More than half of turtles and crocodiles are at risk of extinction according to the first major global assessment of the world's so-called cold-blooded creatures.
Catastrophic declines in biodiversity across the world are seen as a threat to life on Earth and as important as the interrelated menace of climate change.
There have been threats made to other creatures. More than 40 percent of animals and 13 percent of birds are at risk of extinction.
Researchers did not have a picture of the proportion of lizards at risk.
The assessment of 10,196 reptile species was published in the journal Nature.
They found that 21 percent of the people were either vulnerable or critically vulnerable.
Neil Cox, the co-author of the study, said it was overwhelming the number of species that they saw as being threatened.
Now that we know the threats facing each reptile species, the global community can take the next step.
Around 58 percent and 50 percent of crocodiles and turtles were found to be under threat, making them the most at-risk species.
Cox said it was often down to over-exploitation and persecution.
He said that crocodiles are killed for their meat and that turtles are used for traditional medicine.
The king cobra is the largest venomous snake in the world. It can grow to five meters long and can be found in forests across a huge area from India to Southeast Asia.
Cox said at a press briefing that it is very close to extinction and has been classified as vulnerable.
He said that the snake was an icon in Asia and that it was a shame that it was suffering and in decline.
Bruce Young, chief zoologist at NatureServe, who co-led the study, said threatened reptiles were mostly found in Southeast Asia.
The researchers found that lizards restricted to arid habitats are less threatened than those in forest habitats.
Agriculture, logging, Invasive species and urban development are some of the threats to reptiles.
Climate change poses a direct threat to some 10 percent of reptile species, but it does not take into account long-term threats like sea level rise or disease, so it is likely an underestimate, according to researchers.
The researchers were surprised to find that reptile's have benefited from the same kind of conservativism as mammals, birds, and Amphibians.
The reptile assessment took 15 years to complete because of a lack of funding.
Many people thinktiles are not charismatic. He said that there has been a lot more focus on some of the more furry or feathery species.
The new assessment will help spur international action.
A key milestone of 30 percent of Earth's surface will be protected by the year 2030.
We advertise the importance of these creatures through work like this. Young said that they are part of the tree of life and deserving of attention.
Agence France-Presse
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