An overview of the threatened herpetofauna of South Asia

The South Asian region can be considered a herpetofaunal "hotspot" with its high degree of species richness and diversity of amphibian and reptilian fauna. Unfortunately, high population density and population growth are putting enormous pressure on the region's natural resources and ecosystems, and as a result five amphibian species and 31 reptilian species from this region are listed as globally threatened in the 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The selection of papers presented here, from the 4th World Herpetological Congress held in Sri Lanka in December 2001, hopes to draw attention to the status and trends of South Asian Herpetofauna and help policy makers, conservationists and herpetologists in the region take the appropriate steps to conserve these unique and important animals.