Different Types and Categories of Endangered Animals

Endangered animal categories, definitions, and lists

A-Z Animals follows the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s nine categories of endangered animal lists. They are:

	Extinct (EX) — Extinct species no longer exist. After exhaustive research, scientists around the world agree that there isn’t a single living individual of the species on the planet. Interestingly, 99 percent of all species that ever graced the Earth over the past five billion years have gone extinct. Read more and see an  extinct species list here.
	Extinct in the wild (EW) — Species that only survive in captivity, cultivation, or outside their native range are deemed “extinct in the wild.” For example, if only 10 individuals of a rare bird are left, and they all live in zoos or on a single nature preserve, the IUCN would classify the species as extinct in the wild. Read more and see an  extinct in the wild species list here.
	Critically endangered (CR)  — Critically endangered species are on the brink of becoming extinct or extinct in the wild but have not yet met the criteria for either category. See a  list of critically endangered species here.
	Endangered (EN) — Endangered species are at a very high risk of becoming extinct in the wild or extinct. For an animal to be added to the category, it must meet specific criteria regarding population or habitat decline, which you can read about on our  endangered species list.
	Vulnerable (VU) — Vulnerable species meet at least one of the five Red List criteria. They’re considered to be at high risk of human-caused extinction if conservationists don’t intervene. For the IUCN to add a taxon to the Vulnerable animals list, it must meet specific criteria regarding population or habitat decline. Read more on our  vulnerable species list here.
	Near threatened (NT) — A species is considered Near Threatened when it doesn’t qualify as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable, but scientists believe it will reach one of those levels in the near future. See our  near threatened species list here.
	Least concern (LC) — Species that fall into the Least Concern category are not presently facing any population or habitat declines. See a  least concern species list.
	Data deficient (DD) — Data deficient species lack enough information to properly categorize into one of the groups above. See a data deficient species list.
	Not evaluated (NE) — This species has not been evaluated for an IUCN categorization yet. See a  list of not evaluated species.

What is the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)?

The IUCN is the organization that monitors the conservation status and other ecological metrics for the world’s plants and animals. Its mission is to promote sustainable use of the Earth’s resources.Founded in 1948, in Fontainebleau, France, as the Union for the Protection of Nature, the IUCN is the oldest global environmental advocacy group. Today, headquartered in Gland, Switzerland, the umbrella organization collaborates with over 1,000 smaller nonprofits, associations, and governments representing 140 countries.

How Many Species Occupy the Earth?

The IUCN monitors the world’s species, which raises the question: How many species currently occupy the planet?In 2016, researchers declared their collective belief that over one trillion species currently occupy the Earth. However, scientists have only observed and described about one-thousandth of one percent of them, or 7 to 10 million.The typical lifespan of a species is 10 million years. However, some stick around for hundreds of millions of years. For example, jellyfish have lived on Earth for nearly 550 million years!

What is a Taxon?

The IUCN frequently uses the word “taxon.” So what is it? A taxon is a group of one or more populations of a species or organism that form a unit.

What is the Red List?

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature is perhaps best known for creating the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, a detailed accounting of the world’s vulnerable and endangered species. The list started in 1964 and details at-risk taxons, for both plants and animals, which are separated into several categories.

How Many Animals are Currently Endangered?

You may be wondering: How many animals are endangered, or what animals are endangered in 2020? For the most recent version of the list, IUCN researchers and scientists evaluated 63,837 species. Of that number, 19,817 are threatened with extinction; 3,947 landed in the Critically Endangered category; 5,766 qualified as Endangered, and over 10,000 species are listed under Vulnerable.

What is the Endangered Species Act?

Passed in 1973, the Endangered Species Act is a federal United States law designed to protect threatened and endangered species that are imperiled because of a “consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation.” The goal of the act is to prevent extinction and recover species to the point where they no longer need protection.

Extinct Animals

Arambourgiania

The Arambourgiania was not a dinosaur but instead a pterosaur!

Scutosaurus

Unlike most reptiles, Scutosaurus' legs were positioned underneath its body to support its great weigh

Dodo

Native to the island of Mauritius!

See all of our extinct animals.

Extinct in the Wild Animals

Toxodon

Père David’s Deer

Has webbing between its toes, aiding in swimming!

Elephant Bird

Vorombe titan, a type of elephant bird, is the largest bird that ever lived

See all of our extinct in the wild animals.

Critically Endangered Animals

Deer Mouse

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

Finch

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

Amur Leopard

The Amur leopard may be the rarest big cat on Earth!

See all of our critically endangered animals.

Endangered Animals

Coral Snake

There are over 80 species of coral snake worldwide.

Key Deer

Bucks grow new antlers every year.

Pit Viper

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

See all of our endangered animals.

Vulnerable Animals

Capuchin

Named after Capuchin friars.

Blacktip Shark 

One of the most commonly-encountered sharks

Leatherback Sea Turtle

They are the largest living turtle and the only sea turtle without a hard shell!

See all of our vulnerable animals.

Near Threatened Animals

Patagonian Mara

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

Grey Seal

One of the rarest species of seal on Earth

Nurse Shark

Commonly found in Central American waters!

See all of our near threatened animals.

Least Concern Animals

Black Throat Monitor

The black-throat monitor is the second-longest lizard species in Africa and the largest in mass.

Black Widow Spider

They typically prey on insects!

Fisher

The fisher is an agile climber and makes its home in tree hollows.

See all of our least concern animals.

Data Deficient Animals

Ground Squirrel

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

Dragonfish

Dragonfish can emit red light from their eyes

Polka Dot Stingray

Can detect electrical fields from other creatures

See all of our data deficient animals.

Not Evaluated Animals

Eelpout

Not actually "eels"

Banded Krait

What often prevents more people from falling victim is that the banded krait does not always inject venom in a defensive bite. It saves the venom for hunting prey instead.

Naegleria

Causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis

See all of our not evaluated animals.

The Big List of Endangered Animals

List of Extinct Animals

List of Extinct in the Wild Animals

List of Critically Endangered Species

List of Endangered Species

List of Vulnerable Species

List of Near Threatened Species

List of Least Concern Species

List of Data Deficient Species

List of Not Evaluated Species

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.