Herpetology

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) works to save reptiles and amphibians in a variety of habitats throughout the world. Representing some of the most endangered animals on earth, many species have suffered drastic declines due to habitat loss and poaching. WCS, with its unmatched staff expertise and network of field programs, is the first major conservation organization to develop an initiative that focuses on reptiles and amphibians.

The Field Herpetological Conservation Program concentrates on several priority themes: recovery efforts for highly threatened species, understanding the impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation, determining the effects of hunting on wild populations, and captive breeding to supplement wild populations.

Amphibians in Decline
Because of their sensitivity to environmental degradation, frogs and salamanders are the ultimate “canaries in the coal mine,” providing an early warning of troublesome changes in habitat. Currently, many of these species are in decline worldwide — particularly frogs — though the exact causes remain uncertain. To better understand the reason for this downturn, WCS is currently conducting surveys of amphibian populations in North America, Africa, Latin America and Asia. WCS's work ranges from studies of the effects of urban sprawl on amphibians in North America, to the monitoring of frogs in the pristine mountain habitats of Papua New Guinea.

Turtles — The Ancient Survivors
Well over 100 of the world’s 260 species of turtles are in decline due to a variety of reasons. Their slow growth rates, and tendency to reach sexual maturity late in life, make them particularly vulnerable to overexploitation. WCS is recognized worldwide as a leader in turtle conservation action. The Turtle Recovery Program (TRP), based at WCS, funds high-priority conservation efforts globally. Over the last six years, the TRP has successfully implemented over 50 conservation projects, resulting in creation of new sanctuaries and reserves, curbing international trade of turtles, and captive breeding. Much of WCS's work with turtles has focused on the ecology of wild turtles, and understanding the impact of human exploitation. WCS has completed numerous surveys on turtles in countries including Egypt, Myanmar, India, Madagascar, Tazania and Latin America.

WCS is looking to increase its involvement in key turtle conservation issues — particularly in southeast Asia and southern China, where an exploding demand of turtles for food is rapidly strip-mining entire populations. In 1999, WCS, WWF-US and TRAFFIC organized a regional workshop in Cambodia to bring together experts from southern Asia to discuss the disastrous impacts of widespread commercial trade on turtles, and to seek solutions to this growing problem.

Crocodilians — Our Living Dinosaurs
Over the last 30 years, WCS has been the most active conservation organization supporting research and conservation for 16 of the 23 species of crocodiles and alligators (known collectively as "crocodilians"). Crocodilians are restricted to tropical and sub-tropical aquatic habitats and are among the largest, the most behaviorally complex, and most notorious of reptiles. While some species are known to attack man, the vast majority are shy, retiring creatures that play an important ecological role as top predators in their ecosystems. They have long been hunted for their skins, and in the past, unsustainable levels of hunting have drastically reduced populations of most species. However, due to fast rates of reproduction, some species can recover in a relatively short period if populations and their habitat are suitably protected. Nevertheless, for certain species the combination of hunting and habitat loss has created a grave problem.

As with turtles, WCS focuses on basic ecological studies, including how human-use of crocodilians affect populations, and the development of recovery programs. Currently, the three most endangered crocodilian species are found in Asia, and WCS is carrying out important conservation work on all three. Projects include work in China, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines. WCS is currently, or has worked in, Venezuela, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Belize, Cuba, Brazil, and Congo on projects related to protecting the crocodile.