“The Trade in exotic Reptiles in Germany Using the Exampleof Monitor Lizards (Family Varanidae)”: A Report on theInterdisciplinary Meeting of the German Federal Agency forNature Conservation, 18-21 April 2016

摘要

The European Union, and especially Germany,rank among the main consumer countries for exoticreptiles world-wide. This particularly applies to thetrade in live monitor lizards and products made fromtheir skins which are protected under the Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Faunaand Flora (CITES). There exist, however, no reliablepopulation status evaluations for the majority of the ca.80 currently recognized species based on IUCN RedList criteria. Moreover, knowledge about the taxonomyand systematics of monitor lizards has advancedconsiderably in recent years. These circumstances mustalso be taken into account by the responsible CITESauthoritieswhen making non-detrimental findings forthe utilization and international trade in monitor lizardsand their products. In light of these issues, expertsfrom research institutes, public authorities, museums,ministries, zoos and nature conservancies were invitedto take part in an interdisciplinary exchange on thetheoretical fundamentals and practical aspects of themonitor lizard trade in Germany and the EU in orderto develop proposals for the sustainable use of thischarismatic reptile group. Twenty participants fromAustria and Germany attended the workshop, held at theInternational Academy for Nature Conservation on theisland of Vilm, Germany from 18-21 April 2016.