Announcing: Herpetological Conservation International

Los Angeles, CA, April 11, 2015 --(PR.com)-- According to the International Union for Conservation (IUCN) Twenty-one percent of the reptile species they have conducted population censuses on are threatened with extinction. That is 927 species threatened, of which 689 are critically endangered and only 4,414 species have been evaluated so far. There are approximately 10,000 species of reptiles on earth and with each new study, researchers are finding more and more species in peril.

With these startling numbers you would think an army would be out there fighting, but sadly there is not. Maybe it's due to reptile and amphibians lack of ability for facial expressions, or years of bad press, or a long held cultural insensitivity to their existence. What ever the cause, herpetofauna is only a small fraction of all conservation efforts, despite it's tremendous need. This is not to negate the few groups that are conserving herpetofauna, as they are doing some fantastic work, but so much more needs to be done. Today we are proud to announce another name in the fight to conserve reptile and amphibians.

Made up of passionate herpetologists, reptile enthusiasts and wildlife filmmakers they are focused solely on coming to the aid of endangered reptiles around the globe through habitat preservation, restoration, and research.

They call themselves HCI- Herpetological Conservation International.

It took a year of paperwork and careful planning, and the group is getting close to unveil some of their ambitious plans. One of the big goals of HCI is to find species at risk of extinction that occupy smaller ranges, where a large portion of said range could be set aside through private land purchasing.

(HCI has one such project in development with this focus and plan to unveil it shortly, after a series of important meetings is completed. Stay tuned for some exciting developments.)

Devon Massyn, conservationist and group CFO, explained the group’s strategic philosophy by stating, "There is no point creating awareness, or stopping poachers or conserving a species if its habitat no longer exists. There are numerous species that have an entire distribution the size of your neighborhood... and if we can take control of this habitat, we can control the outcome of that species’ survival. That's our goal... to purchase entire habitats of critically endangered reptiles before someone destroys it for good. No amount of money and no amount of man can bring back to life what’s gone and done.”

"We have some really awesome plans in the works with protecting a species with a very limited distribution. I wish we could say more, but I will add that our focus species will be likely extinct in the near future if action is not taken in the next decade. The pressure is definitely on to act and act fast,” adds Anza Borrego State Biologist and HCI Chief Ecologist Bruce Edley.

Head of Public Outreach and Membership Rebecca Clarkson sums it up as a need for action, “It’s one thing to talk conservation, but conservation is a verb, it’s a call to action. We all share a hand in these animals’ futures, whether that be in our own idle inactivity or our active efforts to try and benefit them so they live on for generations to come."

To find out more and how you can join this cause please like the page on facebook (https://www.facebook.com/herpconservation) or go to the website (www.herpconservation.org). Thank you for your time. We look forward to fighting this problem together.

Herpetological Conservation International