IUCNstatus

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, managed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, categorizes the global extinction risk of animals, fungi, and plants. Its system of categories and criteria provides a standardized framework to evaluate the conservation status of species. This system helps inform conservation planning and policy-making worldwide.

The primary categories indicate the level of threat. Species of least concern are widespread and abundant. Near threatened species are close to qualifying for a threatened category. The threatened categories are vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered, representing escalating risks of extinction. A species is data deficient when there is insufficient information for a proper assessment. Not evaluated means a species has not yet been assessed against the criteria.

Assessments are based on quantitative criteria including population size, rate of decline, and geographic range. The status of a species can change over time as new data becomes available or conservation efforts succeed. A species moving to a higher threat category indicates a worsening situation, while a move to a lower category signifies improvement. The ultimate goal of the Red List is to provide information and analysis to help reverse the decline in global biodiversity.