Hobbies And Interests

Endangered Animals & Mammals

The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, tracks the status of threatened species, classifying them under seven categories: Least Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild and Extinct. The IUCN publishes its findings in an annual "Red List of Threatened Species." The 2010 report identified 6,714 vertebrate species -- mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes -- as "threatened," i.e., Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered. Of this total, 1,134 species were mammalian, with 450 listed as Endangered, a category with five criteria, including an estimated population of less than 2,500 mature individuals. Another 188 species are identified as Critically Endangered, a category whose five criteria include an estimated population of less than 250 mature individuals. No continent is without threatened, dwindling species of animals.
  1. The Americas

    • The San Joaquin antelope ground squirrel is categorized as endangered because of its disappearing habitat in the vicinity of the San Joaquin Valley in southern California. Populations of Peruvian black spider monkeys have decreased by more than half during the last three generations because of hunting and land development. The Americas also have their share of critically endangered species. Hawaii's nihoa millerbird is threatened by invasive predators on the small island where it lives. Although once deemed Extinct in the Wild, the red wolf was reintroduced into North Carolina but, although its numbers are increasing, the population still struggles.

    Europe and Asia

    • The European mink's numbers have decreased by 50 percent during the past decade and a half owing to disease, hybridization, invasive predators and habitat loss, the IUCN reports. Populations of the Azorean bat have declined because of pesticide poisoning and colony disturbances. Critically endangered Eurasian species include the Walden's hornbill of the Philippines, which has experienced dramatic population declines from deforestation and hunting, and the Talaud bear cuscus, a marsupial known to exist only on tiny Salibabu Island.

    Africa and Madagascar

    • The thyolo alethe, a bird endemic to only a few fragmented forests in Malawi and Mozambique, has fallen victim to deforestation. The population of the mistbelt chirping frog of the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa suffers from not only habitat loss, but also deteriorating habitat quality. The island nation of Madagascar, with its unique fauna, has experienced devastating declines in populations. Among its endangered species are the silky sifaka, the Lake Alaotra gentle lemur, the radiated tortoise, the Malagasy giant jumping rat, the long-tailed big-footed mouse and the Madagascar serpent-eagle.

    Australia and Oceania

    • Both the long-billed and short-billed black cockatoo species are experiencing declining populations and are considered endangered, along with the Norfolk Island parakeet. The woylie, a small marsupial, is on the verge of near-extinction owing to cat and fox predation, resource competition with native and invasive species and habitat loss. The Christmas Island shrew, while listed as Critically Endangered, has not been seen in more than a quarter-century and may well be extinct.

    The Antarctic

    • Species classified by the IUCN as Endangered or Critically Endangered in the Antarctic region include the northern rockhopper penguin, the sooty albatross, the hawksbill turtle and the Galapagos petrel.


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