endangered species: Quick Facts

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 9, 2026

News •

Stricter rules for WA government to protect endangered birds • Nov. 4, 2026, 5:02 PM ET (ABC News (Australia))

Endangered and rare fungi found on village green • Oct. 25, 2026, 8:15 AM ET (BBC)

Facts

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Photos and Videos

Edith's checkerspot butterfly with orange and black patterned wings rests on a rock surrounded by moss and small plants.

Cabbage on a Stick Plant (Brighamia insignis) with a thick, pale stem topped by a cluster of broad green leaves and yellow flowers, surrounded by other garden plants.

mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei)

A pale pink albino axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum f. leucistic, with feathery red external gills, stands on a dark rock against a black background.

Brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) in Guam

A flowchart illustrating the IUCN Red List categories for species conservation status, from not evaluated and least concern to extinct, with a red arrow showing increasing risk of extinction from left to right.

Cardboard plant, Zamia furfuracea, with thick, stiff, green fronds growing in a dense cluster in a garden setting surrounded by other tropical plants.

Concrete entrance to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault set into a snowy hillside, with a geometric metal railing and an illuminated artwork above the doorway.

rusty patched bumblebee

A pangolin walks through grass with a blue circle around it and the word endangered written in white across the image.

Britannica editor John Rafferty holds a microphone in front of an illustrated background showing two axolotls and the headline Ask an Editor: Are axolotls real?

Axolotl wearing a green paper hat in the style of Peter Pan, with speech bubble reading “I'll never grow up!”

Which bee species really need saving?

A bald eagle on a white column with a blue ribbon labeled national bird, against a faded U.S. map background.

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Topics

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