Why endangered animals

Inspire a lifelong connection with wildlife and wild places through our children's publications, products, and activities. In 4 seconds , you will be redirected to nwfactionfund. The National Wildlife Federation. What is an "Endangered Species"? Why We Protect Them The Endangered Species Act is very important because it saves our native fish, plants, and other wildlife from going extinct. When deciding whether a species should be added to the Endangered Species List, the following criteria are evaluated: Has a large percentage of the species' vital habitat been degraded or destroyed?

Has the species been over-consumed by commercial, recreational, scientific or educational uses? Is the species threatened by disease or predation? Do current regulations or legislation inadequately protect the species?

Are there other man-made factors threatening the long-term survival of the species? Species Protections Once a species becomes listed as "threatened" or "endangered," it receives special protections by the federal government.

Endangered Species Day Endangered Species Day, which falls on the third Friday in May each year, is a day to celebrate endangered species success stories and learn about species still in danger. Six Stories of Success Endangered Species.

Read More. Donate Today. Sign a Petition. Donate Monthly. Nearby Events. Ebony is an endangered species because many biologists calculate its probability of extinction in the wild is at least 20 percent within five generations. Ebony is threatened due to overharvest ing. Ebony trees produce a very heavy, dark wood. When polished, ebony can be mistaken for black marble or other stone.

For centuries, ebony trees have been harvested for furniture and sculptural uses such as chess pieces. Most ebony, however, is harvested to make musical instruments such as piano key s and the fingerboard s of stringed instruments. A species is classified as critically endangered when its population has declined at least 90 percent and the cause of the decline is known. A species is also classified as endangered when its population has declined at least 80 percent and the cause of the decline is not known.

A species is also classified as critically endangered when the number of mature individuals declines by at least 25 percent within three years or one generation, whichever is longer. It is critically endangered because its extent of occurrence is less than square kilometers 39 square miles. The major threat to this species is loss of its cloud forest habitat. People are clearing forests to create cattle pasture s.

The Transcaucasian racerunner is a critically endangered species because of a huge population decline, estimated at more than 80 percent during the past 10 years. Threats to this species include the salination , or increased saltiness, of soil. Fertilizers used for agricultural development seep into the soil, increasing its saltiness.

Racerunners live in and among the rocks and soil, and cannot adapt to the increased salt in their food and shelter. The racerunner is also losing habitat as people create trash dumps on their area of occupancy. Critically Endangered Species: White Ferula Mushroom The white ferula mushroom Pleurotus nebrodensis is a critically endangered species of fungus.

The mushroom is critically endangered because its extent of occurrence is less than square kilometers 39 square miles. It is only found in the northern part of the Italian island of Sicily, in the Mediterranean Sea. The leading threats to white ferula mushrooms are loss of habitat and overharvesting. White ferula mushrooms are a gourmet food item.

Farmers and amateur mushroom hunters harvest the fungus for food and profit. Extinct In The Wild A species is extinct in the wild when it only survives in cultivation plants , in captivity animals , or as a population well outside its established range. A species may be listed as extinct in the wild only after years of surveys have failed to record an individual in its native or expected habitat. Extinct in the Wild: Scimitar-horned Oryx The scimitar-horned oryx Oryx dammah is a species of antelope with long horns.

Its range extends across northern Africa. The scimitar-horned oryx is listed as extinct in the wild because the last confirmed sighting of one was in Captive herds are now kept in protected areas of Tunisia, Senegal, and Morocco. Scimitar-horned oryxes are also found in many zoos. Extinct in the Wild: Black Soft-shell Turtle The black soft-shell turtle Nilssonia nigricans is a freshwater turtle that exists only in one man-made pond, at the Baizid Bostami Shrine near Chittagong, Bangladesh.

The to turtles that live at the pond rely entirely on humans for food. Until , black soft-shell turtles lived throughout the wetland s of the Brahmaputra River, feeding mostly on freshwater fish. Unlike other animals that are extinct in the wild, black soft-shell turtles are not found in many zoos.

