One-fifth of reptiles worldwide face risk of extinction
WASHINGTON (AP) — Even the king cobra is “vulnerable.” More than 1 in 5 species of reptiles worldwide are threatened with extinction, according to a comprehensive new assessment of thousands of species published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
Of 10,196 reptile species analyzed, 21% percent were classified as endangered, critically endangered or vulnerable to extinction — including the iconic hooded snakes of South and Southeast Asia.
“This work is a very significant achievement — it adds to our knowledge of where threatened species are, and where we must work to protect them,” said Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm, who was not involved in the study.
Similar prior assessments had been conducted for mammals, birds and amphibians, informing government decisions about how to draw boundaries of national parks and allocate environmental funds.
Work on the reptile study – which involved nearly 1,000 scientists and 52 co-authors – started in 2005. The project was slowed by challenges in fundraising, said co-author Bruce Young, a zoologist at the nonprofit science organization NatureServe.
“There’s a lot more focus on furrier, feathery species of vertebrates for conservation,” Young said, lamenting the perceived charisma gap. But reptiles are also fascinating and essential to ecosystems, he said.
The Galapagos marine iguana, the world’s only lizard adapted to marine life, is classified as “vulnerable” to extinction, said co-author Blair Hedges, a biologist at Temple University. It took 5 million years for the lizard to adapt to foraging in the sea, he said, lamenting “how much evolutionary history can be lost if this single species” goes extinct.
Six of the world’s species of sea turtles are threatened. The seventh is likely also in trouble, but scientists lack data to make a classification.
Worldwide, the greatest threat to reptile life is habitat destruction. Hunting, invasive species and climate change also pose threats, said co-author Neil Cox, a manager at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s biodiversity assessment unit.
Reptiles that live in forest areas, such as the king cobra, are more likely to be threatened with extinction than desert-dwellers, in part because forests face greater human disruptions, the study found.
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Ghostly monkey among 224 new species in Asia’s Mekong regionWorld Wildlife Foundation via AP
In this undated photo, a Popa langur moves along a forest floor. The Popa langur, a monkey with ghostly white circles around its eyes, is among 224 new species listed in the World Wildlife Fund's latest update on the Mekong region. The conservation group's report released Wednesday highlights the need to protect the rich biodiversity and habitats in the region, which includes Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.
World Wildlife Foundation via APIn this undated photo, a Popa langur moves along a forest floor. The Popa langur, a monkey with ghostly white circles around its eyes, is among 224 new species listed in the World Wildlife Fund's latest update on the Mekong region. The conservation group's report released Wednesday highlights the need to protect the rich biodiversity and habitats in the region, which includes Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.
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Ghostly monkey among 224 new species in Asia’s Mekong regionWorld Wildlife Foundation via AP
In this undated photo, a twin slug snake rests on a leaf. The snake is among 224 new species listed in the World Wildlife Fund's latest update on the Mekong region.
World Wildlife Foundation via APIn this undated photo, a twin slug snake rests on a leaf. The snake is among 224 new species listed in the World Wildlife Fund's latest update on the Mekong region.
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Ghostly monkey among 224 new species in Asia’s Mekong regionWorld Wildlife Foundation via AP
In this undated photo, a Doi Phu Kha newt sits on a branch. The newt is among 224 new species listed in the World Wildlife Fund's latest update on the Mekong region.
World Wildlife Foundation via APIn this undated photo, a Doi Phu Kha newt sits on a branch. The newt is among 224 new species listed in the World Wildlife Fund's latest update on the Mekong region.
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Ghostly monkey among 224 new species in Asia’s Mekong regionWorld Wildlife Foundation via AP
In this undated photo, a Popa langur moves along a forest floor. The monkey is the only mammal among 224 new species listed in the World Wildlife Fund's latest update on the Mekong region.
World Wildlife Foundation via APIn this undated photo, a Popa langur moves along a forest floor. The monkey is the only mammal among 224 new species listed in the World Wildlife Fund's latest update on the Mekong region.
