Extinct Reptiles
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (version 2021-3) shows that at least 1841 of the 10148 reptile species on Earth are known to be threatened with extinction. That is roughly one in six of the total. According tot the IUCN, many species are very highly specialised in terms of habitat use and the climatic conditions they require for day to day functioning. This makes them particularly sensitive to environmental changes.
According to the IUCN at least 32 reptile species have become extinct since the year 1500. Besides that, 2 reptile species are considered extinct in the wild and survive only in captivity.
However, the real situation could be much worse, as 49 reptile species are listed as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) and 1489 reptile species as Data Deficient. As information improves, more reptiles may well prove to be in danger of extinction or already extinct.
Do you know any species or subspecies that should be added to this list or has been rediscovered? If so, please contact this website.

This Pinta Island Tortoise (Chelonoidis abingdonii), an individual called Lonesome George, died in 2012. Photographed in 2008 by Arturo de Frias Marques (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Species
The subjoined table shows the reptile species that recently became ‘globally extinct’ (EX).
Scientific Name | Common Name | Last sighting / EED [1] | IUCN status |
---|---|---|---|
Alinea luciae | Saint Lucia Skink | 1889 (pre-1937) | EX |
Bolyeria multocarinata | Round Island Burrowing Boa | 1975 | EX |
Borikenophis sanctaecrucis | Saint Croix Racer | 1859 | CR (PE) |
Celestus occiduus | Jamaican Giant Galliwasp | 1840 | EX |
Chelonoidis abingdoni | Abingdon Island Giant Tortoise | 24 June 2012 | EX |
Chelonoidis phantastica | Narborough Island Giant Tortoise | 1906 (1964?) | NE |
Chioninia coctei | Cape Verde Giant Skink | 1912 | EX |
Clelia errabunda | Underwood’s Mussurana | 1800s | EX |
Contomastix charrua | Charrúa Whiptail | 1977 | EX |
Copeoglossum redondae | Redonda Skink | 1863-1873 | EX |
Cyclura onchiopsis | Navassa Island Iguana | 1878 | EX |
Cylindraspis indica | Réunion Giant Tortoise | 1840s | EX |
Cylindraspis inepta | Mauritius Giant Domed Tortoise | 1735 | EX |
Cylindraspis peltastes | Rodrigues Domed Tortoise | 1795-1800 | EX |
Cylindraspis triserrata | Mauritius Giant Flat-shelled Tortoise | 1735 | EX |
Cylindraspis vosmaeri | Rodrigues Giant Saddleback Tortoise | 1795-1800 | EX |
Erythrolamprus perfuscus | Barbados Racer | 1963 | EX |
Hoplodactylus delcourti | Delcourt’s Giant Gecko (Kawekaweau) | 1870 | EX |
Leiocephalus cuneus | Antiguan Curlytail Lizard | After 1500 | EX |
Leiocephalus eremitus | Navassa Curlytail Lizard | Pre-1868 | EX |
Leiocephalus herminieri | Martinique Curlytail Lizard | 1837 | EX |
Leiolopisma ceciliae | Réunion Giant Skink | After 1500? | NE |
Leiolopisma mauritiana | Mauritian Giant Skink | Pre 1598 | EX |
Madatyphlops cariei | Hoffstetter’s Worm Snake | 1600s | EX |
Nactus soniae | Réunion Night-gecko | After 1500? | NE |
Phelsuma edwardnewtoni | Newton’s Day-gecko | 1917 | NE |
Phelsuma gigas | Rodrigues Giant Day-gecko | 1841-1842 | EX |
Pholidoscelis cineracea | Guadeloupe Ameive | 1914-1928 | EX |
Pholidoscelis major | Martinique Giant Ameive | 1960? | EX |
Tachygia microlepis | Tonga Ground Skink | 1827 | EX |
Tetradactylus eastwoodae | Eastwood’s Whip Lizard | 1912 or 1913 | EX |
Subspecies
The subjoined table shows the reptile subspecies that recently became ‘globally extinct’ (EX).
Scientific Name | Common Name | Last sighting / EED [1] | TSEW status | IUCN status |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aldabrachelys gigantea daudinii | Daudin’s Giant Tortoise | 1840s | EX | NE |
Gallotia simonyi simonyi | Roque Chico de Salmor Giant Lizard | 1940 | EX | NE |
Gongylomorphus bojerii bornonica | Réunion Slit-eared Skink | 1839 | EX | NE |
Kinosternon hirtipes megacephalum | Viesca Mud Turtle | 1970 | EX | NE |
Podarcis lilfordi rodriquezi | Ratas Island lizard | 1934-1936 | EX | NE |
Podarcis sicula sanctistephani | Santo Stefano lizard | 1965 | EX | NE |
- The Effective Extinction Date (EED) is the last reliable record of collection or observation.
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Turtle Taxonomy Working Group [van Dijk, P.P., Iverson, J.B., Shaffer, H.B., Bour, R., and Rhodin, A.G.J.]. (2011). Turtles of the world, 2011 update: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Pritchard, P.C.H., van Dijk, P.P., Saumure, R.A., Buhlmann, K.A., Iverson, J.B., and Mittermeier, R.A. (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs No. 5, pp. 000.165–000.242, doi:10.3854/crm.5.000.checklist.v4.2011, http://www.iucn–tftsg.org/cbftt/.
Uetz, P., Freed, P. & Hošek, J. (eds.) (2016). The Reptile Database. http://www.reptile-database.org, accessed 25 December 2016.
Maas, P.H.J. (2017). Extinct Reptiles. In: TSEW (2021). The Sixth Extinction. https://www.petermaas.nl/extinct.
22 October 2017