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2009 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - Extinction crisis continues

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Tuesday 3rd November 2009

The latest update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species reveals no let up to the extinction crisis bearing down on the world’s biodiversity. The results show that out of the 47,677 species assessed thus far, more than a third are threatened with extinction.

One of the most threatened species group appears to be the amphibians, with 1,895 of the Earth’s 6,285 amphibian species currently in danger of extinction. The decline of the Kihansi spray toad , now classified as Extinct in the Wild, is symbolic of the situation of amphibians the world over. Having suffered catastrophic habitat loss following the construction of a dam upstream from the Kinhasi Falls, the vastly depleted population is thought to have eventually succumbed to the devastating impacts of the fungal disease chytridiomycosis.

Kihansi spray toad (Nectophrynoides asperginis)

image: Kihansi spray toad © Michele Menegon

Amongst the 2,839 new additions to the Red List were 293 reptile species, taking the total number of reptiles on the Red List to 1,677. According to Simon Stuart, Head of the IUCN's Species Survival Commission and Wildscreen Trustee, "the world’s reptiles are undoubtedly suffering... and we need an assessment of all reptile species to understand the severity of the situation". The sail-fin lizard is one of many reptile species endemic to the Philippines that have been elevated into a threatened category on the latest Red List. Having been originally listed as Data Deficient in 1996, this impressive species has been reclassified as Vulnerable, with further research showing that it is under significant threat from habitat loss and over-collection for the pet trade.

Sail-fin lizard (Hydrosaurus pustulatus)

There is still a long way to go before the status of all the world’s freshwater fish is known, but this year’s listing of another 510 species represents a considerable addition to the Red List’s current tally of 3,120.

"Creatures living in freshwater have long been neglected. This year we have again added a large number of them to the IUCN Red List, confirming the high levels of threat to many freshwater animals and plants. This reflects the state of our precious water resources. There is now an urgency to pursue our effort but most importantly to start using this information to move towards a wise use of water resources," says Jean-Christophe Vié, Deputy Head of the IUCN Species Programme.

However, its is not all doom and gloom in the aquatic realm, with conservation efforts helping to ensure the survival of freshwater species such as the Australian grayling, recently down-listed from Vulnerable to Near Threatened.

Australian grayling (Proctotroctes maraena)

image: Australian grayling © Nathan Litjens/www.litjens.com.au

There are also encouraging stories in avian conservation, with a number of bird species being down-listed to less threatened categories. In response to favourable management and the protection of its most important population, the Albert's lyrebird population has recently stabilised, with the result that this species has now been down-listed from Vulnerable to Near Threatened.