Whose Number Will Be Up Next?!

1. Whose Number Will Be Up Next?! The tragic plight of the Earth’s disappearing species Garry Chapman October, 2001

2. What do these numbers mean to you? Click on any number here Click here last

3. FIVE • There have been five great mass extinctions on Earth between 440 and 65 million years ago Snow Leopard endangered Return to number grid

4. ONE • Before humans arrived on Earth, only one species per million, on average, became extinct each year Passenger Pigeon extinct Return to number grid

5. 10,000 • Today, up to 10,000 species per million face extinction each year, largely due to human influences Thylacine extinct Return to number grid

6. SIX • Scientists believe we may be experiencing mass extinction number six right now Red Shanked Douc Langur endangered Return to number grid

7. 337 • Since 1500 AD, 337 vertebrate species have become extinct Freshwater Sawfish endangered Return to number grid

8. 27,000 • An estimated 27,000 species, predominantly insects and plants, disappear each year in rain forests alone Luschan’s Salamander vulnerable Return to number grid

9. 5,435 • The current number of known threatened bird and mammal species is 5,435. In 1996, there were 5,205 Asian Three-Striped Box Turtle critically endangered Return to number grid

10. 65 • There are roughly 65 bird and mammal species at risk in each of Brazil, China and Indonesia South American Marsh Deer vulnerable Return to number grid

11. 11,000 • More than 11,000 plant and animal species face extinction in the near future Wandering Albatross globally threatened Return to number grid

12. 25 • 25% of all mammal species are at risk Ethiopian Wolf critically endangered Return to number grid

13. 12.5 • 12.5% of all bird species are at risk Spix’s Macaw nearing extinction Return to number grid

14. 19 • Since 1996, the number of critically endangered primate species has grown from 13 to 19 Orangutan endangered Return to number grid

15. ZERO • We can no longer afford to treat the world’s wonderful creatures like a set of meaningless numbers • Let’s do what we can to make zero the number of species that die out in the next decade

16. Sources • National Geographic, October 2001, ‘Paving the Road to Extinction’ • International Union for the Conservation of Nature http://redlist.org • Committee on Recently Extinct Organisms http://creo.amnh.org