Robert Thomson said that many habitats that have been critical areas for the evolution of turtles have disappeared and may shrink further within the next 100 years.
Other factors affecting their survival rates are the hunting of turtles for food and traditional medicine, and the heavy development of coastal and waterfront areas by humans that greatly reduced their habitats.
There are around 360 turtle species—a small number compared with amphibians (more than 8,200), mammals (6,400) and birds (10,000). About 60% of the world’s turtles are considered threatened or endangered, and that percentage is expected to rise.
“Turtles face a daunting future,” Thomson said. “The group contains relatively few species to begin with, and the majority of these are subject to serious conservation risk. As habitat loss, human exploitation of wild populations and climate change continue, this situation will become more dire.”