Showing posts tagged endangered
Cats on the Brink - Endangered Felids:  Flat-headed Cat by Jaymi Heimbuch This unusual species is perhaps one of the least-known felid species in the world. It is native to Borneo, Sumatra and the Thai-Malay Peninsula. The Flat-Headed Cat is one of the smaller species of wild cat, and lives among wetlands. It is listed endangered, with fewer than 2,500 mature individuals left in the wild, and the loss of the species is due primarily to the destruction of the wetlands on which they depend. Like the fishing cats, this species is great at catching fish and have even been seen washing objects in the same way that raccoons do. But, the loss of habitat — mostly do to conversion into palm oil plantations — may mean it will disappear along with the forest. (read more: TreeHugger)                       (photo: Jim Sanderson) View high resolution

Cats on the Brink - Endangered Felids:  Flat-headed Cat

by Jaymi Heimbuch

This unusual species is perhaps one of the least-known felid species in the world. It is native to Borneo, Sumatra and the Thai-Malay Peninsula. The Flat-Headed Cat is one of the smaller species of wild cat, and lives among wetlands. It is listed endangered, with fewer than 2,500 mature individuals left in the wild, and the loss of the species is due primarily to the destruction of the wetlands on which they depend.

Like the fishing cats, this species is great at catching fish and have even been seen washing objects in the same way that raccoons do. But, the loss of habitat — mostly do to conversion into palm oil plantations — may mean it will disappear along with the forest.

(read more: TreeHugger)                       (photo: Jim Sanderson)

Cats on the Brink - Endangered Felids:  Iberian Lynx by Jaymi Heimbuch The Iberian Lynx is critically endangered, and is the world’s most threatened species of cat with only about 309 living in the wild as of 2013. That is actually up from the roughly 100 individuals estimated to be alive in 2005. Native to the Iberian Peninsula, the Iberian lynx is an expert rabbit hunter — unfortunately it has specialized on only rabbits and the loss of prey due to disease outbreaks as well as habitat has all but wiped it out. Though it is now illegal to hunt them and their habitat is protected, the lynx still falls victim to cars along roads, feral dogs and poaching by humans. (read more: TreeHugger)                        (photo: Programa de Conservación Ex-situ del Lince Ibérico) View high resolution

Cats on the Brink - Endangered Felids:  Iberian Lynx

by Jaymi Heimbuch

The Iberian Lynx is critically endangered, and is the world’s most threatened species of cat with only about 309 living in the wild as of 2013. That is actually up from the roughly 100 individuals estimated to be alive in 2005. Native to the Iberian Peninsula, the Iberian lynx is an expert rabbit hunter — unfortunately it has specialized on only rabbits and the loss of prey due to disease outbreaks as well as habitat has all but wiped it out. Though it is now illegal to hunt them and their habitat is protected, the lynx still falls victim to cars along roads, feral dogs and poaching by humans.

(read more: TreeHugger)                       

(photo: Programa de Conservación Ex-situ del Lince Ibérico)

Cats on the Brink - Endangered Felids:  Fishing Cat by Jaymi Heimbuch The fishing cat is a species that proves not all cats hate water, but in fact some love the water. These cats live along rivers and in mangrove swamps in Asia, primarily in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. They are skilled swimmers, and are dependent on wetlands for their food. However, human exploitation of fish stocks as well as development of their habitat has had negative effects on the species and they are listed as endangered. Conservation photographer Morgan Heim has been working on a project titled Cat In Water, which documents the lives of this amazing species, as well as the threats it faces for survival. (read more: TreeHugger)                        (photo: Wikipedia) View high resolution
Cats on the Brink - Endangered Felids:  Fishing Cat

by Jaymi Heimbuch

The fishing cat is a species that proves not all cats hate water, but in fact some love the water. These cats live along rivers and in mangrove swamps in Asia, primarily in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. They are skilled swimmers, and are dependent on wetlands for their food. However, human exploitation of fish stocks as well as development of their habitat has had negative effects on the species and they are listed as endangered.

Conservation photographer Morgan Heim has been working on a project titled Cat In Water, which documents the lives of this amazing species, as well as the threats it faces for survival.

(read more: TreeHugger)                        (photo: Wikipedia)

Cats on the Brink - Endangered Felids:  Snow Leopard by Jaymi Heimbuch This iconic cat lives in the unbelievably cold habitats of alpine and subalpine areas Central Asia and is rarely ever seen in the wild based in part because of its elusive nature and in part because there are so few left in the world. The estimated population of this endangered species is somewhere between 4,000 and 6,5000 individuals… (read more: TreeHugger)       (photo: Tambako the Jaguar) View high resolution

Cats on the Brink - Endangered Felids:  Snow Leopard

by Jaymi Heimbuch

This iconic cat lives in the unbelievably cold habitats of alpine and subalpine areas Central Asia and is rarely ever seen in the wild based in part because of its elusive nature and in part because there are so few left in the world. The estimated population of this endangered species is somewhere between 4,000 and 6,5000 individuals…

(read more: TreeHugger)       (photo: Tambako the Jaguar)

canidcompendium: A pack of Iberian Wolves (C. lupus signatus). Spain’s wolf population is estimated at 2,000 and growing. Wolves are considered a game species, though they are protected in the southern regions of the country. Compensation is paid for livestock damage, though this varies according to regional laws. (via Wikipedia) View high resolution

canidcompendium:

A pack of Iberian Wolves (C. lupus signatus).

