Everyone knows that there are species of animals and plants that are under the threat of extinction and there are many charities who work to prevent this from happening. These species of plants, animals and so on must be protected in order for them to be around for future generations to experience.

What many people don’t know however is the sheer number of species of plants and animals that experts believe to be on the planet, which is what makes understanding how many become extinct each year difficult.

It is thought that there are 5 – 15 million different species of animals, plants and micro organisms currently on earth. Of these there are only around 1.5 million that have been named and categorised.

When it comes to the species that are becoming extinct each year it is actually very hard to put a number on it. This is due to the fact that experts do not exactly know how many are out there and how many face extinction on an annual basis.

However it is estimated that approximately 23% of the species of mammals and birds that are in existence are threatened. This is a huge percentage and one that should not be ignored.

The main reason for these species suffering from the threat of extinction is man. Humans have altered the natural habitats of so many creatures and plants that they are dying out.

Factors such as – increased pollutants in the atmosphere and environment, climate change, development of urban areas which rids the landscape of forests and other areas that animals live, conflicts around the globe and the continued growth of the human population all play a part in these threats.

Without these threats there would only be natural reasons why species were becoming extinct and this would make the subject much easier to deal with.