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Geographic and taxonomic patterns of extinction risk in Australian squamates

Citation

Tingley, R and Macdonald, SL and Mitchell, NJ and Woinarski, JCZ and Meiri, S and Bowles, P and Cox, NA and Shea, GM and Bohm, M and Chanson, J and Tognelli, MF and Harris, J and Walke, C and Harrison, N and Victor, S and Woods, C and Amey, AP and Bamford, M and Catt, G and Clemann, N and Couper, PJ and Cogger, H and Cowan, M and Craig, MD and Dickman, CR and Doughty, P and Ellis, R and Fenner, A and Ford, S and Gaikhorst, G and Gillespie, GR and Greenlees, MJ and Hobson, R and Hoskin, CJ and How, R and Hutchinson, MN and Lloyd, R and McDonald, P and Melville, J and Michael, DR and Moritz, C and Oliver, PM and Peterson, G and Robertson, P and Sanderson, C and Somaweera, R and Teale, R and Valentine, L and Vanderduys, E and Venz, M and Wapstra, E and Wilson, S and Chapple, DG, Geographic and taxonomic patterns of extinction risk in Australian squamates, Biological Conservation, 238 pp. 108203. ISSN 0006-3207 (2019) [Refereed Article]

Copyright Statement

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOI: doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108203

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.

Item Details

Item Type:Refereed Article
Keywords:assessment, conservation status, extinction risk, IUCN, reptile, threat status
Research Division:Biological Sciences
Research Group:Evolutionary biology
Research Field:Speciation and extinction
Objective Division:Environmental Management
Objective Group:Terrestrial systems and management
Objective Field:Terrestrial biodiversity
UTAS Author:Wapstra, E (Professor Erik Wapstra)
ID Code:134409
Year Published:2019
Web of Science® Times Cited:30
Deposited By:Zoology
Deposited On:2019-08-12
Last Modified:2020-07-22
Downloads:0

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