Near Threatened is a classification category on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Threatened Species List. Currently 2,657 species are defined as near threatened. Scientists categorize a species as Near Threatened when conservationists believe that it will face extinction in the near future, but it doesn’t currently meet the standards for another category.
There are six main reasons why scientists categorize taxons as near threatened:
- Habitat loss
- Introduction of a foreign species
- Hunting
- Pollution
- Disease
- Loss of genetic variation
Near Threatened Species
African Bush Elephant
Can drink up to 50 gallons a day
Albacore Tuna
The albacore is a very fast swimmer
Albatross
The largest wingspan of any bird in the world!
Angelfish
There are 70 different species!
Anteater
Found throughout the Southern Hemisphere!
Asian Giant Hornet
The largest wasp in the world!
Badger
Can reach speeds of 30 km/h!
Beaver
Builds a dam from sticks and leaves!
Bison
Largest mammal in North America!
Bongo
Long and heavy spiralled horns!
Bumblebee
The most common species of bee!
Catfish
There are nearly 3,000 different species!
Chameleon
There are more than 160 different species!
Coral
Thought to be around 70,000 different species!
Cow
There are nearly 1.5 million worldwide!
Crab
There are 93 different crab groups
Crane
Many are critically endangered species!
Cuscus
Has a long, strong prehensile tail!
Cuttlefish
Found throughout the world's oceans!
Deer
There are around 40 different species!
Desert Tortoise
Lives in burrows underground!
Dingo
Natively found on the Australian continent!
Discus
One of the only schooling Cichlids!
Dolphin
Can reach speeds of up to 25 mph!
Donkey
First domesticated 5,000 years ago!
Dragonfly
It's larvae are carnivorous!
Dugong
Closely related to the Manatee!
Eagle
Has exceptional eyesight!
Elephant
Spends around 22 hours a day eating!
Falcon
The fastest creatures on the planet!
False Killer Whale
The false killer whale looks like a cross between a dolphin and orca!
Ferret
Ferrets can be trained to do tricks like dogs!
Fox
There are 12 different species in the world!
Frog
There are around 7,000 different species!
Fur Seal
Found only in the Northern Hemisphere!
Gecko
There are thought to be over 2,000 species!
Gentoo Penguin
Found throughout the sub-Antarctic!
Gibbon
Found in dense jungles and tropical forests!
Gila Monster
It's tail acts as a fat storage facility!
Glow Worm
Found inhabiting dense woodland and caves!
Gopher
They dig large networks of tunnels!
Gorilla
The biggest of the world's primates!
Gouldian Finch
The male Gouldian finch bobs its head and fluffs its feathers to court a female.
Grey Reef Shark
One of the most common shark species!
Grey Seal
One of the rarest species of seal on Earth
Hammerhead Shark
Found in coastal waters around the world!
Hare
Can reach speeds of over 40 mph!
Harpy Eagle
Talon's the size of a grizzly bear's claws!
Hercules Beetle
Can grow up to 7 inches long!
Hermit Crab
There are over 500 different species!
Hyena
There are four different species!
Iguana
Uses visual signals to communicate!
Jaguar
The largest feline on the American continent!
Japanese Macaque
Has cheek pouches for storing food!
Kangaroo
Females have a deep pouch on their front!
King Crab
Can have a leg span of nearly 2 meters!
Kingfisher
Inhabits wetlands and woodlands worldwide!
Kiwi
Only found in the forests of New Zealand!
Ladybug
There are more than 5,000 species worldwide!
Leaf-Tailed Gecko
Only found on Madagascar!
Lemming
Does not hibernate during the bitter Arctic winter!
Leopard
Spends much of the time high in the trees!
Leopard Seal
The world's most aggressive seal species!
Leopard Tortoise
The most widely distributed tortoise in Africa!
Lizard
There are around 5,000 different species!
Macaroni Penguin
Gather in colonies of up to 100,000 members!
Magellanic Penguin
Threatened by oil spills!
Magpie
They are found across Europe, Asia and Africa!
Mandrill
Distinctively coloured noses and rumps!
Maned Wolf
Despite its name, the Maned Wolf is not actually a wolf.
Mayfly
There are 2,500 known species worldwide!
Minke Whale
There are two recognised species!
Mole
Primarily hunts and feeds on Earthworms!
Molly
Known for their calm and peaceful nature!
Monitor Lizard
Some species are thought to carry a weak venom!
Moth
There are 250,000 different species!
Narwhal
Lives and hunts in the frigid Arctic!
Nurse Shark
Commonly found in Central American waters!
Okapi
Eats more than 100 different types of plant!
Olm
Inhabits dark underwater caves
Otter
There are 13 different species worldwide
Pademelon
Inhabits the jungles of the far east!
Panther
Prefers to hunt at night than during the day!
