Crocodiles and False Gharials: Crocodylidae

According to the World Conservation Union (IUCN), nine of the 14 species are at risk. This includes three listed as Critically Endangered, which means they face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild; two as Endangered and facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild; three species as Vulnerable and under a high risk of extinction in the wild; and one as Conservation Dependent, which means it could be at risk if conservation efforts ceased. In addition, the IUCN describes one species as Data Deficient, which means that scientists have too little information to make a judgment about its threat of extinction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists 12 of the 14 species as Threatened, or likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future, or Endangered, which means they are in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of their range. Most of the species are at risk because of habitat loss and overhunting. Several efforts are now under way to help protect these animals.