Current Affair 1:

News:

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has issued a stark warning about the threats posed by invasive species and illegal trade to several reptile and cactus species.

An update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species:

Species	Status	Threat from
Ibiza wall lizard (Podarcis pityusensis)	endangered from near threatened	invasive horseshoe whip snake
Gran Canaria giant Lizard and Gran Canaria skink	least concern to endangered	Invasive California kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae)
ornamental cacti	critically endangered	Poaching due to high demand as ornamental species

The IUCN also raises concerns about the illegal trade of ornamental cacti.  Endemic to Chile’s Atacama Desert, 82 per cent of Copiapoa cacti species are now critically endangered, a significant increase from 55 percent in 2013.

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