Australia’s lizards and snakes are in far more trouble than we thought. It’s time to act

Australia is home to a remarkable array of reptiles, from the common blue-tongued lizard to rare snake species. However, a new national review conducted by a team of 23 herpetologists has revealed that these reptiles are in far greater danger than previously thought. The review identified at least 127 threatened terrestrial lizard and snake species, which represents 13.1% of the reptile species where enough information is available to assess their extinction risk.

This is nearly twice the 7.1% officially classified as threatened in Australia's previous nationwide assessment in 2017.

The increase in identified threatened species is due to better use of existing information on species populations and threats, as well as the discovery of new species. However, the review also highlights that this is symptomatic of Australia's environmental department struggling with intensifying threats and a backlog of assessments. Australia is home to about 10% of the world's lizard and snake species, and roughly 98% of them occur nowhere else in the world. If these species disappear, they will be lost forever.

Many newly discovered species have very limited ranges and little is known about them. For example, there are 115 species for which a conservation assessment has not been attempted as of August 2025, and modelling suggests about 25 of these may be threatened. The threats facing these reptiles are worsening and converging. The 2019-20 Australian megafires showed that nearly 40% of all known species were located within the fire's footprint, and many populations declined sharply.

Climate change is making the situation worse, with some rainforest skinks predicted to lose all of their suitable habitat by 2050. Other pressures include livestock and feral herbivores damaging habitat, invasive buffel grass transforming arid habitats, and invasive predators like cats and foxes killing reptiles.

Animal and plant species can be listed as being at risk under international, national, or state and territory laws, but these systems frequently reach different conclusions. Of the 127 snake and reptile species on the updated list, only 48 appeared on both the international and federal lists. Few threatened reptiles have dedicated recovery programs, and population monitoring remains patchy. The lack of repeated surveys means we don't know if reptile numbers are dropping, and their recovery becomes more unlikely.

The Christmas Island forest skink provides a stark example of the consequences of failing to act. This skink went from abundant to extinct in less than a decade after being misclassified as abundant. Now is the time to act and ensure that properly funded recovery programs are established for all threatened lizards and snakes, not just well-known species.

Long-term monitoring across the continent is crucial for understanding where these species live and what threats they face. Indigenous knowledge and leadership should be central to this work. With targeted surveys and conservation efforts, we can protect these unique reptiles before they disappear entirely.