:d:10.1038_s41586-022-04664-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04664-7
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Chunrong Mi & Liang Ma & Mengyuan Yang & Xinhai Li & Shai Meiri & Uri Roll & Oleksandra Oskyrko & Daniel Pincheira-Donoso & Lilly P. Harvey & Daniel Jablonski & Barbod Safaei-Mahroo & Hanyeh Ghaffari , 2023. "Global Protected Areas as refuges for amphibians and reptiles under climate change," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Shan Huang & Stewart M. Edie & Katie S. Collins & Nicholas M. A. Crouch & Kaustuv Roy & David Jablonski, 2023. "Diversity, distribution and intrinsic extinction vulnerability of exploited marine bivalves," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Rikki Gumbs & Oenone Scott & Ryan Bates & Monika Böhm & Félix Forest & Claudia L. Gray & Michael Hoffmann & Daniel Kane & Christopher Low & William D. Pearse & Sebastian Pipins & Benjamin Tapley & Sam, 2024. "Global conservation status of the jawed vertebrate Tree of Life," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. R. C. Rodríguez-Caro & E. Graciá & S. P. Blomberg & H. Cayuela & M. Grace & C. P. Carmona & H. A. Pérez-Mendoza & A. Giménez & R. Salguero-Gómez, 2023. "Anthropogenic impacts on threatened species erode functional diversity in chelonians and crocodilians," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.

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