The Siberian Tiger is a subspecies of tiger that are critically endangered. The Siberian tiger ( Panthera tigris altaica) also known as the Amur tiger, Manchurian tiger, or Ussuri tiger, is a rare Subspecies 3 subspecies of tiger are already extinct. ^[1]

An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. The conservation status of a Species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. Extinct in the Wild ( EW) is a Conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa the only known living members of which are being kept in captivity or as a naturalized Organisms with a conservation status of critically endangered have an extremely high risk of becoming extinct A vulnerable species is a Species which is likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve Threatened species are any species (including Animals Plants fungi, etc Conservation Dependent ( LR/cd) was an IUCN category assigned to species or lower taxa which were dependent on conservation efforts to prevent the taxon becoming Near Threatened ( NT) is a Conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa which may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future although Least Concern ( LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. An endangered species is usually a taxonomic species, but may be another evolutionary significant unit. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. An Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU (often lowercased where used without abbreviation as evolutionarily significant unit) is a population of Organisms that is The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has calculated the percentage of endangered species as 40 percent of all organisms based on the sample of species that have been evaluated through 2006. ^[2] (Note: the IUCN groups all threatened species for their summary purposes. ) Many nations have laws offering protection to these species: for example, forbidding hunting, restricting land development or creating preserves. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society Hunting is the practice of pursuing Animals for Food, Recreation, or Trade. Only a few of the many species at risk of extinction actually make it to the lists and obtain legal protection. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society Many more species become extinct, or potentially will become extinct, without gaining public notice.

Conservation status

Main article: Conservation status

The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that endangered species not living. The conservation status of a Species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future The conservation status of a Species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation status of a species; not simply the number remaining, but the overall increase or decrease in the population over time, breeding success rates, known threats, and so on. The IUCN Red List is the best known conservation status listing. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global

Internationally, 189 countries have signed an accord agreeing to create Biodiversity Action Plans to protect endangered and other threatened species. This article is about a conservation biology topic For other uses of BAP see BAP (disambiguation. In the United States this plan is usually called a species Recovery Plan. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Recovery Plan is a program in the USA to develop protocols for protecting and enhancing rare and Endangered species populations

IUCN Red List Endangered species

Endangered species under the IUCN Red List refers to a specific category of threatened species, and may also include critically endangered species. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global Threatened species are any species (including Animals Plants fungi, etc Organisms with a conservation status of critically endangered have an extremely high risk of becoming extinct

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species uses the term endangered species as a specific category of imperilment, rather than as a general term. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global Under the IUCN Categories and Criteria, endangered species is between critically endangered and vulnerable. Also critically endangered species may also be counted as endangered species and fill all the criteria

The more general term used by the IUCN for species at risk of extinction is threatened species, which also includes the less-at-risk category of vulnerable species together with endangered and critically endangered. Threatened species are any species (including Animals Plants fungi, etc A vulnerable species is a Species which is likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve

IUCN categories include:

• Extinct: the last remaining member of the species has died, or is presumed beyond reasonable doubt to have died. Examples: Thylacine, Dodo, Passenger Pigeon
• Extinct in the wild: captive individuals survive, but there is no free-living, natural population. The Thylacine (ˈθaɪləsaɪn -iːn ( Thylacinus cynocephalus Latin wolf-headed pouched dog was the largest known carnivorous Marsupial of modern The dodo ( Raphus cucullatus) was a Flightless bird endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. The passenger pigeon ( Ectopistes migratorius) or wild pigeon was a species of pigeon that was once the most common Bird in North America Examples: Alagoas Curassow
• Critically endangered: faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future. The Alagoas Curassow, Mitu mitu, is a large up to 89 cm long Pheasant -like bird with a whitish-tipped red bill, black glossed purplish blue plumage In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. Examples: Arakan Forest Turtle, Javan Rhino
• Endangered: faces a very high risk of extinction in the near future. The Arakan Forest Turtle ( Heosemys depressa) is an extremely rare Turtle species which lives only in the Arakan hills of western Myanmar. The Javan Rhinoceros ( Sunda Rhinoceros to be more precise or Lesser One-horned Rhinoceros ( Rhinoceros sondaicus) is a member of the family Rhinocerotidae Examples: Blue Whale, Snow Leopard, African Wild Dog, Tiger, Albatross
• Vulnerable: faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term. The Blue Whale ( Balaenoptera musculus) is a Marine mammal belonging to the suborder of Baleen whales (called Mysticeti The snow leopard ( Uncia uncia) sometimes known as the ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia from Afghanistan Northern The African wild dog ( Lycaon pictus) is a carnivorous mammal of the Canidae family found only in Africa, especially in scrub Savanna The tiger ( Panthera tigris) is a member of the Felidae family the largest and the most powerful of the four " Big cats quot in the Genus Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large Seabirds allied to the procellariids, Storm-petrels and Diving-petrels Examples: Cheetah, Gaur, Lion, Wolverine
• Conservation Dependant: The following animal is not serverly threatend, but the animal must depend on conservation programs. The cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus) is an atypical member of the cat family ( Felidae) that is unique in its speed while lacking climbing abilities The gaur (ˈɡaʊɚ ( Bos gaurus, previously Bibos gauris) is a large dark-coated bovine animal of South Asia and Southeast Asia. The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. Examples: Spotted Hyena, Leopard Shark, Black Caiman
• Near Threatened: may be considered threatened in the near future. The Spotted Hyena, or Laughing Hyena, ( Crocuta crocuta) is a carnivorous Mammal of the family Hyaenidae. The leopard shark, Triakis semifasciata, is a Hound shark found in the coastal waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean, along the coast The black caiman (Melanosuchus niger is a crocodilian It is a Carnivorous Reptile that lives along slow-moving Rivers and Lakes Examples: Blue-billed Duck, Solitary Eagle
• Least Concern: no immediate threat to the survival of the species. The Blue-billed Duck ( Oxyura australis) is a small Australian Stiff-tailed duck. The Solitary Eagle, Harpyhaliaetus solitarius, is a large Neotropical eagle Examples: Brown Rat, Nootka Cypress, Wood Pigeon

