Understanding the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is a list of species that are threatened with extinction. The list is maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and it includes plants, animals, and fungi. The list is based on scientific assessments of the risk of extinction faced by each species, and it is updated regularly.

The IUCN Red List categorizes species into several categories based on their risk of extinction:

* Least Concern: species that are not considered to be threatened with extinction
* Near Threatened: species that are close to qualifying for or are likely to qualify for the threatened category in the near future
* Vulnerable: species that are likely to become threatened with extinction in the near future
* Endangered: species that are threatened with extinction and are likely to become extinct in the near future without conservation measures
* Critically Endangered: species that are the highest priority for conservation and are the closest to extinction in the wild.

The Red List also includes a list of "red-listed" species, which are species that have been identified as being at high risk of extinction and require urgent conservation action. These species may be listed as Critically Endangered or Endangered, and they may have specific conservation needs that must be addressed in order to prevent their extinction.