Home/Posts Tagged ‘critically endangered species’
Posts Tagged ‘critically endangered species’
Conservation, Green living, Nature, Wildlife & Flora, Apr 28th, 2012,
Species: Southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) Status: Critically Endangered (CR) Interesting fact: The southern bluefin tuna is one of the largest bony fish in the world, growing up to 4.3 metres long! The southern bluefin tuna is an incredibly streamlined and powerful fish capable of reaching speeds of up to 70 km per hour through the water. Swimming together in shoals, the southern bluefin tuna migrates vast distances from the spawning grounds in the Indian Ocean to the feeding grounds in colder, southern waters. During the spawning period, a mature female will produce several million eggs. Southern bluefin tuna are opportunistic…
Tags: ARKive.org, Conservation, critically endangered species, endangered species, fish, oceans, Southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii
Climate Change, Conservation, Nature, Science & Technology, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Oct 7th, 2010,
We are heading to the US Southwest today to find one of the most critically endangered species in the country: the Southern Mountain Yellow-legged Frog. This little critter is so endangered that Animal Planet actually lists it on their Top 5 Endangered Frogs list. This creature is mainly found in the Sierra Nevada area of California. They range approximately between 2 and 3 inches (5 and 7.5 cm) in size, have orange or yellow coloring on their underside, yellow or red coloring on their topside, and black or brown spots. They love sunny riverbanks, lake borders, and meadow streams; unfortunately,…
Tags: amphibian, chytridiomycosis, Climate change, Conservation, Creature Feature, critically endangered species, introduced fish, pesticides, population decline, Sierra Nevada, Southern Mountain Yellow-legged Frog, wildlife
Conservation, Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Sep 22nd, 2010,
This week’s Creature Feature takes us along the coasts of Africa and Europe, particularly from the Mediterranean Sea area all the way up to Scandinavia. Don’t be fooled by this creature’s name, though: it may be called an Angel Shark, but it has one hell of a temper. The Angel Shark (sometimes also referred to as the Monkfish, Angel Ray, or Fiddle Fish—among other names) is a Critically Endangered species. Unlike other species of shark (like the Great White), this particular kind has a flattened body with enlarged pectoral and pelvic fins. Given their Ray-like appearance, they are excellent at…
Tags: Africa, Angel Ray, Angel Shark, Balearic Islands, Creature Feature, critically endangered species, Europe, Fiddle Fish, Mediterranean Sea, Monkfish
Conservation, Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Sep 21st, 2010,
Today’s Creature Feature can be found in Australia. It was discovered rather recently—1994, to be exact—and it’s the only species of the Wollemia genus. Oh, and there’s one more interesting thing to note: the Wollemi Pine isn’t a type of Pine tree at all. Wollemi Pine trees are actually closer to related to species of the Araucariaceae family. These trees can be found in temperate rainforests and the last known fossil of the Wollemi Pine dates back 200 million years! Because of this, it is commonly referred to as a ‘Living Fossil’. Currently, these trees can be found along a…
Tags: australia, Creature Feature, critically endangered species, dinosaur trees, Living Fossil, Wollemi Pine
Conservation, Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Sep 19th, 2010,
Today’s Creature Feature takes us to the Isla Escudo de Veraguas, off the Caribbean coast of Panama. The Pygmy Three-toed Sloth is a Critically Endangered species. They are 20% smaller than other Three-toed Sloth species and weigh 40% less. Their homes can be found throughout the mangrove forests that surround the Isla Escudo de Veraguas—at least, for the time being. Sloths are generally known to be slow movers through the trees, but if you put them in water you’ll see a whole different side. Three-toed Sloths are actually good swimmers. Another thing that may surprise you is, although the Three-toed…
Tags: Caribbean island, Creature Feature, critically endangered species, Isla Escudo de Veraguas, mangroves, poaching, Pygmy Three-toed Sloth
Climate Change, Conservation, Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Sep 17th, 2010,
Today’s Creature Feature can be found high in the Andes Mountains of Bolivia and Peru. It is the largest of the Puya species and also the largest Bromeliad. The Queen of the Andes plant can grow up to 32.8 feet (10 m) tall and has more than three thousand flowers and between 6 and 12 million seeds on a single plant! It is a Critically Endangered species, with populations on the decline and they are a very isolated and scattered species. Outside of its native habitat, you won’t find many of these plants, except maybe a few dozen in botanical…
Tags: Andes Mountains, Bolivia, Creature Feature, critically endangered species, flower, largest Bromeliad, Peru, Queen of the Andes
Conservation, Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Sep 15th, 2010,
Today’s Creature Feature takes us to one of the coldest places on the planet to learn about the largest mammal on the planet: The Antarctic Blue Whale. I’m sure some of you may be thinking: “aren’t all Blue Whales the same?” No! They are not. There are actually a couple of subspecies, such as the Antarctic Blue Whale and the Pygmy Blue Whale. However, these subspecies have not gained recognition in all areas of the world yet, and so there are people who still group them together with the commonly known Blue Whale. It’s also possible that the Antarctic Blue…
