Chris Anderson
Dr. House of Chameleons
Hi Everyone,
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the international standard for assessing the extent to which species are facing extinction. These assessments provide a cornerstone for conservation action and are invaluable summaries of our knowledge on the status and biology of different species, with the potential to reveal trends that indicate whether conservation efforts are effective or not.
An analysis published last year revealed that nearly one in five reptile species (19%) are threatened with extinction, with an additional 7% being estimated as Near Threatened (Böhme et al., 2013, Biological Conservation 157, 372-385). At that time, just over half of all chameleon species had been assessed by the IUCN Red List, but these assessments suggested that in contrast to this global trend of all reptiles, the majority of chameleon species (63%) were Threatened or Near Threatened (i.e., Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened), indicating that chameleons may be under a disproportionately large level of threat.
Last year the IUCN/SSC Chameleon Specialist Group (CSG) pledged to undertake the assessment of more than 60 additional species, primarily from East Africa (the largest major gap in finished assessments) in order to help understand the conservation status of not only the remaining species, but the family as a whole. With the help of the chameleon community, and in no small part to the members of Chameleon Forums (https://www.chameleonforums.com/sup...chameleon-specialist-group-fundraiser-109719/), the CSG was able to raise funds to hold an East African Chameleon IUCN Red List Assessment Workshop in order to achieve that goal.
This workshop was extremely successful and in conjunction with several other reptile assessment initiatives, I’m pleased to report that the IUCN Red List assessments have been completed for 92% of currently recognized species of chameleon and are now available on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species website. These assessments, however, have revealed a number of troubling trends regarding the conservation status of chameleons. Among these:
The specific criteria by which each species was assessed to their respective Red List Category is provided in the individual assessments under the “Assessment Information” section and is outlined in the IUCN Categories & Criteria (version 3.1). There is also quite a bit of information on the distribution and conservation status of each species in their respective assessments. I definitely encourage people to look over them and educate themselves about the conservation status of these animals!
Obviously these assessments show that there is a lot of work that needs to be done to conserve chameleons in the wild. The CSG will be announcing its first efforts to address specific conservation needs illuminated by these assessments later today. I will be sure to post a thread on this and how everyone can help make it happen as soon as the effort goes live.
Chris
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the international standard for assessing the extent to which species are facing extinction. These assessments provide a cornerstone for conservation action and are invaluable summaries of our knowledge on the status and biology of different species, with the potential to reveal trends that indicate whether conservation efforts are effective or not.
An analysis published last year revealed that nearly one in five reptile species (19%) are threatened with extinction, with an additional 7% being estimated as Near Threatened (Böhme et al., 2013, Biological Conservation 157, 372-385). At that time, just over half of all chameleon species had been assessed by the IUCN Red List, but these assessments suggested that in contrast to this global trend of all reptiles, the majority of chameleon species (63%) were Threatened or Near Threatened (i.e., Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened), indicating that chameleons may be under a disproportionately large level of threat.
Last year the IUCN/SSC Chameleon Specialist Group (CSG) pledged to undertake the assessment of more than 60 additional species, primarily from East Africa (the largest major gap in finished assessments) in order to help understand the conservation status of not only the remaining species, but the family as a whole. With the help of the chameleon community, and in no small part to the members of Chameleon Forums (https://www.chameleonforums.com/sup...chameleon-specialist-group-fundraiser-109719/), the CSG was able to raise funds to hold an East African Chameleon IUCN Red List Assessment Workshop in order to achieve that goal.
This workshop was extremely successful and in conjunction with several other reptile assessment initiatives, I’m pleased to report that the IUCN Red List assessments have been completed for 92% of currently recognized species of chameleon and are now available on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species website. These assessments, however, have revealed a number of troubling trends regarding the conservation status of chameleons. Among these:
- At least 33% of chameleons are threatened! Of the 200 currently recognized species of chameleon, 66 are assessed as threatened (i.e., Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable) and an additional 35 are assessed as Near Threatened. When accounting for species assessed as Data Deficient (DD - 10) or that have not yet been assessed by the IUCN Red List (NE - 16), this means that 33-46% of the family (36% of species for which sufficient data are available) are Threatened, and 51-64% of the family (approximately 55%) are Threatened or Near Threatened. This is compared to reptiles in general, where 19% are threatened and 26% Threatened or Near Threatened.
