Near Threatened Animals

Published: January 1, 2021
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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

A African Bush Elephant
African Bush Elephant

Can drink up to 50 gallons a day

A Agouti
Agouti

The agouti is one of the only animals that can crack open Brazil nut pods!

A Alaskan Pollock
Alaskan Pollock

It's one of the most commonly eaten fish in the world

A Albacore Tuna
Albacore Tuna

The albacore is a very fast swimmer

A Albatross
Albatross

The largest wingspan of any bird in the world!

A Angelfish
Angelfish

There are 70 different species!

A Archerfish
Archerfish

Archerfish can shoot a stream of water up to five feet with amazing accuracy.

A Asian Giant Hornet
Asian Giant Hornet

The largest wasp in the world!

A Axanthic Ball Python
Axanthic Ball Python

Axanthic ball pythons lack yellow pigment in their skin!

A Badger
Badger

Can reach speeds of 30 km/h!

A Bamboo Shark
Bamboo Shark

Can reproduce asexually

A Banana Cinnamon Ball Python
Banana Cinnamon Ball Python

Banana cinnamon ball pythons came from combining the banana and cinnamon genes.

A Bearded Vulture
Bearded Vulture

These birds eat a diet of bones

A Beaver
Beaver

Builds a dam from sticks and leaves!

A Bison
Bison

Largest mammal in North America!

A Black Bass
Black Bass

The most popular game fish in North America

A Blackpoll Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler

They migrate for the longest distance of any warbler.

A Blue Shark
Blue Shark

Blue sharks can have up to 135 pups at a time.

A Bronze Whaler Shark
Bronze Whaler Shark

The Bronze Whaler Sharks only hunt in large groups.

A Brookesia Micra
Brookesia Micra

Brookesia micra can curl up and pretend to be a dead leaf if it’s threatened.

A Brown Hyena
Brown Hyena

They don’t laugh

A Bumblebee
Bumblebee

The most common species of bee!

A Bush Dog
Bush Dog

Bush dogs have webbed toes to help them swim.

A Cantil
Cantil

Cantils heads are marked with bright white lines on each side of their heads.

A Capuchin
Capuchin

Named after Capuchin friars.

A Catfish
Catfish

There are nearly 3,000 different species!

A Chameleon
Chameleon

There are more than 160 different species!

A Cicada
Cicada

Cicadas have one of the longest insect lifespans

A Cinereous Vulture
Cinereous Vulture

This vulture can fly at great heights. At least one was found a few thousand feet from the top of Mount Everest.

A Cobras
Cobras

Several medicines have been created using cobra venom.

A Common Grackle
Common Grackle

Common grackles are a pest species that damage crops and spread disease.

A Common Spotted Cuscus
Common Spotted Cuscus

Has a long, strong prehensile tail!

A Coral
Coral

There are more than 6000 species of coral in the world's oceans.

A Cow
Cow

There are nearly 1.5 billion worldwide!

A Crab
Crab

There are 93 different crab groups

A Crane
Crane

Many are critically endangered species!

A Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish

Found throughout the world's oceans!

A Deer
Deer

There are around 40 different species!

A Deer Mouse
Deer Mouse

Roughly 60 different species of deer mice range from Canada to Central America!

A Desert Ghost Ball Python
Desert Ghost Ball Python

Desert ghost ball pythons are even more beautiful when they're bred with another type like enchi ball pythons.

A Desert Tortoise
Desert Tortoise

Lives in burrows underground!

A Dingo
Dingo

Natively found on the Australian continent!

A Discus
Discus

One of the only schooling Cichlids!

A Dolphin
Dolphin

Can reach speeds of up to 25 mph!

A Donkey
Donkey

First domesticated 5,000 years ago!

A Dragonfly
Dragonfly

It's larvae are carnivorous!

A Dugong
Dugong

Closely related to the Manatee!

A Dwarf Boa
Dwarf Boa

Some species can change color from dark to light, and back again.

A Eagle
Eagle

Has exceptional eyesight!

A Eagle Ray
Eagle Ray

Majestic underwater bird like fish

A Eastern Hognose Snake
Eastern Hognose Snake

Eastern hognose snakes are venomous, but only to frogs and toads.

A Eastern Meadowlark
Eastern Meadowlark

They can live up to 9 years.

A Eider
Eider

Eiders are sexually dimorphic, with males being larger and more colorful.

A Elegant Tern
Elegant Tern

Have a lifespan of 20 years or more

A Elephant
Elephant

Spends around 22 hours a day eating!

