National Reptile Awareness Day: The Importance of Reptiles
National Reptile Awareness Day is celebrated on 21 October with the deep intention to upraise awareness and enlighten us about the standing value of reptiles to our planet. Reptiles are cold-blooded creatures with scales or scutes of amniote species. Around the world, there are about 10,000 reptile species, and the turtles, tuatara, lizards, snakes, and crocodiles are in major.
If we take a glance at the history of reptiles, we have to get hundreds of millions of years back. About 315 million years ago, during the epoch of prehistoric reptiles evolve and it is believed that reptiles evolved from the amphibian species. The period of 65 million years is thought to be the end of the age of reptiles and the beginning of the age of mammals. Despite these, reptile species survived and though converted to smaller sizes with time.
Considering the protagonist of reptiles in the ecosystem is ceaseless. This vital species in the food chain sometimes act as prey or sometimes as predators. Moreover, it is also a pollinator and pest controller. In agriculture, some insects and rodents can critically damage crops and also spread detrimental diseases. In these reptiles is the major support to control pests, rodents, and the spreading of disease.
In any ecosystem, it is necessary to be in balance. Overgrowth of anything can be harmful to other species and the whole ecosystem as well. In terms of wetland and coastal ecosystems, the presence of reptile species benefits to control the overpopulation of fish species and assist to keep them neutral. Another benefit that we receive from reptiles is a clean and well-balanced environment as the dead animals are eaten by reptiles. Reptiles are also preyed on by other animals.
The worse reality now is that global issues like global warming, destruction of habitats, abundant toxins, wildfires, and diseases are making them endangered and extinct as well. According to IUCN’s Red List, worldwide, around 20% of evaluated reptiles are susceptible to extinction. Too, the turtles are in the most terrible situation as nearly 61% of the world’s turtles are threatened or already extinct.
Loggerhead Sea Turtle, one of the most famous turtles is now declared endangered due to bycatch in fishing nets. Also, this species almost lost its nesting habitats. Another reptile species, Madagascar big-headed turtle is critically endangered and the world’s most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered (EDGE) reptile with the highest score of any terrestrial vertebrate.
Now the world’s people are interconnected and anyone can be a part of the reptile awareness activities and can be an envoy of reptile conservation. Donating to a reptile conservation organization that advocates an awareness-raising campaign, visiting a nearby national park, and promoting to preserve their natural habitats, helps researchers to identify the reptiles by using Audubon Reptiles & Amphibians app can be a kick-start for any citizens of this global environment.
