endangered species

a species whose numbers are so small that the species is at risk of extinction

For other uses, see endangered species (disambiguation).'' numbered as few as 750 in 1890 due to extreme overhunting.]]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 development, etc. of their habitat (ecology)habitats ) to prevent their extinction. Only a few of the many truly endangered species actually make it to the lists and obtain lawlegal protection. Many more species become extinct, or potentially will become extinct, without gaining public notice.Many of these laws are Controversycontroversial. 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 poachersnews.bbc.co.uk. 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, LlamaThe 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.

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'')

PotoridaeBurrowing Bettong (''Bettongia lesueur nova'')

Common Chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes'')

Chinese River Dolphin (''Lipotes vexillifer'') and other river dolphins

GorillaEastern 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'')

PangolinGiant Pangolin (''Manis gigantea'')

Golden Lion Tamarin (''Leontopithecus rosalia'')

Gray bat (''Myotis grisescens'')

Hawaiian Monk Seal (''Monachus schauinslandi'')

Humpback Whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'')

Indian Pangolin (''Manis crassicaudata'')

Indri (''Indri indri'')

Island Fox (''Urocyon littoralis'')

Key Deer (''Odocoileus virginianus clavium'')

Kouprey (''Bos sauveli'')

Leopard (''Panthera pardus'')

wombatNorthern 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'')

Temminck's Pangolin (''Manis temminckii'')

Tibetan Antelope (''Pantholops hodgsonii'')

Tiger (''Panthera tigris'')

Vaquita (''Phocoena sinus'')

GorillaWestern Gorilla (''Gorilla gorilla'')

ManateeWest Indian Manatee (''Trichechus manatus'')

Sergey

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 (''Gallirallus owstoni'')

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 Flightless Grebe (''Podiceps taczanowskii'')

Kakapo (''Strigops habroptilus'')

Kittlitz's Murrelet (''Brachyramphus brevirostris'')

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'')

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'')

Puerto Rican Parrot (''Amazona vittata'')

Raso Skylark (''Alauda razae'')

Red-cockaded Woodpecker (''Picoides borealis'')

Red-vented Cockatoo (''Cacatua haematuropygia'')

Ridgway's Hawk (''Buteo ridgwayi'')

São Tomé 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'')

fachi (Crazy Maximum Suicide)

Endangered reptiles -

St. Croix ground lizard (''Ameiva polops'')

Sea turtleLoggerhead Sea Turtle (''Caretta caretta'')

Sea turtleGreen Sea Turtle (''Chelonia mydas'')

Cuban Crocodile (''Crocodylus rhombifer'')

Mona ground Iguana (''Cyclura stejnegeri'')

Mesoamerican River Turtle (''Dermatemys mawii'')

Leatherback Sea Turtle (''Dermochelys coriacea'')

Hawksbill TurtleHawksbill Sea Turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'')

Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard (''Gambelia silus'')

Burmese Star Tortoise (''Geochelone platynota'')

Sea turtleKemp's Ridley Turtle (''Lepidochelys kempii'')

Olive Ridley (''Lepidochelys olivacea'')

Sea turtleFlat Back Turtle (''Natator depressa'')

Grand Skink (''Oligosoma grande'')

Otago Skink (''Oligosoma otagense'')

Monito Gecko (''Sphaerodactylus micropithecus'')

Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard (''Uma inornata'')

Komodo Dragon (''Varanus komodoensis'')

Island Night Lizard (''Xantusia riversiana'')

Horned Lizard (''Phrynosoma'')

Endangered Amphibiaamphibians -

Arroyo Southwestern toad (''Bufo californicus (=microscaphus)'')

Barton Springs salamander (''Eurycea sosorum'')

California tiger salamander (''Ambystoma californiense'')

Desert slender salamander (''Batrachoseps aridus'')

Fleishman's Glass Frog

Houston toad (''Bufo houstonensis'')´

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'')

Dwarf Pygmy Goby (''Pandaka pygmaea'')

Moapa dace

Endangered arthropods -

Spruce-fir moss spider (''Microhexura montivaga'')

Tooth cave spider (''Neoleptoneta myopica'')

Endangered mollusks -

Iowa Pleistocene Snail (''Discus macclintocki'')

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

Dawn Redwood ("Metasequoia glyptostroboides"), thought to be extinct until 1941, when a small stand was discovered in China

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

saguaroSaguaro 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

Extinct birds

Endangered Species Act

International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling

List of extinct animals of the British IslesList of extinct and endangered animals of the British Isles

External links -

news.bbc.co.uk - "Science counts species on brink". (Nov 17, 2004). ''BBC News''.

sinapu.org - Endangered Native Carnivores in the Southern Rockies

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. ecos.fws.gov - Threatened and Endangered Species System (TESS).

bagheera.com - Bagheera. A website for our endangered !species.Category:ConservationC ategory:Endangered? species fr:Espèce !vulnérableko:멸종 위기종he:
489;עלי? חיים !בסכנ&# 1514;? !הכחד&# 1492;nl:Bedreigde? !diersoortja:絶滅&# 21361;惧種pl:Gatun ek? zagrożonypt:Espécies ameaçadas

Spirit of the Sage Council
Nonprofit conservation group activly defending endangered species and habitats, with offices in Pasadena, CA and Carthage, NC. National leader in opposing the take or killing of endangered species in Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs)and Natural Communities Conservation Planning (NCCPs). Enforces environmental laws and challenges government policies (No Surprises)for endangered species.
http://www.sagecouncil.com/

Care for the Wild International
Care for the Wild International (CWI) promotes the conservation and welfare of wildlife in Britain and abroad, particularly Africa and Asia. CFTWI provides fast, direct practical aid to animals in need by helping to make areas safe from poachers, rehabilitating sick or injured animals and providing sanctuary for individuals who cannot return to the wild. The charity also acts as a global voice for wildlife through education and by changing attitudes and promoting awareness amongst local communities and policy makers.
http://www.careforthewild.com/

The Habitat Trust for Wildlife
California corporation,registered charity,Federal tax-exempt nonprofit land trust. Priority habitat acquisition of globally imperiled habitats (less than 10% remaining worldwide)and habitats for rare and Federally listed endagered species. Founded in 2000, currently owns and manages over 350-acres in San Bernardino County, CA of Riversidean Alluvial Sage Scrub, Riparian, Canyonlands and washes. Accepts habitat mitigation lands and land donations for conservation purposes. Gives Nature Sanctuary
http://www.TheHabitatTrust.org

Global Adventure Challenges
Charity challenges and adventures to destinations including Peru, China, Canada, Everest, Europe, Grand Canyon and Borneo to name but a few.
http://www.globaladv.org/

Endangered Species Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Endangered Species Program and related links, policies, listing activities, recovery activities, outreach activities, publications, and frequently asked questions of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
http://endangered.fws.gov/

EE-Link - An Environmental Education Resource for Teachers
Directory of Internet resources intended to support, enhance and extend effective environmental education in grades K-12. Includes classroom materials, publications, information on grants, and general environmental links.
http://www.eelink.net

Endangered Species Resource Center
A great place for student and teacher alike to find information on endangered species anywhere in the world.
http://www.endangeredspecie.com/

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
CITES is an international treaty drawn up in 1973 to protect wildlife against over-exploitation, and to prevent international trade from threatening species with extinction. Web site includes text of the convention, publications, research programs, databases of CITES-listed flora and fauna.
http://www.cites.org/