...Endangered animals are those species that are in danger of going extinct. Their reproductive rates are lower than their mortality rates over long periods of time, so their numbers are diminishing. The reasons for this are varied, but lately, very often involve a loss of habitat as people encroach on their living areas. When a species is listed as endangered or threatened, it is not a death sentence. Many animals, like the bald eagle and the American alligator, were on the brink of extinction and are now recovering. Many species, however, will not recover, and could be lost forever. Throughout time, animal species have been going extinct (long before people evolved); paleontologists estimate that well over 90 percent of all plant and animal species that ever existed have gone extinct. The Koala is a small marsupial that lives in eucalyptus trees in Australia. These nocturnal (most active at night) animals spend 18 to 20 hours each day resting and sleeping. They are social animals. Koalas are not bears; their closest relative is the wombat. The genus and species of the koala is Phascolarctos cinereus. These herbivores (plant-eaters) eat eucalyptus leaves. Koalas have a keen sense of smell which they use to make sure the gum leaves are edible and not poisonous. They store food in cheek pouches. Human exploitation is the primary reason penguins are endangered. The decline of the Humboldt penguin began in the mid-19th century when the intensive activity of guano...
Words: 395 - Pages: 2
...AUSTRALIAN ENDANGERED ANIMALS – CAUSED BY HUMAN IMPACT The Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (2009) asserts that Australia has 143 endangered animals, several of them are rare and only found in this part of the world. There is a serious concern about this endangerment because a number of these animals could be at a high risk to become extinct. It could cause loss of biodiversity, misbalance in food chains, and irreversible changes to environment. As long as some suggest that this issue could be a natural process, there are many who maintain that human impact is more responsible for increasing the number of endangered animals. There are many convincing arguments that the human impact has intensified the endangerment of animals. First of all, the introduction of invasive and feral animals produces harmful consequences in native species due to predation, rivalry for food and shelter, and transmission of diseases (The Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 2011). The endemic Numbat have been hunted and killed by red foxes brought from Europe, as a result Numbat population is reduced significantly. Nowadays, they are found only in South Western Australia. Furthermore, the habitat destruction has increased the rate of endangerment. It can occur because of reduction in the space availability for native species. Changes in the original habitat especially by agricultural practices and logging are held...
Words: 506 - Pages: 3
...Animals for Rent In our society today, with all our advancements and breakthroughs, life in the 21st century is noticeably better than before. However, some problems will never go away, like war and death. Aside from that, a problem which has recently plagued our society is the practice of animals-for-rent. Animals, like humans, have their own habitats, and they live in what we collectively call the wild. Some humans have decided to pull these animals out of their homes and rent them for profit through the inhumane practice of animals-for-rent. These ignorant people are very cruel; they treat the animals as objects that only serve as entertainment to the public in the form of rental books or DVDs (Animal Aid, 2007). This unsafe and exploitative practice has gradually weakened animal rights and rips deeply into human morality and conscience. It is often the case that the people involve in this practice, this so-called exotic pet markets, give no regards to the survival of these animals, which are often on the endangered list. According to Richard Farinato (in The Humane Society of the United States, www.hsus.org), wild and exotic animals are favorable vectors for diseases and parasites, often the outbreak of diseases cause the death of a mass of animals. If this situation is continue without any resolution, these animals might become extinct. Because there are no concerns to the needs of the animals, the livelihood will decrease rapidly, and eventually they might not be...
Words: 1960 - Pages: 8
...For our ancestors, hunting animals was the main source of survival. It was necessary for them to eat in some places of the world. That was in the past, but in these days, there are people who still hunt animals. People shouldn’t be allowed to hunt because this practice is cruel and inhumane; it´s a real crime because animals are living beings; besides that they kill endangered species, an also, they do it not for eat them, but to trade animal’s skin or fur and their ivory. Hunting animals is a cruel practice; it´s a crime because animals are living beings, and like us they deserve to live in peace without being killed by humans. Animals have rights; humans who kill animals are committing one of the worst crimes, and they should be severely punished for that. Unfortunately, laws about these types of crimes against animals are really bad. Animals can be used to satisfy legitimate needs, like food and clothing, but in other cases hunting is a sport and a business. In the market, animal´s skin, ivory and horns are very popular and people make lots of money with this. They get their skin and ivory to decorate houses. Also, they sell their skin to create luxury coats and shoes. The sad thing is that people still buy these objects and they don’t care how many innocent animals were killed for this purpose. People who practice hunting, in most of the cases, kill endangered species and they don´t realize or they don’t care about that. This is one of the strongest reasons why hunting...