A Emperor Goose
Emperor Goose

Their calls sound like a nasally “kla-ha, kla-ha, kla-ha.”

A Falcon
Falcon

The fastest creatures on the planet!

A False Killer Whale
False Killer Whale

The false killer whale looks like a cross between a dolphin and orca!

A Ferret
Ferret

Ferrets can be trained to do tricks like dogs!

A Finch
Finch

Finches have strong, conical bills that help them break open tough seeds that many other birds cannot.

A Fire Ball Python
Fire Ball Python

The fire ball python morph is known for its rich golden and reddish-brown coloration.

A Florida Mouse
Florida Mouse

It is the only mammal native to the state of Florida.

A Fox
Fox

Only 12 species are considered "true foxes"

A Freeway Ball Python
Freeway Ball Python

Freeway ball pythons come from breeding yellow belly and asphalt ball pythons.

A Frog
Frog

There are around 7,000 different species!

A Fur Seal
Fur Seal

Found only in the Northern Hemisphere!

A Galapagos Shark
Galapagos Shark

Galapagos sharks are cannibalistic and sometimes eat their young, so the pups stay away from the adults in shallow water.

A Gecko
Gecko

There are thought to be over 2,000 species!

A Gentoo Penguin
Gentoo Penguin

Found throughout the sub-Antarctic!

A Gibbon
Gibbon

Found in dense jungles and tropical forests!

A Gila Monster
Gila Monster

This lizard's tail acts as a fat-storage facility!

A Golden Mole
Golden Mole

The golden mole is so named because of its iridescent coat, which gives it a shining, rainbow-like effect.

A Gopher
Gopher

They dig large networks of tunnels!

A Goral
Goral

A mix between a goat and an antelope

A Gorilla
Gorilla

The biggest of the world's primates!

A Gouldian Finch
Gouldian Finch

The male Gouldian finch bobs its head and fluffs its feathers to court a female.

A Grebe
Grebe

They swim like frogs

A Grey Reef Shark
Grey Reef Shark

One of the most common shark species!

A Grey Seal
Grey Seal

One of the rarest species of seal on Earth

A Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear

Less than 10% make it into adulthood

A Ground Squirrel
Ground Squirrel

Ground squirrels are adept excavators and can dig colonial burrows larger than football fields!

A Grunion
Grunion

Their whole bodies are edible

A Guadalupe Bass
Guadalupe Bass

Freshwater fish native to Texas

A Hammerhead Shark
Hammerhead Shark

Found in coastal waters around the world!

A Hare
Hare

Can reach speeds of over 50 mph!

A Harpy Eagle
Harpy Eagle

Talon's the size of a grizzly bear's claws!

A Hawaiian Goose (Nene)
Hawaiian Goose (Nene)

They have the longest breeding season of any goose.

A Hellbender
Hellbender

This giant salamander has lived in its ecosystem for about 65 million years

A Hercules Beetle
Hercules Beetle

This dynastine scarab beetle makes a weird huffing sound when it’s disturbed.

A Hermit Crab
Hermit Crab

There are over 500 different species!

A Honduran White Bat
Honduran White Bat

The bat only eats figs.

A Horse Mackerel
Horse Mackerel

Got their name from a myth that other fish would ride them over great distances

A Hyena
Hyena

There are four different species!

A Iguana
Iguana

Uses visual signals to communicate!

A Indian python
Indian python

Kaa from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book was an Indian Python.

A Jaguar
Jaguar

The largest feline on the American continent!

A Japanese Macaque
Japanese Macaque

Has cheek pouches for storing food!

A Killer Clown Ball Python
Killer Clown Ball Python

Killer clown ball pythons can cost several thousand dollars.

A King Crab
King Crab

Can have a leg span of nearly 2 meters!

A Kingfisher
Kingfisher

Inhabits wetlands and woodlands worldwide!

A Kirtland’s Snake
Kirtland’s Snake

It is considered to be the least aquatic of water snakes.

A Kiwi
Kiwi

Only found in the forests of New Zealand!

A Kori Bustard
Kori Bustard

It's easily identified by its crest, large size, and wingspan

A Lavender Albino Ball Python
Lavender Albino Ball Python

The first two lavender albino ball pythons were wild-hatched and imported from Africa.

A Leaf-Tailed Gecko
Leaf-Tailed Gecko

Only found on Madagascar!

A Lemming
Lemming

Does not hibernate during the bitter Arctic winter!

A Leopard
Leopard

Spends much of the time high in the trees!

A Leopard Seal
Leopard Seal

The world's most aggressive seal species!

A Lizard
Lizard

There are around 5,000 different species!

