IUCN Red List and Categories

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List. It is founded in 1963. The general sub classification term "threatened" consists of three categories: Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable.

As per the latest (2011) quantitative evaluation done by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) there are 57 critically endangered species of animals in India.


Categories :

All the species are classified into nine groups. The classification is based on criteria such as rate of decline, population size, area of geographic distribution, and degree of population and distribution fragmentation.

1. Extinct (EX) - No individuals remaining.
2. Extinct in the Wild (EW) - Known only to survive in captivity, or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.
3. Critically Endangered (CR) - Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
4. Endangered (EN) - High risk of extinction in the wild.
5. Vulnerable (VU) - High risk of endangerment in the wild.
6. Near Threatened (NT) - Likely to become endangered in the near future.
7. Least Concern (LC) - Lowest risk. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.
8. Data Deficient (DD) - Not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of extinction.
9. Not Evaluated (NE) - Has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.