The Argentine Society for the Study of Mammals (SAREM) presented the update of the national categorization of mammals at risk of extinction. This work, aligned with the criteria of the IUCN, reviewed the conservation status of 417 native species, with the participation of more than 450 specialists from all over the country, including scientists, technicians, park rangers, and naturalists.
The new red list incorporates 22 more species compared to the 2019 assessment (395 mammals), and offers a more detailed overview of threats, category movements, and critical areas for biodiversity.
Most notable changes
Among the cases that worsen are:
- Small wild cats: the kodkod in Patagonian forests and the oncilla in the Atlantic Forest/Yungas increased their threat level.
- Species previously grouped as “pampas cat” were differentiated by taxonomic reviews, showing specific risks.
- Orange chinchilla rat in Patagonia.
- Big-eared woolly bat from northern Argentina.
- Tuco-tucos (burrowing rodents), which move to the “Endangered” category due to their restricted distribution and the increasing degradation of their environments.
In contrast, some species have been downgraded:
- The marsh deer moved from “Vulnerable” to “Near Threatened”.
- The southern tamandua, the greater grison, and the Patagonian weasel were reclassified as “Least Concern”.
The authors clarify that these changes do not always reflect a recovery on the ground, but rather respond to better information, methodological adjustments, and more refined readings of the available evidence.
Critical threat areas
Conicet researcher Javier Pereira, coordinator of the 2025 process, pointed out that many species at risk are “little visible” to the public but face high threats. The concentration of threatened species occurs in four major areas:
- Gran Chaco.
- Atlantic Forest, including the Misiones jungle.
- Pampas grasslands.
- Central-western Patagonia.
The common pattern is the combination of high biodiversity with strong land-use transformations.
Main threats
The factors explaining the deterioration of populations are recurrent:
- Agricultural expansion.
- Deforestation and urbanization.
- Forest fires.
- Hunting and direct persecution.
These processes lead to habitat loss, ecosystem fragmentation, and pressure on species that already have restricted distributions.
The update of the red list of mammals in Argentina is a key tool for prioritizing conservation plans, identifying critical areas, and raising awareness of species that, although little known, play essential roles in ecosystems.
The challenge is to integrate these data into public policies and concrete actions that halt biodiversity loss in the face of advancing human activities.
