Threatened species, as a conservation status, are animal and plant species which are at risk of being extinct. Threatened species includes all species which are vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. In many areas, this is referred to as a red-listed species.

Critically endangered is the most threatened of the three classifications, with one of the five possible criteria of the IUCN Red List being that there are simply fewer than 50 mature individuals.

Vulnerable is the least threatened of the three classifications, with possible criteria including: an estimated population of fewer than 1000 mature individuals; or fewer than 10,000 mature individuals with extreme fluctuations in the numbers.

See also

• World Conservation Union IUCN
• Illegal logging
• Red and Blue-listed

External links

• World Conservation Union threatened species list