Tags: Antarctic Blue Whale, Blue Whale, Creature Feature, critically endangered species, largest mammal in the world, subspecies
Conservation, Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Aug 5th, 2010,
This week’s Creature Feature takes us to Lord Howe Island, located approximately 370 miles (660 km) off the eastern coast of Australia. This particular creature is special because it’s been referred to as the “rarest insect in the world”. The Lord Howe Island Stick Insect (also known as the Land Lobster or the Lord Howe Island Phasmid) is a critically endangered species that was once believed to be extinct. In the 1930s, it was presumed that there were no remaining members of this species; however, they were amazingly rediscovered in 2001. Although the name suggests this Stick Insect is from…
Tags: australia, Ball’s Pyramid, black rats, Creature Feature, critically endangered species, extinct, Land Lobster, Lord Howe Island Phasmid, Lord Howe Island Stick Insect
Conservation, Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Jul 28th, 2010,
This week’s Creature Feature takes us to Africa and the Middle East, where you’ll find a rather odd member of the Ibis family. The Northern Bald Ibis (aka the Hermit Ibis or Waldrapp) is a decent sized member of the Ibis family (about 28-31 inches or 70-80 cm). Once found across northern Africa, southern Europe, and the Middle East, this critically endangered bird is now limited to Morocco (about 500) and Syria—where less than 10 remain. Although there have been some semi-wilding breeding colonies or reintroduction programs added to a few countries, including Turkey, Austria, and Spain, these birds are…
Tags: Africa, bird, Creature Feature, critically endangered species, Europe, Hermit Ibis, Middle East, Northern Bald Ibis, spiritual, Thoth, Waldrapp
Conservation, Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Jul 22nd, 2010,
This week’s Creature Feature takes us to the shallow oceans of the Indo-Pacific region. The Freshwater Sawfish (also known as the Largetooth Sawfish or Leichhardt’s Sawfish) is a critically endangered species that can be found between latitudes 11 N and 39 S in the Indo-West Pacific oceans. It grows up to 23 ft (approx. 7 m) in length, though you’re probably more interested in its “saw” feature. The saw is broad-based and has between 14 and 23 teeth along each side. They prefer going upstream in rivers or into freshwater lakes. I can’t say for certain what it all likes…
Tags: Creature Feature, critically endangered species, freshwater sawfish
Conservation, Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Jul 15th, 2010,
This week’s Creature Feature is about a little flower found in the Mediterranean. This little flower is special because it’s part of the IUCN’s Top 50 Plants Campaign. The campaign’s purpose is to save 50 plant species that face a high level of extinction in the Mediterranean region. The Buglosse Crépu (Anchusa crispa) is a critically endangered species and can only be found in 2 places: the French island of Corsica and the Italian island of Sardinia. Their habitat on both islands is limited to the sandy soils found along the upper part of beaches and covers an area less…
Tags: buglosse crepu, buglosse crepue, Corsica, Creature Feature, critically endangered species, flower, France, Italy, Mediterranean, Sardinia, Top 50 Plants Campaign
Conservation, Nature, Science & Technology, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Jun 30th, 2010,
This week’s Creature Feature takes us along a stretch of the Pacific Coast from Mendocino County, California to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico. The Black Abalone is a critically endangered large sea snail, or gastropod mollusk. The shell can be one of the following colors: dark brown, dark green, dark blue or other dark (nearly black) shade, but not black itself. However, the rest of the animal (tentacles, foot, etc.) is all black. The inside of the shell has a light pink and green tint to it and surprisingly, the outside of the shell is actually rather smooth, which…
Tags: Black Abalone, California, Creature Feature, critically endangered species, disease, gastropod, Mexico, mollusk, over fishing, Pacific Coast, Pacific Ocean, poaching, predators, sea snail, Withering Abalone Syndrome
Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Jun 16th, 2010,
This week’s Creature Feature takes us to the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska to find a species that is one of the most endangered in the world. The Boreal Felt Lichen (so named for its appearance) is a foliose cyanolichen and one of the most endangered lichen species in the world. When dry, the lichen appears to be gray-brown in color and when wet, the lichen turns to a nice shade of slate-blue. Underneath, you’ll find white coloring and the top of the Boreal Felt Lichen is pocked with reddish-brown spots. This fuzzy plant has lobes that can grow…
Tags: Alaska, Boreal Felt Lichen, boreal forests, Canada, Creature Feature, critically endangered species, damp places, fir, moss, Newfoundland, Norway, plant, Sweden
Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Jun 15th, 2010,
