Researchers found that more than 21 percent of reptile species are at risk of extinction, according to a study published in the journal Nature on Reptile Extinction Risk Assessment . The findings show that urgent conservation action is needed to prevent some reptiles from going extinct, including many crocodile and turtle species. Corresponding author Bruce Young of NatureServe, along with colleagues and collaborators, used the IUCN Red List scale to classify reptiles to assess global reptile extinction risk. Of the 10,196 assessed species, they found at least 1,829 (21%) species at risk of extinction (Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered). Among them, crocodiles and turtles are the most vulnerable species, with 57.9% and 50.0% of the species being endangered, respectively. Factors such as agriculture, logging, urban construction, and invasive species are all sources of threats to reptiles, but the threat posed by climate change remains unclear. While reptiles in arid environments were previously predicted to be most at risk of being endangered (the diversity of reptiles in arid environments is very high), the researchers found that forest-dwelling species were at greater risk, perhaps because of Reptiles are more likely to be exposed to specific dangers.
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