- Nine (9) species of chameleon are considered Critically Endangered (CR)! The Red List Category of CR is one step removed from Extinct in the Wild (EW) and then Extinct (EX). These species are considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild, and are in immediate need of conservation action. The chameleon species assessed as CR are: Brookesia bonsi, Brookesia desperate, Calumma hafahafa, Calumma tarzan, Furcifer belalandaensis, Rhampholeon acuminatus, Rhampholeon bruessoworum, Rhampholeon chapmanorum, and Rhampholeon tilburyi.
- There are 37 species of chameleon that have been assessed as Endangered (EN). Species assessed as EN are considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. The chameleon species assessed as EN are: Archaius tigris, Bradypodion caffer, Bradypodion taeniabronchum, Brookesia bekolosy, Brookesia decaryi, Brookesia dentata, Brookesia exarmata, Brookesia karchei, Brookesia lineata, Brookesia minima, Brookesia perarmata, Brookesia peyrierasi, Brookesia ramanantsoai, Brookesia tristis, Brookesia valerieae, Calumma andringitraense, Calumma furcifer, Calumma gallus, Calumma glawi, Calumma globifer, Calumma hilleniusi, Calumma vencesi, Calumma vohibola, Furcifer balteatus, Furcifer minor, Furcifer nicosiai, Kinyongia magomberae, Kinyongia matschiei, Kinyongia multituberculata, Kinyongia tenuis, Kinyongia vosseleri, Nadzikambia mlanjensis, Rhampholeon platyceps, Rhampholeon spinosus, Rhampholeon temporalis, Rhampholeon viridis and Trioceros laterispinis.
- 61% of Rhampholeon spp. are threatened, but the genus is not CITES listed! Of the 18 currently recognized species of Rhampholeon, 11 are threatened (i.e., Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable), including four (4) of the nine (9) chameleon species listed as CR. Unfortunately, with the exception of Rhampholeon spinosus (which is listed under its previous taxonomy; more here), Rhampholeon spp. are not currently listed on any appendix of CITES, an international agreement establishing a permit system to control and monitor international trade to protect against over-exploitation. Some of these threatened Rhampholeon spp., however, are currently being harvested heavily for the pet trade.
- Ten (10) chameleon species have been assessed as Data Deficient (DD). Species assessed as DD lack sufficient information to make a direct, or indirect, assessment of their risk of extinction based on their distribution and/or population status. As a result, the conservation status of these species is still unknown. The chameleon species assessed as DD are: Brookesia lambertoni, Calumma fallax, Calumma vatosoa, Chamaeleo necasi, Furcifer tuzetae, Kinyongia gyrolepis, Trioceros kinetensis, Trioceros ntunte, Trioceros schoutedeni, and Trioceros widersheimi.
- IUCN Red List assessments of 16 chameleon species are currently listed as Not Evaluated (NE). IUCN Red List assessments for 184 out of 200 currently recognized chameleon species are currently published on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species website, leaving 16 remaining unpublished. These assessments are currently in process and under external review, and should be published in the near future. Species currently listed as NE are: Bradypodion atromontanum, B. caeruleogula, B. damaranum, B. gutturale, B. kentanicum, B. melanocephalum, B. ngomeense, B. occidentale, B. pumilum, Calumma linotum, Chamaeleo anchietae, Trioceros oweni, T. perreti, T. pfefferi, T. quadricornis, and T. serratus.
