Woma Python Status Is Reevaluated By The IUCN

[Conservation Station]

I was certainly stunned and shocked when I was researching the woma python earlier today. I vividly recall it being listed as Endangered on the IUCN website merely a week ago. I have now come to realization that it has not dropped back to Vulnerable or yet Near Threatened but ALL THE WAY to Least Concern! I know this is great for conservation efforts but I am a little confused on the great leap. All the websites I've researched maintained by zoos still say that it is listed as Endangered. This must have been a very recent change. I just wanted to inform the ZooChat community of this sudden and abrupt change. Please feel free to voice your opinions in the comments below.
Best regards.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Aspidites ramsayi was downlisted to 'Least Concern' back in early 2017, so not exactly a "sudden and abrupt change".

Forgive me but I'm a little confused on the purpose of this poll. The IUCN evaluates species based on extensive research and it's not exactly an opinion-based decision. The following is their justification for the downlisting:

Listed as Least Concern, as while at least one subpopulation is thought to be declining the species has a wide range, and it is not expected to be declining at a sufficient rate,or widely enough across its range as a whole, to be listed in a higher threat category. Nevertheless, this is a secretive species and further research is needed into both the species' ecology and the extent and impacts of apparent threats across its range as a whole to clarify whether declines are underway and the rate of any such decline.
...
It is locally common in some parts of the core range, uncommon to rare elsewhere. This is a secretive species that spends much of its time beneath ground and is very difficult to survey (M. Bruton pers. comm. 2017). The species is presumed to be declining in the southwest and far east of the range. Based on regular sightings of this elusive species and its apparent tolerance of historical land clearance, the population may be relatively stable in core areas of its distribution in central and eastern parts of the range (M. Bruton pers. comm. 2017). In the far east of the range, the species may have undergone local declines due to broadscale cropping (M. Bruton pers. comm. 2017).

~Thylo

 

[Conservation Station]

Aspidites ramsayi was downlisted to 'Least Concern' back in early 2017, so not exactly a "sudden and abrupt change".

Forgive me but I'm a little confused on the purpose of this poll. The IUCN evaluates species based on extensive research and it's not exactly an opinion-based decision. The following is their justification for the downlisting:



~Thylo

I appreciate your concerns for my apparent faults, however, I just wanted to hear the public's opinion on their beliefs of this topic. With the many threats that the womas face, I figured that there would always be some that would disagree with the IUCN status as the extent of these threats is not as well known as it could be. I am aware that the IUCN states "Date Assessed: 2017-02-23", however, the listing has changed recently this year. Nonetheless, I see where you're coming from.
Best Regards.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

I've had the change noted for quite some time now.

~Thylo

 

[Conservation Station]

Very observant.

Thank you for your involvement in this post and clearing the air on the topic.

 

[Chlidonias]

I am aware that the IUCN states "Date Assessed: 2017-02-23", however, the listing has changed recently this year.

The "date assessed" isn't actually the date the page was updated, however the change in status from Endangered on that page isn't as recent as you believe (it was, in fact, changed in late 2017). It has been listed as Least Concern on that page for the whole of 2018.

The previous assessment was way back in 1996 when very little information was available so it is really not surprising that the status has been changed dramatically..