Endangered species are at a very high risk of becoming extinct in the wild or extinct. In the most recent iteration of the list the IUCN identifies 5,766 species as endangered. For the IUCN to add a species to the category it must meet any of the following criteria:
Population Reduction
- A taxon’s population size is reduced by 70 percent or more over 10 years or three generations, whichever is longer, and the reduction causes are understood, reversible, and have stopped. For example, let’s pretend there is a bird species that traditionally had a population of 2000. Over 10 years, it drops to 600 because a logging company demolished its habitat. If laws are put in place that bar the logging company from continuing to fell trees in the area, then the IUCN will list it as “endangered” because the reason for the decline is understood and ceased.
- A taxon’s population size is reduced by 50 percent or more over 10 years or three generations, whichever is longer, but the reduction cause may not be understood or reversible. For example, let’s say there is a bird species that traditionally had a population size of 2000. Over 10 years, it drops to 1000. However, scientists can’t figure out why they’re dying off. In this case, the IUCN would list it as “critically endangered” because the decimation is evident, but scientists can’t figure out why.
- A taxon’s population size is reduced by 50 percent or more over 10 years or three generations, whichever is longer, and the animal is also battling habitat shrinkage or another threat.
Geographic Reduction
The area where a species can live is reduced to 5,000 square kilometers or less, or the area that the species currently and actually occupies is reduced to 500 square kilometers, and at least two of the following criteria are also true:
- The population is known to exist in only one location.
- Scientists observe or predict that the habitat will continue to shrink or be degraded, and there’s also a decline in subpopulations or the number of reproducing adults.
- Scientists observe extreme fluctuations in the number of locations, subpopulations, or the number of reproducing adults.
Dangerously Low Number of Adults
- A taxon’s population only has 2,500 or fewer adults left, and a 20 percent decline is anticipated within three years or one generation, whichever is longer. If no subpopulation of the taxon contains more than 250 adults, or 95 percent of the species’ adults live in one subpopulation, it will qualify as critically endangered
- Scientists observe extreme fluctuations in the number of mature adults in a given population.
Expected Rapid Decline
Research and studies indicate that there is a 20 percent or greater chance that the species will be extinct in the wild within 20 years or five generations, whichever is longer.
Endangered Species

African Forest Elephant
Have large rounded ears to help keep them cool!

African Penguin
The only penguin species in Africa!

African Wild Dog
Also known as the painted dog!

Armadillo
Can curl into a hard, protective ball!

Asian Elephant
Domesticated for hundreds of years!

Asiatic Black Bear
Known to eat 160 different tree-borne fruits in Thailand!

Axolotl
Found only in one complex of lakes!

Aye Aye
Thought to be extinct until 1957!

Bactrian Camel
The camel with two humps!

Bandicoot
Bandicoot Many species are endangered or extinct!

Bear
There are 8 different species!

Bengal Tiger
The most numerous species of tiger!

Black-Footed Ferret
Black footed ferrets are the only ones native to North America.

Blue Whale
The largest animal on Earth

Bluefin Tuna
The bluefin is one of the largest fish in the world

Bonobo
Shares 97% of the same DNA as humans!

Brown Bear
A dominant predator in it's environment!

Butterfly Fish
There are more than 100 different species!

Chimpanzee
Has 32 teeth including fang-like canines!

Chinchilla
Natively found in the Andes Mountain range!

Dhole
Only 2,000 left in the wild!

Eastern Lowland Gorilla
Less than 5,000 in the wild!

Eel
Eels can be a mere few inches long to 13 feet!

Fin Whale
Found throughout ocean waters worldwide!

Fishing Cat
Scoops fish out of the water using it's paw!

Florida Panther
Florida panthers can leap more than 4.5 meters (15 feet) in the air.

Fossa
Most closely related to the Mongoose!

Galapagos Penguin
Found around the Equator!

Galapagos Tortoise
The biggest species of tortoise in the world!

Giraffe
Long, black tongue can grow to 18 inches long!

Golden-Crowned Flying Fox
They eat figs almost exclusively

Golden Lion Tamarin
Native to the eastern rainforests of Brazil!

Goliath Frog
Does not have a vocal sac.

Grizzly Bear
Less than 10% make it into adulthood

Honey Bee
There are only 8 recognized species!

Hummingbird
Beat their wings up to 80 times per second!

Indian Elephant
Found throughout south-east Asia!

Indian Rhinoceros
Also known as the one-horned rhino!

Indochinese Tiger
Now thought to be extinct in China!

Kakapo
The heaviest species of parrot in the world!

Kangaroo Rat
Merriam’s kangaroo rats literally never have to drink water

Killer Whale
Typically consumes over 200 kg of food a day!