Penguin
Spends 75% of it's time hunting for food!
Pink Fairy Armadillo
The smallest known species of Armadillo
Platypus
One of the only mammals to lay eggs!
Poison Dart Frog
Inhabits the jungles of Central and South America!
Purple Emperor Butterfly
Inhabits deciduous forests!
Puss Moth
Caterpillars squirt formic acid!
Pygmy Marmoset
The smallest species of monkey in the world!
Quetzal
The tail feathers of the male can be 1m long!
Quoll
Found across Australia and Papua New Guinea!
Red Knee Tarantula
Inhabits the Pacific Mountains of Mexico!
River Turtle
Inhabits freshwater habitats around the world!
Robin
There are more than 45 species in Australia alone!
Salamander
There are more than 700 different species!
Sand Lizard
Males turn green in spring!
Sea Dragon
Inhabits tropical coastal waters of Australia!
Sea Lion
It's flippers allow it to walk on the land
Sea Squirt
There are more than 3,000 known species!
Sea Urchin
Can live for up to 200 years!
Seal
There are 30 different species worldwide!
Shrimp
There are 2,000 different species worldwide!
Snapping Turtle
Only found in North America!
Sponge
There are more than 9,000 known species!
Squirrel
Small rodents found in woodlands worldwide!
Stag Beetle
More than 1,200 different species!
Starfish
Has 2 stomachs to aid digestion!
Stick Insect
There are more than 3,000 different species!
Stingray
It's stinger is razor-sharp or serrated!
Swan
Populations have been affected by pollution!
Tang
Found around shallow coral reefs!
Tasmanian Devil
Exclusively found on the island of Tasmania!
Tawny Owl
The most widespread owl in Europe!
Tiger Shark
The fourth biggest species of shark in the world!
Tuatara
Only found on a few of New Zealand's islands!
Walrus
Inhabits the freezing waters of the Arctic Circle!
Water Dragon
Spends most of it's time in the trees!
Whale Shark
The largest species of fish in the world!
White Rhinoceros
The second largest animal on the land!
Wolf
Thought to date back more than 300,000 years!
Woolly Monkey
Has a long, strong prehensile tail!
Yak
There are only a few left in the wild!
Yellowfin Tuna
The yellowfin forms schools with other tuna species
Zebra Shark
Can get to be 30 years old in the wild!
Near Threatened Species List
- African Bush Elephant
- Albacore Tuna
- Albatross
- Angelfish
- Anteater
- Asian Giant Hornet
- Badger
- Basking Shark
- Beaver
- Bison
- Bongo
- Bumblebee
- Catfish
- Chameleon
- Coral
- Cow
- Crab
- Crane
- Cuscus
- Cuttlefish
- Deer
- Desert Tortoise
- Dingo
- Discus
- Dolphin
- Donkey
- Dragonfly
- Dugong
- Eagle
- Elephant
- Falcon
- False Killer Whale
- Ferret
- Fox
- Frog
- Fur Seal
- Gecko
- Gentoo Penguin
- Gibbon
- Gila Monster
- Glow Worm
- Gopher
- Gorilla
- Gouldian Finch
- Grey Reef Shark
- Grey Seal
- Hammerhead Shark
- Hare
- Harpy Eagle
- Hercules Beetle
- Hermit Crab
- Hyena
- Iguana
- Jaguar
- Japanese Macaque
- Kangaroo
- King Crab
- Kingfisher
- Kiwi
- Ladybug
- Leaf-Tailed Gecko
- Lemming
- Leopard
- Leopard Seal
- Leopard Tortoise
- Lizard
- Macaroni Penguin
- Magellanic Penguin
- Magpie
- Mandrill
- Maned Wolf
- Mayfly
- Minke Whale
- Mole
- Molly
- Monitor Lizard
- Moth
- Narwhal
- Nurse Shark
- Okapi
- Olm
- Otter
- Pademelon
- Panther
- Penguin
- Pink Fairy Armadillo
- Platypus
- Poison Dart Frog
- Purple Emperor Butterfly
- Puss Moth
- Pygmy Marmoset
- Quetzal
- Quoll
- Red Knee Tarantula
- River Turtle
- Robin
- Salamander
- Sand Lizard
- Sea Dragon
- Sea Lion
- Sea Squirt
- Sea Urchin
- Seal
- Shrimp
- Snapping Turtle
- Sponge
- Squirrel
- Stag Beetle
- Starfish
- Stick Insect
- Stingray
- Swan
- Tang
- Tasmanian Devil
- Tawny Owl
- Tiger Shark
- Tuatara
- Walrus
- Water Dragon
- Whale Shark
- White Rhinoceros
- Wolf
- Woolly Monkey
- Yak
- Yellowfin Tuna
- Zebra Shark
