Ugly or biting people, many species of crocodiles and snakes are being left to go extinct, no one to preserve

In a new study published in the journal Nature, an international team of wildlife conservationists warns of a worrying reality in their work. Accordingly, up to a fifth of reptile species, including crocodiles and snakes, are being abandoned by animal conservation programs to the point of being threatened with extinction.

The reason is that there are too few people interested in these reptiles, they are both ugly and bite people, so they do not receive public sympathy. This makes it difficult to get funding for reptile conservation research and activities.

As a result, more than 1,800 species of them have fallen on the endangered list. 31 species have disappeared forever. Scientists suspect that there are snakes and crocodiles that became extinct before they were known to humans.

Ironically, this fact was warned too late. Because this study of the scientists was also delayed many times. The statistical work has lasted for 15 years but still not finished due to lack of funds.

 Up to a fifth of reptile species, including crocodiles and snakes, are endangered.

But better late than never, scientists have come up with several solutions to the problem. And they assert that reptiles, although ugly, are also animals that need to be preserved, because they have a very important role in the ecosystem.

Reptiles are considered ugly

While you're sitting in a warm blanket, petting your cat on a cold, windy, rainy day, the crocodiles just wish it were. But alas, they are a cold-blooded reptile, they do not have smooth fur like cats, instead have a rough and rough skin.

Crocodiles look both scary and obnoxious to our eyes. Stories, cartoons or circus acts always bring out crocodiles as a villain. In real life, crocodiles also attack and bite people. As a result, most people are content with the idea that they should be turned into purses and bags rather than being kept or worthy of conservation.

The same story happens with snakes. Snakes are even at the top of the list of human's internal fears. You may not be afraid of heights, not afraid of sharp objects, not afraid of public speaking. but perhaps you are afraid of snakes.

So, if an animal charity came to your house right now and asked you to donate $1 for snake conservation, the question you would ask them is: "Why? Why save animals? That's scary? I don't want snakes crawling into my house. If I find a snake in my garden, I'll kill it, to protect my children."

And that's how humans have put the cobra in India and Southeast Asia on the endangered species list.

"The cobra is a truly iconic snake in Asia. So it's a shame that even common reptiles like the cobra are suffering in decline," said Neil Cox, director According to the International Biodiversity Conservation Assessment Unit at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (UICN).

Cobras are listed as endangered reptiles.

Cobras are clearly not the only reptiles to be abandoned. For his study, Cox surveyed a total of 10,196 reptile species to evaluate them using criteria from the IUCN Red List.

The results show that at least 1,829 species, or 21%, are in vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered groups. The crocodile subspecies are the most threatened, with 58% of all crocodile species found in this group.

"It's the result of abuse and over-exploitation," Cox said. Crocodiles have traditionally been killed for their meat and skin, he said. People also don't want crocodiles in their settlements. Therefore, they actively eliminate alligators.

Snakes are often killed in human agricultural areas. Logging activities and urban development are also considered as one of the threats to the survival of terrestrial reptiles.

Meanwhile, aquatic species are affected by human sand mining. Many reptiles need sand to lay eggs. Humans have robbed them of those sands to make glass, cement and runways.

Up to 90% of threats to reptile survival are from humans. Climate change followed by only 10%. In addition, when comparing reptiles with birds or mammals facing the same threats, Cox found that reptiles were consistently more at risk of extinction.

Aquatic species affected by human sand mining.

"For a lot of people, reptiles don't have charisma," he said. "Humans don't like to live near reptiles because they can be dangerous."

But we need to know that reptiles play an important role in the ecosystem

Before humans appeared on Earth millions of years ago, reptiles were the real masters of the planet. The earliest ancient reptiles appeared in coniferous rainforests 312 million years ago. And as we know it today, dinosaurs are also classified as reptiles.

Although many reptiles have gone extinct in the past, this group of animals is still the most numerous of all terrestrial vertebrates today. They play a huge role in ecosystems and are an important part of the food chain on the planet.

Reptiles are mostly carnivores.

Reptiles are mostly carnivores, so they have the task of controlling other species that are their prey. For example, some species of cobra in India actually control disease-carrying rats.

The presence of cobras - even in the city center - has the effect of reducing disease and the usefulness can outweigh their danger.

Some reptiles like lizards can help control insects that damage crops. Meanwhile, crocodiles and alligators are helping control fish species in coastal areas and wetlands. We need crocodiles to maintain the health of aquatic ecosystems, allowing aquatic and aquatic species to thrive.

In contrast, reptiles also act as prey for other animals. Especially their eggs and young are often hunted by large fish, large birds, bears and big cats. Even adult crocodiles have to prey on leopards, tigers and lions.

Some herbivorous reptiles even help disperse seeds and pollinate plants. Carcass-eating reptiles clean up the environment and thus limit the growth of pathogens produced by carcasses.

With their flexible position in the food chain, reptiles not only help control and reduce the numbers of some species, they also help many others thrive.

For humans, reptiles such as snakes or crocodiles are often considered dangerous animals. They still kill people from time to time. But on the contrary, few people know that reptiles can also save many lives.

For example, scientists have used snake venom to develop a number of drugs to treat high blood pressure, heart failure and heart attacks. Komodo dragon venom has anticoagulant properties that can be used to treat stroke or pulmonary embolism.

So how to conserve reptiles?

In their study, Cox and colleagues point to a bright spot. Although the number of true reptile conservation programs underway is indeed small, reptiles have benefited greatly from mammal, bird, and amphibian conservation efforts.

That's because conservation in general also helps to preserve the organisms' common habitat. Many amphibians are also prey for reptiles, so conserving them is also preserving the food source of these creatures.

Reptiles still benefit from mammal conservation efforts

"If you have programs and projects aimed at conserving birds, mammals, and amphibians, in a place where they live together, you're also protecting many reptiles there, even although the effect was accidental," said study co-author Bruce Young.
It also shows that if wildlife conservation agencies and national governments were more concerned with reptiles, efforts to protect them could successfully reverse the damage we've done.

For example, about 50 years ago, crocodile hunters nearly wiped out this native species from the southeastern states of the United States. But by 1967, when the government banned alligator hunting, the reptile population had recovered so much that some states in the US now consider alligators a nuisance. They have to set up a hotline for people to call whenever crocodiles enter the garden or home.

Amid these conflicting currents, however, the research by Cox and colleagues still highlights one thing, that our thinking about reptiles needs to change. We need to have a fairer view in the conservation of these species.

It's not just because they're ugly that reptiles don't play important roles in the health of our ecosystems and ourselves. In fact, reptiles are a big branch of the tree of life, and they deserve to be protected in the same way we protect other living things.