The latest report from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species shows that 61,914 species have now been assessed, providing a better insight than ever before into the state of the world’s biodiversity. The IUCN Red List now not only contains a higher number of species, but also a great diversity, moving it a step closer to becoming a true ‘Barometer of Life’.

Przewalski's horse is now listed as Endangered

Highs and Lows

While 25% of mammals are still at risk of extinction, the report covers conservation successes as well as losses. Przewalski’s horse was originally listed as Extinct in the Wild but, thanks to captive breeding and a successful reintroduction programme, the conservation status of this species has improved dramatically. This latest update sees this species downlisted from Critically Endangered to Endangered. 

Other species, however, have not fared so well, with a subspecies of the black rhinoceros now believed to be extinct, and the loss of the last Javan rhinoceros from Vietnam.

“This update offers both good and bad news on the status of many species around the world,” says Jane Smart, Director, IUCN Global Species Programme. “We have the knowledge that conservation works if executed in a timely manner, yet, without strong political will in combination with targeted efforts and resources, the wonders of nature and the services it provides can be lost forever.”

Black rhinoceros: Critically Endangered

Javan rhinoceros: Critically Endangered

In recent years, the conservation status of many of the world’s reptiles has been assessed, including most of the species of reptile found in Madagascar. A troubling 40% of the country’s reptiles are threatened with extinction, with 22 species being assessed as Critically Endangered, including the stunning Tarzan’s chameleon.

Many economically important species of fish are also at risk of extinction, with five of the eight species of tuna now listed as threatened or Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Among these is the northern bluefin tuna, previously listed as Data Deficient and now listed as Endangered. The yellowfin and albacore tuna have also both been placed in the Near Threatened category.

The yellowfin tuna is now listed as Near Threatened

One of the most closely monitored groups, the amphibians have seen 26 newly discovered species added to the IUCN Red List, including the blessed poison frog (Ranitomeya benedicta) and Summers’ poison frog (Ranitomeya summersi). Both of these species are threatened by habitat loss and harvesting for the international pet trade.

Work is currently being carried out to increase the number of plants assessed on the IUCN Red List, with the new report revealing that 77% of the endemic flowering plants of the Seychelles are believed to be at risk of extinction. The fascinating coco-de-mer palm, which has the largest seeds of any plant in the world, has now been uplisted to Endangered. 

It is hoped for many species that the latest IUCN Red List update will provide vital information to aid in conservation decision making.

Seed of the Endangered coco-de-mer

ARKive’s role

Wildscreen, the charity behind ARKive, is working with the IUCN to promote a greater public appreciation of the world’s biodiversity and the conservation of nature through the power of wildlife imagery.

“Expanding both the number and diversity of species assessed on the IUCN Red List is imperative if we are to conserve the natural world.” said Richard Edwards, Chief Executive of Wildscreen.

“We need to address our disconnection from the natural world, and will only succeed in rescuing species from the brink of extinction if we successfully communicate their plight, significance, value and importance.”

Explore more threatened species on ARKive.

Find out more about the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and this year’s update.

Becky Moran, ARKive Species Text Author

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A recent study by the IUCN has predicted that the amount of habitat available for the polar bear will be dramatically reduced in the next 10 to 50 years, mainly as a result of global climate change.

Polar bear walking in habitat

Vanishing ice habitat

The IUCN, or International Union for Conservation of Nature, is one of the world’s leading conservation authorities. This recent research has predicted a bleak future for the polar bear, which is already classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Using recent trends in sea ice cover, research at the Norwegian Polar Institute has suggested that the summer sea ice habitat of the polar bear in the Polar Basin may vanish in as little as 10 years’ time.

Polar bears rely on sea ice in order to hunt for their main prey, the ringed seal. With global temperatures set to rise and the sea ice predicted to melt, polar bears will be unable to hunt, and will be forced to spend more time on land and rely on stored fat reserves. Less food also means bears will give birth to fewer, smaller young.

Polar bear hunting on ice

Climate change

The polar bear is one of the first species to be designated as threatened due to climate change. Scientists, however, are predicting that climate change will cause a mass extinction of many species of plants and animals. Species that live or breed on low-lying remote islands, like marine turtles, are threatened by rising sea levels and extreme weather, and many plants, which cannot move to find new habitats, are disappearing from parts of their range, due to drought and higher temperatures.

Simon Stuart, Chair of the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission and Wildscreen Trustee, says “Climate change will be one of the major drivers of species extinctions in the 21st century. In order to slow the pace the adverse effects of climate change are having on species around the world, we must work to reduce use of energy from fossil fuels and ensure that our leaders make and adhere to strong commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions now.”

Polar bear swimming

Dag Vongraven of the Norwegian Polar Institute advises:

“Now is the time to act in order to save the waning polar bear population. If we fail to make a stand to save this species we risk having the population become severely decimated, and quite certainly they will have disappeared from many areas where they’re found today.”

For more information on the polar bear, visit the IUCN SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group.

