7 May 2010
Last updated at 11:16
In pictures: Atlas of global conservation
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The South American giant river otter, which has been hunted to the point that only a few thousand remain in the wild, is one of the species to feature in a new atlas compiled by US conservation group The Nature Conservancy.
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The book also features a map showing the locations around the globe where human-built structures are limiting migrating fish species, such as these young eels, also known as elvers.
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Most of the species of freshwater amphibians, turtles, crocodiles and fish that are found in only one ecoregion are located in costal rivers of the High Andes in South America, western India and in the East African Rift Valley lakes.
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The Mauritian kestrel almost shared the same fate as fellow island dweller, the dodo. However, the atlas explains, the raptor was saved from extinction by captive breeding programmes and conservation efforts.
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The Atlas also features the shoebill, or whale-headed stork. Its massive bill allows the bird to catch fish, turtles, even young crocodiles, in the dense swamps of Eastern Africa.
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The tropical and sub-tropical regions contain many plant hotspots. For example, the Eastern Cape region of South Africa is home to more than 6,200 unique plant species, such as the "red hot poker" flower.
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The maps and images appear in The Atlas of Global Conservation, compiled by The Nature Conservancy and published by the University of California Press.