A quarter of the world’s reptiles use rocky habitats. So why aren’t we protecting them?
Many reptiles rely on rocky areas to find food, escape predators and reproduce.
Reptiles around the globe rely on rocky habitats for various crucial reasons. These habitats help them regulate body temperature, evade predators, endure cold winters, socialize, reproduce, and secure sustenance. The absence of such habitats could jeopardize the survival of many reptile species, potentially causing a chain reaction that threatens entire ecosystems. Yet, despite their significance, rocky habitats are frequently disregarded in conservation strategies.
Our latest study aimed to determine the extent to which reptiles depend on rocky habitats and to identify the threats these rock-dwelling species face. We discovered that roughly a quarter of the world's reptiles – more than 1,000 species, accounting for around 10% of all reptiles – rely on rocky habitats. Notably, these rock-dependent species have significantly smaller geographic ranges compared to those that don't depend on rocky habitats. Moreover, they are 51% more likely to be classified as critically endangered.
Moreover, our study revealed that many more reptiles live in rocky areas than are currently recognized under conservation classifications. This underestimation could result in these vital habitats being overlooked when it comes to conservation efforts. Rocky habitats, found on every continent, are threatened by various human activities such as mining, quarrying, urbanization, and rock crushing.
For instance, in the United Arab Emirates, rapid urban development threatens a unique rock formation that supports the critically endangered Emirati leaf-toed gecko.
The threat of rock crushing, where machinery turns boulderfields and rocky habitats into farmland, is particularly alarming. In Australia, new rock crushing machinery can clear and crush surface rocks at a rate of one hectare per hour, potentially endangering several threatened reptile species. Despite their importance, rocky habitats often go unnoticed in conservation plans and initiatives, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature's habitat classification system.
Our research demonstrates that these rock-dependent reptiles are unique evolutionary adaptations, with species from worm-lizards to geckos and snakes having independently adapted to rocky environments. However, many rock-dependent reptiles are restricted to isolated habitats, meaning if these areas are damaged or destroyed, they have few places to relocate to.
This highlights the urgent need for greater recognition and protection of rocky habitats to safeguard the species that depend on them, especially as the world warms and these habitats become increasingly vital as climate refuges.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