View images and videos of the polar bear on ARKive.

Find out more about climate change on ARKive.

Explore the habitat of the polar bear on our Arctic eco-region pages.

Becky Moran, ARKive Species Text Author

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A new IUCN report has revealed that rapid economic development in the Western Ghats is leading to freshwater species being sacrificed as ‘collateral damage’.

River Kunthi, Western Ghats

A number of threats, including water pollution, overharvesting and invasive species, have led to 16% of freshwater species in the Western Ghats being classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List. Freshwater fish have been identified as the most threatened group, with over a third at risk of extinction.

The Western Ghats have been identified as a global biodiversity hotspot, containing more than 30% of India’s mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian and fish species despite covering less than 6% of the country’s land area. There are 118 endemic fish species, including the iconic Denison barb (Puntius denisonii), which is currently listed as Endangered due to its indiscriminate collection for the ornamental fish trade.

Denison barb (Puntius denisonii)

The two-year assessment by the IUCN has shown that the pace of growth of the Indian economy is not in tune with conservation needs, and that in many cases environmental requirements are not considered during developmental planning processes. There is also little awareness of the ecosystem services the freshwater ecosystems provide.

Many people, particularly the poor, rely on freshwater species for their livelihoods, with more than half of India’s fish species and 18% of its mollusc species being used for food.

Rajeev Raghavan of the Conservation Research Group (CRG) at St. Albert’s College says, “If we continue to degrade our freshwater systems and overharvest our resources, we will not only lose biodiversity but also the many valuable services that nature provides us for free.”

Waterfall in Maharastra, Western Ghats

It is hoped that the report, which assessed the global conservation status and distributions of 1,146 freshwater fishes, molluscs, odonates and aquatic plants, will help politicians and other decision-making personnel to make informed conservation decisions in the future.

Read the full IUCN report – The Status and Distribution of Freshwater Biodiversity in the Western Ghats, India. 

Find out more about the Western Ghats eco-region on ARKive.

Becky Moran, ARKive Species Text Author

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Following on from our feature pages on climate change, the Jewels of the UAE and a range of beautiful eco-regions, the ARKive team is pleased to announce the launch of our new endangered species page. As the aim of the ARKive project is to raise the public profile of the world’s threatened species, through the emotive power of wildlife films and photos, we thought it was about time that the world’s endangered species got a feature page of their own. 

Endangered species are those considered to be at risk of extinction, meaning that there are so few left of their kind that they could disappear from the planet altogether.

The current rate of extinction is thought to be far greater than the expected natural rate, with many species going extinct before they have even been discovered. Shockingly, current estimates suggest that a third of the world’s amphibians, a quarter of all mammals and one in eight birds are endangered. Of the nearly 60,000 species assessed by the IUCN Red List so far, this equates to a staggering 19,265 species. 

Turtles are among the world’s most endangered vertebrates, with about half of all turtle species threatened with extinction.

The alarming rate at which species are disappearing is something which should be a cause for concern for us all. Not only do they add beauty and wonder to the natural world, they are also of great global economic importance, providing clean air and water, food, medicines, building and clothing materials and fertile soils.

Species face a wide range of threats, from poaching and habitat loss to disease, climate change and pollution.

As well as picking our top 50 endangered species, we have put together a wealth of endangered species information, from why species are facing extinction, to what is being done to protect them and what we can do to help - as we will only succeed in rescuing species from the brink of extinction if people know about their plight, importance and value.

Human influence has driven many species to the point of extinction. With an individual southern bluefin tuna fetching up to US$ 10,000 in 'sashimi' markets, overfishing means that this species is now Critically Endangered.

Why not take a look today? Has your favourite endangered species made our top 50? Can you add to our endangered species facts? Let us know what you think, we would love to hear from you! 

And finally, don’t forget to keep an eye out on the blog for our endangered species of the week feature!

Claire Lewis, ARKive Media Researcher

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Western barred bandicoot (Perameles bougainville)

Species: Western barred bandicoot (Perameles bougainville)

Status: Endangered (EN) 

Interesting Fact: It has one of the shortest gestation periods of any mammal, just 12 days long!

The western barred bandicoot is a small, nocturnal marsupial mammal found only in Australia. It is a solitary species preferring to build its own nest, which it sleeps in during the day. As with other marsupials, the female possesses a pouch which the young will occupy after being born. Western barred bandicoot young are born just 12 days after being conceived! The young remain in the pouch to suckle and develop further for 45 to 60 days, and by two and a half months old they are ready to disperse on their own.

Thought at one point to be extinct, the western barred bandicoot is restricted to just two islands off the coast of Australia. Its disappearance from mainland Australia is thought to be mainly due to predation by introduced foxes and feral cats. Captive breeding efforts are currently underway in order to re-introduce this species back to its former range, once introduced predators have been eradicated.

View images and footage of the western barred bandicoot on ARKive.

Find out more about the western barred bandicoot here. 

Becky Moran,  ARKive Media Researcher

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