IUCN Conservation Status Explained
The IUCN conservation status records whether animal or plant species is threatened with extinction in their native home.
The conservation status is based on up-to-date scientific information by specialist groups.
This is published in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) is a global conservation group that researches threatened species and coordinates practical conservation plans.
Conservation scale
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Extinct | After exhaustive surveys, the last known individual has died. |
| Extinct in the Wild | When a species survives in captivity, cultivation, or has a naturalized population/s well outside the past range. |
| Critically endangered | When a species faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. |
| Endangered | A species faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild. |
| Vulnerable | A species faces a high risk of extinction in the wild. |
| Near threatened | A species likely to qualify for threatened category in the near future, perhaps very quickly depending on local development projects such as rainforest logging. |
| Least concern | A species is widespread and abundant. |
| Data deficient | When there is not enough information to assess the risk of extinction (based on distribution/population status). |
| Not evaluated | A species has not yet been evaluated against the above criteria. |
Adapted from IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Categories & Criteria, version 3.1.)