Abstract
Australia is a global hotspot of reptile diversity, hosting ~10% of the world's squamate (snake and lizard) species. Yet the conservation status of the Australian squamate fauna has not been assessed for >25 years; a period during which the described fauna has risen by ~40%. Here we provide the first comprehensive conservation assessment of Australian terrestrial squamates using IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Most (86.4%; n = 819/948) Australian squamates were categorised as Least Concern, 4.5% were Data Deficient, and 7.1% (range 6.8%–11.3%, depending on the treatment of Data Deficient species) were threatened (3.0% Vulnerable, 2.7% Endangered, 1.1% Critically Endangered). This level of threat is low relative to the global average (~18%). One species (Emoia nativitatis) was assessed as Extinct, and two species (Lepidodactylus listeri and Cryptoblepharus egeriae) are considered Extinct in the Wild: all three were endemic to Christmas Island. Most (75.1%) threat assessments were based on geographic range attributes, due to limited data on population trends or relevant proxies. Agriculture, fire, and invasive species were the threats that affected the most species, and there was substantial geographic variation in the number of species affected by each threat. Threatened species richness peaked on islands, in the Southern Alps, and across northern Australia. Data deficiency was greatest in northern Australia and in coastal Queensland. Approximately one-in-five threatened species were not represented in a single protected area. Our analyses shed light on the species, regions, and threats in most urgent need of conservation intervention.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 108203 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-10 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Biological Conservation |
| Volume | 238 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2019 |
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Geographic and taxonomic patterns of extinction risk in Australian squamates. / Tingley, Reid; Macdonald, Stewart L.; Mitchell, Nicola J.; Woinarski, John C.Z.; Meiri, Shai; Bowles, Phil; Cox, Neil A.; Shea, Glenn M.; Böhm, Monika; Chanson, Janice; Tognelli, Marcelo F.; Harris, Jaclyn; Walke, Claire; Harrison, Natasha; Victor, Savannah; Woods, Calum; Amey, Andrew P.; Bamford, Mike; Catt, Gareth; Clemann, Nick; Couper, Patrick J.; Cogger, Hal; Cowan, Mark; Craig, Michael D.; Dickman, Chris R.; Doughty, Paul; Ellis, Ryan; Fenner, Aaron; Ford, Stewart; Gaikhorst, Glen; Gillespie, Graeme R.; Greenlees, Matthew J.; Hobson, Rod; Hoskin, Conrad J.; How, Ric; Hutchinson, Mark N.; Lloyd, Ray; McDonald, Peter; Melville, Jane; Michael, Damian R.; Moritz, Craig; Oliver, Paul M.; Peterson, Garry; Robertson, Peter; Sanderson, Chris; Somaweera, Ruchira; Teale, Roy; Valentine, Leonie; Vanderduys, Eric; Venz, Melanie; Wapstra, Erik; Wilson, Steve; Chapple, David G.
In: Biological Conservation, Vol. 238, 108203, 10.2019, p. 1-10.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Geographic and taxonomic patterns of extinction risk in Australian squamates
AU - Tingley, Reid
AU - Macdonald, Stewart L.
AU - Mitchell, Nicola J.
AU - Woinarski, John C.Z.
AU - Meiri, Shai
AU - Bowles, Phil
AU - Cox, Neil A.
AU - Shea, Glenn M.
AU - Böhm, Monika
AU - Chanson, Janice
AU - Tognelli, Marcelo F.
AU - Harris, Jaclyn
AU - Walke, Claire
AU - Harrison, Natasha
AU - Victor, Savannah
AU - Woods, Calum
AU - Amey, Andrew P.
AU - Bamford, Mike
AU - Catt, Gareth
AU - Clemann, Nick
AU - Couper, Patrick J.
AU - Cogger, Hal
AU - Cowan, Mark
AU - Craig, Michael D.
AU - Dickman, Chris R.