Spain’s wolf population is estimated at 2,000 and growing. Wolves are considered a game species, though they are protected in the southern regions of the country. Compensation is paid for livestock damage, though this varies according to regional laws.

(via Wikipedia)

(Reblogged from dendroica)
GOOD NEWS - Rare Deer Makes a Come Back in Chile They’re a national icon of Chile, but Huemul or South Andean Deer (Hippocamelus bisulcus) are scarcely seen. Scientists estimate only 2,500 remain in the wild. However, a recent study by WCS and partners revealed that the deer are making a comeback in areas of Patagonia, due in part to reduced cattle farming and poaching. (via: Wildlife Conservation Society) Photo by Alejandro Vila View high resolution

GOOD NEWS - Rare Deer Makes a Come Back in Chile

They’re a national icon of Chile, but Huemul or South Andean Deer (Hippocamelus bisulcus) are scarcely seen. Scientists estimate only 2,500 remain in the wild. However, a recent study by WCS and partners revealed that the deer are making a comeback in areas of Patagonia, due in part to reduced cattle farming and poaching.

(via: Wildlife Conservation Society)

Photo by Alejandro Vila

The Tiburon Mariposa Lily, Calochortus tiburonensis, … is a rare plant endemic to Marin County, California. Only a single population is known from serpentine soils on Ring Mountain, Tiburon Peninsula on the northwestern side of San Francisco Bay. While the land on which it grows is protected, the limited distribution of this species puts it at high risk of extinction due to random events like drought or wildfires. It is also threatened by damage from off-leash dogs, hikers, cyclists, wildflower collectors, and other vandals. Learn more about this species on Encyclopedia of Life. (Image by Earl Nance via Calphotos) View high resolution

The Tiburon Mariposa Lily, Calochortus tiburonensis,

… is a rare plant endemic to Marin County, California. Only a single population is known from serpentine soils on Ring Mountain, Tiburon Peninsula on the northwestern side of San Francisco Bay.

While the land on which it grows is protected, the limited distribution of this species puts it at high risk of extinction due to random events like drought or wildfires. It is also threatened by damage from off-leash dogs, hikers, cyclists, wildflower collectors, and other vandals.

Learn more about this species on Encyclopedia of Life.

(Image by Earl Nance via Calphotos)

Rhino populations in Sumatra, Borneo should be combined to save Sumatran rhino from extinction

by MongaBay staff

A new study argues for treating endangered Sumatran populations in Borneo and Sumatra as “a single conservation unit”, lending academic support to a controversial proposal to move wild rhinos from Malaysia to Indonesia.

The paper, authored by an international team of rhino experts and published in the journal Oryx, says that genetic differences between the island populations are minimal. Given the dire straights of the species — the wild population is estimated at less than 100 individuals — the researchers argue that ensuring the Sumatran rhino’s survival takes precedence over preserving what little genetic diversity remains between populations…

(read more: MongaBay)

The Silky Sifaka (Propithecus candidus), found only in northeastern Madagascar, is a large lemur that is one of the rarest of all mammals, threatened in its limited range by both habitat destruction and hunting.

Learn more on Encyclopedia of Life

Images: Jeff Gibbs, Wikimedia Commons

Black-footed ferrets were considered extinct until a small population was discovered in Wyoming in 1981. This prompted the establishment of the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program, which bred these masked meat-eating mammals in captivity. In 1991 they began being reintroduced to the prairies of South Dakota, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Mexico, and Canada. Source: http://blackfootedferret.org Photo: Wendy Shattil & Bob Rozinski/Getty (via: TakePart.org) View high resolution

Black-footed ferrets were considered extinct until a small population was discovered in Wyoming in 1981. This prompted the establishment of the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program, which bred these masked meat-eating mammals in captivity. In 1991 they began being reintroduced to the prairies of South Dakota, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Mexico, and Canada.

