IUCN adds 1,000 species to extinction endangered list

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has increased its list of species threatened by extinction by 1,000. The boost brings the total number of species in this category to more than 45,300. Some of the species that have shown the biggest declines include reptiles on the Canary Islands, such as the Gran Canaria giant lizard (Gallotia stehlini), whose declines are largely due to the incursion of invasive California kingsnakes (Lampropeltis californiae). Other species also lost great numbers, including the Bornean elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis), a subspecies the IUCN now considers endangered. At the same time, species like La Gomera giant lizard (Gallotia bravoana) improved in status from critically endangered to endangered. Thanks to conservation action, the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) improved from endangered to vulnerable. “The recent update to the IUCN Red List is both encouraging and disheartening but highlights the fundamental role of scientific status assessment for informing conservation priorities and actions,” said Anne Bowser, CEO of NatureServe, in a press release.

Read more at the San Francisco Chronicle.