Little Brown Bat
The little brown bat uses echolocation to quickly navigate around its environment

Lungfish
The lungfish first evolved almost 400 million years ago.

Macaw
The largest species of parrot in the world!

Malayan Tiger
Found in less-dense jungles!

Manatee
Also known as the Sea Cow!

Markhor
Less than 2,500 left in the wild!

Mexican Alligator Lizard
Mexican alligator lizards shed their skin like snakes.

Monarch Butterfly
During migration, Monarch Butterflies may travel 250 or more miles each day.

Mongoose
Range in size from just 1 to 3 foot!

Mountain Gorilla
Isolated populations found in the mountains!

Numbat
There are less than 1,000 left in the wild!

Pangolin
Bad eyesight, but great sense of smell

Parrot
Can live for up to 100 years!

Amazon River Dolphin (Pink Dolphin)
Also known as the 'Pink Dolphin'

Proboscis Monkey
Natively found on the island of Borneo!

Pygmy Hippopotamus
Spends more time on land than in water!

Red Panda
There are less than 3,000 left in the wild!

Rhinoceros
It's horns are made from keratin!

Rodents
The capybara, the world’s largest rodent, likes to be in and around bodies of water. Because of this, the Catholic Church in South America decided that it was a fish, and people were allowed to eat it during Lent and First Fridays.

Sea Otter
Eats over 40 different marine species!

Sea Turtle
Always return to the same beach to lay eggs!

Seahorse
Males give birth to up to 1,000 offspring!

Shark
No shark species has any bones in their bodies

Siberian Tiger
Also known as the Amur tiger!

Sloth
It's body temperature is between 30 - 34 degrees!

South China Tiger
There are less than 20 in the wild!

Spectacled Bear
Native to the Andes mountains of South America!

Sri Lankan Elephant
Now restricted to a few parks!

Sumatran Tiger
The smallest species of tiger!

Swai Fish
The edges of an iridescent shark's fins have a signature glow

Tapir
Most closely related to horses and rhinos!

Tarsier
Each eye weighs more than their whole brain!

Tiger
The largest feline in the world!

Tortoise
Can live until they are more than 150 years old!

Vulture
There are 30 different species worldwide!

Water Buffalo
Has been domesticated for thousands of years!

White Tiger
None have been seen in the wild for 50 years!

Whooping Crane
This species is named after the loud whooping sound it makes

Wildebeest
Can trek more than 1,000 miles every year!

Wolffish
The wolffish has impressive canines with a powerful bite force!

Wombat
Spends most of the day underground!

Yellow-Eyed Penguin
The rarest species of penguin!

Zebra
Stripe patterns are unique to each individual!
Endangered Species List
- African Forest Elephant
- African Penguin
- African Wild Dog
- Armadillo
- Asian Elephant
- Asiatic Black Bear
- Axolotl
- Aye Aye
- Bactrian Camel
- Bandicoot
- Bear
- Bengal Tiger
- Black-Footed Ferret
- Blue Iguana
- Blue Whale
- Bluefin Tuna
- Bonobo
- Brown Bear
- Butterfly Fish
- Chimpanzee
- Chinchilla
- Dhole
- Eastern Lowland Gorilla
- Eel
- Fin Whale
- Fishing Cat
- Florida Panther
- Fossa
- Galapagos Penguin
- Galapagos Tortoise
- Giraffe
- Golden-Crowned Flying Fox
- Golden Lion Tamarin
- Goliath Frog
- Grizzly Bear
- Honey Bee
- Hummingbird
- Indian Elephant
- Indian Rhinoceros
- Indochinese Tiger
- Indri
- Kakapo
- Kangaroo Rat
- Killer Whale
- Little Brown Bat
- Lungfish
- Macaw
- Malayan Tiger
- Manatee
- Markhor
- Mexican Alligator Lizard
- Monarch Butterfly
- Mongoose
- Mountain Gorilla
- Numbat
- Pangolin
- Parrot
- Amazon River Dolphin (Pink Dolphin)
- Proboscis Monkey
- Pygmy Hippopotamus
- Red Panda
- Rhinoceros
- Rodents
- Sea Otter
- Sea Turtle
- Seahorse
- Shark
- Siberian Tiger
- Sloth
- South China Tiger
- Spectacled Bear
- Sri Lankan Elephant
- Sumatran Tiger
- Swai Fish
- Tapir
- Tarsier
- Tiger
- Tortoise
- Vulture
- Water Buffalo
- White Tiger
- Whooping Crane
- Wildebeest
- Wolffish
- Wombat
- Yellow-Eyed Penguin
- Zebra