Mad Science.
The latest cool reptile research from around the globe.
Publish at your peril; a plea for a scientific ‘code of
silence’.
Scientists publishing descriptions of new species may unwittingly be facilitating their demise by detailing information
concerning their location and habitat. This data is routinely included in species descriptions, and is obviously vital to
conservation and management, especially for rare or threatened species. But, in the case of animals that have some
commercial value, it can also by used be poachers to hone in on new targets. This presents a conundrum for scientists
that has been dubbed the ‘dual-use dilemma’.
Although not new, this debate has been highlighted recently by two Australian conservation biologists. Writing in the
journal Science, Benjamin Scheele and David Lindenmayer contend that although increased accessibility of informa-
tion in the digital age can deliver important benefits such as enhanced collaboration and management, this must be
balanced against potential negative impacts. Reptiles are particularly susceptible to lucrative poaching, and many new
species have been plundered literally months after the publication of their descriptions. For example, within a year of
publication of the paper heralding the discovery of the Borneo Earless Monitor (Lanthanotus borneensis, in 2012), the
species was found in private collections, despite a vague description of its whereabouts. The Roti Island Snake-necked
Turtle (Chelodina mccordi) described in 1994 quickly became highly prized in the pet trade, and in just over 20 years
has been hunted to near extinction in the wild. Similarly, since its description in 1999, the striking Chinese cave gecko
Goniurosaurus luii has been eradicated from its type locality. The authors of this new article challenge readers to type
’Chinese cave gecko’ into a search engine, with the result that you are immediately offered to purchase a specimen for
as little as US$150.
The genus Goniurosaurus currently contains 17 species, more than half of which have been formally described in the
last 20 years. These large, beautifully-coloured geckos are native to China, Japan and Vietnam and are, understanda-
bly, very popular with hobbyists. Goniuorosaurus yingdeensis (2010) is a further example of a species ravaged by
poaching following publication of exact details of its locale. Consequently, when two additional species were
described in 2015, the researchers concerned decided not to disclose the locations from which animals were collected.