Dr Jeff Streicher, the Senior Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles at the Museum, says, 'Big charismatic fauna like the Komodo dragon catch everyone's eyes, but the sad reality is that climate change is affecting to every species. The dragon's movement is related to the loss of habitat, and, sadly, to the loss of our ability to understand everything else that lives in that habitat. The Komodo dragon is also under threat from habitat destruction and invasive species.
While rising sea levels are of particular concern to conservationists, a variety of other factors threaten the Komodo dragon, too. While much of the species's remaining habitat is protected within the Komodo National Park, where populations are thought to be stable, unprotected populations on the nearby Flores, where over half the dragons' occupied habitat lies, are described as being at 'ongoing risk'.
Human activity is having a particular impact, with island hunters often competing with the dragons for the same prey. Meanwhile, the reptiles' preferred habitat is being destroyed as farmland encroaches into the forests and savannah, with dragons and farmers coming into conflict. There is also a 'medium risk' for those dragons living on Flores, as individuals are being taken for the illegal trade for pets and zoos. Finally, the threat posed by invasive species including cats, dogs and toads is being investigated as another factor potentially affecting Komodo dragons on the island as these invasive species prey on young lizards.
In addition to the risk of extinction from external sources, the fragmented nature of the populations also poses a genetic risk to the species. Gene flow between different groups of dragons is very low, with the separate populations rapidly becoming genetically divergent from one another. A lack of genetic diversity can make populations vulnerable to disease, though there is no indication of such a threat to the species at present.
The divergence between the two groups - the north Flores and the Komodo National Park dragons - is so large that it has even led the authors of the IUCN's report into the Komodo dragon to recommend managed the two populations separately with a view to conservation. More research is required to understand how the reptiles will fare under the effects of climate change.
While efforts to understand the impact climate change will have on the dragons continue, breeding programmes in both the national park and zoos around the world work to maintain the species. On the ground, groups such as the Komodo Survival Program work to find solutions so that humans and dragons can coexist, while the Indonesian government has moved to restrict tourism to Komodo.
With the dragons now listed as Endangered, the race is on for further actions to change the species's fate. The review of the tuna covered the seven most commercially fished species, with four species showing sign of recovery: Atlantic bluefin tuna Endangered to Least Concern , Southern bluefin tuna Critically Endangered to Endangered , albacore and yellowfin tunas both Near Threatened to Least Concern.
Tuna species migrate across thousands of kilometres, so coordinating their management globally is also key. Experts from all over the world will discuss all of those questions with strong scientific evidence. This risk is based on a study published in July Using modelling and spatial analysis, the study analysed the correlation between subsequent sea-level rise and the komodo dragon habitat.
These are predictions. What if the effects of global warming can be reduced drastically? These questions still need to be further investigated. We know komodo dragons actively move on hills. This species is also an excellent swimmer; they can even swim between islands. The komodo dragons are also capable of diving up to 4. Currently, there are 3, komodo dragons, of which 1, are adults. This status is one category away from Extinct in the Wild.
Their small size of population, less prey deer and higher inbreeding factors lead them to be on the brink.
We have to learn from Padar Island case, where once deer were overhunted and followed by the extinction of its Komodo's population. Fortunately, after 30 years, with a better protection from KNP authority has made deer population on Padar fully recovered and Komodo dragon started to naturally recolonized Padar Island again in Komodo dragon population on Padar Island is now slowly recovered.
In the other side, even though Komodo dragon population in Flores protected areas i. First factor is the overhunting of deer, slash-and-burn agricultural method, and high competition with feral dogs which were introduced by human, whose settlements are present side by side with Komodo's habitat. These factors lead a decrease and cornered Komodo population, and impact on livestock depredation and conflict with human is unavoidable.
Auffenberg, W. The Behavioural Ecology of the Komodo Monitor. Gainesville: University Presses of Florida. Ciofi, C. De Boer. Distribution and conservation of the Komodo monitor Varanus komodoensis. Herpetological Journal 14 : Jessop, T.
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