CARES risk classifications

If a species is approved for inclusion on the CARES Conservation Priority List and that species is not on the IUCN Red List or CARES Authorities feel from personal field observation that the species requires a different classification than that assigned by the IUCN Red List, the following classifications will apply.

Key Classification Description
CNT Near Threatened Species which are close to qualifying for classification to Vulnerable.
CVU Vulnerable Species facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium term future.
CEN Endangered Species facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future (includes species on the ALA list (2) shown as Threatened).
CCR Critically Endangered Species facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future (same as ‘EE’ used by de Rham and Nourissat).
CEW Extinct in the Wild Known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity, or as a naturalized population (or populations) well outside the past range.

International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classification

If a species is approved for inclusion on the CARES Conservation Priority List and that species is also on the IUCN Red List, in most cases the IUCN Red List classification is used by CARES, with great appreciation to those who place much effort into the IUCN Red List.

Key Classification Description
NT Near Threatened Taxa which do not qualify for Conservation Dependent, but which are close to qualifying for Vulnerable.
VU Vulnerable A taxon is Vulnerable when it is not Critically Endangered or Endangered but is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future.
EN Endangered A taxon is Endangered when it is not Critically Endangered but is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.
CR Critically Endangered A taxon is Critically Endangered when it is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future.
EW Extinct in the Wild A taxon is Extinct in the wild when it is known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalised population (or populations) well outside the past range. A taxon is presumed extinct in the wild when exhaustive surveys in known and/or expected habitat, at appropriate times (diurnal, seasonal, annual), throughout its historic range have failed to record an individual. Surveys should be over a time frame appropriate to the taxon’s life cycle and life form.

The full classification criteria for species in risk of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (version 2.3) can be found in the IUCN Red List site.