International conservation groups have unveiled a list of the earth's most threatened 100 animals, plants and fungi and say urgent action is needed to protect them.

The Zoological Society of London and the International Union for Conservation of Nature identified the species Tuesday in a report presented to a global conservation forum on the southern South Korean island of Jeju.

The species live in 48 countries and include the Tarzan's chameleon, the spoon-billed sandpiper and the pygmy three-toed sloth.

The groups fear the 100 species will die out because they don't provide humans with obvious benefits.

"The donor community and conservation movement are leaning increasingly towards a 'what can nature do for us' approach, where species and wild habitats are valued and prioritised according to the services they provide for people," said Professor Jonathan Baillie, director of conservation for the Zoological Society of London.

Experts say that focused conservation efforts can prevent the species' extinction in almost all cases.

With files from CBC