Shingleback lizards pair for life, a behavior that’s made them popular among reptile collectors—and the poachers who supply them
“People are always looking for something different, whether it’s a new color, genetic trait, or even if it’s a new species,” Heinrich says. “It’s never going to be enough, and they are going to look for new ways to obtain those lizards.”In the case of shingleback lizards, Heinrich says their unusual mating behavior has helped drive demand among collectors. They reunite with the same partner every year for the duration of their lives—sometimes up to 50 years.Please be respectful of copyright.
The shinglebacks’ monogamous ways have caused some enthusiasts to view them as “romantics” and pay a premium for them. That makes shinglebacks a more coveted catch for traffickers. A bonded pair of shinglebacks can sell for more than three times as much as a single one. Another issue for the lizards’ wellbeing is a highly contagious reptilian coronavirus known as “shingleback flu,” discovered in 2015 and confined mostly to Western Australia. Some wildlife rehabilitation centers in Perth report that more than half the shinglebacks they treat are infected with the virus, which causes symptoms similar to human flu and a high mortality rate if left untreated.
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