India’s Own Red List, A Stitch In Time?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) publishes a “red list” of endangered and threatened species globally. India will follow the IUCN model to create a country-specific red list of endangered plants and animals, with the hope of improving conservation efforts in the country. The first report is set to come out in 2012.

There are currently about 90,000 species of animals and 40,000 species of plants in India. This new country-specific red list will provide more exhaustive detail about the status of these species. This article summarizes much of what is already know based on IUCN’s data. Many plants and animals are endemic to India, including 44 species of mammals, 396 higher vertebrate species, 55 bird species, 187 reptile species and 110 amphibians. In one Indian state alone, Karnataka, 183 plants and 40 animal species are close to extinction.