Severe extinction threat to various Indian reptiles

Severe extinction threat to various Indian reptiles

February 21st, 2013

As per an analysis of Zoological Society of London along with IUCN species survival commission:

• 19% of turtles, lizards, snakes, crocodiles and other reptiles were facing severe threat of extinction.
• One out of every five out of 10000 species of reptiles in the world, many of which are from India, is facing a threat of extinction.
• Out of the endangered species are the King cobra, Indian crocodile (mugger), South Andaman krait and four kinds of turtles namely, Red-crowned Roofed Turtle, Bengal Roof Turtle, Jaggedshelled turtle and Hawksbill turtle. These species were identified to be extinct forever.
• There is no information about conservation status of around one in every three reptiles in India.
• 30% of the freshwater reptiles were almost close to extinction.
• 50% freshwater turtles are close to extinction. These reptiles are affected by international and national trade.
• 15% reptiles in Indo-malayan region were threatened.
• Out of 1500 species samples in the study, 112 were from India.
• Out of these 1500 species, 12.2% had threat of extinction.