The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species assesses the
conservation status of species, subspecies, varieties and even selected
sub-populations on a global scale.
This system is designed to determine the relative risk of extinction, and the
main purpose of the IUCN Red List is to catalogue and highlight those species
that are facing a higher risk of global extinction (i.e. those listed as
Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable).
The IUCN Red List also includes information on species that are categorized as
Extinct or Extinct in the Wild.
Source: based on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Introduction
