SREL Reprint #2274

Conservation of covert species: protecting species we don't even know

Jeffrey E. Lovich1 and J. Whitfield Gibbons2

1United States Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Palm Springs Field Station,
63500 Garnet Ave., North Palm Springs, CA 92258-2000, USA
2Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA

Abstract: Advances in molecular biology and morphometrics are resolving systematic relationships at an unprecedented rate. As new species are discovered or recognized, the conservation burden becomes greater, emphasizing the need for protecting blodiversity at the level of major landscapes and ecosystems that are obviously composed of many species, including those not recognized as present "Covert" species are those that (1) are hidden by faulty taxonomy, (2) possess significant intraspeciflc genetic variation, (3) have sibling species with poorly known distributions, or (4) are undescribed. In at least one case, a reptile species almost became extinct because of faulty taxonomy. Some species of recently described turtles are facing significant threats to their long-term survival but as yet have no legal conservation status. Sibling species and undescribed species present special challenges to conservation. We can no longer afford the luxury of single-species conservation programs, nor wait for unidentified species to be described formally. Regional conservation efforts emphasizing the protection of communities that encompass sensitive as well as non-endangered species, including covert species, provide a proactive alternative to the tradition of listing single species for protective status.

SREL Reprint #2274

Lovich, J.E. and J.W. Gibbons. 1997. Conservation of covert species: protecting species we don't even know. pp. 426-429 In: Proceedings from An International Conference on Conservation, Restoration, and Management of Tortoises and Turtles. New York Turtle and Tortoise Society.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).