The
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the
IUCN Red List or
Red Data List), founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global
conservation status of
biological species. The
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species. A series of
Regional Red Lists are produced by countries or organizations, which assess the risk of extinction to species within a political management unit.