Scientists have identified 595 locations around the globe that are home to at least one endangered species that lives nowhere else. These locations represent conservation “hot spots,” sites that must be protected or the species – from frogs to rhinos to hummingbirds – will go extinct.

The study, whose results were published Monday, found that 794 endangered species live in those 595 locations, meaning some locations are home to several species living on the edge. Of those sites, only a third are legally protected (from development and other intrusions), and the majority are “surrounded by human population densities that are approximately three times the global average,” according to the American Bird Conservancy, one of many organizations that joined together to sponsor the research. The umbrella group for the survey is the Alliance for Zero Extinction, whose mission is to save species from extinction by preserving habitat and warding off other threats.

AZE’s web site features a searchable database of all 794 species and their homes. Mexico has the highest number of endangered species hot spots, with 63 sites under varying levels of protected status.

Photo credit: American Bird Conservancy