As we go to the press with The Tortoise, our 11th issue of our annual magazine, an important report came out in The New York Times on the plight of reptiles titled, “From Tiny Geckos to King Cobras, 20% of Reptiles Face Extinction Risk.”

The assessment included 52 authors with contributions from more than 900 experts around the world - taking more than 15 years to complete. In the past year, the Komodo Dragon, the largest lizard on Earth, was classified as Endangered due to the effects of climate change. Out of all the Linnean orders of reptiles, turtles and tortoises have the unfortunate distinction of being the most endangered group. Alongside primates, they may in fact be the most endangered vertebrates on the planet. Sobering news to say the least.

This doom and gloom report was originally published in the prestigious journal Nature, which studied the intense human pressures facing our planet - namely deforestation, agriculture, housing developments, poaching, and climate change. We are experiencing a man-made extinction crisis, known to scholars as the Anthropocene (the Age of Man) beginning from the Industrial Revolution. These impending threats are taking us down a game of chicken with Mother Nature.

As Musk and Bezos continue to look to the stars, I hope you join me in looking at the beauty of the world around you. But where should you prioritize between endangered elephants, forests, oceans or turtles?

To quote Mr. Ted Turner - “Save Everything.”

Eric Goode
Turtle Conservancy CEO & President