The number of plant and animal species used or sold in the wildlife trade is more than twice what scientists thought, according to The Guardian. A new study in the journal Science Advances counted 107,356 species that are in use or traded around the world.

An earlier estimate by the global science panel IPBES put the figure at about 50,000, The Guardian reports. The new count draws on bigger datasets and newer research that tracks species sold online as decorations. The number of butterfly species traded alone is larger than the old estimate for all traded land invertebrates.

"At the moment, we are completely underestimating what modern trade looks like," said Alice Hughes, a University of Melbourne professor and the study's lead author. "It poses a major risk to species."

Molly Brown of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a co-author, said even the new number is an underestimate, because good monitoring data is missing. The trade covers far more than smuggling, The Guardian notes. It includes fisheries, timber, fashion and ornaments, some of it sustainable.

The main treaty on wildlife trade, Cites, regulates about 40,000 species, the paper says. Researchers warn it moves too slowly to keep up with new threats. Most countries collect little data outside that system.

Separately, the Center for Biological Diversity has asked federal wildlife officials to list the Javan slit-faced bat as endangered, The Guardian reports. The group says buyers seek stuffed bats as spooky Halloween decor.

What we know: A new study counts more than 107,000 species in the wildlife trade.
What we don't: How many are at risk. Only The Guardian has reported this so far, and NewsHabit hasn't seen independent confirmation.