Petitions for helping endangered animals

If you want to help endangered animals, you can sign a couple petitions to help them at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/environment-and-wildlife/endangered-species/

Overexploitation

People, with their natural abilities, are rather weak compared to other animals. We don't have claws to attack, thick fur or feathers for warmth, sharp senses (compared to others), tails, or swift running. But we are a very intelligent species and have developed tools and weapons to hunt, harvest, and live off resources when other animals were naturally born with their "tools".

Overexploitation is taking too much of resources from the wild, such as animals and plants, to make clothing, medicine, pets, and others. We affect many different species, such as aquatic species, birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, and plants.

Fishing has become very efficient, but is also causing the rapid decline in populations of fish. 

Many birds are kept as pets, and others are hunted for food or just game. 

According to National Wildlife Federation, "People have always hunted mammal species—for fur, food, sport, and for their horns or antlers. Mammals are also trapped for the pet trade, zoos and biomedical research. Today, illegal hunting still threatens many species, especially large mammals such as tigers, rhinoceros, bears and even primates, whose body parts are highly valued in some parts of the world for traditional medicine."

Amphibians, like frogs, are used in education, pets, and medicine. Many biology classes dissect frogs. Frogs are also a source of food, and the California red-legged frog is now endangered due to overhunting for food.

According to National Wildlife Federation, "Reptiles are harvested and traded around the world for their skins or shells, their eggs, meat, and for the pet trade....Some reptile skins—such as crocodile, python and monitor lizard—are highly prized as exotic leathers."

"Plants are vital to our survival and are the foundation of most of the Earth’s ecosystems. People harvest plants for food, medicine, building materials, and as raw materials for making other products.  But we are taking too many plants from the wild. Some plants, such as orchids, are so prized by collectors that they are now endangered and  legally protected from poaching by international law. Some medicinal plants, such as American ginseng, have also been so enthusiastically collected that it is now very hard to find them in the wild. A number of tree species that are prized for their wood, such as mahogany, are under threat because of overharvesting" (National Wildlife Federation).

Info source: http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Overexploitation.aspx

Your Wildlife Personality

Here's a fun quiz to find out what animal you are:

http://blog.nwf.org/2014/03/whats-your-wildlife-personality/

Hawksbill Turtle

Hawksbill turtles have beautiful, mottled shells. Because of their beautiful patterned shells, the shells are often sold in markets, valued highly. These turtles have pointed beaks which give them their name, the Hawksbill turtle. Hawksbills are critically endangered.

Hawksbill turtles live in tropical areas in the midst of coral reefs. They mostly eat sponges but also eat sea anemones and jellyfish.

According to WWF, "Hawksbills help maintain the health of coral reefs. As they remove prey such as sponges from the reef's surface, they provide better access for reef fish to feed.  They also have cultural significance and tourism value.  For example, for local residents in the Coral Triangle, the flow of visitors who come to admire turtles is a vital source of income."

Info and image from https://worldwildlife.org/species/hawksbill-turtle

Wild vs. Captivity for Cetaceans

What's the difference for a life of a cetacean, like a dolphin, in captivity than out in the wild seas? Is it better for cetaceans to be in captivity? Won't they be guaranteed better conditions than out in the wild? Won't they have a longer lifespan? What do you think?

• Space and socialization
• In the wild, cetaceans usually have plenty of space to frolic in the seas. They can swim up to 100 miles in just one day. They socialize with other cetaceans and create bonds.
• There's definitely not enough space as the ocean in captivity. There's not even as much land as there is water on the earth. Sometimes cetaceans are also isolated or forced to live with animals they can't socialize with, lacking a good environment for socialization.
• Boredom and activity
• Usually, in the wild cetaceans are playful and happy. They are constantly active and don't get bored.
• However, in captivity, cetaceans have to entertain tourists and are often bored. They can become frustrated and aggressive.
• Water depths and choice
• In the wild, only 10%-20% of a cetacean's time isn't spent deep underwater. They have total control and freedom over their choices.
• Trainers deicide everything for the cetaceans and they are forced to constantly stay at the surface of the water.

These are only some cons of keeping cetaceans in captivity. There are many more reasons you can read at https://awionline.org/content/wild-vs-captivity.

But, as some of these species are endangered, do you think keeping them in captivity would reduce the risk of extinction?

Info and image from https://awionline.org/content/wild-vs-captivity

The South China Tiger

The South China tiger is the typical image everyone thinks when they hear "tiger". When you think of "tiger", don't you think of a great cat with orange fur striped with black?

