Map Shows Mexico Has a Shockingly High Number of Threatened and Endangered Species Ellie Kincaid - Business Insider
go to original April 16, 2015

The Eco Experts, data from the World Bank

Around a quarter of the world's mammal species are threatened, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which updates its Red List of Threatened Species yearly.

A map of the countries with the most threatened mammal species (courtesy of the Eco Experts) shows that Mexico, with 101 threatened mammals, is one of the countries with the most. Calling a species "threatened" means scientists have classified it as either critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable.

One factor contributing to Mexico's high number of threatened mammal species is the country's high biodiversity. According to the IUCN, Mexico has the 4th highest number of mammal species of any country in the world, at 523. Too bad nearly a fifth are in trouble.

Habitat loss is the biggest threat the world's mammals face, IUCN says. Human activity is the main cause of habitat loss, but it comes in many flavors. In Mexico, IUCN data names agriculture as a key threat for 48 of the 101 threatened species, and logging is a problem for 42 of them. The next biggest factor that eats away at animal habitats is developing land for residential or commercial use, which is having a big impact on 17 mammal species in the country.

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