The IUCN/SSC Anteater, Sloth and Armadillo Specialist Group (ASASG, formerly Edentate Specialist Group) is a network of mammalogists and conservationists who work to understand and protect the thirty currently recognized species of sloths, anteaters and armadillos.
The ASASG is one of approximately 130 Specialist Groups organized within the framework of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, an international alliance of conservationists which produces the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and a sweeping range of other conservation initiatives. Within this context, the ASASG works on behalf of xenarthrans by supporting field research, conservation measures and educational programs in those regions where xenarthrans still occur.
As an SSC Specialist Group, the ASASG's primary responsibility is to evaluate the conservation status of all xenarthran species for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, working with current information from experts in the field.
The ASASG also directly supports field research and conservation through the Xenarthra Conservation Fund, a small-grants program designed to help students and researchers in habitat countries.