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In Haiti, for instance, six of the nine species of Anolis lizard included in the study have an elevated risk of extinction owing to extensive deforestation. Some, such as a jungle runner lizard called Ameiva vittata, are listed as critically endangered and even possibly extinct. Two recent searches for the species have been unsuccessful.
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.Almost one in five reptiles is facing extinction due to man-made habitat loss, experts warned today.The first global assessment of its kind of reptile species, which include crocodiles, lizards, snakes, tortoises and turtles, estimated that 19% of them are struggling to survive.Of those under threat, 12% are considered to be critically endangered, meaning they are at the highest risk of extinction, while 41% are endangered and 47% vulnerable to going extinct, the study in the journal Conservation Biology said. A giant Galapagos tortoise. 19 per cent of reptiles are at risk of becoming extinctThe biggest threats to reptiles are man-made habitat loss, for example from agriculture or logging, and being harvested by people, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said.Other problems such as urban development and invasive species are also threatening reptiles.Philip Bowles, from the IUCN Species Survival Commission, said: 'The findings sound alarm bells about the state of these species and the growing threats they face. Share'Tackling the identified threats, which include habitat loss and over-harvesting, are key conservation priorities in order to reverse the declines in these reptiles.' Reptiles in freshwater habitats, the tropics and ocean islands are under greatest threat, with 30% of freshwater species estimated to be facing extinction.The study warned that half of all freshwater turtles, which are threatened by national and international trade as well as threats to their habitat, are at risk of dying out.Although land reptiles are at a lower risk, species are often restricted to specific places or habitats and have low mobility, making them susceptible to human pressures.
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