Report: 1/5 Reptile Species Threatened With Extinction

JUL 28 2022·Updated JAN 20 2023

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Image credit: news

The Facts

According to a study published in the journal Nature on Wed., around one-fifth of all reptile species face the risk of extinction, with crocodiles and turtles most threatened.
CNN
This represents a combined loss of 15.6B years of evolutionary history if each of the 1,829 threatened reptiles in the study became extinct.
guardian
Of the nearly 10,200 reptile species analyzed, around 20% are "vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered," according to standards set by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Vox
The study cited loss of forest habitat, hunting, and invasive species as among the root causes for the global decline in reptile populations.
guardian
The authors expressed that the conservation tools to protect reptiles are the same to protect birds, mammals, and amphibians - a variable which was previously unclear based on the historical lack of information on reptiles.
nytimes

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

This is another drumbeat on the path to ecological catastrophe. Like the climate crisis, the global biodiversity crisis threatens humans because healthy ecosystems provide fertile soil, pollination and water supplies. The potential collapse of so many reptile species is a true emergency.

nytimes

Narrative B

Too much alarmism about the loss of species is a turn off. The world's animals, and all of their amazing nuances, should be better communicated to the public without an endless barrage of issues like habitat loss, climate change and pollution. Let's tell moving stories about biodiversity without being counterproductive.