Source: http://blackfootedferret.org

Photo: Wendy Shattil & Bob Rozinski/Getty

(via: TakePart.org)

canidcompendium: Report on the conservation status and threats for wolf (Canis lupus) in Europe The wolf is the most controversial predator in Europe, as it occupies conflicting places in people’s imaginations, being simultaneously loved and hated. On one hand it is held up as symbol of wilderness and the return of nature, while for others wolves symbolise waste, destruction and negative changes. As a result wolf conservation is almost always controversial. Historically wolves have been heavily persecuted in Europe for millennia, and were exterminated from most of northern and western Europe in the last two centuries, probably reaching their minimum in the 1940’s to 1960’s. Since then, many populations have begun to recover and expand their range, for example in Spain and Italy. Furthermore, in the last twenty years, the species has been recovering naturally and reappearing in areas from which they had become extinct, for example in France, northern Italy, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany and Switzerland. In 2005 a wolf was even sighted in Austria (Styria region). However, the present distribution of wolves in Europe is extremely uneven and densities vary greatly from country to country. This recovery has revealed their extreme ecological adaptability, enabling them to survive in extremely diverse environments… Read more Photo by Tambako the Jaguar View high resolution

canidcompendium:

Report on the conservation status and threats for wolf (Canis lupus) in Europe

The wolf is the most controversial predator in Europe, as it occupies conflicting places in people’s imaginations, being simultaneously loved and hated. On one hand it is held up as symbol of wilderness and the return of nature, while for others wolves symbolise waste, destruction and negative changes. As a result wolf conservation is almost always controversial.

Historically wolves have been heavily persecuted in Europe for millennia, and were exterminated from most of northern and western Europe in the last two centuries, probably reaching their minimum in the 1940’s to 1960’s. Since then, many populations have begun to recover and expand their range, for example in Spain and Italy. Furthermore, in the last twenty years, the species has been recovering naturally and reappearing in areas from which they had become extinct, for example in France, northern Italy, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany and Switzerland. In 2005 a wolf was even sighted in Austria (Styria region).

However, the present distribution of wolves in Europe is extremely uneven and densities vary greatly from country to country. This recovery has revealed their extreme ecological adaptability, enabling them to survive in extremely diverse environments…

Read more

Photo by Tambako the Jaguar

(Reblogged from dendroica)

astronomy-to-zoology:

Black-fronted Piping Guan (Pipile jacutinga)

…is a species of guan native to the Atlantic forests of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay in South America. The black-fronted piping guan is primarily a frugivore and will feed on seeds and fruit, but it will also take insects and molluscs as well. Like other guan species the black-fronted piping guan can either be found alone or in a small territorial family group. Currently the black-fronted piping guan is listed as endangered as habitat destruction and hunting have thinned its population.

Phylogeny

Animalia-Chordata-Aves-Galliformes-Cracidae-Pipile-jacutinga

Image Source(s)

(Reblogged from astronomy-to-zoology)
Cheers to butterfly conservation! The Oregon silverspot butterfly (Speyeria zerene hippolyta) once flourished in beach communities along the West Coast, but due to habitat loss they are found now in only a handful of protected areas, many of which are within the boundaries of the Siuslaw National Forest. Read about how local, state, and federal agencies are collaborating to bring the silverspot back from the brink: http://1.usa.gov/10gzbs8 Photo credit: U.S. Forest Service (via: USFWS_Pacific Region)

Cheers to butterfly conservation!

The Oregon silverspot butterfly (Speyeria zerene hippolyta) once flourished in beach communities along the West Coast, but due to habitat loss they are found now in only a handful of protected areas, many of which are within the boundaries of the Siuslaw National Forest. Read about how local, state, and federal agencies are collaborating to bring the silverspot back from the brink: http://1.usa.gov/10gzbs8

Photo credit: U.S. Forest Service

(via: USFWS_Pacific Region)

animaltoday:

Bornean Clouded Leopard (Neofelis Diardi)

aka Sunda Clouded Leopard 

Previously thought to be a standard clouded leopard, scientists in 2007 realized that this was a completely different species, both in genetic match up and physical appearance. 

The main differences are visible in coat color and pattern.  Standard Clouded leopards tend to be a lighter, tawnier brown and have pinker noses.  The cloud markings on the Sunda Clouded Leopard are relatively smaller but have many more spots and markings within these cloud shapes.

There are about 40 genetic differences in the DNA of a Clouded Leopard and a Sunda Clouded Leopard.  They are considered vulnerable due to deforestation, with about 5000-11000 in Borneo. 

(Reblogged from animaltoday)

Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are an endangered species that lives in the Gulf of Mexico.

The only time a sea turtle will come out of the water is to lay eggs or their sick. This sea turtle mama is laying her eggs on South Padre Island. Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are the smallest of the five sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partners with an nonprofit organization, Sea Turtle Inc, for the protection of all sea turtles. Majority of the sea turtles that nest on South Padre Island are the Kemp’s ridley.

To learn more about the sea turtle project on South Padre Island, visit www.seaturtleinc.org.

(photos: T - adult laying eggs, by SeaTurtle Inc.; B - hatchling, by Robert Burton)

(via: Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge)