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Systematic assessments of species extinction risk at regular intervals are necessary for informing conservation action 1 , 2 . Ongoing developments in taxonomy, threatening processes and research further underscore the need for reassessment 3 , 4 . Here we report the findings of the second Global Amphibian Assessment, evaluating 8,011 species for the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. We find that amphibians are the most threatened vertebrate class (40.7% of species are globally threatened). The updated Red List Index shows that the status of amphibians is deteriorating globally, particularly for salamanders and in the Neotropics. Disease and habitat loss drove 91% of status deteriorations between 1980 and 2004. Ongoing and projected climate change effects are now of increasing concern, driving 39% of status deteriorations since 2004, followed by habitat loss (37%). Although signs of species recoveries incentivize immediate conservation action, scaled-up investment is urgently needed to reverse the current trends. The second Global Amphibian Assessment finds that the status of amphibians is continuing to deteriorate globally, driven predominantly by climate change, disease and habitat loss.

Using data for 25,780 species categorized on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, we present an assessment of the status of the world's vertebrates. One-fifth of species are classified as Threatened, and we show that this figure is increasing: On average, 52 species of mammals, birds, and amphibians move one category closer to extinction each year. However, this overall pattern conceals the impact of conservation successes, and we show that the rate of deterioration would have been at least one-fifth again as much in the absence of these. Nonetheless, current conservation efforts remain insufficient to offset the main drivers of biodiversity loss in these groups: agricultural expansion, logging, overexploitation, and invasive alien species.

Investigates what would happen if we decide to do nothing about protecting endangered species.

Mangrove species are uniquely adapted to tropical and subtropical coasts, and although relatively low in number of species, mangrove forests provide at least US $1.6 billion each year in ecosystem services and support coastal livelihoods worldwide. Globally, mangrove areas are declining rapidly as they are cleared for coastal development and aquaculture and logged for timber and fuel production. Little is known about the effects of mangrove area loss on individual mangrove species and local or regional populations. To address this gap, species-specific information on global distribution, population status, life history traits, and major threats were compiled for each of the 70 known species of mangroves. Each species' probability of extinction was assessed under the Categories and Criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Eleven of the 70 mangrove species (16%) are at elevated threat of extinction. Particular areas of geographical concern include the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Central America, where as many as 40% of mangroves species present are threatened with extinction. Across the globe, mangrove species found primarily in the high intertidal and upstream estuarine zones, which often have specific freshwater requirements and patchy distributions, are the most threatened because they are often the first cleared for development of aquaculture and agriculture. The loss of mangrove species will have devastating economic and environmental consequences for coastal communities, especially in those areas with low mangrove diversity and high mangrove area or species loss. Several species at high risk of extinction may disappear well before the next decade if existing protective measures are not enforced.

Examines endangered species, how human activities have contributed to shrinking numbers, and what is being done to protect animals for the future.

From the giant panda of China to Fiji's banded iguana, creatures all over the world are imperiled like never before in human history. Visit all inhabited continents via a series of striking graphic stamps by printmaker Tom Frost, depicting more than thirty species -- some familiar, some you may not have known existed -- all of which are in danger of not existing for much longer. Fact files from conservation biologist Martin Jenkins introduce readers to some of the threatened fauna around the globe. A timely call to arms for animal lovers young and old, this oversize nonfiction book discusses the reasons that so many species are in danger of dying out and what we can do to help them.

International trade in exotic pets is an important and increasing driver of biodiversity loss and often compromises the standards required for good animal welfare. We systematically reviewed the scientific and gray literature and used the United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) trade database to establish temporal and geographical trade patterns of live exotic birds, mammals, and reptiles and to describe trends in research, taxonomic representation, and level of threat and legal protection of species traded. Birds were the most species-rich and abundant class reported in trade; reptiles were second most abundant but unusually the most studied in this context; and mammals were least abundant in trade. Mammalian and reptilian species traded as pets were more likely to be threatened than expected by random. There have been a substantial number of Appendix 1 listed captive-bred mammals and birds and wild-caught birds and reptiles reported in trade to CITES. We identified the Middle East's emerging role as a driver of demand for exotic pets of all taxa alongside the well-established and increasing role of South America and Southeast Asia in the market. Europe, North America, and the Middle East featured most heavily in trade reports to CITES, whereas trade involving South America and Southeast Asia were given most emphasis in the literature. For effective monitoring of and appropriate response to the international exotic pet trade, it is imperative that the reliability and detail of CITES trade reports improve and that scientific research be directed toward those taxa and locations that are most vulnerable. El mercado internacional de mascotas exóticas es un factor importante y creciente de pérdida de la biodiversidad y continuamente compromete los estándares requeridos para un buen bienestar animal. Sistemáticamente revisamos la literatura cientifica y gris y usamos la base de datos de mercados de UNEPWCMC CITES para establecer patrones temporales y geográficos del mercado de aves, mamíferos y reptiles exóticos vivos y describir las tendencias en la investigación, la representación taxonómica y el nivel de amenaza y la protección legal de las especies comercializadas. Las aves fueron la clase con mayor riqueza de especies y la más abundante; los reptiles fueron la segunda más abundante pero inusualmente la más estudiada en este contexto; los mamíferos fueron los menos abundantes en el mercado. Las especies de mamíferos y reptiles comercializadas como mascotas tuvieron mayor probabilidad de estar amenazadas que lo esperado por el azar. Ha babido un número sustancial de especies de mamíferos y aves criados en cautiverio y listados en el Apéndice-I de aves y reptiles capturados en vida silvestre reportados en el mercado a CITES. Identificamos el papel emergente del Oriente Medio como conductor de la demanda de mascotas exóticas de todos los taxones junto con el bien establecido y creciente papel de América del Sur y el Sureste Asiático en el mercado. Europa, América del Norte y el Oriente Medio figuraron más en los reportes de mercado bechos a CITES, mientras que al mercado en América del Sur y el Sureste Asiático se le dio más énfasis en la literatura. Para un monitoreo efectivo de y una respuesta apropiada al mercado internacional de mascotas exóticas, es imperativo que la confiabilidad y el detalle de los reportes de mercado de CITES mejoren y que la investigación científica sea dirigida hacia esos taxones y las localidades que sean más vulnerables.