Animal Guides / Conservation and reference
Conservation and reference
IUCN Red List categories, how to help wildlife, watching animals responsibly, an A-Z animal index, glossary and FAQ.
Thousands of species are threatened with extinction, but conservation works when people understand the problem and act on it. Start here for the categories scientists use, practical ways to help and our reference pages.
ConservationA-Z animal indexEvery animal covered in our guides, listed alphabetically with its group and a one-line description, linked to its full fact file.ConservationAnimal and conservation FAQShort, clear answers to common questions about animals, endangered species, wildlife encounters and pets.ConservationAnimal glossary A-ZPlain-English definitions of more than 60 words used in animal science and conservation, from adaptation and apex predator to venom and vertebrate.
ConservationHow to help wildlifePractical actions that make a real difference, from native plants and bird-safe windows to keeping cats indoors, joining citizen science and choosing products carefully.ConservationHow to watch wildlife responsiblySafe distances, how to read stress signals, why feeding wild animals causes harm, and ethical rules for photography, boat trips and wildlife tourism.ConservationIUCN Red List categories explainedWhat Least Concern, Vulnerable, Endangered and Critically Endangered really mean, how species are assessed, and why a status can change. A plain-English guide to the world's main extinction-risk list.
ConservationHow to help wildlifePractical actions that make a real difference, from native plants and bird-safe windows to keeping cats indoors, joining citizen science and choosing products carefully.ConservationHow to watch wildlife responsiblySafe distances, how to read stress signals, why feeding wild animals causes harm, and ethical rules for photography, boat trips and wildlife tourism.ConservationIUCN Red List categories explainedWhat Least Concern, Vulnerable, Endangered and Critically Endangered really mean, how species are assessed, and why a status can change. A plain-English guide to the world's main extinction-risk list.