Endangered species
For other uses, see endangered species.
An endangered species is a species whose population is so small that it is in danger of becoming extinct. Many countries have laws offering special protection to these species (forbidding hunting, banning their habitats from development, etc.) to prevent extinction. Only a few of the many truly endangered species actually make it to the lists and obtain legal protection. Many more species become extinct, or potentially will become extinct, without gaining public notice.
Many of these laws are controversial. Typical areas of controversy include: criteria for placing a species on the endangered species list, and criteria for removing a species from the list once its population has recovered; whether restrictions on land development constitute a "taking" of land by the government, and the related question of whether private landowners should be compensated for the loss of use of their land; and obtaining reasonable exceptions to protection laws.
A listing as an endangered species can backfire, as it makes a species more valuable and more desirable for collectors and poachers[1].
The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that endangered species continuing to survive. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation status of a species: not simply the number remaining, but the overall increase or decrease in the population over time, breeding success rates, known threats, and so on.
The best-known worldwide conservation status listing is the IUCN Red List, but many more specialized lists exist.
The following conservation status categories are used in articles in this encyclopedia. They are loosely based on the IUCN categories.
- Extinct: the last remaining member of the species had died, or is presumed to have died beyond reasonable doubt. Examples: Thylacine, Dodo.
- Extinct in the wild: captive individuals survive, but there is no free-living, natural population. Examples: Dromedary, Przewalski's Horse.
- Critical or critically endangered: faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future. Examples: Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Arakan Forest Turtle
- Endangered: faces a very high risk of extinction in the near future. Examples: Kings holly, Pink fairy armadillo
- Vulnerable: faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term. Examples: Cheetah, Bactrian Camel
- Secure or lower risk: no immediate threat to the survival of the species. Examples: Nootka Cypress, Llama
The following lists are examples of endangered species. Note that because of varying standards for regarding a species as endangered, and the very large number of endangered species, these lists should not be regarded as comprehensive.
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Endangered mammals
- Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)
- Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis)
- Banteng (Bos javanicus)
- Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis)
- Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes)
- Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
- Bonobo (Pan paniscus)
- Burrowing Bettong (Bettongia lesueur nova)
- Common Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)
- Chinese River Dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer) and other river dolphins
- Eastern Gorilla (Gorilla beringei)
- Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
- Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis)
- Gelada (Theropithecus gelada)
- Giant golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus)
- Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
- Giant Pangolin (Manis gigantea)
- Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)
- Gray bat (Myotis grisescens)
- Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi)
- Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
- Indri (Indri indri)
- Island Fox (Urocyon littoralis)
- Key Deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium)
- Kouprey (Bos sauveli)
- Leopard (Panthera pardus)
- Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii)
- Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus)
- Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus and Pongo abelii)
- Père David's Deer (Elaphurus davidianus)
- Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus)
- Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens)
- Red Wolf (Canis rufus)
- Savannah Elephant (Loxodonta africana)
- Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)
- Sei Whale (Balaenoptera borealis)
- Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia)
- Steller's Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus)
- Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)
- Tibetan Antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii)
- Tiger (Panthera tigris)
- Vaquita (Phocoena sinus)
- Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)
- West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus)
Endangered birds
- Alaotra Grebe (Tachybaptus rufolavatus)
- Amami Thrush (Zoothera major)
- Amsterdam Albatross (Diomedea amsterdamensis)
- Attwater's prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri)
- Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
- Bali Starling (Leucospar rothschildi)
- Brazilian Merganser (Mergus octosetaceus)
- California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)
- Chatham Albatross (Thalassarche eremita)
- Chinese Crested Tern (Sterna bernsteinii)
- Christmas Island Frigatebird (Fregata andrewsi)
