The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is the primary law in the United States for protecting and conserving imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation", the ESA was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973. The Supreme Court of the United States described it as "the most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered species enacted by any nation". The purposes of the ESA are two-fold: to prevent extinction and to recover species to the point where the law's protections are not needed. It therefore "protect[s] species and the ecosystems upon which they depend" through different mechanisms. For example, section 4 requires the agencies overseeing the Act to designate imperiled species as threatened or endangered. Section 9 prohibits unlawful 'take,' of such species, which means to "harass, harm, hunt..." Section 7 directs federal agencies to use their authorities to help conserve listed species. The Act also serves as the enacting legislation to carry out the provisions outlined in The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The Neretva, also known as Narenta, is one of the largest rivers of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. Four hydroelectric power plants with large dams provide flood protection, electricity and water storage. The Neretva is recognized for its natural environment and diverse landscapes.
Peprilus paru,, also occasionally known by a few local names as star butter fish or sometimes even simply as butterfish, is a marine, benthopelagic, circular-shaped and deep-bodied fish classified in the family Stromateidae of butterfishes.
The Santa Cruz cypress is a species of North American tree within the cypress family. The species is endemic to the Santa Cruz Mountains within the Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties of west-central California. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the species on the Endangered Species Act in 1987 due to increasing threats from habitat loss and disruption of natural forest fire regimes. In 2016, the conservation status of the Santa Cruz cypress changed to Threatened. The cited reasoning was a decrease in threats against their habitat.
An IUCN Red List Critically Endangered species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of the 157,190 species currently on the IUCN Red List, 9,760 of those are listed as Critically Endangered, with 1,302 being possibly extinct and 67 possibly extinct in the wild.
The Hainan hare is a hare endemic to Hainan Island, China. The species was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1870.
Phoxinellus is a genus of cyprinid fishes found in the Balkans. There are currently three described species in this genus.
Phoxinellus dalmaticus is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found only in Croatia. Its natural habitats are rivers and inland karsts. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Phoxinellus pseudalepidotus, locally known as prikanac, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found only in Mostarsko Blato, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its natural habitat is karstic wetland, water canals and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Eğirdir minnow or Handlirsch's minnow , is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It was endemic to Lake Eğirdir in Turkey, but is now considered extinct. It was earlier critically endangered due to predation by pike perch which had been introduced to the lake, but has not been found since 1980s and was therefore evaluated by IUCN as extinct in 2013.
Lemurophoenix halleuxii is a species of palm tree, the only species in the genus Lemurophoenix. It is found only in Madagascar. It is threatened by habitat loss and overcollection. There are perhaps 300 mature individuals remaining in the wild.
The Solomons monarch, also known as the black-and-white monarch, is a species of passerine bird in the monarch flycatcher family Monarchidae. It is found from Buka Island to Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands archipelago. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. This species was formerly considered to be conspecific with the Malaita monarch.
Crocidura grandiceps, commonly known as the large-headed forest shrew or the large-headed white-toothed shrew, is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Togo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss due to agriculture and aquaculture as well as logging and wood harvesting. To increase habitat protection for C. grandiceps, in-place land/water protection conservation actions are in place. The vernacular name large-headed shrew is sometimes applied to C. grandiceps but has also been used for the entire related genus Paracrocidura. The IUCN List categorizes C. grandiceps as least concern as of 2024.
The Iranian shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Iran. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Pearson's long-clawed shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is the only species within the genus Solisorex. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and lowland grasslands. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is named after Joseph Pearson FRSE, Director of the Columbo Museum 1910-1933 who found it on 1 January 1924.
Day's shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to India. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Great Valley Grasslands State Park is a state park of California, United States, preserving a parcel of remnant native grassland in the San Joaquin Valley. Such a temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome was once widespread throughout the whole Central Valley. The 2,826-acre (1,144 ha) park was established in 1982. Largely undeveloped, it was formed by combining two former state park units: San Luis Island and Fremont Ford State Recreation Area. Its chief attractions for visitors are spring wildflowers, fishing, and wildlife watching.
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, invasive species, and climate change. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List lists the global conservation status of many species, and various other agencies assess the status of species within particular areas. Many nations have laws that protect conservation-reliant species which, for example, forbid hunting, restrict land development, or create protected areas. Some endangered species are the target of extensive conservation efforts such as captive breeding and habitat restoration.
Delminichthys is a genus of cyprinid fish which is found in the karst region of the Balkans, Eastern Europe. Until 2006 it was considered part of the genus Phoxinellus. It currently contains four species.
The fish fauna of the Neretva river basin in the western Balkans is representative of the Dinaric karst region and characterized by several endemic and endangered species.
