IUCN Red List

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is widely recognised as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species. The goal of The IUCN Red List is to provide information and analyses on the status, trends and threats to species in order to inform and catalyse action for biodiversity conservation.

EXTINCT (EX)

A species is Extinct when there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. It is presumed Extinct when exhaustive surveys in known and/or expected habitat fail to record an individual.

EXTINCT IN THE WILD (EW)

An animal or plant is Extinct in the Wild when it is known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalised population (or populations) well outside the past range. It is presumed Extinct in the Wild when exhaustive surveys in known and/or expected habitat fail to record an individual.

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (CR)

A species is Critically Endangered when an observed population reduces by more than 90% over 10 years or three generations, whichever is the longer. Causes of population reductions are clearly reversible and understood and ceased. It is therefore considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

ENDANGERED (EN)

An animal or plant is Endangered when an observed population reduces more than 70% over 10 years or three generations, whichever is the longer. Causes of population reductions are clearly reversible and understood and ceased. It is therefore considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

VULNERABLE (VU)

An animal or plant is Vulnerable when an observed population reduces more than 50% over 10 years or three generations, whichever is the longer. Causes of population reductions are clearly reversible and understood and ceased.

NEAR THREATENED (NT)

A species is Near Threatened when it has been evaluated against strict criteria but does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable now, but is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.

LEAST CONCERN (LC)

A species is Least Concern when it has been evaluated against strict criteria and does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened. Widespread and abundant animals and plants are included in this category.