Abstract Animal parasites are species rich and ecologically diverse, some with complex life cycles and life histories and consequently many are vulnerable to extinction. While the conservation biology community is becoming cognisant of the plight of threatened parasites, coupled at times with potential host co-extinction, feasible criteria have not been developed to specifically assess their threat risk and methods to conserve them have also received limited attention. Methodologies and criteria are presented here to aid the assessment of the conservation status of threatened parasites in a way consistent with the criteria of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Such assessments assist in prioritizing conservation efforts, a crucial task given parasites are integral to the functioning and survival of global ecosystems.

中文翻译：

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受威胁动物寄生虫的评估和保护方法

摘要 动物寄生虫种类丰富，生态多样，有些具有复杂的生命周期和生活史，因此许多很容易灭绝。虽然保护生物学界逐渐意识到受威胁寄生虫的困境，有时再加上潜在的宿主共同灭绝，但尚未制定可行的标准来专门评估它们的威胁风险，保护它们的方法也受到了有限的关注。此处介绍的方法和标准有助于以符合国际自然保护联盟 (IUCN) 标准的方式评估受威胁寄生虫的保护状况。此类评估有助于确定保护工作的优先顺序，鉴于寄生虫是全球生态系统功能和生存不可或缺的一部分，因此这是一项至关重要的任务。