Defining Endangered and Threatened Species:
What does it mean to be Endangered or Threatened?
Under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 "the term 'endangered species'
means any species which is in danger of extinction throughout
all or a significant portion of its range other than a species
of the Class Insecta determined by the Secretary to constitute
a pest whose protection under the provisions of this Act would
present an overwhelming and overriding risk to man."A threatened
species "means any species which is likely to become
an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout
all or a significant portion of its range."
The following links to various sources of definitions have come
about since the ESA was passed in 1973.