Ad
related to: endangered species list national geographicBrowse & Discover Thousands of Science Book Titles, for Less.
Search results
An endangered species is a type of organism that is threatened by extinction. Species become endangered for two main reasons: loss of habitat and loss of genetic variation. Loss of Habitat. A loss of habitat can happen naturally. Nonavian dinosaurs, for instance, lost their habitat about 65 million years ago.
- Zoo
Zoo-Literacy Many books of fiction, nonfiction, and...
- 8 Th Grade
The Convention on Biological Diversity has adopted the IUCN...
- Endangered Species
Apache/2.4.29 (Ubuntu) Server at www.nationalgeographic.org...
- Zoo
Jul 30, 2019 · In the U.S., 719 animal species are listed as federally endangered or threatened. Every state is home to endangered species—some well-known, some obscure. All are vital to their...
- Overview
- The Red List
- Endangered Species Act
The term "threatened" is broader than you might think. Discover the origins and meaning of threatened species.
The word “threatened” can conjure alarming images of a species on the brink of disappearing forever. The term’s actual meaning, however, is not necessarily that dire—depending on who you ask.
Established in 1964, the Red List indicates the global conservation status of animals, plants and fungi. It keeps track of species that have undergone global assessments of their extinction risk and sorts them into eight categories: data deficient, least concern, near threatened, vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, extinct in the wild and extinct. Under Red List guidelines, species that are rated vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered are also considered threatened.
The status of a species on the Red List changes periodically. A plant or an animal that is considered threatened today may not be threatened a year from now. The Red List category that a species falls into depends on its population size, geographic range, past reductions in population, and probability of extinction in the wild.
In 1973, the U.S. Congress passed the Endangered Species Act to try to prevent species from becoming extinct. The law classifies plants and animals as endangered if they’re at risk of extinction through all or most of their geographic areas. Species are listed as threatened if they’re likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.
To classify a species, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service considers damage to its habitat, overuse of it, disease or predation, inadequate protection, and other factors. It’s illegal under the Endangered Species Act for a person to hunt, kill, capture, or otherwise harm a threatened animal without a permit. States might also have separate laws governing activity that involves endangered and threatened animals.
Unlike species listed as endangered, those classified as threatened under the Endangered Species Act can be taken from the wild for exhibition in a zoo or for educational reasons. State natural resource departments also can move threatened species if it’s part of a conservation effort. To protect a threatened species, the Fish & Wildlife Service can add other conservation-minded regulations.
The ultimate goal of the Endangered Species Act is to take species off the list of species that the act protects. When a plant or an animal is no longer marching toward extinction, the federal law has done its job.
01:30:39
Conservation at a Crossroads
- 91 min
Jan 25, 2019 · Some species status on the endangered species list is unclear—as populations rebound, many are facing intensifying threats from habitat loss or climate change.
Surprise: 5 new species of the mesmerizing eyelash viper discover…. Read.
Apr 2, 2024 · Meet five of the world's most endangered species, from tigers to turtles, through their portraits taken for the National Geographic Photo Ark by Joel Sartore.
People also ask
What is an endangered species?
How many animal species are endangered?
What is the Red List of Threatened Species?
How many endangered species are in our backyards?
