Conservation in Belize - Critical Species

Critical Species

As part of the process to assess the conservation status and the risk of local extinction of native species, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment maintains a "National List of Critical Species", including both terrestrial and marine species, prepared under the IUCN guidelines for regional red lists. While the list uses IUCN terminology, it does not claim to have followed the IUCN Red List methodology to the full extent.

Under the system applied in the IUCN Red List database, species are classified in nine categories, set through criteria such as rate of decline, population size, area of geographic distribution, and degree of population and distribution fragmentation.

Summary of 2006 IUCN Red List categories.

Critically Endangered (CR) — extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
Endangered (EN) — High risk of extinction in the wild.
Vulnerable (VU) — High risk of endangerment in the wild.
Near Threatened (NT) — Likely to become endangered in the near future.
Least Concern (LC) — Lowest risk; does not qualify for a more at-risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.
Data Deficient (DD) — Not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of extinction.
Not Evaluated (NE) — Has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.

Order	Species	English name	IUCN class	Status in Belize	Justification
Amphibians	Agalychnis moreletii	Morelet's treefrog	CR	DD	3
Amphibians	Bolitoglossa dofleini	Doflein's salamander	NT	DD	3
Amphibians	Bufo campbelli	Campbell's rainforest toad	NT	LC	3
Amphibians	Smilisca cyanosticta	Blue-spotted Mexican treefrog	NT	DD	3
Amphibians	Eleutherodactylus chac	Chac's rainfrog	NT	DD	3
Amphibians	Eleutherodactylus laticeps	Broad-headed rainfrog	NT	DD	3
Amphibians	Eleutherodactylus leprus	Leprus chirping frog	VU	DD	3
Amphibians	Eleutherodactylus psephosypharus	Limestone rainfrog	VU	DD	3
Amphibians	Eleutherodactylus sabrinus	Long-legged streamfrog	EN	DD	3
Amphibians	Eleutherodactylus sandersoni	Sanderson's streamfrog	EN	DD	3
Amphibians	Bromeliohyla bromeliacia	Bromeliad treefrog	EN	DD	3
Amphibians	Rana juliani	Maya Mountains frog	NT	NT	2
Birds	Agamia agami	Agami heron		VU	6,8
Birds	Ajaia ajaja	Roseate spoonbill		VU	6
Birds	Amazona oratrix	Yellow-headed Amazon	EN	EN	4,8,9,10
Birds	Amazona xantholora	Yellow-lored Amazon		VU	10
Birds	Anous stolidus	Brown noddy		VU	6
Birds	Ara macao cyanoptera	Scarlet macaw		EN	4,8,9,11
Birds	Ardea herodias	Great blue heron		VU	4,10
Birds	Asio stygius	Stygian owl		VU	10
Birds	Bubo virginianus	Great horned owl		VU	10
Birds	Cairina moschata	Muscovy duck		VU	4
Birds	Columba leucocephala	White-crowned pigeon	NT	VU	4,7
Birds	Contopus cooperi	Olive-sided flycatcher	NT	DD
Birds	Crax rubra	Great curassow	VU	VU	4,9
Birds	Dendrocygna autumnalis	Black-bellied whistling duck		VU	4,10
Birds	Dendrocygna bicolor	Fulvous whistling duck		VU	4,10
Birds	Dendroica cerulea	Cerulean warbler	VU	VU
Birds	Egretta rufescens	Reddish egret	NT	VU	6,10
Birds	Egretta thula	Snowy egret		VU	6,10
Birds	Egretta tricolor	Tricoloured heron		VU	6,10
Birds	Electron carinatum	Keel-billed motmot	VU	VU	3,8,9
Birds	Eudocimus albus	White ibis		VU	6
Birds	Falco deiroleucus	Orange-breasted falcon		VU	8,9
