Publications

Reptiles are conspicuously absent from the list of taxa that have been comprehensively assessed worldwide for extinction risk through the IUCN Red Listing process. Unassessed species are frequently overlooked in conservation planning exercises, and often ineligible for international assistance for conservation efforts. Although most North American reptiles have been assessed, there are big gaps for the diverse Latin American fauna. To begin to rectify the situation, a group consisting of NatureServe, Universidad de Costa Rica, Organization for Tropical Studies, IUCN, Fundazoo, CBSG Mesoamerica, and independent scientists co-convened a workshop to complete Red List assessments for Central American squamates. The goal was to review existing and create new Red List assessments for all species of Central American squamates, including threat category assignment, the compilation of supporting data, and the creation of range maps.