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One of the most important tools for the conservation of wildlife on the planet is the 
called “red books,” which include information on endangered species and are organized according to the degree of threat to each species.

Their importance lies in the fact that they are recognized as official documents in their countries and have the participation and support of governments, NGOs, universities, centers research, media and the general public.

Ten years after the publication of the first Red Book of Ecuadorian mammals, its second edition is being presented. This new effort began in 2007 and is a joint effort of the School of Biological Sciences of the PUCE, the Foundation for the Study and Conservation of Mammals of Ecuador and the National Directorate of Biodiversity of the Ministry of the Environment of Ecuador. 

In this new edition, for the first time, all the species of mammals currently in existence were evaluated. recognized for Ecuador (a total of 404 species), thanks to the contribution of 50 scientists and technicians who selflessly contributed with your information (this number exceeds four times the total number of people who participated in the first edition). The collaborators belong to more than 30 institutions in Ecuador and other countries, such as the United States, Canada and England.

The data obtained in this new edition of the Red Book are not encouraging. In fact, Ecuador is ranked as the country with the second highest number of endangered species on the planet, only behind Indonesia. 

This increase in endangered species highlights, on the one hand, the intense deforestation of forests and the overexploitation of natural resources; on the other, the small surface area of the country and its high biological diversity, which is why it has been considered one of the megadiverse countries on the planet.

According to this assessment, four species of mammals have become extinct in Ecuador (all in the Galapagos Islands), 105 species are threatened, 36 are near threatened, and 74 have no information on their conservation status (Data Deficient category). This leaves a total of 219 species (representing 531% of the country's mammals); while only 451% of mammal species have no problems regarding their survival and are listed in the Least Concern category.

The publication of this second edition of the Red Book of Mammals of Ecuador includes for the first time the use of two formats: a printed version (400 full-color pages in A5 size) and another online version with free access at the domain: www.librorojo.mamiferosdelecuador.com.

It is worth mentioning that the income from sales of the printed version of the Red Book of Mammals of Ecuador will be reinvested in conservation projects.

This publication was made possible thanks to the sponsorship of the following institutions: Editorial Murciélago Blanco, Ecofondo, Mammals and Conservation, Ministry of Environment and Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador.

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