These felines are critically endangered, along with several other animals like the Amur Leopard, Black Rhino or the Leatherback Turtle. Sixteen species worldwide are critically endangered, which means that they "face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild," according to World Wildlife.

In fact, South China tigers are already extinct in the wild. No tiger has been spotted in its natural habitat for 25 years. In the early 1950s, there used to be over four thousand individual tigers in the wild. Hunting, even though banned by the late 1970s, caused the rapid decline of the South China tiger population. By 1996 there were only 30-80 individuals left in the wild.

 Image from https://worldwildlife.org/species/south-china-tiger

Info from https://worldwildlife.org/species/south-china-tiger

Banana smoothie

This blog post is related to "Why they're endangered and how we can help".

Homemaking something is often a great way to help reduce pollution. Pollution plays a great part in the environment and also plays a part in the increasing numbers of endangered species. Even blending together a few fruits into a smoothie during the summer is a way to save endangered animals and the environment. Instead of buying the smoothie with the packaging, plastic bottle (which often gets thrown away instead of recycling), and its cap which are all big sources of pollution while it is manufactured and as waste, you can use a blender at home and make a banana smoothie with this really simple but delicious recipe.

This recipe makes enough for about two servings (approximately two cupfuls of smoothie).

Ingredients:

• One banana, unpeeled
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1 tablespoon of sugar (or honey, if preferred)
• 1/2 cup of ice

Recipe:

1. Place ingredients into blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Serve immediately.

Voila! That was simple, wasn't it? It wasn't much to do, but you've made a difference in the environment.

Image from http://romanlosangelez.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/healthy-bananas/

Puppy farms/mills

If you have a dog, you might feed him/her everyday, bring him/her out for a walk, hug him/her when you're sad, and play with him/her and pet him/her. You probably treat your dog nicely. But sadly, not everyone is.

A puppy mill is a place where dogs are bred. They strive for profit and put the animals' welfare below the importance of profit.

Puppies are supposed to socialize during the first couple months of their life with their mother and siblings. At puppy mills, puppies are separated from their mother and littermates at around six weeks old. This can cause a puppy to be extremely shy, aggressive, or anxious.

Puppies can also become very ill at a puppy farm. (You can see some common diseases puppies catch here.) Their homes are often dirty and their food and water isn't very clean. Some dogs don't even get to enjoy the outdoors and feel the sun.

To read more about puppy mills, see http://www.aspca.org/fight-cruelty/puppy-mills/

Info from http://www.aspca.org/fight-cruelty/puppy-mills/

Sand kittens – maybe cutest of the endangered?

Young sand cats are adorable. Their fur is poofed up, soft, and they have round eyes that are simply too cute. But the bad news is they've been labeled as near threatened since 2002.

Sand cats are declining in population because of habitat destruction (See Why they're endangered and how we can help). But it's hard to keep sand cats in captivity too, because they're really sensitive to respiratory infections.

According to Wikipedia (March 4th, 2014), "Of 228 sand cats born in zoos globally to the year 2007, only 61% lived to day 30. They died primarily due to maternal neglect by first-time mothers." Sand cats, which are shown in their name, live in sandy areas such as deserts.

Image from http://www.animalfactguide.com/2011/08/rare-sand-cat-kitten-born-in-israel-zoo/

Why they're endangered and how we can help

There are several reasons why animals become extinct, endangered, or threatened.

One of these reasons is that we are destroying their habitats. Forests are destroyed in the process of clearing out land for homes, buildings, and roads. Trees are chopped down to be manufactured into the paper that we use everyday. Several animals live in trees; they are called arboreal animals.(To see some of the animals that live in trees, check this out.) Though one tree by itself can produce over 8,000 sheets of paper, imagine how much paper is being printed, used, bought, and thrown away everyday.

What are some ways you can help?

1. To reduce the use of paper, which reduces trees being cut down, which reduces habitat loss, you can go electronic! Type things instead of writing them. (Or, you can find apps that can write virtually!)
2. Books are wonderful, but they're also harmful to the environment because, guess what, they're made of paper and sometimes plastic for the outside flimsy cover that you find on some library books. Instead of buying a physical book, you can buy ebooks to help save paper. Checking out books from the library is also a good idea.
3. Recycle! Instead of throwing that useless paper into the trash can, put it in a recycling bin. If your home doesn't have one, you can start finding ways to get an extra bin for recycling. Also, instead of screwing the cap tight on a half-finished water bottle and letting it thump into the trash, empty it out at a sink and recycle it.

