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Endangered and Threatened Species

Many species of animals are disappearing from our planet. Extinct means that the entire species has died out and can never return. Endangered animals are those in immediate danger of becoming extinct. Threatened species are likely to become endangered in the future.

  Endangered1 Threatened2 Total
species		 U.S. species with
recovery
plans
Group U.S. Foreign U.S. Foreign
Mammals 69 256 13 20 358 56
Birds 75 179 15 6 275 85
Reptiles 13 66 24 16 119 38
Amphibians 13 23 10 1 32 17
Fishes 74 11 65 1 151 101
Clams 62 2 8 0 72 70
Snails 64 1 11 0 76 69
Insects 47 4 10 0 61 38
Arachnids 12 0 0 0 12 12
Crustaceans 19 0 3 0 22 18
Corals 0 0 2 0 2 0
 Animal subtotal 448 527 161 44 1,180 504
Flowering plants 570 1 143 0 714 630
Conifers and cycads 2 0 1 2 5 3
Ferns and allies 24 0 2 0 26 26
Lichens 2 0 0 0 2 2
 Plant subtotal 598 1 146 2 747 661
Total 1,046 528 307 46 1,927 1,165
NOTE: As of July 21, 2008.
1. Endangered species are those in danger of extinction.
2. Threatened species are those likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Web: http://ecos.fws.gov/ .

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