Words: 383 - Pages: 2
...is known as a place to save endangered animals and educate visitors about animals that can be found all around the world. But in reality, the zoo is a place where animals are removed from their natural habitat, placed into cages, and used as entertainment as a source of income. Although many people would argue that zoos do a good job at protecting animals, zoos should be banned around the world because animals are mistreated, zoos are not an effective way to help endangered species, and zoos are not a good source of education about wildlife....
Words: 1300 - Pages: 6
...Science The snow leopard is a multicellular and heterotrophic animal, because of this it belongs to the kingdom of Animalia. Its phylum is that of cordata because of its spinal cord. Its class is mammalia due to the fact that it has hair all over its body and is warm blooded. It also feeds its offspring with milk from its own body. Its order is carnivora because it is a meat eater, however “although the snow leopard mainly eats meat, they sometimes eat plants. Scientists have found that snow leopards eat grass, twigs, and other plant material… Scientists believe that plants could provide snow leopards with extra vitamins. Plants may also aid with digestion or help snow leopards get rid of parasites” (Winget Snow Leopards 13). The snow leopards family is felidae, this is because it is a cat. The genus of the snow leopard determined by molecular studies and have shown that it is similar to panthera. Its species is uncia, making its scientific name Panthera uncia or more commonly known as the snow leopard.(see img.1)...
Words: 2524 - Pages: 11
...was observed to decline from 1,520 total individuals in 1983 to 1,209 in 2011(“Neomonachus schauinslandi”IUCN red list). They are amazing swimmers which allows them to move around very easily in the water(“Hawaiian monk seal” Seals-World). Now that you see how significant this attempt is, please use your role in the Hawaiian government to help protect this animal since they are the only seal native to Hawaii, it is one of two remaining ancient seals, and without it, the Hawaiian ecosystem could be diminished for future generations...
Words: 752 - Pages: 4
...Most residents of Florida should know that Florida’s state animal, Puma concolor coryi, also known as the Florida Panther has been endangered for many years. The Florida Panther is a light brown and gray subspecies of the cougar. The Florida Panthers are carnivores, meaning they only eat meat. The main threat to the panthers is humans. Today, there are only about 180 panther living in Florida. The Florida Panther was almost extinct before being classified as endangered, due to the hunting of panther during the 1950s. It was not until 1967, when “the U.S. Department of the Interior listed the Florida Panther as endangered” (Williams 1). However, that was not enough to protect the Florida Panthers, or any endangered species, until Congress finally passed the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which allowed for the conservation of endangered species (Williams 1)....
Words: 658 - Pages: 3
...Endangered Species Our planet earth has produced many wonderful and bewildering things. Our planet was once lush of vegetation, plants and amazing animals. There are numerous plants and animals that are now extinct, either due to natural selection, climate change, or urbanization. Knowing this, we should not take advantage of what earth has to offer, this includes animals that are now endangered species. According to Richard T. Wright, “endangered species is a species that has been reduced to the point where it is in imminent danger of becoming extinct if protection is not provided (page 254). Although some animals may seem unimportant to most, many of these animals are what help keep the earth’s ecosystem in equilibrium. There is much controversy on endangered species and the devastation of their habitats. Before someone establishes their own opinion on the subject matter, it must be understood what an endangered species is and how it came to be, along with the controversy between it. Endangerment is a very broad issue that involves habitat, the surrounding environment and the interaction between other species. There are many factors that have lead to endangerment and possible extinction to earth’s animals. One of the biggest factors is habitat destruction. Habitats are constantly changing due to the earth’s constant change in climate and movement, although that is only a slight change. The biggest component to habitat destruction is the result from human activity...
Words: 1592 - Pages: 7
...Many animals are on the endangered species list. Some of these species eventually go extinct. There are different variations of severity of the list. Polar bears are on the endangered species list due to global warming. Panthers are on the list due to humans hunting and killing them. Polar bears and panthers are endangered species. Habitat Polar bears may be found, “in the U.S.(Alaska), Norway, Canada, Russia, and Greenland on numerous frozen seas and bays” (Alongi 1). They can be found all across the arctic. They spend a majority of their lives on water or frozen sea ice caps. The polar bears rarely touch solid ground in the short arctic summer. The polar bears depend on the sea ice to hunt and store energy for the summer, but the ice is melting earlier and freezing later. Their habitat is not the same as it used to be. Panthers live in forests, swamps, and prairies, and they are territorial animals who travel hundreds of miles within home range. “Destruction, degradation and fragmentation of habitat are the greatest threats to panther survival” (Threats to Florida Panthers 1). Panthers prefer warm climates over cold climates. More panthers are being lost every year due to humans hunting them, global warming, and pollution. The panthers’ status will continue to go down unless we stop killing them and...
