Conservation status of the world's skinks (Scincidae): taxonomic and geographic patterns in extinction risk

Chapple, David G., Roll, Uri, Böhm, Monika, Aguilar, Rocío, Amey, Andrew P., Austin, Chris C., Baling, Marleen, Barley, Anthony J., Bates, Michael F., Bauer, Aaron M., Blackburn, Daniel G., Bowles, Phil, Brown, Rafe M., Chandramouli, S.R., Chirio, Laurent, Cogger, Hal, Colli, Guarino R., Conradie, Werner, Couper, Patrick J., Cowan, Mark A., Craig, Michael D., Das, Indraneil, Datta-Roy, Aniruddha, Dickman, Chris R., Ellis, Ryan, Fenner, Aaron L., Ford, Stewart, Ganesh, S.R., Gardner, Michael G., Geissler, Peter, Gillespie, Graeme R., Glaw, Frank, Greenlees, Matthew J., Griffith, Oliver W., Grismer, L. Lee, Haines, Margaret L., Harris, D. James, Hedges, S. Blair, Hitchmough, Rod A., Hoskin, Conrad J., Hutchinson, Mark N., Ineich, Ivan, Janssen, Jordi, Johnston, Gregory R., Karin, Benjamin R., Keogh, J. Scott, Kraus, Fred, LeBreton, Matthew, Lymberakis, Petros, Masroor, Rafaqat, McDonald, Peter J., Mecke, Sven, Melville, Jane, Melzer, Sabine, Michael, Damian R., Miralles, Aurélien, Mitchell, Nicola J., Nelson, Nicola J., Nguyen, Truong Q., de Campos Nogueira, Cristiano, Ota, Hidetoshi, Pafilis, Panayiotis, Pauwels, Olivier S.G., Perera, Ana, Pincheira-Donoso, Daniel, Reed, Robert N., Ribeiro-Júnior, Marco A., Riley, Julia L., Rocha, Sara, Rutherford, Pamela L., Sadlier, Ross A., Shacham, Boaz, Shea, Glenn M., Shine, Richard, Slavenko, Alex, Stow, Adam, Sumner, Joanna, Tallowin, Oliver J.S., Teale, Roy, Torres-Carvajal, Omar, Trape, Jean Francois, Uetz, Peter, Ukuwela, Kanishka D.B., Valentine, Leonie, Van Dyke, James U., van Winkel, Dylan, Vasconcelos, Raquel, Vences, Miguel, Wagner, Philipp, Wapstra, Erik, While, Geoffrey M., Whiting, Martin J., Whittington, Camilla M., Wilson, Steve, Ziegler, Thomas, Tingley, Reid, and Meiri, Shai (2021) Conservation status of the world's skinks (Scincidae): taxonomic and geographic patterns in extinction risk. Biological Conservation, 257. 109101.

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Abstract

Our knowledge of the conservation status of reptiles, the most diverse class of terrestrial vertebrates, has improved dramatically over the past decade, but still lags behind that of the other tetrapod groups. Here, we conduct the first comprehensive evaluation (~92% of the world's ~1714 described species) of the conservation status of skinks (Scincidae), a speciose reptile family with a worldwide distribution. Using International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria, we report that ~20% of species are threatened with extinction, and nine species are Extinct or Extinct in the Wild. The highest levels of threat are evident in Madagascar and the Neotropics, and in the subfamilies Mabuyinae, Eugongylinae and Scincinae. The vast majority of threatened skink species were listed based primarily on their small geographic ranges (Criterion B, 83%; Criterion D2, 13%). Although the population trend of 42% of species was stable, 14% have declining populations. The key threats to skinks are habitat loss due to agriculture, invasive species, and biological resource use (e.g., hunting, timber harvesting). The distributions of 61% of species do not overlap with protected areas. Despite our improved knowledge of the conservation status of the world's skinks, 8% of species remain to be assessed, and 14% are listed as Data Deficient. The conservation status of almost a quarter of the world's skink species thus remains unknown. We use our updated knowledge of the conservation status of the group to develop and outline the priorities for the conservation assessment and management of the world's skink species.

Item ID: 70429
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1873-2917
Keywords: Extinction risk, IUCN Red List, Lizard, Protected areas, Reptile, Skink, Taxonomic bias
Copyright Information: © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Date Deposited: 15 Feb 2022 23:49
FoR Codes: 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3104 Evolutionary biology > 310402 Biogeography and phylogeography @ 20%
41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4104 Environmental management > 410401 Conservation and biodiversity @ 80%
SEO Codes: 18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1806 Terrestrial systems and management > 180606 Terrestrial biodiversity @ 70%
28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280102 Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences @ 30%
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