The number of species which naturaly disappeared from earth without being identified or researched is unknown. But from 1810 to 1997 (187 years), 112 birds and mammal species were extincted, counting that from 1600 to 1810 (210 years) only 38 species were extincted. Today there are on wolrd 3,956 endangered species, 3,647 vulnerable species and 7,240 rare species.

According to the new brazilian list of endangered animals of March 22th 2003, there are around 395 endangered species, and 8 already extinct. On this list are amphibious, birds, reptiles, mammals, insects and other terrestrial invertebrates as: arachnid, dipoploda, gastropoda, oligochaeta e onychophora. From 395 endangered species in Brazil, 112 can also be found in Minas Gerais, that is, 28% of animals from brazilian list. These are just some of brazilian endangered animals: Onça-Pintada, Panthera onca, Muriqui, Brachyteles aracnoides, the biggets monkey of Americas, Gato-do-mato Leopardus tigrinus, Onça-parda Puma concolor capricornensis, Jaguatirica Leopardus pardalis mitis, Mutum-do-Sudeste, Crax blumenbachii, Papagaio Chauá Amazona rhodocorytha among others.