MASS COMMUNICATION ORGANIZATION OF THAILAND (Bangkok) 17 March 05 Decline in Thai reptile numbers could devastate ecosystem
Bangkok (TNA): The sharp decline in Thai reptile numbers caused by the illegal wildlife trade and the destruction of their natural habitat could have a devastating impact on the nation’s ecosystem, a leading biologist has warned.
In a recently published report, Dr. Wichet Khonsue from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Science points to a critical decline in the number of reptiles in Thailand, which houses over 130 reptile species.
He blames the decline on a number of factors, including the illegal trade in wildlife, in which villagers capture and sell the animals both to be raised as exotic pets and to be eaten.
Each year, he says, millions of reptiles fall victim to this trade, despite the fact that 10 species are officially protected under Thai legislation.
But the decline has also been occasioned by the destruction of the reptiles’ natural habitat, and the use of agricultural chemicals which get into the reptile food chain when insects – their natural prey - ingest pesticides.
Dr. Wichet warns that if the reptile population continues to drop, the population of insects which would, otherwise, be eaten by the reptiles would explode.
He also calls on the government to provide better funding for reptile research, noting that there are only a handful of Thai scientists with expertise in this area.
Decline in Thai reptile numbers could devastate ecosystem