Threatened species of Reptiles

Visualization of narrower problems
Name(s): 
Reptilia at risk of extinction
Endangered species of reptiles
Nature 

Due primarily to the impact of man on the natural environment, whether directly or indirectly, many of the 5,000 species of reptiles are in danger of extinction.

Background 

All members of the group called the Reptilia, except for the anapsids (turtles and their ilk), and a few extinct groups, are diapsids. The word diapsid refers to the presence of two openings on each side of the skull. In evolutionary biology, even the birds are considered diapsids (and hence reptiles), because they are descended from diapsid dinosaurs and ancestrally have the paired skull openings along with other physical characteristics that unite them with diapsids.

Type 
(D) Detailed problems