Highly endangered species
Mini dragons conquer Schönbrunn Zoo’s terrarium house
A special premiere at Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna: from Friday, rare deaf monitor lizards can be admired in the terrarium house. The animals have been successfully bred behind the scenes for many years. They are considered highly endangered because their natural habitat is constantly shrinking.
"Deaf monitor lizards look like little dragons. But you hardly ever see them in their natural habitat, the rainforests of Borneo. The few observations indicate that deaf monitor lizards prefer to live near clear watercourses with stony ground. Unfortunately, they are classified as critically endangered according to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)," explains zoo director Dr. Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck.
No ears, but they can still hear
An interesting feature of the deaf monitor lizard is the lack of ear openings - they owe their name to this peculiarity. Nevertheless, the animals are able to hear.
By regularly breeding them, we make an important contribution to the establishment of reserve populations and thus to the conservation of the species.
Anton Weissenbacher, zoologischer Kurator im Tiergarten Schönbrunn
By keeping endangered deaf monitor lizards and contributing to the "Reverse the Red" initiative, Schönbrunn Zoo is making a targeted commitment to international species conservation. "With regular breeding, we are making an important contribution to the establishment of reserve populations and thus to the conservation of the species", explains Anton Weissenbacher, zoological curator at Schönbrunn Zoo. "At the same time, we are collecting valuable data on deaf monitor lizards, about which virtually nothing is known. We would now like to share this knowledge with our visitors. Because every individual can contribute to the protection of species."
Red list of endangered species is getting longer and longer
More and more animal species are being classified in higher endangerment categories on the Red List, an alarming trend that the global "Reverse the Red" initiative is working to counteract. Schönbrunn Zoo is working together with zoos, nature conservation organizations, ministries and other partners to prevent the extinction of endangered species through targeted measures. The so-called ex-situ species protection - the conservation of species outside their natural habitats - and the protection of animal species in the wild (in-situ) go hand in hand.
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