African Elephants The African elephant, (Loxodonta Africana), is also known as the 'African Bush Elephant'. Both the African Bush Elephant and the African Forest Elephant have usually been classified as a single species, known simply as the African Elephant. However, the African … [Read more...]
Endangered Species
Many animals in the world are in danger of becoming extinct.
This is a problem because it means that future generations may never get to see these animals in the wild. Some people may think that this doesn't matter, but it does. These animals play an important role in their ecosystems, and they are also fascinating creatures that deserve to be saved.
What is the IUCN Red List?
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is a list of species that have been categorized as threatened or endangered.
A species will be classified as "Endangered" if it meets the following criteria:
The species possess a very high risk of extinction as a result of rapid population declines of 50 to more than 70 percent over the previous 10 years (or three generations), a current population size of fewer than 250 individuals, or other factors
Asian Elephant
The Asian Elephant (Elephas Maximus),is found primarily in large parts of Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Indochina and parts of Indonesia. The Asian elephant is considered endangered, with between 25,600 and 32,750 individuals left in the wild. Asian elephants belong to the family … [Read more...]
Mountain Gorillas
Mountain Gorillas Mountain Gorillas (Gorilla Beringei Beringei) are found in the jungles of Zaire, Rwanda and Uganda and particularly in the Virunga Mountains. Mountain Gorillas have longer and darker hair than other gorillas, enabling them to live at high altitudes and travel … [Read more...]
Chinchilla
The Chinchilla is a small, furry rodent, about the size of a rabbit, that is native to the Andes mountains of South America. There are two species of chinchilla, Chinchilla lanigera and Chinchilla brevicaudata. There is little noticeable difference between the two species except … [Read more...]
Elephants
The word Elephant in latin (as 'ele' and 'phant') means the 'Huge Arch'. Most elephants live in the grasslands of Africa and in the forests of Asia although elephants can live in nearly any habitat that has adequate quantities of food and water. Elephants live in groups called … [Read more...]
African Wild Dog
The African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) is a mammal native only to Africa. It is a member of the canidae family which also includes dogs, coyotes, dingos, jackals and wolves. It is known by other names such as the Painted Hunting Dog, African Hunting Dog, Cape Hunting Dog and … [Read more...]
Galapagos Penguin
The Galápagos Penguin is a penguin endemic to the Galápagos Islands. It is the only penguin to live on the equator in a tropical environment.The Galápagos Penguin survives due to the cool ocean temperatures resulting from the Humboldt Current and cool waters from great depths … [Read more...]
Sea Lion
Sea lions are marine mammals and members of the suborder Pinnipedia (which in Latin means 'fin-footed' or 'winged foot'). Together with the fur seals, they constitute the Otariidae family, collectively known as eared seals.There are seven species of Sea Lion worldwide but are … [Read more...]
Chimpanzee
The Rainforest chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), also known as the 'Common Chimpanzee' can be found in West and Central Equatorial Africa. Some of the countries the chimpanzee is located in include Sierra Leone, Angola, Tanzania and Congo. The Common Chimpanzee is closely related to … [Read more...]
Spinner Dolphins
The Spinner Dolphin is found in off-shore tropical waters around the world. There are two species of the Spinner dolphin: the Short Snouted Spinner dolphin and the Long Snouted Spinner Dolphin.Short Snouted DolphinLittle is known about the Short Snouted Spinner, only … [Read more...]