This is the process of producing paper and recycling paper. By recycling, you can save a lot of trees!

Image from http://www.iqsdirectory.com/industry/recycling_equipment/

Another cause of endangered animals is pollution. Everyday, factories, homes, and transportation is polluting the air, water, and land of the Earth. In terms of air pollution, manufactured goods are responsible for a lot of the pollution. It's okay to get a hand-me-down sometimes, you're saving a bit more of the earth.

How to reduce pollution:

1. Don't just toss trash outside. If you have to, you can hold on to it until you see a trash can (or better, a recycling bin).
2. Try reusing materials in fun crafts during spare time. (Here's a list of over 300 fun ways to make crafts out of old materials.)
3. Carpool with someone. Cars emit a lot of CO2 (carbon dioxide) in the air. 
4. Plant some trees and plants in your backyard. They take sunlight (which you don't need to provide) and water (as long as the rain's well, you don't need to worry either) and go through a process called photosynthesis to take carbon dioxide and make it into oxygen. They're the air-cleaners of our earth!

Image from http://www.cleanerandgreener.org/resources/air-pollution.html

Endangered Animals Quiz

Endangered Animals

National Wildlife Federation

America harbors a remarkable array of plant and animal species, ranging from majestic mammals like bison and grizzly bears to tiny desert wildflowers.

Unfortunately, many of our species have not fared well over the past few decades suffering from things such as habitat loss and the spread of invasive species.

Scientists estimate that up to one-third of U.S. species are at increased risk of extinction, and more than 1,300 U.S. plants and animals already have been federally listed as threatened or endangered and protected under the Endangered Species Act.

National Wildlife Federation has long has been focused on protecting the most vulnerable of our wild species. 

From http://www.nwf.org/what-we-do/protect-wildlife/endangered-species.aspx

Panthera onca vs. Panthera pardus

Right now, an art competition for depicting endangered animals in the US is about to begin. (If you want to check it out, here's their website.) I love felines, and I decided to do an acrylic painting of a jaguar. Actually, first, I wanted to paint a leopard. But, I didn't know it had to be an endangered species in America. So––I decided a jaguar was similar enough to paint.

But scientifically, they have differences, and I always wondered how exactly they are different. So, I decided to do a blog post on it.

The jaguar is often confused with the leopard. Their pelts look especially similar and the shapes of their feline bodies are quite similar. However, the leopard is the fourth greatest cat in the world, while the jaguar is the third greatest cat in the world. Above them, the tiger and the lion lead for the size champion.

Now about the prints on their fur––a jaguar has a rosette with small spots inside the rosette, if you look closely. It is also usually larger than a leopard's rosette, which are plain in the middle with no spots.

This is a jaguar's pelt:



On the contrary, this is a leopard's fur:



Images from http://blog.londolozi.com/2013/10/the-difference-between-leopard-and-jaguar/

A jaguar has a different style than the leopard––-for killing prey! Therefore, the head's shape and size is different. Leopards kill their prey by giving them a bite that will suffocate them, given to the throat or the mouth. If a jaguar has an advantage in size, they might kill their prey by piercing the skull, or jaguars will snap the neck of their prey by tackling their backbones. Unlike other cats like cheetahs, these cats hunt sneakily, stalking their prey unhidden.

Both jaguars and leopards can climb trees, though leopards are more swift in the high branches and jaguars do not like climbing trees as much.

Information from http://blog.londolozi.com/2013/10/the-difference-between-leopard-and-jaguar/

Endangered Species in the US

There are many, many endangered species in the world. Many of them can be found in this very country.

Can you guess how many endangered species there are in the US? There are more than a thousand different species endangered or threatened in the US. 1,481 species are endangered.

To see a list of all the different endangered animals in the US, click here.

Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are beautiful splashes of color lining the deep oceans of our planet. They provide a home for many animals and organisms, starting with algae. Not only that, they actually protect our homes for people who live near coastlines.

Coral reefs are what make a snorkeling trip worth seeing. They are home to over two thousand species. The sad news is that, due to global warming, coral's demise is coming soon. 20% of all coral species have already become extinct.

Corals are estimated to completely wipe out somewhere between the years 2020 to 2050.

Image from http://www.ourbreathingplanet.com/global-warming-and-coral-reefs/