The reptiles are considered to be the descendants of people who were miraculously turned into turtles by a saint during the 13th century. Extinct in the Wild: Mt. Kaala Cyanea The Mt. Kaala cyanea Cyanea superba is a large, flowering tree native to the island of Oahu, in the U. The Mt. Kaala cyanea has large, broad leaves and fleshy fruit. The tree is extinct in the wild largely because of invasive species. Non-native plants crowded the cyanea out of its habitat, and non-native animals such as pigs, rats, and slugs ate its fruit more quickly than it could reproduce.

Kaala cyanea trees survive in tropical nurseries and botanical garden s. Many botanists and conservationists look forward to establishing a new population in the wild. Extinct A species is extinct when there is no reasonable doubt that the last remaining individual of that species has died. The last specimen of the Cuban macaw was collected in This insect, whose long, segmented body resembled a tree limb, is only known through a single specimen, collected more than years ago. During the 20th century, Singapore experienced rapid development.

Almost the entire jungle was cleared, depriving the insect of its habitat. Peas and peanuts are smaller types of legumes.

Habitat loss from development in the 20th century is the main reason the tree went extinct in the wild. A single specimen survived at the Royal Botanical Garden in Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, until , when that, too, was lost. Endangered Species and People When a species is classified as endangered, governments and international organization s can work to protect it.

Individuals and organizations that break these laws may face huge fine s. Because of such actions, many species have recovered from their endangered status. The brown pelican was taken off the endangered species list in , for instance. It is the state bird of the U. In , the number of brown pelicans in the wild was estimated at 10, The bird was classified as vulnerable. During the s and s, governments and conservation groups worked to help the brown pelican recover.

Young chicks were reared in hatch ing sites, then released into the wild. Human access to nesting sites was severely restricted.

The pesticide DDT , which damaged the eggs of the brown pelican, was banned. During the s, the number of brown pelicans soared. The bird, whose population is now in the hundreds of thousands, is now in the category of least concern. Lonesome George Until , Lonesome George was the most endangered species on the planet.

He was the only living species of Pinta Island tortoise known to exist. On June 25, , Lonesome George died, leaving one more extinct species in the world. Convention on Biological Diversity The Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty to sustain and protect the diversity of life on Earth. This includes conservation, sustainability, and sharing the benefits of genetic research and resources. The period ended with extinction of the dinosaurs and the rise of mammals.

The last ice age peaked about 20, years ago. Also called glacial age. Also called a cougar, puma, catamount, and panther.

Non-native species can sometimes cause economic or environmental harm as an invasive species. Pesticides can be fungicides which kill harmful fungi , insecticides which kill harmful insects , herbicides which kill harmful plants , or rodenticides which kill harmful rodents. Seaweed can be composed of brown, green, or red algae, as well as "blue-green algae," which is actually bacteria. Range also refers to the geographic distribution of a particular species.

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They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. The native species may then have to find a new source of food or a new home, or face becoming endangered or extinct. Another way that people harm animals and plants is by taking them from the wild.

Some people might catch an insect like the Mission blue butterfly for a butterfly collection. Others might capture a wild animal for a pet, or pick a flower because it's pretty. In addition, some people illegally hunt animals for food, skins, or fur. In the past, lots of American crocodiles were killed so that their skins could be made into shoes and other clothing. This crocodile is now an endangered species. Can you imagine walking in the woods without hearing birds singing, or picture what a field would be like without wildflowers blooming?

Our plants and wildlife. More importantly, all living species, including people, depend on other species for survival. For example, if a fish such as the shortnose sturgeon becomes extinct, all of the species that rely on it will also suffer and may become threatened or endangered.

We all depend upon plants and wildlife. From studying them, we have learned new ways of growing food, making clothing, and building houses. Scientists have discovered how to use certain plants and animals as medicine. If we fail to protect threatened or endangered species, we will never know how they might have improved our lives. Endangered and threatened species need our help. Government agencies, such as the U.

Environmental Protection Agency, the U. Department of. Agriculture , the U. Fish and Wildlife Service , NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service , and the National Park Service , along with state fish and wildlife agencies and private groups are making information available so people can better protect endangered and threatened species and their habitats.

You can contact these agencies for information and join the challenge in helping to protect endangered and threatened species, and all wildlife, from extinction. Skip to main content.