A wildlife species that may become a threatened or an endangered species because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.
Faunal species identified in Section 39-27.03-05 FAC which warrant special protection, recognition or consideration because it has an inherent significant vulnerability to habitat modification, environmental alteration, human disturbance, or substantial human exploitation which, in the foreseeable future, may result in its becoming a threatened species; may already meet certain criteria for designation as a threatened species but for which conclusive data are limited or lacking; may occupy such an unusually vital and essential ecological niche that should it decline significantly in numbers or distribution other species would be adversely affected to a significant degree; or has not sufficiently recovered from past population depletion.
To the Minnesota DNR, "although the species is not endangered or threatened, it is extremely uncommon in Minnesota, or has unique or highly specific habitat requirements and deserves careful monitoring of its status. Species on the periphery of their range that are not listed as threatened may be included in this category along with those species that were once threatened or endangered but now have increasing or protected, stable populations."