- Nine (9) species of chameleon are considered Critically Endangered (CR)! The Red List Category of CR is one step removed from Extinct in the Wild (EW) and then Extinct (EX). These species are considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild, and are in immediate need of conservation action. The chameleon species assessed as CR are: Brookesia bonsi, Brookesia desperate, Calumma hafahafa, Calumma tarzan, Furcifer belalandaensis, Rhampholeon acuminatus, Rhampholeon bruessoworum, Rhampholeon chapmanorum, and Rhampholeon tilburyi.
- There are 37 species of chameleon that have been assessed as Endangered (EN). Species assessed as EN are considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. The chameleon species assessed as EN are: Archaius tigris, Bradypodion caffer, Bradypodion taeniabronchum, Brookesia bekolosy, Brookesia decaryi, Brookesia dentata, Brookesia exarmata, Brookesia karchei, Brookesia lineata, Brookesia minima, Brookesia perarmata, Brookesia peyrierasi, Brookesia ramanantsoai, Brookesia tristis, Brookesia valerieae, Calumma andringitraense, Calumma furcifer, Calumma gallus, Calumma glawi, Calumma globifer, Calumma hilleniusi, Calumma vencesi, Calumma vohibola, Furcifer balteatus, Furcifer minor, Furcifer nicosiai, Kinyongia magomberae, Kinyongia matschiei, Kinyongia multituberculata, Kinyongia tenuis, Kinyongia vosseleri, Nadzikambia mlanjensis, Rhampholeon platyceps, Rhampholeon spinosus, Rhampholeon temporalis, Rhampholeon viridis and Trioceros laterispinis.
- 61% of Rhampholeon spp. are threatened, but the genus is not CITES listed! Of the 18 currently recognized species of Rhampholeon, 11 are threatened (i.e., Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable), including four (4) of the nine (9) chameleon species listed as CR. Unfortunately, with the exception of Rhampholeon spinosus (which is listed under its previous taxonomy; more here), Rhampholeon spp. are not currently listed on any appendix of CITES, an international agreement establishing a permit system to control and monitor international trade to protect against over-exploitation. Some of these threatened Rhampholeon spp., however, are currently being harvested heavily for the pet trade.
- Ten (10) chameleon species have been assessed as Data Deficient (DD). Species assessed as DD lack sufficient information to make a direct, or indirect, assessment of their risk of extinction based on their distribution and/or population status. As a result, the conservation status of these species is still unknown. The chameleon species assessed as DD are: Brookesia lambertoni, Calumma fallax, Calumma vatosoa, Chamaeleo necasi, Furcifer tuzetae, Kinyongia gyrolepis, Trioceros kinetensis, Trioceros ntunte, Trioceros schoutedeni, and Trioceros widersheimi.
- IUCN Red List assessments of 16 chameleon species are currently listed as Not Evaluated (NE). IUCN Red List assessments for 184 out of 200 currently recognized chameleon species are currently published on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species website, leaving 16 remaining unpublished. These assessments are currently in process and under external review, and should be published in the near future. Species currently listed as NE are: Bradypodion atromontanum, B. caeruleogula, B. damaranum, B. gutturale, B. kentanicum, B. melanocephalum, B. ngomeense, B. occidentale, B. pumilum, Calumma linotum, Chamaeleo anchietae, Trioceros oweni, T. perreti, T. pfefferi, T. quadricornis, and T. serratus.
The specific criteria by which each species was assessed to their respective Red List Category is provided in the individual assessments under the “Assessment Information” section and is outlined in the IUCN Categories & Criteria (version 3.1). There is also quite a bit of information on the distribution and conservation status of each species in their respective assessments. I definitely encourage people to look over them and educate themselves about the conservation status of these animals!
Obviously these assessments show that there is a lot of work that needs to be done to conserve chameleons in the wild. The CSG will be announcing its first efforts to address specific conservation needs illuminated by these assessments later today. I will be sure to post a thread on this and how everyone can help make it happen as soon as the effort goes live.
Chris
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