In Fall 2011, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) Anoline Lizard Specialist Group (ALSG) was approved. The group had a good run for several years before entering a period of inactivity. At present, all IUCN activity pertaining to anoles goes through the IUCN Snake and Lizard Red List Authority, rather than an anole-specific IUCN Specialist Group.
Luke Mahler said it well back in his 2012 Anole Annals post:
Anoles are well-known for a lot of reasons, but conservation is not one of them.
Unfortunately – and despite the deep appreciation and fascination many of us have with anoles – anole conservation still seems to be on the backburner. This does not stem from a lack of caring, but rather from a lack of time. With over 380 anole species described, the lack of an Anoline Lizard SG gives the impression that anole biologists do not care about their conservation. I know this is not true and I am therefore in the process of gauging interest in re-establishing an IUCN SSC Specialist Group that would develop conservation, science, and outreach activities to facilitate the survival of wild anoles in their natural habitats.
Please fill out this short Google form if you have any interest in helping re-establish the IUCN SSC Anoline Lizard Specialist Group.
I would like to underscore that when the ALSG was active, anole biologists contributed to many anole Red List assessments and other important conservation actions for numerous anole species. This was a major improvement compared to what little had been done for anole conservation prior to the establishment of the ALSG. The initial establishment of the ALSG was a huge step in the right direction, but we have to keep going. There remains plenty of action to be taken to conserve anoles, particularly anoles that are comparatively understudied, occur at low densities, have small or restricted distributions, or are actively facing habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation (and more). Re-establishing the IUCN SSC ALSG will give us a platform through which to build an anole conservation network as we work to improve anole conservation efforts globally.
I would also like to emphasize that our work will not stop at simply re-establishing the SG. We will need to develop goals and objectives for the group and find ways to reach these goals – all in an effort to promote and improve anole conservation. As you all know, there are a lot of anoles species and therefore, we need a lot of people on board!
Please feel free to reach out to me at anna.thonis@stonybrook.edu with any questions you may have.
I am hopeful and excited to talk with many of you about how we can develop a thriving and active ALSG in the near future!
All the best,
Anna Thonis
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Shah Khalid
Hi
I am interested in herpetology, and I am a researcher of wild lizards In Pakistan.