IUCN CLASSFICATIONS AND EXAMPLES OF EACH

Extinct: The passenger pigeon or wild pigeon (Ectopistes

Passenger Pigeon migratorius) is an extinct species of pigeon that was
endemic to North America. The morphologically similar
mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) was long thought to
be its closest relative, and the two were at times
confused, but genetic analysis has shown that the
genus Patagioenas is more closely related to it than the
Zenaida doves. Passenger pigeons were hunted by
Native Americans, but hunting intensified after the
arrival of Europeans, particularly in the 19th century.
Pigeon meat was commercialized as cheap food,
resulting in hunting on a massive scale for many
decades. There were several other factors contributing
to the decline and subsequent extinction of the species,
including shrinking of the large breeding populations
necessary for preservation of the species and
widespread deforestation, which destroyed its habitat.

Extinct in the Wild:

Hawaiian Crow The Hawaiian crow or ʻAlalā (Corvus hawaiiensis) is a
species of bird in the crow family, Corvidae, that is
currently extinct in the wild, though reintroduction
programs are underway. It is about the size of the carrion
crow at 48–50 centimetres (19–20 in) in length,[2] but
with more rounded wings and a much thicker bill. It has
soft, brownish-black plumage and long, bristly throat
feathers; the feet, legs and bill are black. Today, the
Hawaiian crow is considered the most endangered of the
family Corvidae.[3] They are recorded to have lived up to
18 years in the wild, and 28 years in captivity. Some
Native Hawaiians consider the Hawaiian crow an
ʻaumakua (family god).The species is known for strong
flying ability and resourcefulness, and the reasons for its
extirpation are not fully understood. It is thought that
introduced diseases, such as Toxoplasma gondii, avian
malaria (Plasmodium relictum), and fowlpox, were
probably a significant factor in the species' decline.
Critically Endangered:
The red wolf (Canis lupus rufus or Canis rufus) is a canine
Red Wolf
native to the southeastern United States. The subspecies
is the product of ancient genetic admixture between a
wolf and a coyote, however it is regarded as unique and
therefore worthy of conservation by evolutionary
biologists. Morphologically it is intermediate between
the coyote and gray wolf, and is of a reddish-tawny
color. The US Endangered Species Act of 1973 currently
does not provide protection for endangered admixed
individuals and researchers argue that these should
warrant full protection under the Act.However, the red
wolf when considered as a species is listed as an
endangered species under this Act and is protected by
law. Although Canis rufus is not listed in the CITES
Appendices of endangered species, since 1996 the IUCN
has listed it as a critically endangered species. Red
wolves were originally distributed throughout the
southeastern and south-central United States from the
Atlantic Ocean to central Texas, southeastern Oklahoma
and southwestern Illinois in the west, and in the north
from the Ohio River Valley, northern Pennsylvania and
southern New York south to the Gulf of Mexico. The red
Endangered: wolf was nearly driven to extinction by the mid-1900s
due to aggressive predator-control programs, habitat
Black-footed Ferret destruction, and extensive hybridization with coyotes.

The black-footed ferret was thought extinct

until 1981 when it was discovered on a
Wyoming ranch by a dog named Shep.
This led to a captive breeding and release
program by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service designed to restore the species to
the wild. The black-footed ferret is the focus
of major conservation efforts on the ground
today due to its endangered status.
Without sustainable populations of their
main food source, prairie dogs, black-footed
ferrets cannot survive. Over the last 100
years, prairie dog colonies across the West
have been plowed and poisoned across vast
areas. More than 95% of the historic prairie
dog range has been lost.
A new threat is the exotic disease plague,
which arrived in North America in the 1900s
and can wipe out entire prairie dog colonies.
The remaining 2 to 4% of colonies of prairie
dogs today are relatively small and
fragmented, often separated by great
distances.
 The dugong, Dugong dugon, is a large mammal
that lives its whole life in the sea. They are
Vulnerable: sometimes called "sea cows" as they eat large
amounts of sea grass. They live in warm, shallow
Dugong areas where the sea grass grows. This area
includes the north coast of Australia, and in other
countries in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific
Ocean. Dugongs are more closely related to
elephants than to other sea creatures. Their
closest aquatic relative is the manatee, a fresh
water species found in America and West Africa.
The dugong can grow to about 3 m (10 ft) long
and weigh as much as 400 kg (882 lb). They only
come to the surface to breathe, and unlike seals,
they never come up on the land. A baby dugong
is called a calf. It drinks milk from its mother until
about two years old. A dugong reaches its adult
size between the ages of 9 and 17 years. The
dugong can live for up to 70 years of age. They
are grey to brown in color. They have a tail with
flukes, like a whale, and flippers. They do not
have a dorsal fin like a shark. They have a wide
flat nose, small eyes, and small ears.

Near Threatened:
Gentoo Penguin Gentoo Penguins are the third largest
species of penguin, after the emperor
penguin and the king penguin. They reach
heights between 75 and 90 cms (30 - 36
inches) and they weigh between 5.5 and 8.5
Kgs (12 - 18.8 lbs). They are black and white
in colour with a distinctive white stripe
extending across the top of their head. They
have a reddish/orange bill, brown eyes and
their feet are yellow/orange. Gentoo
Penguins have a circumpolar distribution
and are found on islands in the antarctic
region. The main colonies are found on the
Falkland Islands, South Georgia and
Kerguelen Islands and smaller colonies are
found on Macquarie Island, Heard Islands,
South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic
Peninsula. Gentoo Penguins are the fastest
underwater swimming bird and they can
reach speeds up to 36 Km/hr (22.4 mph).
Least Concern:
Plains Zebra Black and white stripes make the zebra one
of the most recognizable animals in the
world. The plains zebra, also known as the
common zebra, is the most abundant of
three species of zebra, inhabiting the
grasslands of eastern and southern Africa.
The other two species are Grevy’s zebras
and mountain zebras. On average, plains
zebras are smaller than the other two
species of zebra. They range in height from
1-1.5 m (3.5-5 ft.) and can weigh almost 450
kg (1000 lbs.). Plains zebras also have a
different stripe pattern than the other
species. They have broad stripes that run
horizontally towards the back and vertically
towards the front, meeting in a triangle in
the middle of their bodies. They also have a
stripe that runs down the center of their
backs onto the tail. Finally, plains zebras
have underbelly stripes. Although all plains
zebras share these similarities in stripe
patterns, no two zebras have exactly the
same pattern.

Data Deficient:
Somali Elephant Shrew The Somali elephant shrew or Somali sengi
(Elephantulus revoili) is a species of
elephant shrew in the family
Macroscelididae. It is endemic to Somalia.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or
tropical dry shrubland and hot deserts. The
Somali sengi is among the 25 “most wanted
lost” species that are the focus of Global
Wildlife Conservation’s “Search for Lost
Species” initiative. Little is known about the
Somali Elephant Shrew but it is presumed
that their characteristics, diet, breeding and
predators are similar to those of other
elephant shrews.