Various Indian reptiles face severe extinction threat: Study

Zoological Society of London along with IUCN species survival commission in their largest-ever analysis found out that 19 percent 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.

The conversationalists worry about the fact that at present, there is no information about conservation status of around one in every three reptiles in India.

The study conducted found out that 30 percent of the freshwater reptiles were almost close to extinction. The figure increases to 50 percent when just the freshwater turtles are considered. These reptiles are affected by international as well as national trade.

Also, 15 percent reptiles in Indo-malayan region were threatened. Our of 1500 species samples in the study, it was found that 112 were from India. Out of these 1500 species, 12.2 percent had threat of extinction.