- Cozumel Thrasher (Toxostoma guttatum)
- Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis)
- Giant Ibis (Thaumatibis gigantea)
- Glaucous Macaw (Anodorhynchus glaucus)
- Guam Rail
- Gurney's Pitta (Pitta gurneyi)
- Hawaiian Crow (Corvus hawaiiensis)
- Hawaiian Goose or Néné (Branta sandvicensis)
- Imperial Woodpecker (Campephilus imperialis)
- Indian White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
- Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis)
- Jerdon's Courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus)
- Junin Grebe (Podiceps taczanowskii)
- Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus)
- Kalinowski's Tinamou (Nothoprocta kalinowskii)
- Kiwi (Apteryx australis, A. hastii, A. owenii)
- Laysan Duck (Anas laysanensis)
- Lear's Macaw (Anodorhynchus leari)
- Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea)
- Long-billed Vulture, (Gyps indicus)
- Magdalena Tinamou (Crypturellus saltuarius)
- Magenta Petrel (Pterodroma magentae)
- Mauritius Fody (Foudia rubra)
- Mauritius Parakeet (Psittacula eques)
- Micronesian Kingfisher
- Mindoro Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba platenae)
- New Zealand Storm-petrel (Oceanites maorianus)
- Night Parrot (Geopsittacus occidentalis)
- Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita)
- Okinawa Woodpecker (Sapheopipo noguchii)
- Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster)
- Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi)
- Po'ouli (Melamprosops phaeosoma)
- Raso Skylark (Alauda razae)
- Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis)
- Red-vented Cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia)
- Ridgway's Hawk (Buteo ridgwayi)
- Sao Tome Grosbeak (Neospiza concolor)
- Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus)
- Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris)
- Socorro Mockingbird, (Mimodes graysoni)
- Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius)
- Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii)
- White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala)
- White-shouldered Ibis (Pseudibis davisoni)
- Whooping Crane (Grus americana)
- Writhed-billed Hornbill (Aceros waldeni)
- Zino's Petrel (Pterodroma madeira)
Endangered reptiles
- Burmese Star Tortoise (Geochelone platynota)
- Cuban Crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer)
- Flat Back Turtle (Natator depressa)
- Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Grand Skink (Oligosoma grande)
- Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
- Kemp's Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)
- Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
- Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Mesoamerican River Turtle (Dermatemys mawii)
- Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea)
- Otago Skink (Oligosoma otagense)
Endangered amphibians
- Arroyo Southwestern toad (Bufo californicus (=microscaphus))
- Barton Springs salamander (Eurycea sosorum)
- California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense)
- Desert slender salamander (Batrachoseps aridus)
- Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis)
- Israel painted frog (Discoglossus nigriventer)
- Italian spade-footed toad (Pelobates fuscus insubricus)
- Mississippi gopher frog ( Rana capito sevosa)
- Mountain yellow-legged frog (Rana muscosa)
- Palmate newt (Triturus helvetica)
- Santa Cruz long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum)
- Shenandoah salamander (Plethodon shenandoah)
- Sonoran tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi)
- Texas blind salamander (Eurycea rathbuni)
- Wyoming toad ( Bufo baxteri (=hemiophrys))
- Telmatobius (Telmatobius Wiegmann)
Endangered crustaceans
- Kentucky cave shrimp (Palaemonias ganteri)
- Alabama cave shrimp (Palaemonias alabamae)
Endangered fish
- Gambusia eurystoma, native to Mexico, due to very limited habitat
- Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus)
- Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius)
Endangered arthropods
- Spruce-fir moss spider (Microhexura montivaga)
- Tooth cave spider (Neoleptoneta myopica)
Endangered plants
About 6% of the 300,000 identified species are endangered due to overcollection or destruction of habitat, among other causes. Pollinator decline is also a factor for some species.
- African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha), due to forest clearance
- Baishanzu fir (Abies beshanzuensis) of southeast China, three trees known on an isolated mountain summit
- Baker's larkspur (Delphinium bakeri) of California, due to very limited habitat
- Chilean wine palm (Juba chilensis), due to land clearance
- King of the Paphs Orchid (Paphiopedilum rothschildianum) of Asia, due to overcollection
- Lobster claw (Clianthus puniceus) of Australia, due to overgrazing
- Louisiana Quillwort, (Isoetes louisianensis) of Louisiana, due to very limited habitat
- Madonna lily (Lilium candidum) of Europe, due to overcollection
- Pinus squamata of southwest China, about 20 trees known
- Saguaro cactus (Carnegia gigantea) of North America, due to overcollection, slow maturing, and slow breeding
- Saharan Cypress (Cupressus dupreziana) of North Africa, due to small population and desertification
See also
- Conservation status
- Convention on Biological Diversity
- Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna
- International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling
- Extinct birds
- List of extinct and endangered animals of the British Isles
External links
Categories: Environment | Endangered species