Nearly one fifth of reptiles faces extinction, experts warn

Almost one in five reptiles is facing extinction, experts have warned.

The first global assessment of its kind of reptile species, which include crocodiles, lizards, snakes, tortoises and turtles, estimated that 19% of them are struggling to survive.

Of those under threat, 12% are considered to be critically endangered, meaning they are at the highest risk of extinction, 41% are endangered and 47% vulnerable to going extinct, the study in the journal Conservation Biology said.