Question

Which of the following categorize for at-risk species is the closest to extinction?a) Extirpated are species that no longer exists in the wild iin a specific area but still live elsewhere such as paddlefish and Atlantic walrusb) Endangered are species facing imminent danger of going extinct or becoming extirpated such as swift fox and northern cricket frog.c) Vulnerable are species that meet a specific list of criteria and are facing a high risk for extinction in the wild such as black and white spitting cora and common spiny lobster.d) Threatened are species that is likely to become endangered if current trends, conditions and factors reducing its survival continue and are not changed such as humpback whale, wood bison and Kentucky coffee tree.e) Special concern are species that may become threatened or endangered because of a combination of factors such as polar bear, Atlantic cod and red-headed woodpecker.

Answer 1

Species that are extinct are species that no longer has any specimen alive anymore, which means that this living beings won't ever be present on Earth again. But it doesn't happen out of nowhere. The species goes through some of all of those definitions, as a warning that we must act to avoid extinction. As vulnerable are species that are facing a high-risk, but stil it isn't an imminent risk, so C it's not the closest. Threatened are species that are likely yo become endangered, not extinct, so D isn't the answer as well. Special concern are species that aren't even threatened or endangered yet, so E isn't the answer too. Endangered species are facing an imminent danger of becoming extinct, but still being extirpated may be even more concerning, because extirpation can be a consequence of overlooking a situation of endangered species and it is also a way in which a species can be extinct (they tend to disappear from specific areas until there are no more areas where they can be found anymore). So, the correct answer is a) Extirpated.