Originally published by Nature on September 14th, 2026.
Excerpt
One in five reptile species and two in five amphibian species are threatened with extinction1,2, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In Central America, for instance, numbers of variable harlequin frogs (Atelopus varius) have fallen by more than 80% since the 1980s. In the Seychelles, the population of giant bronze geckos (Ailuronyx trachygaster) has dropped to an estimated few thousand individuals, with the species occupying an area of less than 10 square kilometres. Habitat loss, invasive species, disease and climate change are mainly to blame. But another factor is on the rise and must be tackled urgently: the global pet trade.