United States

"Endangered" in relation to "threatened" under the ESA. Nootka Cypress ( Callitropsis nootkatensis) formerly Cupressus nootkatensis Xanthocyparis nootkatensis or Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, is For the New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū (often incorrectly called "wood pigeons" see Kererū.

Under the Endangered Species Act in the United States, "endangered" is the more protected of the two categories. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( et seq or ESA is the most wide-ranging of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Salt Creek tiger beetle (Cicindela nevadica lincolniana) is an example of an endangered subspecies protected under the ESA. The Salt Creek tiger beetle, Cicindela nevadica lincolniana, is a critically endangered subspecies of Tiger beetle endemic to the saline

Controversy

Some endangered species laws are controversial. A controversy or dispute is a commencement of a conflict between statements of accepted fact and a new or unaccepted proposal that disagrees with argues against Typical areas of controversy include: criteria for placing a species on the endangered species list, and criteria for removing a species from the list once its population has recovered; whether restrictions on land development constitute a "taking" of land by the government; the related question of whether private landowners should be compensated for the loss of use of their land; and obtaining reasonable exceptions to protection laws. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government.

Being listed as an endangered species can have negative effect since it could make a species more desirable for collectors and poachers. ^[3] This effect is potentially reduceable, such as in China where commercially farmed turtles may be reducing some of the pressure to poach endangered species. ^[4]

Another problem with listing species is its effect of inciting the use of the "shoot, shovel, and shut-up" method of clearing endangered species from an area of land. Some landowners currently may perceive a diminution in value for their land after finding an endangered animal on it. They have allegedly opted to silently kill and bury the animals or destroy habitat, thus removing the problem from their land, but at the same time further reducing the population of an endangered species. ^[5] The effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act, which coined the term "endangered species", has been questioned by business advocacy groups and their publications, but is nevertheless widely recognized as an effective recovery tool by wildlife scientists who work with the species. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( et seq or ESA is the most wide-ranging of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s Nineteen species have been delisted and recovered^[6] and 93% of listed species have a recovering or stable population. ^[7]

Captive breeding programs

Main article: Captive breeding

In many cases, captive breeding programs have been successful in restoring endangered species populations. Captive breeding is the process of breeding rare or Endangered species in human controlled environments with restricted settings such as wildlife preserves Zoos Captive breeding is the process of breeding rare or Endangered species in human controlled environments with restricted settings such as wildlife preserves Zoos ^[8]

Gallery

The endangered Island Fox	The endangered Sea Otter	American bison skull heap. The Island Fox ( Urocyon littoralis) is a small Fox that is native to six of the eight Channel Islands of California. The sea otter ( Enhydra lutris) is a Marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. The American bison ( Bison bison) is a Bovine Mammal, also commonly known as the American buffalo. There were as few as 750 bison in 1890 from economic-driven overhunting.	Immature California Condor
Loggerhead Sea Turtle	Santa Cruz Long-toed Salamander (photo courtesy of Don Roberson)	An asian arowana

See also

Notes

External links

• Endangered Species & Wetlands Report Independent print and online newsletter covering the ESA, wetlands and regulatory takings.
• Everything you wanted to know about endangered species — Provided by New Scientist. New Scientist is a weekly International science magazine and website covering recent developments in science and technology for a general English -speaking
• Endangered species charted by number of species and risk of extinction.