AU - Doughty, Paul
AU - Ellis, Ryan
AU - Fenner, Aaron
AU - Ford, Stewart
AU - Gaikhorst, Glen
AU - Gillespie, Graeme R.
AU - Greenlees, Matthew J.
AU - Hobson, Rod
AU - Hoskin, Conrad J.
AU - How, Ric
AU - Hutchinson, Mark N.
AU - Lloyd, Ray
AU - McDonald, Peter
AU - Melville, Jane
AU - Michael, Damian R.
AU - Moritz, Craig
AU - Oliver, Paul M.
AU - Peterson, Garry
AU - Robertson, Peter
AU - Sanderson, Chris
AU - Somaweera, Ruchira
AU - Teale, Roy
AU - Valentine, Leonie
AU - Vanderduys, Eric
AU - Venz, Melanie
AU - Wapstra, Erik
AU - Wilson, Steve
AU - Chapple, David G.
PY - 2019/10
Y1 - 2019/10
N2 - Australia is a global hotspot of reptile diversity, hosting ~10% of the world's squamate (snake and lizard) species. Yet the conservation status of the Australian squamate fauna has not been assessed for >25 years; a period during which the described fauna has risen by ~40%. Here we provide the first comprehensive conservation assessment of Australian terrestrial squamates using IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Most (86.4%; n = 819/948) Australian squamates were categorised as Least Concern, 4.5% were Data Deficient, and 7.1% (range 6.8%–11.3%, depending on the treatment of Data Deficient species) were threatened (3.0% Vulnerable, 2.7% Endangered, 1.1% Critically Endangered). This level of threat is low relative to the global average (~18%). One species (Emoia nativitatis) was assessed as Extinct, and two species (Lepidodactylus listeri and Cryptoblepharus egeriae) are considered Extinct in the Wild: all three were endemic to Christmas Island. Most (75.1%) threat assessments were based on geographic range attributes, due to limited data on population trends or relevant proxies. Agriculture, fire, and invasive species were the threats that affected the most species, and there was substantial geographic variation in the number of species affected by each threat. Threatened species richness peaked on islands, in the Southern Alps, and across northern Australia. Data deficiency was greatest in northern Australia and in coastal Queensland. Approximately one-in-five threatened species were not represented in a single protected area. Our analyses shed light on the species, regions, and threats in most urgent need of conservation intervention.
AB - Australia is a global hotspot of reptile diversity, hosting ~10% of the world's squamate (snake and lizard) species. Yet the conservation status of the Australian squamate fauna has not been assessed for >25 years; a period during which the described fauna has risen by ~40%. Here we provide the first comprehensive conservation assessment of Australian terrestrial squamates using IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Most (86.4%; n = 819/948) Australian squamates were categorised as Least Concern, 4.5% were Data Deficient, and 7.1% (range 6.8%–11.3%, depending on the treatment of Data Deficient species) were threatened (3.0% Vulnerable, 2.7% Endangered, 1.1% Critically Endangered). This level of threat is low relative to the global average (~18%). One species (Emoia nativitatis) was assessed as Extinct, and two species (Lepidodactylus listeri and Cryptoblepharus egeriae) are considered Extinct in the Wild: all three were endemic to Christmas Island. Most (75.1%) threat assessments were based on geographic range attributes, due to limited data on population trends or relevant proxies. Agriculture, fire, and invasive species were the threats that affected the most species, and there was substantial geographic variation in the number of species affected by each threat. Threatened species richness peaked on islands, in the Southern Alps, and across northern Australia. Data deficiency was greatest in northern Australia and in coastal Queensland. Approximately one-in-five threatened species were not represented in a single protected area. Our analyses shed light on the species, regions, and threats in most urgent need of conservation intervention.
KW - Assessment
KW - Conservation status
KW - Extinction risk
KW - IUCN
KW - Reptiles
KW - Threat status
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85070258187&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108203
DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108203
M3 - Article
VL - 238
SP - 1
EP - 10
JO - Biological Conservation
JF - Biological Conservation
SN - 0006-3207
M1 - 108203
ER -