Qhen 25% of the mammal species in the whole world are threatened, due to the destruction and degradation of ‘habitats’, illegal capture, invasion of exotic species and global changes, the document presented today will, according to the official page of the “Book” on Internet “contribute to knowledge of the conservation status of mammals” and update the status of threat of species.
The last assessment of the risk of extinction of mammals was published in 2005, within the scope of the Red Book of Vertebrates in Portugal, according to which there were 104 species of mammals in the country, such as the Iberian wolf, fox or badger, whales or the dolphins. Of the 74 species then assessed, 18 were threatened with extinction: five critically endangered, three endangered and 10 vulnerable.
In the document that is presented today, special attention was given to three groups of species, those that are suspected to be in severe decline, those classified with the status of insufficient information in 2005, those that were not evaluated and those that were not confirmed as existing in the country.
The project brought together bibliographic data, field work and laboratory work through genetic analyses. It was scientifically coordinated by the Center for Studies on the Environment and the Sea (CESAM) and the Center for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon.
A recent compilation on mammals in Portugal included more than 100,000 records of 92 species of mammals, both terrestrial and marine.
In January 2021, those responsible for the Red Book indicated that the database as part of the review of the situation of mammals then gathered more than 100,000 records, across the continent, especially of groups such as ungulates (animals with hooves) and marine mammals . The species with the most observations were wild rabbits, common dolphins and Cabrera’s rats.
The presentation of the book is expected to be attended by the Secretary of State for Conservation of Nature and Forests, João Paulo Catarino, and the president of the Institute for Conservation of Nature and Forests, Nuno Banza, and will be carried out by the general coordinator of the project, Maria da Luz Mathias.
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