A Loggerhead Shrike
Loggerhead Shrike

Its nickname is the butcherbird!

A Lumpfish
Lumpfish

The lumpfish have sticky suction cups on their fins

A Lyrebird
Lyrebird

Lyrebirds mimic birds of prey to deter predators such as birds of prey.

A Macaque
Macaque

Macaque females will pass on their social rankings to their daughters

A Macaroni Penguin
Macaroni Penguin

Gather in colonies of up to 100,000 members!

A Magellanic Penguin
Magellanic Penguin

Threatened by oil spills!

A Magpie
Magpie

They are found across Europe, Asia and Africa!

A Mandrill
Mandrill

Distinctively coloured noses and rumps!

A Maned Wolf
Maned Wolf

Despite its name, the Maned Wolf is not actually a wolf.

A Margay
Margay

Margays are one of the world’s most highly adapted cat species for climbing trees!

A Mayfly
Mayfly

There are 2,500 known species worldwide!

A Minke Whale
Minke Whale

There are two recognised species!

A Mojave Ball Python
Mojave Ball Python

Instead of the typically banded or ‘alien head’ patterning of most ball python morphs, the Mojave morph’s patterning is characterized by lots of large, circular splotches with small, dark brown dots in their centers.

A Mole
Mole

Primarily hunts and feeds on Earthworms!

A Molly
Molly

Known for their calm and peaceful nature!

A Monitor Lizard
Monitor Lizard

Some species are thought to carry a weak venom!

A Monkfish
Monkfish

Called the poor man's lobster!

A Moth
Moth

There are 250,000 different species!

A Narwhal
Narwhal

Lives and hunts in the frigid Arctic!

A Nautilus
Nautilus

Living fossils that evolved over 500 million years ago

A Nicobar pigeon
Nicobar pigeon

Unlike other pigeons, Nicobar pigeons don't fly in haphazard flocks but in columns or single file.

A Northern Bobwhite
Northern Bobwhite

The northern bobwhite is named for its distinctive whistling call that sounds like ‘bob-white’.

A Northern Screamer
Northern Screamer

They are closely related to magpie geese

A Nurse Shark
Nurse Shark

Commonly found in Central American waters!

A Ocellated Turkey
Ocellated Turkey

These birds are timid and hard to spot, but their noisy gobbles give them away.

A Okapi
Okapi

Eats more than 100 different types of plants!

A Orange Dream Ball Python
Orange Dream Ball Python

The "Orange Dream" name came from the idea that the morph would make its first breeder a million dollars.

A Ornate Box Turtle
Ornate Box Turtle

One of the biggest threats to the orate box turtle population is that when during extremely hot or cold breeding season a vast majority of the hatchlings are of one sex.

A Otter
Otter

There are 13 different species worldwide

A Pacific Sleeper Shark
Pacific Sleeper Shark

In 2015, a Pacific Sleeper Shark was filmed living underneath an active volcano near the Solomon Islands. This shark is able to survive in waters with very high temperatures and acidity!

A Pademelon
Pademelon

Inhabits the jungles of the far east!

A Panda Pied Ball Python
Panda Pied Ball Python

The panda pied ball python morph is a combination of the piebald and black pastel traits.

A Panther
Panther

Prefers to hunt at night than during the day!

A Partridge
Partridge

Long-lost civilizations have immortalized male partridges in art, depicting them as a symbol of fertility.

A Patagonian Cavy
Patagonian Cavy

Patagonian cavies run anywhere from 18-45 mph!

A Patagonian Mara
Patagonian Mara

Patagonian maras mate for life, but raise their pups in large communal dens!

A Penguin
Penguin

Spends 75% of it's time hunting for food!

A Philippine Cobra
Philippine Cobra

Philippine cobra is a highly venomous species of spitting cobra.

A Pink Fairy Armadillo
Pink Fairy Armadillo

The smallest known species of Armadillo

A Pit Viper
Pit Viper

Pit vipers's fangs fold up into their mouths when they don't need them.

A Platypus
Platypus

One of the only mammals to lay eggs!

A Poison Dart Frog
Poison Dart Frog

Inhabits the jungles of Central and South America!

A Pollock Fish
Pollock Fish

Pollock is a nutritious fish, generally readily available for human consumption, and more sustainable and affordable than other whitefish species like hake or haddock.

A Prairie Chicken
Prairie Chicken

They inflate their orange neck patches during their mating displays

A Purple Emperor Butterfly
Purple Emperor Butterfly

Inhabits deciduous forests!

A Puss Moth
Puss Moth

Caterpillars squirt formic acid!

