The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released the Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014. As of now, the Red List has 73,686 assessed species, of which 22,103 are threatened with extinction. The release includes lemurs, Japanese eels, slipper orchids.

The Brazilian three-banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus) which is FIFA World Cup 2014 mascot has been enlisted asVulnerable as its population has decreased by more than a third in the past 10 due to destruction of half its shrubland habitat.

The Brazilian 3-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus) is an armadillo species endemic to Brazil. In Brazil it is locally known as “tatu-bola” as it can roll itself into a ball. 

Lemurs are one of the most threatened groups of vertebrates on the planet as more than 90% of lemurs are now threatened with extinction.

Some of the facts about Lemurs:

• Of the 99 known species, which live on the island of Madagascar 22 species are critically endangered, including the Indri, the largest living lemur.
• 48 species of lemur are endangered, including Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur, the world smallest primate.
• 20 lemur species are vulnerable.
• Lemurs are threatened by the loss of their tropical forest habitat due to rise in illegal logging on account of political instability and surging levels of poverty in the past 20 years.

Japanese eel:

It is a traditional food in Japan and the country’s most expensive food fish. It is endangered due to:

• Habitat loss
• Unsustainable fishing
• Obstructions to migration
• Pollution
• Changes in oceanic currents

The assessment of species is done using the Species Information Service Toolkit, an application developed in partnership with Solertium and IUCN.