More snails and slugs (gastropods) are known to have become extinct than any other animal group (281 species).
There are currently more endangered amphibians than any other animal group, a startling 1,900 species, which accounts for around 30 percent of all described amphibians.
Turtles are among the world’s most endangered vertebrates, with about half of all turtle species threatened with extinction.
One third of open ocean sharks are threatened with extinction. Scientists estimate that 26 - 73 million sharks are killed each year for the global fin trade.
Coral reefs are thought to be home to one quarter of the world’s fish species and protect the coastlines of 109 countries. But approximately 75 percent of the world’s coral reefs are rated as threatened.
The loneliest palm is probably the most endangered plant in the world, with only one individual remaining in the wild.
The Abingdon Island tortoise is the rarest reptile in the world. Sadly only a single male of this species, ‘Lonesome George’, remains alive today.
Many consider the Javan rhinoceros to be the most endangered mammal. With its recent extinction in Vietnam, less than 50 remaining individuals are confined to the Indonesian island of Java.
Once thought to be the most endangered snake, the Antiguan racer population has increased from just 50 individuals in the mid-90s to over 500 today. Eradication of rats from their island homes, and a successful captive breeding and reintroduction programme mean that the Antiguan racer’s future is now looking much brighter.
According to the IUCN Red List, there are more threatened species in Ecuador than any other country (2,265), which is greater than Brazil (784), the USA (1,214) and Indonesia (1,149).
Conservation International has named 34 biodiversity hotspots which are most important to conserve. Although their combined area is just 2.3 percent of the Earth's land surface, over 50 percent of the world’s plant species and 42 percent of all terrestrial vertebrate species are endemic to these hotspots.