Words: 846 - Pages: 4
...done to protect them. The Abronia Campbelli is critically endangered due to the underground world of the illegal pet trade. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the endangered Abronia Campbelli lizard and the Abronia family in general. The causes of Abrionia Compbelli's population decline is explained. It is discovered that the illegal pet trade and habitat destruction are the major causes of the species' population decline. We also discuss what is being done to conserve the species. Introduction The commonly referred to Campbell's Alligator Lizard is a critically endangered species native to Guatemala. This species is scientifically called Abronia Cambelli and belongs to Angudiae family. In a broader sense, Abronia Cambelli belongs to the Squamata order, Reltillia class, Chordata phylum, and Animalia kingdom. They are located in Eastern Guatemala, in Potrero Carrillo,...
Words: 1011 - Pages: 5
...to that shared by Thomas French about the elephants brought to Lowry Park Zoo in Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captivities. The elephants are being saved from culling by transfer them from Swaziland to Lowry Park Zoo. Similar to the Vancouver Island Marmots, the elephants are also declining as culling continues in Swaziland. Since elephants are intelligent and strong, they tend to destroy their habitat unintentionally. Beside cull practice, there are also others threat that the elephants endure in the wild, such as being shot by the hunters. Thus, by putting these wild animals in the zoos, it would save the elephants from being killed cruelly and from the brink of extinction. Through the effort of saving the elephants, we are also protecting the environment from getting damaged by this animal. The rationale for saving Vancouver Island Marmots and elephants are similar because of their status as endangered species and also because of their lost...
Words: 1049 - Pages: 5
... a. Producer Relationships – the producer relationships suffered immediate damage in the immediate vicinity of the blast although for about 5 more years the effects spread to a much larger area due to the ash blanked deposited via prevailing winds. In year 9 there began to be notable recovery, in areas furthest from the blast, of producers (vegetation) which peaked in 2010. Even recently additional recovery is being shown in the most damaged areas as well through natural seeding and interaction with consumers. b. Consumer Relationships – Insects, as expected were some of the first to return. Interestingly enough small mammals actually were able to stay in the vicinity in many cases even in the harsh conditions. The large animals were wiped out however and have had to return slowly over time from the surrounding areas. It is important to not this was not a linier return to pre eruption populations rather the species went through several “boom and bust” cycles due to support producer challenges. c. Decomposer Relationships – Decomposer relationships remained established for the most part and have ramped up in alignment with Producer and Consumer needs. In fact the decomposer relationships accelerated the recovery providing the necessary fuel to the ecosystem. It is important to note the area is still not...
Words: 1249 - Pages: 5
...The Endangered Species Act is a conservation act to preserve environments and animals in need. It was created in 1973 but what led up to it was the Act of 1966 and the amendment of 1969. Both of these acts were to limit poaching and help preserve the animals. Congress created the law backed by early conservationists like Dr. Train, Dr. Earl Baysinger Dick Gutting, and Dr. Gerard Then it was approved by clinton who helped start the biggest work to save animals. Endangered species are species that are close or in danger of becoming extinct. There are 7 levels to the endangered animals based on how close they are to being extinct. They use data on population levels, Ecosystems the animals live in and the rate an Organism's population is...
Words: 419 - Pages: 2
...is why we have the ICUN’s endangered animals list. b. Humans are contributing to the loss of these animals in huge ways, but also becoming more aware and trying to help more than ever in previous years. c. The purpose of my speech today is to inform you on a few ways humans are hurting and a few ways humans are helping wildlife. II. Humans are affecting different species in many ways and most for the worse. A. “Habitat loss is probably one of the greatest threats to the variety of life on this planet today.” (WWF) 1. Habitat loss can be in many different forms, like loss of areas populated by different species or mating grounds. Also erosion and vegetation loss can cause lack of shelter and food for animals. 2. One of the biggest areas that is experiencing deforestation is the amazon rainforest because of human settlements and development of the land. B. Pollution is one of the main ways in which humans have caused change and threats to wildlife habitat. 1. Pollution can be defined as the human alteration of chemical or physical characteristics of the environment to a degree that is harmful to living organisms. (marinebio.org) 2. Synthetic chemicals like DDT and dumping waste in to lakes and oceans is one of the main causes of pollution, effecting not only water animals but land animals too. C. Trophy hunting of already endangered or rare animals is also a big problem, although some people believe it is helping bring animals back. 1. In Texas, for example...
Words: 1009 - Pages: 5