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Ghostly monkey among 224 new species in Asia’s Mekong regionNguyen Van Tan
In this undated photo, a frilled tree frog rests on a leaf. The frog is among 224 new species listed in the World Wildlife Fund's latest update on the Mekong region. (World Wildlife Foundation via AP)
Nguyen Van TanIn this undated photo, a frilled tree frog rests on a leaf. The frog is among 224 new species listed in the World Wildlife Fund's latest update on the Mekong region. (World Wildlife Foundation via AP)
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Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 monthsBrian Gratwicke // Wikimedia Commons
We can all name our favorite endangered species—fan favorites tend to be the big, charismatic mammals like orangutans and tigers that captivate us at zoos. Some of us can even rattle off the more famous species that went extinct in recent centuries, like the passenger pigeon, whose last individual (a bird named Martha) died in captivity in 1914, or the dodo bird, already extinct by 1681. But the modern era has brought with it extinction on a new scale: We’re in the midst of the sixth mass extinction ever experienced by our planet, and humans are to blame.
All this extinction talk begs the question: Which species have gone extinct most recently? To find out, Stacker used a December 2020 press release from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, reporting from The Revelator’s John R. Platt, and other scientific sources to compile a list of 15 plants and animals that were declared extinct or extinct in the wild in 2020.
On the list you’ll find frogs and salamanders, birds and trees, and more. Some species on our list are down to the last of their kind, like rare plants now found only in botanical gardens. Others haven’t been spotted for decades, and are at long last being scratched off the list of the living. Why the lag? Conservationists want to be absolutely sure that a species is extinct before calling off the search, since the list also serves as a signal that conservation efforts can cease. It’s an especially tricky call to make, since some hard-to-find species have been known to turn up after years and years of hiding (like the Cebu flowerpecker, a bird spotted in 1992 after an 86-year drought of sightings). Biologists don’t want to declare a species extinct too early, but leaving an extinct species on the endangered list can waste precious conservation resources. In the end, it’s a judgement call made by the experts that know the species best.
Without further ado, here are 15 plants and animals we lost for good in 2020.
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Brian Gratwicke // Wikimedia CommonsWe can all name our favorite endangered species—fan favorites tend to be the big, charismatic mammals like orangutans and tigers that captivate us at zoos. Some of us can even rattle off the more famous species that went extinct in recent centuries, like the passenger pigeon, whose last individual (a bird named Martha) died in captivity in 1914, or the dodo bird, already extinct by 1681. But the modern era has brought with it extinction on a new scale: We’re in the midst of the sixth mass extinction ever experienced by our planet, and humans are to blame.
All this extinction talk begs the question: Which species have gone extinct most recently? To find out, Stacker used a December 2020 press release from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, reporting from The Revelator’s John R. Platt, and other scientific sources to compile a list of 15 plants and animals that were declared extinct or extinct in the wild in 2020.
On the list you’ll find frogs and salamanders, birds and trees, and more. Some species on our list are down to the last of their kind, like rare plants now found only in botanical gardens. Others haven’t been spotted for decades, and are at long last being scratched off the list of the living. Why the lag? Conservationists want to be absolutely sure that a species is extinct before calling off the search, since the list also serves as a signal that conservation efforts can cease. It’s an especially tricky call to make, since some hard-to-find species have been known to turn up after years and years of hiding (like the Cebu flowerpecker, a bird spotted in 1992 after an 86-year drought of sightings). Biologists don’t want to declare a species extinct too early, but leaving an extinct species on the endangered list can waste precious conservation resources. In the end, it’s a judgement call made by the experts that know the species best.
Without further ado, here are 15 plants and animals we lost for good in 2020.
You may also like: Countries exporting the most endangered species to America
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Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 monthsDouwe de Boer // GBIF
- Scientific name: Oophaga speciosa
Central American frogs have had a terrible time for the past few decades, thanks to a fungal disease, chytridiomycosis, that’s been ravaging amphibian populations across the tropics. The splendid poison frog was no exception. Endemic to the forests of Panama, it was last spotted in the wild in 1992.
