The report on the state of nature of the Marag points to a deterioration in the condition of reptiles in Israel. Who are the endangered species, and how can the trend be changed before it is too late?
What do the medical hummet, the common land turtle and the loggerhead turtle have in common? All three species of reptiles are in danger of extinction in Israel. If about two decades ago we could still encounter a land turtle in the playground next to the house, today such encounters have become much rarer, and according to Report the weave (The National Program for the Assessment of the State of Nature) published last May, the condition of the reptiles in Israel continues to deteriorate. The report presents rather bleak findings: 58 percent of the abundance of reptiles in the sands of the Western Negev is on the decline, as are 48 percent of the reptiles in the loess plains in the northern Negev.
Reptiles have a pretty bad PR and not justifiably so, as they are quite fascinating creatures. For example, according to study Israeli Snakes and lizards whose diet is half vegetarian and whose body dimensions are large can reach an extreme age; One of the unique reptiles that live in Israel is the Mediterranean chameleon which replaces 12 models צבע To communicate with other chameleons in her environment, and in the world there are species whose bones glow with ultraviolet light. In general, reptiles have existed in our world for millions of years, with the earliest ones being recorded before About 350 million Year More precisely. at some point in their evolution they split up for two Groups, when one gave birth to the mammals and the other to the dinosaurs, the reptiles and the birds.
in Israel there is 88 sexual reptiles - A huge variety of species in relation to the area of the country. In the UK, for comparison, there is 6 Species only - and a large part of them is in danger. "The situation is alarming," says Prof. Shay Meiri from the School of Zoology at Tel Aviv University. "These days we are working together with the Nature and Parks Authority and other factors on updating the Red Book of reptiles in Israel, and although the assessments are not yet final, about half of the species in Israel are assessed as being in danger of extinction."
According to Meiri, the main species in the problem are the sand species such as Ishimoni avoid - a gecko that is distributed in the Samar sands of the Arabah, and the Hermon species such as the snakes the Hermon viper and the Shelvan Kolar. "Like them, the species Nunonin Be'er-Sheva, which is a lizard that lives in the Helles plains, and a lizard called Mebarit Passim, which is the most neglected species in terms of research and conservation, are in serious danger," he says.
The lizard that could disappear from the world
The only bright spot in the report regarding reptiles is an increase in the number of nests of the green and brown sea turtles that lay their eggs on our shores, and this thank you for my efforts the preservation of the National Center for the Rescue of Sea Turtles, which operates under the Nature and Parks Authority. "In Israel, conservation efforts focus only on flagship species - species for which it is easy to generate public awareness and which are often also large species such as the eagle and the donkey," says Meiri. "Sea turtles are also considered a flagship species, and among reptiles this is the only species that receives attention while other species that need protection are completely ignored."
As an example, Meiri gives the Be'er Sheva shnonit, which is endemic to our country - that is, it is not common in any other region of the world, and it is in serious danger of extinction. "Green and brown sea turtles, for example, are found in other regions of the world, but the Beer-Sheva shrew is only found in the Loess plains in the north of the Negev," he says. If this species becomes extinct in Israel, it will be impossible to try to restore the population by bringing individuals from other parts of the world as was done in other cases, for example when they brought eagles From Spain To strengthen the local population - because it only exists here. According to him, the disappearance of the wit is related to the development of the Hellas plains, such as the construction of parks, the establishment of the city of the Bahedim and the expansion of settlements; Until they become protected areas, the distribution of this species will continue to decrease to the point of extinction.
The disappearance of the wit is related to the development of the Helles Plains, such as the construction of parks, the establishment of the city of the Bahedim and the expansion of settlements. Shnonit Beer Sheva. Photo: Yonatan Ben Simon
To protect the species you have to think about them
"The sands of the Western Negev and the loess plains in the northern Negev are habitats that receive the worst protection in Israel in terms of their representation in reserves," says Meiri. According to him, one of the ways to deal with the situation is to turn more areas in Israel into nature reserves. "A nature reserve allows, for example, the protection of umbrella species - species that have extensive area requirements for habitat. "If you want to protect the wild boar, you have to protect a large area of natural woodland, and so do other species that live there receive protection," he explains. But even this, according to him, is not a perfect solution. "The Hermon, for example, was declared a nature reserve, and although the army cares about wildlife, first of all it is an IDF training area."
Apart from the establishment of more nature reserves, Meiri says efforts should be made to protect the species. "In the case of the Be'er Sheva and Hermon shnonit, perhaps it is possible to establish a breeding nucleus. We need to investigate whether this is a suitable solution for these species and budget for such a program accordingly.' As mentioned, the important thing we don't do is even think about these species. "Reptiles and their habitats should receive some kind of prioritization - and not focus on protecting only flagship species - especially because there are reptile species that are in serious danger of extinction and if we don't take care to protect them, they will disappear," he concludes.
The article was prepared by me angle - agency The news של the association the Israeli one for ecology and scientific הסביבה
More of the topic in Hayadan:
