An endangered species is one that is ___________.

An endangered species is one that is ___________.

• A. on the brink of extinction
• B. highly likely to become resistant to a pesticide
• C. not very drought tolerant
• D. hard to control by normal means

Answer: (A)

What defines an endangered species is that it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. Describing such a species as being on the brink of extinction communicates that the population is very small or declining and could disappear if threats like habitat loss, poaching, or climate change continue. The other ideas describe different situations—not extinction risk—such as a species becoming resistant to a pesticide, lacking drought tolerance, or being hard to control by regular management. So the phrase on the brink of extinction best conveys the meaning of endangered.

What defines an endangered species is that it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. Describing such a species as being on the brink of extinction communicates that the population is very small or declining and could disappear if threats like habitat loss, poaching, or climate change continue. The other ideas describe different situations—not extinction risk—such as a species becoming resistant to a pesticide, lacking drought tolerance, or being hard to control by regular management. So the phrase on the brink of extinction best conveys the meaning of endangered.