The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the world’s most comprehensive repository of information pertaining to the conservation status of the world’s species. The IUCN Red List uses the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria as a standard methodological approach to assessing the risk of extinction of the planet’s biodiversity based on information relating to the distribution, population status,ecology and natural history, threats and conservation actions known for species being assessed.
Mammals are a prominent part of the IUCN Red List. The first comprehensive assessment was done by the Global Mammal Assessment (GMA) initiative in 2008, and there have been smaller updates since then, concentrating primarily on the addition of new species and some smaller updates. However, Red List assessments need to be updated within a period of ten years if they are not to become obsolete. Reassessing previous assessments is a more involved process than assessing brand new species, and need a new approach, which is why we have now a new tool: the Mammal discussion forum.
globalmammal.org 