400 species added to threatened list

2012-10-17 18:29

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Hyderabad - Over 400 plants and animals were added on Wednesday to the "Red List" of species threatened with extinction, the authors of a new report said.

Of the 20 219 species now on the list, 4 088 are critically endangered, said the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Nearly 6 000 others were considered endangered, and more than 10 000 species were listed as vulnerable.

Two invertebrates, including a freshwater, air-breathing snail called Little Flat-Top, moved into the extinct category since the last "Red List" was published in June, said the IUCN.

The report, normally updated twice a year, was released on the sidelines of a meeting in India of parties to the UN's Convention on Biodiversity.

IUCN global director for biodiversity conservation, Jane Smart, said 25% of the world's mammals, 13% of its birds and 41% of amphibians were at risk of extinction.
"The figures are going up," she told journalists.

- AFP