"Undetected extinctions are likely to have already taken place. "A lack of monitoring is another problem hampering reptile conservation without adequate monitoring species can slip to extinction without it being noticed," Assoc Proff Chapple said. By identifying the species at most risk we aim to give governments, conservation groups and the community time to implement emergency conservation actions before it is too late," Ms Geyle said.Īustralian reptile expert Associate Professor David Chapple from the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University, who is a co-author of the study, said there have been widespread declines of Australian reptiles over recent decades. "This research helps to prevent extinctions. Lead author, Charles Darwin University Researcher Hayley Geyle, said the conservation of Australian reptiles has received a lot less attention than birds or mammals, but this needs to change if we are to prevent extinctions. Western Australia has three species on the list, two are from Christmas Island, and the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory, Victoria and New South Wales each have one species. More than half (11) of the imperiled snake and lizard species are found in Queensland. The research team included 27 reptile specialists from universities, government agencies, zoos and museums across the country.Īustralia's most imperiled reptile is the Victoria grassland earless dragon, which was once fairly common in grasslands west of Melbourne but has not been recorded since 1969. The Threatened Species Recovery Hub conducted the research as part of the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program. The study predicts that 11 species of snakes and lizards are likely to become extinct by 2040 unless there is a stepping up of conservation action, and identifies the 20 snakes and lizards at most risk of extinction. Research published today in Pacific Conservation Biology has highlighted that many of these uniquely Australian species are under threat.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |