Hobbies And Interests
Persian Onager
The Persian onager is a species of wild ass that is light beige or tan along its legs and belly with darker markings on its neck and sides. Today there are only a small number of them in areas in Iran. The temperate grasslands they once called home have become closer to desert landscapes because of domestic grazing and constant irrigation of the land. These animals eat low-lying shrubs and plants but have to compete with domestic livestock for their food.
Lesser Prairie Chicken
The lesser prairie chicken is a grassland nesting bird found in Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. It was once a highly populous species, but many factors have led to it becoming an endangered species. These include overgrazing from livestock, severe droughts, herbicide and pesticide use by ranchers and a diminishing habitat due to human encroachment. The species feeds on nuts, seeds, insects and cultivated crops. They require cover from larger grassland plants for nesting purposes, and the disappearance of this cover has a great effect on current and future lesser prairie chicken populations.
Northern Bald Ibis
The northern bald ibis is found in Morocco and, to a much lesser extent, in Syria. It is listed as a critically endangered species. They used to be widespread and were even depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics, though they are no longer found in Egypt. Shrinking grasslands and pesticide use by farmers and natural causes have reduced their population.
Prairie Dog
Prairie dogs are found in temperate grasslands. Some species are also endangered, such as the black-tailed, Utah and Mexican prairie dogs. These small rodents are a type of ground squirrel that grow to be around 14 to17 inches long and weight 1 to 3 lbs. They make burrows in the ground, which they use to escape predators. Overgrazing in prairies, mostly due to cattle ranchers, is one of the main reasons for their endangerment.