Globally Extinct: Reptiles
According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (version 2011.1) there are 21 reptile species and 1 reptile subspecies that became extinct in recent years. The subjoined list contains 28 extinct reptile species and 5 reptile subspecies.
Photo: A preserved specimen of the Rodrigues Day Gecko (Phelsuma edwardnewtoni). Photographed by Jurriaan Schulman. This image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. A full resolution version can be found at Wikimedia Commons.
Do you know any species or subspecies that should be added to this list or has been rediscoverd? If so, please contact this website.
Lizards
The subjoined table shows the lizard species and subspecies that recently became globally extinct.
| Species (13) | |||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TSEW Status | IUCN Status |
| Ameiva cineracea | Unknown (from Guadeloupe) | EX | EX |
| Ameiva major | Martinique Giant Ameive | EX | EX |
| Celestus occiduus | Jamaican Giant Galliwasp | EX | EX |
| Cyclura onchiopsis | Navassa Island Iguana | EX | EX |
| Hoplodactylus delcourti | Kawekaweau | EX | EX |
| Leiocephalus eremitus | Unknown (from the United States) | EX | EX |
| Leiocephalus herminieri | Martinique Lizard | EX | EX |
| Leiolopisma mauritiana | Unknown (from Mauritius) | EX | EX |
| Macroscincus coctei | Cape Verde Giant Skink | EX | EX |
| Phelsuma edwardnewtoni | Rodrigues Day Gecko | EX | NE |
| Phelsuma gigas | Rodrigues Giant Gecko | EX | EX |
| Tachygia microlepis | Tonga Ground Skink | EX | EX |
| Tetradactylus eastwoodae | Eastwood's Longtailed Seps | EX | EX |
| Subspecies (3) | |||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TSEW Status | IUCN Status |
| Gallotia simonyi simonyi | Roque Chico de Salmor Giant Lizard | EX | NE |
| Podarcis lilfordi rodriquezi | Ratas Island lizard | EX | NE |
| Podarcis sicula sanctistephani | Santo Stefano lizard | EX | NE |
Snakes
The subjoined table shows the snake species and subspecies that recently became globally extinct.
| Species (5) | |||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TSEW Status | IUCN Status |
| Alsophis sanctaecrucis | Saint Croix Racer | EX | EX |
| Austrotyphlops batillus | Waite’s Blind Snake | EX | NE |
| Bolyeria multocarinata | Round Island Burrowing Boa | EX | EX |
| Tropidophis bucculentus | Navassa Island Dwarf Boa | EX | NE |
| Typhlops cariei | Unknown (from Mauritius) | EX | EX |
| Subspecies (1) | |||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TSEW Status | IUCN Status |
| Farancia erytrogramma seminola | South Florida Rainbow Snake | EX | NE |
Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins
The subjoined table shows the turtle, tortoise and terrapin species and subspecies that recently became globally extinct. At least one other species of Galapagos Giant Tortoise will become extinct this century, because there is only 1 specimen left in captivity. The scientific name of this species is called: Chelonoidis abingdoni. This Abingdon Island Tortoise or Pinta Island Tortoise is the very last of his kind and is named Lonesome George. George is now living at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz. Reptiles have suffered (and still do) from destruction of their habitat, hunting and the introduction of cats, dogs and mongooses on their islands by humans.
| Species (10) | |||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TSEW Status | IUCN Status |
| Cylindraspis indica | Réunion Tortoise | EX | EX |
| Cylindraspis inepta | Mauritius Domed Tortoise | EX | EX |
| Cylindraspis peltastes | Rodrigues Domed Tortoise | EX | EX |
| Cylindraspis triserrata | Mauritius Saddle-backed Tortoise | EX | EX |
| Cylindraspis vosmaeri | Rodrigues Saddle-backed Tortoise | EX | EX |
| Chelonoidis elephantopus | Floreana Island Tortoise | EX | EX |
| Chelonoidis phantastica | Fernandina Island Tortoise | EX | NE |
| Chelonoidis sp. undescribed | Rabida Island Tortoise | EX | NE |
| Chelonoidis sp. undescribed | Santa Fe Island Tortoise | EX | NE |
| Pelusios seychellensis | Seychelles Black Terrapin | EX | EX |
| Subspecies (1) | |||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TSEW Status | IUCN Status |
| Kinosternon hirtipes megacephalum | Viesca Mud Turtle | EX | NE |
References
Austin, J.J., Arnold, E.N. & Jones, C.G. (2004) Reconstructing an island radiation using ancient and recent DNA: the extinct and living day geckos (Phelsuma) of the Mascarene islands. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 31, 102–109.
David Day, 1981, The Doomsday Book of Animals, Ebury Press, London.
Egnatios-Beene, J. (2002). "Cyclura cornuta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed August 14, 2010 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cyclura_cornuta.html.
FLMNH (2010). Southern Florida Rainbow Snake. Division of Herpetology at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Downloaded on 14 August 2010 from http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl-guide/Faranciaeseminola.htm.
IUCN (2010). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 13 November 2010.
IUCN (2011). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 June 2011.
Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G., Márquez, C., Snell, H. L. (2011). CDF Checklist of Galapagos Reptiles - FCD Lista de especies de Reptiles de Galápagos. In: Bungartz, F., Herrera, H., Jaramillo, P., Tirado, N., Jímenez-Uzcategui, G., Ruiz, D., Guézou, A. & Ziemmeck, F. (eds.). Charles Darwin Foundation Galapagos Species Checklist - Lista de Especies de Galápagos de la Fundación Charles Darwin. Charles Darwin Foundation / Fundación Charles Darwin, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos: http://www.darwinfoundation.org/datazone/checklists/vertebrates/reptilia/. Last updated 07 Jul 2011.
Poulakakis, N., Glaberman, S., Russello, M., Beheregaray, L., Ciofi, C., Powell, J., Caccone, A.. (2008). Historical DNA analysis reveals living descendants of an extinct species of Galapagos tortoise. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105:15464-15469.
Powell, R. (1999). Herpetology of Navassa Island, West Indies. Caribbean Journal of Science 35:1–13.
Van Dijk, P.P., Hammerson, G., Vazquez Diaz, J., Quintero Diaz, G.E., Santos, G. & Flores-Villela, O. (2007). Kinosternon hirtipes. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 14 August 2010.
| Citation: | Maas, P.H.J. (2011). Globally Extinct: Reptiles. In: TSEW (). The Sixth Extinction Website. <http://www.petermaas.nl/extinct>. Downloaded on . |
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| Updated: | 13 August 2011 |