Douwe de Boer // GBIF- Scientific name: Oophaga speciosa
Central American frogs have had a terrible time for the past few decades, thanks to a fungal disease, chytridiomycosis, that’s been ravaging amphibian populations across the tropics. The splendid poison frog was no exception. Endemic to the forests of Panama, it was last spotted in the wild in 1992.
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Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 monthsiNaturalist // GBIF
- Scientific name: Pseudoeurycea exspectata
This salamander was last seen in 1976, although it was once a common sight in its home forest in the Jalapa region of Guatemala (that's not a typo; it's the Jalpa from Jalapa). Since then, habitat destruction from farming, logging, and grazing left it without a home.
[Pictured: A similar species, Pseudoeurycea leprosa.]
iNaturalist // GBIF- Scientific name: Pseudoeurycea exspectata
This salamander was last seen in 1976, although it was once a common sight in its home forest in the Jalapa region of Guatemala (that's not a typo; it's the Jalpa from Jalapa). Since then, habitat destruction from farming, logging, and grazing left it without a home.
[Pictured: A similar species, Pseudoeurycea leprosa.]
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Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 monthsNafis Ameen // Wikimedia Commons
- Scientific name: Gracula religiosa miotera
Researchers reported in 2020 that this tropical bird went extinct in the wild in the past two or three years. This myna was only recently established as a distinct species from its close relatives in Southeast Asia after researchers conducted genomic analyses.
[Pictured: A similar species, Gracula religiosa.]
Nafis Ameen // Wikimedia Commons- Scientific name: Gracula religiosa miotera
Researchers reported in 2020 that this tropical bird went extinct in the wild in the past two or three years. This myna was only recently established as a distinct species from its close relatives in Southeast Asia after researchers conducted genomic analyses.
[Pictured: A similar species, Gracula religiosa.]
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Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 monthsLindsay Marshall // Wikimedia Commons
- Scientific name: Carcharhinus obsoletus
The lost shark has only been observed three times in the South China Sea, most recently in 1934. But the specimens weren’t identified as a new species until 2019—long after the shark presumably went extinct. The South China Sea is one of the most heavily fished areas in the world, so it’s unlikely any individuals remain.
Lindsay Marshall // Wikimedia Commons- Scientific name: Carcharhinus obsoletus
The lost shark has only been observed three times in the South China Sea, most recently in 1934. But the specimens weren’t identified as a new species until 2019—long after the shark presumably went extinct. The South China Sea is one of the most heavily fished areas in the world, so it’s unlikely any individuals remain.
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Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 monthsAustralian National Fish Collection // GBIF
- Scientific name: Sympterichthys unipennis
Perhaps the strangest-looking species on this list, this Australian ocean-dwelling fish is named for the handlike fins it uses to walk along the seafloor. Although the reason for the demise of this species is unknown since it hasn’t been spotted in 200 years, other handfish are susceptible to overfishing, habitat disturbances, and predation by invasive species like the northern Pacific seastar.
You may also like: American plants that have gone extinct
Australian National Fish Collection // GBIF- Scientific name: Sympterichthys unipennis
Perhaps the strangest-looking species on this list, this Australian ocean-dwelling fish is named for the handlike fins it uses to walk along the seafloor. Although the reason for the demise of this species is unknown since it hasn’t been spotted in 200 years, other handfish are susceptible to overfishing, habitat disturbances, and predation by invasive species like the northern Pacific seastar.
You may also like: American plants that have gone extinct
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Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 monthsPatrick AVENTURIER // Getty Images
- Scientific name: Barbodes spp.
Fifteen fish species in the genus Barbodes were declared extinct in 2020, all of them endemic to the Philippines' Lake Lanao. One of the oldest lakes in the world, Lake Lanao has been in trouble since the predatory tank goby, Glossogobius giuris, was accidentally introduced in the early 1960s.
[Pictured: Lake Lanao.]
Patrick AVENTURIER // Getty Images- Scientific name: Barbodes spp.
Fifteen fish species in the genus Barbodes were declared extinct in 2020, all of them endemic to the Philippines' Lake Lanao. One of the oldest lakes in the world, Lake Lanao has been in trouble since the predatory tank goby, Glossogobius giuris, was accidentally introduced in the early 1960s.