A Python
Python

Female pythons lay eggs and defend them until they hatch.

A Quetzal
Quetzal

The tail feathers of the male can be 1m long!

A Quoll
Quoll

Found across Australia and Papua New Guinea!

A Red Knee Tarantula
Red Knee Tarantula

Inhabits the Pacific Mountains of Mexico!

A Rhea
Rhea

Male rheas mate with up to a dozen females and single-handedly raise up to 80 chicks at once!

A Rhode Island Red Chicken
Rhode Island Red Chicken

Rhode Island Reds thrive in colder climates but are prone to frostbite, especially on their combs. But, if you smear some petroleum jelly on their combs, it can prevent frostbite

A River Turtle
River Turtle

Inhabits freshwater habitats around the world!

A Robin
Robin

There are more than 45 species in Australia alone!

A Rock Python
Rock Python

Rock pythons may have crossbred with the escaped Burmese pythons in Florida.

A Rufous Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird

The males have a glowing iridescent orange patch on their chests.

A Salamander
Salamander

There are more than 700 different species!

A Sand Lizard
Sand Lizard

Males turn green in spring!

A Sandpiper
Sandpiper

Some sandpipers can migrate more than 8,000 miles without stopping!

A Scaleless Ball Python
Scaleless Ball Python

Aside from the ocular scales covering each of its eyes, the scaleless ball python's body is completely smooth.

A Sea Dragon
Sea Dragon

Inhabits tropical coastal waters of Australia!

A Sea Lion
Sea Lion

It's flippers allow it to walk on the land

A Sea Squirt
Sea Squirt

There are more than 3,000 known species!

A Sea Urchin
Sea Urchin

Can live for up to 200 years!

A Seal
Seal

There are 30 different species worldwide!

A Shrimp
Shrimp

There are 2,000 different species worldwide!

A Siberian Ibex
Siberian Ibex

There’s a population of Siberian ibex in New Mexico

A Sixgill shark
Sixgill shark

The sixgill shark has six pairs of gills instead of the normal five

A Sleeper Shark
Sleeper Shark

The Greenland shark is one of the longest living vertebrates in the world.

A Spanish Goat
Spanish Goat

They have long, horizontal ears.

A Sponge
Sponge

There are more than 9,000 known species!

A Squirrel
Squirrel

Small rodents found in woodlands worldwide!

A Starfish
Starfish

Has 2 stomachs to aid digestion!

A Stick Insect
Stick Insect

There are more than 3,000 different species!

A Stingray
Stingray

It's stinger is razor-sharp or serrated!

A Striped Hyena
Striped Hyena

The striped hyenas usually mark their territories with the help of the scent gland secretions from their anal pouch.

A Sunset Ball Python
Sunset Ball Python

Sunset ball pythons are bred with several other morphs to get designer colors.

A Swallow
Swallow

swallows have aerodynamic bodies for hunting in flight

A Swan
Swan

Populations have been affected by pollution!

A Swordfish
Swordfish

Lose their scales and teeth as adults

A Tamarin
Tamarin

These tiny yet intelligent monkeys often give birth to fraternal twins.

A Tang
Tang

Found around shallow coral reefs!

A Tarantula
Tarantula

More than 1000 species of tarantulas have been identified all around the world!

A Tasmanian Devil
Tasmanian Devil

Exclusively found on the island of Tasmania!

A Thornback Ray
Thornback Ray

The skate with the biggest spines!

A Tuatara
Tuatara

Only found on a few of New Zealand's islands!

A Turaco
Turaco

Their name means “banana-eater,” but they rarely ever eat bananas.

A Viper
Viper

Vipers are one of the most widespread groups of snakes and inhabit most

A Walrus
Walrus

Inhabits the freezing waters of the Arctic Circle!

A Water Dragon
Water Dragon

Spends most of it's time in the trees!

A Whale Shark
Whale Shark

The largest species of fish in the world!

A White Rhinoceros
White Rhinoceros

The second largest animal on the land!

A Wolf
Wolf

Thought to date back more than 300,000 years!

A Woolly Monkey
Woolly Monkey

Has a long, strong prehensile tail!

A Yak
Yak

Yaks can live at altitudes up to 20,000 feet--the highest of any land-dwelling mammal.

A Yellow Belly Ball Python
Yellow Belly Ball Python

The yellow belly gene is co-dominant and doesn't completely override other genes.

A Yellowfin Tuna
Yellowfin Tuna

The yellowfin forms schools with other tuna species

A Zebra Shark
Zebra Shark

Can get to be 30 years old in the wild!

Near Threatened Species List

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