According to a new study, about 19 per cent of reptiles are threatened with extinction from the planet and might soon disappear if conservation efforts do not succeed in securing their habitat.

More than 200 experts from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) came together for the first of its kind study on reptiles. The study summarized the conservation efforts around the world and the status of the species on the planet.

In the study, the researchers studied the risks of extinction of 1,500 randomly selected reptiles that were selected from around the world. They estimated that 19 per cent of the world's reptiles are facing the risk of extinction. They study said that 12 per cent of the reptiles have been classified as critically endangered, 41per cent endangered and 47 per cent vulnerable. The study also said that three critically endangered species might be possibly extinct.

Monika Bohm, from ZSL, who led the study, said, "Reptiles are often associated with extreme habitats and tough environmental conditions, so it is easy to assume that they will be fine in our changing world. However, many species are very highly specialised in terms of habitat use and the climatic conditions they require for day-to-day functioning. This makes them particularly sensitive to environmental changes."

The study was published in journal of Biological Conservation.