[Pictured: Lake Lanao.]
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Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 monthsBrian Gratwicke // Wikimedia Commons
- Scientific name: Atelopus chiriquiensis
Another amphibious victim of the chytrid fungus, this frog was actually a toad. Despite intensive search efforts, it hasn’t been observed in its native habitat, the rainforests of Costa Rica and Panama, since 1996.
Brian Gratwicke // Wikimedia Commons- Scientific name: Atelopus chiriquiensis
Another amphibious victim of the chytrid fungus, this frog was actually a toad. Despite intensive search efforts, it hasn’t been observed in its native habitat, the rainforests of Costa Rica and Panama, since 1996.
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Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 monthsIsy von Buby // Wikimedia Commons
- Scientific name: Ameles fasciipennis
The only insect on our list, this praying mantis used to live in shrublands in central Italy. It was only recorded once in 1871, before its habitat was thoroughly cultivated.
Isy von Buby // Wikimedia Commons- Scientific name: Ameles fasciipennis
The only insect on our list, this praying mantis used to live in shrublands in central Italy. It was only recorded once in 1871, before its habitat was thoroughly cultivated.
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Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 monthsMnolf // Wikimedia Commons
- Scientific name: Pipistrellus sturdeei
Another species only recorded once, the Bonin pipistrelle is a Japanese bat observed for the first and last time in 1915. Its former home, the Bonin, or Ogasawara, Islands are a biodiversity hotspot and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
[Pictured: A similar species, Pipistrellus pipistrellus lateral.]
Mnolf // Wikimedia Commons- Scientific name: Pipistrellus sturdeei
Another species only recorded once, the Bonin pipistrelle is a Japanese bat observed for the first and last time in 1915. Its former home, the Bonin, or Ogasawara, Islands are a biodiversity hotspot and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
[Pictured: A similar species, Pipistrellus pipistrellus lateral.]
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Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 monthsMatt // Wikimedia Commons
- Scientific name: Nyctophilus howensis
Researchers found a single skull belonging to this bat in 1972 but never found any more specimens, so reasons for its decline are unknown. Its native habitat, Lord Howe Island, is off the coast of New South Wales, Australia.
[Pictured: A similar species, Nyctophilus geoffroyi.]
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Matt // Wikimedia Commons- Scientific name: Nyctophilus howensis
Researchers found a single skull belonging to this bat in 1972 but never found any more specimens, so reasons for its decline are unknown. Its native habitat, Lord Howe Island, is off the coast of New South Wales, Australia.
[Pictured: A similar species, Nyctophilus geoffroyi.]
You may also like: How communities are dealing with invasive species across the U.S.
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Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 monthsAndrew massyn // Wikimedia Commons
- Scientific name: Leucadendron spirale
This South African shrub was last seen in 1933 and finally taken off the endangered species list last year. Though the reasons for its decline aren't certain, much of its habitat has been destroyed, and what's left has been overrun by invasive species.
[Pictured: A similar species, Leucadendron strobilinum.]
Andrew massyn // Wikimedia Commons- Scientific name: Leucadendron spirale
This South African shrub was last seen in 1933 and finally taken off the endangered species list last year. Though the reasons for its decline aren't certain, much of its habitat has been destroyed, and what's left has been overrun by invasive species.
[Pictured: A similar species, Leucadendron strobilinum.]
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Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 monthsStan Shebs // Wikimedia Commons
- Scientific name: Agave lurida
This Mexican agave, a close relative of the plant that gives us tequila, was last spotted in the wild in 2001. Only a few individual specimens were ever identified, and the plant's tiny range in the Oaxacan shrublands has been heavily grazed, likely leading to its demise.
[Pictured: A similar species, Agave ferox.]
Stan Shebs // Wikimedia Commons- Scientific name: Agave lurida
This Mexican agave, a close relative of the plant that gives us tequila, was last spotted in the wild in 2001. Only a few individual specimens were ever identified, and the plant's tiny range in the Oaxacan shrublands has been heavily grazed, likely leading to its demise.
[Pictured: A similar species, Agave ferox.]
