A near-threatened species is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
which has been
categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
as that may be vulnerable to
endangerment
Endangerment is a type of crime involving conduct that is wrongful and reckless or wanton, and likely to produce death or grievous bodily harm to another person. There are several kinds of endangerment, each of which is a criminal act that can ...
in the near future, but it does not currently qualify for the threatened status.
The
IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
notes the importance of re-evaluating near-threatened
taxon
In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...
at appropriate intervals.
The rationale used for near-threatened taxa usually includes the criteria of
vulnerable which are plausible or nearly met, such as reduction in numbers or range. Near-threatened species evaluated from 2001 onwards may also be ones which are dependent on conservation efforts to prevent their becoming threatened, whereas before this
conservation-dependent species
A conservation-dependent species is a species which has been categorised as "Conservation Dependent" ("LR/cd") by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), i.e. as dependent on conservation efforts to prevent it from becoming e ...
were given a separate category ("Conservation Dependent").
Additionally, the 402 conservation-dependent taxa may also be considered near-threatened.
IUCN Categories and Criteria version 2.3
![Status iucn2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Status_iucn2.3_NT.svg)
Before 2001, the IUCN used the version 2.3 Categories and Criteria to assign
conservation status
The conservation status of a group of organisms (for instance, a species) indicates whether the group still exists and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing conservation ...
, which included a separate category for
conservation-dependent species ("Conservation Dependent", LR/cd). With this category system, Near Threatened and Conservation Dependent were both subcategories of the category "Lower Risk". Taxa which were last evaluated before 2001 may retain their LR/cd or LR/nt status, although had the category been assigned with the same information today the species would be designated simply "Near Threatened (NT)" in either case.
Gallery
Image:Otter in Southwold.jpg, The near-threatened European otter
The Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra''), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia. The most widely distributed member of the otter subfamily (Lutrinae) of th ...
Image:Maned wolf-aguara guazu.jpeg, The maned wolf
The maned wolf (''Chrysocyon brachyurus'') is a large canine of South America. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and Paraguay, and is almost extinct in Uruguay. Its markings resemble those of foxes, but it is neither a fox nor a w ...
is near-threatened largely as the result of habitat loss.
File:Gray Bat USACE.jpg, The gray bat was moved from "endangered" to "near-threatened" due to successful conservation efforts. It has now been moved to vulnerable.
File:Plains zebra in Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary 02.jpg, Plains zebra
The plains zebra (''Equus quagga'', formerly ''Equus burchellii''), also known as the common zebra, is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra. Its range is fragmented, but spans much of southern and eastern Africa south of ...
s (or ''Equus quagga'') are listed as 'near threatened' by the IUCN
Image:Python_regius.jpg, The Ball python
The ball python (''Python regius''), also called the royal python, is a python species native to West and Central Africa, where it lives in grasslands, shrublands and open forests. This nonvenomous constrictor is the smallest of the African p ...
, formerly a common species had become near-threatened as a result of illegal trades and poaching.
See also
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IUCN Red List near threatened species
On 12 March 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3829 (2657 Animalia, 1172 Plantae) near threatened species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.
For IUCN lists of near threatened species by kingdom, see:
...
, ordered by
taxonomic rank
In biological classification, taxonomic rank is the relative level of a group of organisms (a taxon) in an ancestral or hereditary hierarchy. A common system consists of species, genus, family (biology), family, order (biology), order, class (b ...
.
*
:IUCN Red List near threatened species, ordered alphabetically.
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List of near threatened amphibians
As of September 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 402 near threatened amphibian species. 6.2% of all evaluated amphibian species are listed as near threatened.
No subpopulations of amphibians have been eval ...
*
List of near threatened arthropods
As of July 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 390 near threatened arthropod species. 4.1% of all evaluated arthropod species are listed as near threatened.
The IUCN also lists six arthropod subspecies as near ...
*
List of near threatened birds
As of December 2020, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 1001 near threatened avian species. 9.1% of all evaluated avian species are listed as near threatened.
No subpopulations of birds have been evaluated by the I ...
*
List of near threatened fishes
As of September 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 548 near threatened fish species. 3.6% of all evaluated fish species are listed as near threatened.
The IUCN also lists seven fish subspecies as near threate ...
*
List of near threatened insects
As of July 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 301 near threatened insect species. 5.0% of all evaluated insect species are listed as near threatened.
No subpopulations of insects have been evaluated by the IU ...
*
List of near threatened invertebrates
As of July 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 1105 near threatened invertebrate species. 6.1% of all evaluated invertebrate species are listed as near threatened.
The IUCN also lists 15 invertebrate subspecie ...
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List of near threatened mammals
As of September 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 343 near threatened mammalian species. 6.2% of all evaluated mammalian species are listed as near threatened.
The IUCN also lists 31 mammalian subspecies as ...
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List of near threatened molluscs
As of September 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 535 near threatened mollusc species. 7.4% of all evaluated mollusc species are listed as near threatened.
The IUCN also lists nine mollusc subspecies as nea ...
*
List of near threatened reptiles
As of September 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 329 near threatened reptile species. 6.4% of all evaluated reptile species are listed as near threatened.
The IUCN also lists two reptile subspecies as near ...
References
External links
List of Near Threatened speciesas identified by the
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...
{{Portal bar, Ecology, Biology
Biota by conservation status
IUCN Red List
Environmental conservation