Global study supports sustainable exotic skin trade
A new global study has found that international trade in reptile skins for leather is not a major driver of extinction risk for most commonly traded species, with regulated harvesting generally compatible with long-term population survival.
Published in Scientific Reports, part of the Nature portfolio, the study analysed more than 70 million legally traded reptile skins between 2000 and 2020, covering 46 species used in the leather industry, including crocodiles, snakes and lizards.
The research team, comprising more than 40 conservation scientists and herpetologists (reptile scientists) from over 30 institutions, combined trade records, ecological data and conservation assessments to evaluate the impact of commercial harvesting.
The study found that most traded species are classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and that managed trade is typically focused on abundant species with established monitoring and conservation frameworks.
“The results of the analysis are encouraging for species conservation,” said lead author Dr Timothy Colston, member of the IUCN SSC Snake Specialist Group. “Reptile species traded for skins are actually less threatened on average than species that are not in trade.”
Researchers said other factors, including habitat loss, climate change and disease, represent greater threats to many reptile populations. However, they stressed that continued monitoring, transparent reporting and effective regulation remain essential.
The study assessed only the biological sustainability of reptile harvesting and trade, and did not examine animal welfare, leather production impacts or wider supply-chain issues.
iamge -Daniel Natush/IUCN