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Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 monthsiNaturalist // GBIF
- Scientific name: Alphonsea hortensis
The last specimens of this Sri Lanken tree live in the Peradeniya Royal Botanic Garden. It hasn’t been found in the wild since 1969, when it grew in lowland rainforests.
[Pictured: Similar species, Alphonsea lutea.]
iNaturalist // GBIF- Scientific name: Alphonsea hortensis
The last specimens of this Sri Lanken tree live in the Peradeniya Royal Botanic Garden. It hasn’t been found in the wild since 1969, when it grew in lowland rainforests.
[Pictured: Similar species, Alphonsea lutea.]
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Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 monthsMurielBendel // Wikimedia Commons
- Scientific name: Deppea splendens
This tropical beauty only ever grew in one spot in Mexico, so when its home was plowed under for cultivation, it went extinct in the wild. Luckily a botanist had collected the seeds, so the species lives on in a few botanical gardens, and gardeners can even order cultivars online for their home collections.
MurielBendel // Wikimedia Commons- Scientific name: Deppea splendens
This tropical beauty only ever grew in one spot in Mexico, so when its home was plowed under for cultivation, it went extinct in the wild. Luckily a botanist had collected the seeds, so the species lives on in a few botanical gardens, and gardeners can even order cultivars online for their home collections.
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Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 monthsB.navez // Wikimedia Commons
- Scientific name: Ochrosia kilaueaensis
Once endemic to the island of Hawaii, this tropical plant witnessed its rainforest habitat devastated by invasive plant and animal species since its last sighting in 1927.
[Pictured: A similar species, Ochrosia borbonica.]
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B.navez // Wikimedia Commons- Scientific name: Ochrosia kilaueaensis
Once endemic to the island of Hawaii, this tropical plant witnessed its rainforest habitat devastated by invasive plant and animal species since its last sighting in 1927.
[Pictured: A similar species, Ochrosia borbonica.]
You may also like: Polar bears and 50 other species threatened by climate change
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One-fifth of reptiles worldwide face risk of extinctionuncredited
FILE - This undated photo provided by U.S. Fish and Wildlife shows a king cobra snake hidden in a potato chip can that was found in the mail in Los Angeles. More than one in five species of reptiles worldwide, including the king cobra, are threatened with extinction, according to a comprehensive new assessment of thousands of species published Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in the journal Nature. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife via AP, File)
uncreditedFILE - This undated photo provided by U.S. Fish and Wildlife shows a king cobra snake hidden in a potato chip can that was found in the mail in Los Angeles. More than one in five species of reptiles worldwide, including the king cobra, are threatened with extinction, according to a comprehensive new assessment of thousands of species published Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in the journal Nature. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife via AP, File)
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One-fifth of reptiles worldwide face risk of extinctionKamran Jebreili
FILE - A dead green sea turtle washes up on the beach in the Khor Kalba Conservation Reserve, in the city of Kalba, on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022. More than one in five species of reptiles worldwide, including the green sea turtle, are threatened with extinction, according to a comprehensive new assessment of thousands of species published Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in the journal Nature. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)
Kamran JebreiliFILE - A dead green sea turtle washes up on the beach in the Khor Kalba Conservation Reserve, in the city of Kalba, on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022. More than one in five species of reptiles worldwide, including the green sea turtle, are threatened with extinction, according to a comprehensive new assessment of thousands of species published Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in the journal Nature. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)
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One-fifth of reptiles worldwide face risk of extinctionAdrian Vasquez
FILE - A marine iguana suns itself on the edge of a boardwalk in San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador on May 2, 2020. More than one in five species of reptiles worldwide, including the marine iguana, are threatened with extinction, according to a comprehensive new assessment of thousands of species published Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in the journal Nature. (AP Photo/Adrian Vasquez, File)
Adrian VasquezFILE - A marine iguana suns itself on the edge of a boardwalk in San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador on May 2, 2020. More than one in five species of reptiles worldwide, including the marine iguana, are threatened with extinction, according to a comprehensive new assessment of thousands of species published Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in the journal Nature. (AP Photo/Adrian Vasquez, File)
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