Red List categories

This report summarizes the conservation status of 167 freshwater fishes, 166 land snails and 157 reptiles native to the Pacific Islands of Oceania (Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia). It identifies Pacific Island species that are threatened with extinction at the global level, according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria – the world’s most widely accepted methodology for measuring extinction risk.

The Arabian Peninsula contains a diversity of desert and mountain habitats. Reptile species richness is high, with 172 species currently recognized. Among these, 89 species (52%) are endemic to the Arabian Peninsula. The conservation status of these species was assessed at a workshop held in Sharjah, UAE, 6-9 February 2012 through the application of the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria at the global and regional scales. Distribution maps were compiled for the majority of species.

The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria were developed for classifying species at high risk of global extinction, i.e. for assessment at the global level. Guidelines on the application of the IUCN Red List Criteria at national or regional levels were also developed and this volume presents the revised guidelines, published in 2012.

Les Catégories et Critères de la Liste rouge de l'UICN se veulent un système simple et facile à comprendre pour classer les espèces qui risquent de s'éteindre à l'échelle mondiale. L'objectif général du système consiste à fournir un cadre explicite et objectif de classification de la plus large gamme possible d'espèces, selon leur risque d'extinction.

Se pretende que las Categorías y Criterios de la Lista Roja de la UICN constituyan un sistema de fácil comprensión para clasificar especies de alto riesgo de extinción global. El fin general de este sistema es proporcionar un marco explícito y objetivo para la clasificación del espectro más amplio posible de especies según su riesgo de extinción.

The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria are intended to be an easily and widely understood system for classifying species at high risk of global extinction. The general aim of the system is to provide an explicit, objective framework for the classification of the broadest range of species according to their extinction risk.

This report contains the most comprehensive assessment of the status and trends of the world's invertebrates conducted to date. It introduces the staggering diversity of invertebrates, ranging from microscopic zooplankton to giant squid. Together these organisms represent around 80% of the known species on our planet.