The CITES species

Over 40,900 species – including roughly 6,610 species of animals and 34,310 species of plants – are protected by CITES against over-exploitation through international trade. They are listed in the three CITES Appendices. The species are grouped in the Appendices according to how threatened they are by international trade. They include some whole groups, such as primates, cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), sea turtles, parrots, corals, cacti and orchids. But in some cases only a subspecies or geographically separate population of a species (for example the population of just one country) is listed. The table below shows the approximate numbers of species that are included in the CITES Appendices as of 23 February 2023*. The abbreviation "spp." is used to denote species; "sspp." for subspecies; “var.” for varieties; "popns" for populations.

Any type of wild plant or animal may be included in the list of species protected by CITES [see Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP17) and the range of wildlife species included in the Appendices extends from leeches to lions and from pine trees to pitcher plants. While the more charismatic creatures, such as bears and whales, may be the better known examples of CITES species, the most numerous groups include many less popularized plants and animals, such as aloes, corals, mussels and frogs.

On this site, you can find the lists of species included in CITES Appendices I, II and III, as well as photographs of many of the listed species.

To find more details of the CITES species, you can search the CITES-listed species database hosted by UNEP-WCMC and the Checklist of CITES species.