Birds	Fregata magnificens	Magnificent frigatebird		VU	6
Birds	Harpia harpyja	Harpy eagle	NT	CR	4,7,9,10
Birds	Harpyhaliaetus solitarius	Solitary eagle	NT	CR	4,7,10
Birds	Jabiru mycteria	Jabiru		VU	4,7,9,10, 11
Birds	Laterallus jamaicensis	Black rail	NT	DD
Birds	Melanoptila glabrirostris	Black catbird	NT	NT	8,9
Birds	Meleagris ocellata	Ocellated turkey	NT	VU	3,4,9
Birds	Morphnus guianensis	Crested eagle	NT	CR	4,7,10
Birds	Mycteria americana	Wood stork		VU	4,6,10
Birds	Nyctanassa violacea	Yellow-crowned night-heron		VU	6
Birds	Nycticorax nycticorax	Black-crowned night-heron		VU	6
Birds	Pelecanus occidentalis	Brown pelican		VU	6,10
Birds	Penelope purpurascens	Crested guan		VU	4
Birds	Phalacrocorax auritus	Double-crested cormorant		VU	4,6,10
Birds	Phalacrocorax brasilianus	Neotropic cormorant		VU	4,6,10
Birds	Pionopsitta haematotis	Brown-hooded parrot		DD
Birds	Sarcoramphus papa	King vulture		VU	7,8,9
Birds	Sterna anaethetus	Bridled tern		VU	6
Birds	Sterna antillarum	Least tern		VU	6
Birds	Sterna dougallii	Roseate tern		VU	6
Birds	Sterna fuscata	Sooty tern		VU	6
Birds	Sterna sandvicensis	Sandwich tern		VU	6
Birds	Sula leucogaster	Brown booby		VU	6
Birds	Sula sula	Red-footed booby		VU	6
Corals	Anthozoa (all species)	Gorgonians, Telestaceans, Alcyonaceans, Antipatharians, Scleractinians	VU	VU	9
Corals	Hydrozoa (all species)	Fire corals, Lace corals	VU	VU	9
Fishes	Balistes vetula	Queen triggerfish	VU	VU	4,5
Fishes	Dermatolepis inermis	Marbled grouper	VU	CD	1,4,5,6
Fishes	Epinephelus itajara	Goliath grouper	CR	CD	1,4,5,6,9
Fishes	Epinephelus morio	Red grouper	NT	CD	1,4,5,6
Fishes	Epinephelus nigritus	Warsaw grouper	CR	CD	1,4,5,6
Fishes	Epinephelus niveatus	Snowy grouper	VU	CD	1,4,5,6
Fishes	Epinephelus striatus	Nassau grouper	EN	CD	1,4,5,6,9
Fishes	Hippocampus erectus	Lined seahorse	VU	DD
Fishes	Hippocampus reidi	Longsnout seahorse	DD	DD
Fishes	Lachnolaimus maximus	Hogfish	VU	VU	4,5
Fishes	Lutjanus analis	Mutton snapper	VU	VU	4,5,6
Fishes	Lutjanus cyanopterus	Cubera snapper	VU	VU	4,5,6
Fishes	Mycteroperca venenosa	Yellowfin grouper	NT	CD	1,4,5,6
Fishes	Pagrus pagrus	Red porgy	EN	DD	4,5
Fishes	Sanopus astrifer	Whitespotted toadfish	VU	DD
Fishes	Sanopus greenfieldorum	Whitelined toadfish	VU	DD
Fishes	Sanopus reticulatus	Reticulated toadfish	VU	DD
Fishes	Sanopus splendidus	Splendid toadfish	VU	DD
Fishes	Scarus guacamaia	Rainbow parrotfish	VU	VU	4,5
Sharks	Carcharhinus leucas	Bull shark	NT	NT	4,5,9,10
Sharks	Carcharhinus limbatus	Blacktip shark	NT	NT	4,5,9,10
Sharks	Carcharhinus longimanus	Oceanic whitetip shark	VU	NT	4,5,9,10
Sharks	Carcharhinus plumbeus	Sandbar shark	NT	NT	4,5,9,10
Sharks	Galeocerdo cuvier	Tiger shark	NT	NT	4,5,9,10
Sharks	Isurus oxyrinchus	Shortfin mako	VU	NT	4,5,9,10
Sharks	Mustelus canis	Dusky smoothhound	NT	DD
Sharks	Negaprion brevirostris	Lemon shark	NT	NT	4,5,9,10
Sharks	Prionace glauca	Blue shark	NT	NT	4,5,9,10
Sharks	Pristis pectinata	Smalltooth sawfish	CR	CR	4,5
Sharks	Pristis perotteti	Largetooth sawfish	CR	CR	4,5
Sharks	Rhincodon typus	Whale shark	VU	VU	7,8,9
Sharks	Sphyrna lewini	Scalloped hammerhead	EN	NT	4,5,9,10
Sharks	Sphyrna mokarran	Great hammerhead	EN	DD	4,5,9,10
Sharks	Sphyrna zygaena	Smooth mammerhead	NT	NT	4,5,9,10
Mammals	Alouatta pigra	Guatemalan black howler	EN	VU	3,9
