One in five reptiles faces extinction in what would be a ‘devastating’ blow

Cope's least gecko (Sphaerodactylus copei), a lizard endemic to the Caribbean, is near-threatened, with logging causing a loss of habitat. Photograph: Blair Hedges/IUCN

More than a fifth of all reptile species are threatened with extinction, which could have a “devastating” impact on the planet, a new study warns.

The largest ever analysis of the state of the world’s reptiles, published in Nature, found that 21% of reptile species are facing extinction. From lizards to snakes, such a loss could have disastrous impacts on ecosystems around the world, the study says.