"Red List" Catalogs Threatened Species

A sobering reminder of our fragile ecosystem is provided by the Red List, an online database of extinct and threatened plant and animal species. Created by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Red List is searchable by status (extinct, extinct in the wild, threatened, vulnerable, etc.), year, geography, habitat type, and reasons for threat/extinction (loss of habitat, pollution, inbreeding, etc.). For instance, this Central American harlequin toad (Atelopus varius) is listed as "critically endangered" as of 2003:

For the record, 174 species are listed as having been declared extinct in 2004.

Source: WorldChanging