Mammals	Ateles geoffroyi	Central American spider monkey	EN	VU	9
Mammals	Balaenoptera physalus	Fin whale	EN	DD	9
Mammals	Balantiopteryx io	Thomas's sac-winged bat	VU	VU	8
Mammals	Bauerus dubiaquercus	Van Gelder's bat	NT	VU	8
Mammals	Cabassous centralis	Northern naked-tailed armadillo	DD	DD	8
Mammals	Centronycteris centralis	Shaggy bat		VU	8
Mammals	Dicotyles pecari	White-lipped peccary	NT	VU	4,7,10
Mammals	Globicephala macrorhynchus	Short-finned pilot whale	DD	DD	9
Mammals	Herpailurus yaguarondi	Yaguarundi		LC	10
Mammals	Leopardus pardalis	Ocelot		VU	4,9,10
Mammals	Leopardus wiedii	Margay	NT	VU	9,10
Mammals	Lontra longicaudis	Neotropical river otter	DD	VU	10
Mammals	Mazama pandora	Yucatán brown brocket deer	VU	DD	3,4
Mammals	Molossops greenhalli	Greenhall's mastiff bat		VU	8
Mammals	Mormoops megalphylla	Ghost-faced bat		NT	8
Mammals	Myotis elegans	Elegant myotis		VU	8
Mammals	Panthera onca	Jaguar	NT	NT	4,7,9,10
Mammals	Physeter macrocephalus	Sperm whale	VU	DD	9
Mammals	Pteronotus gymnonotus	Greater naked-back bat		NT	8
Mammals	Puma concolor	Puma		NT	4,7,9,10
Mammals	Stenella frontalis	Atlantic spotted dolphin	DD	VU	9
Mammals	Stenella Iongirostris	Spinner dolphin	DD	DD	9
Mammals	Steno bredanensis	Rough-toothed dolphin		DD	9
Mammals	Tapirus bairdii	Central American tapir	EN	VU	4,9,10
Mammals	Thyroptera tricolor	Spix's disk-winged bat		VU	8
Mammals	Trichechus manatus	West Indian manatee	EN	VU	4,9
Mammals	Turiopsis truncatus	Common bottlenose dolphin		VU	9
Plants	Ceratozamia robusta		VU	VU	3
Plants	Pithecellobium johansenii		EN	DD
Plants	Quiina schippii		EN	DD
Plants	Schippia concolor	Mountain pimento	VU	LC	2
Plants	Swietenia macrophylla	Large-leaved mahogany	VU	VU	5,9
Plants	Zamia prasina		CR	DD	2,8
Plants	Zamia sp. Nov.	Un-described Zamia		VU	2,8
Plants	Zamia variegata	Variegated Zamia	EN	VU	3,9
Reptiles	Caretta caretta	Loggerhead	EN	EN	4,5,6,9
Reptiles	Chelonia mydas	Green turtle	EN	EN	4,5,6,9
Reptiles	Crocodylus acutus	American crocodile	VU	NT	4,9,10
Reptiles	Crocodylus moreletii	Morelet's crocodile	CD	CD	3,4,5,9,10
Reptiles	Dermatemys mawii	Central American river turtle	CR	EN	3,4,5,9
Reptiles	Dermochelys coriacea	Leatherback	CR	CR	4,9
Reptiles	Eretmochelys imbricata	Hawksbill turtle	CR	CR	4,5,6,9
Reptiles	Phyllodactylus insularis	Belize leaf-toed gecko		NT	2
Reptiles	Staurotypus triporcatus	Mexican musk turtle	NT	NT	4
Reptiles	Trachemys scripta	Common slider	NT	LC	4

Justification

The present trends in the global populations of all groupers are decreasing. Measures have been taken to protect spawning sites of these fish in Belize, and the government is attempting to introduce measures that will allow it to sustainably manage this resource. For this reason, all grouper species have been placed in the CD (Conservation Dependant) category.
Endemic species
Small Range (regionally endemic)
Hunted or fished
Economic importance
Colony breeder (restricted number of breeding colonies/locations)
Needs large range
Specialised ecological requirements
Charismatic species drawing national and international attention
Prosecuted as perceived pest
Genetically different from South American counterpart

Read more about this topic: Conservation In Belize

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