I have some good news about a rather large reptile that we don’t report about too often. Recently, there was a successful hatching of 13 Siamese Crocodiles! I never knew there was such a thing as a Siamese Crocodile, but apparently they are a critically endangered species that can dispersed throughout Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and possibly Thailand. Excessive hunting and habitat loss have been their main threats and it was only in 1992 that they were believed to be extinct in the wild; so, this hatching is an extra-joyous occasion. It all started with the discovery of a…
Tags: 13, Areng Valley, critically endangered species, Flora and Fauna International, hatching, incubation, Nature, nest, Siamese crocodiles
Nature, Wildlife & Flora, Jun 10th, 2010,
There are strange things at work among the Borneo Elephant population as of late. Two female calves were found abandoned in Borneo recently. One was a 2-year-old stuck in a plantation moat and the other was a 6-month-old wandering in another plantation located in Malaysia’s eastern Sabah state. Both calves were starving. The shock of the matter is nothing like this has ever happened before—there is no known case of those elephant mothers simply abandoning their young. Laurentius Ambu, director of the state wildlife department, said that an official investigation is underway to find out what might have caused such…
Tags: abandoned, borneo, critically endangered species, elephants, Malaysia, orphans, Pygmy Elephants, rescued, Sabah
Climate Change, Nature, Science & Technology, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Jun 9th, 2010,
This week’s Creature Feature follows a tale of mistaken identity. The Balearic Shearwater is a critically endangered seabird native to the Balearic Islands: an archipelago near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal, Spain, etc.). Until recently, this bird was listed under several wrong classifications, including: a subspecies of the Manx Shearwater, a subspecies of the Mediterranean Shearwater, and finally it was settled as a distinct species from the Yelkouan Shearwater. Balearic Shearwaters are approximately 14 to 16 inches (35-40 cm) in length and have a wingspan between 33 and 36 inches (85-90 cm). They nest in burrows, though…
Tags: archipelago, Balearic Islands, Balearic Shearwater, Creature Feature, critically endangered species, habitat loss, Iberian Peninsula, invasive species, Mediterranean, mistaken identity, Pollution, predators, seabird
Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, May 26th, 2010,
This week’s Creature Feature actually comes as a request from one of our readers! While this particular animal does have enough sites and organizations already covering its plight, it’s still a critically endangered species that many don’t know of, or have forgotten. The Vaquita is a critically endangered species of porpoise, with numbers estimated between 100 and 300. When it travels incognito, you may recognize it as the Cochito, Gulf Porpoise, or even the Hafenschweinswal. The smallest of all porpoises, the Vaquita grows to a maximum length of roughly 5 ft and weight of 110 lb (50 kg). They prefer…
Tags: Cochito, Creature Feature, critically endangered species, EDGE Species, Gulf of California, Gulf Porpoise, mammal, Mexico, request, Vaquita
Nature, Science & Technology, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, May 24th, 2010,
Endangered sea turtles have finally been part of some good news lately. First, 71 Green Sea Turtles were rescued in Bali and sent back to the sea. Now, 13 Hawksbill Turtles bred in captivity in Japan are also to be released into a natural habitat from Singapore later this year. Five one-year-old and 8 three-year-old turtles were sent to the Underwater World Singapore aquarium last week to prepare them for their release. Staff at the aquarium will monitor the turtles and check their health and fitness levels for the release, which is expected to happen some time in September. Also,…
Tags: aquarium, critically endangered species, Hawksbill Turtle, japan, release, sea turtles, Singapore, Underwater World
Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, May 19th, 2010,
This week’s Creature Feature turns to a species class that many people are not exactly fond of—some people even fear them—but they deserve their turn in the spotlight all the same. The American Burying Beetle, or Giant Carrion Beetle (Nicrophorus americanus), is a critically endangered species and native to North America. They are between 25 and 45 mm in size (roughly 1 to 2 inches) and have a shiny, black body with orange-red markings. This creature is carnivorous and it’s food—and breeding ground—of choice is carrion; in other words, it likes to eat and breed in dead things. However, despite…
Tags: American Burying Beetle, beetle, bug, Creature Feature, creepy crawly, critically endangered species, Giant Carrion Beetle, insect, Nicrophorus americanus, North America
Climate Change, Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, May 12th, 2010,
Yes, this week’s feature is about a tree! If you thought Creature Feature was only going to be about the animal kingdom, you were wrong. Plants of all kinds will be covered here, too. Why? Well, although they may not necessarily move or speak like us, they are still living things and they are very important to the environment. Do not forget that millions of creatures (including people) depend on plants for food, shelter, oxygen, and so forth. Now, the Jellyfish Tree (Medusagyne oppositifolia) is a critically endangered species. You will only find it in one place: on Mahe Island…
Tags: Climate change, Creature Feature, critically endangered species, Jellyfish Tree, Mahe Island, Medusagyne oppositifolia, Seychelles
