As it is not possible to evaluate all known species, the IUCN and the Species Survival Commission (SSC) are working to cover key taxonomic groups: The Biodiversity Assessment Initiative aims to provide an effective method for gathering scientific data available for biodiversity conservation.

The first taxonomic group to be completely assessed under the Initiative was amphibians (frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians). The results of the Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA), released in 2004, were alarming: one in three amphibian species face extinction.

While updates to the amphibian database have been incremental, there has not been a major comprehensive amphibian assessment since 2004. Since 2004 the database has been slowly but continually updated to include newly-described or revalidated species and new information. The assessment of amphibians is ongoing and relies on the expertise of hundreds of herpetologists from all around the world. However, as it is a continuous ‘work in progress’ some amphibian species might not be included in the Red List at a given moment in time. For further information on the assessment process see the Amphibian Assessment Forum.