Top Ten Most Endangered Animal Species 2018

 For some species, time on our planet Earth is running out.

Human beings are the greatest threat to the survival of endangered species through poaching, habitat destruction, and the effects of climate change.

1. Amur Leopard

It inhabits in Russian. Since 1996, the amur leopard has been classified by the IUCN as Critically Endangered with less than 70 individuals 

thought 

to exist today. It is hunted and killed for its beautiful fur. Its habitat is 

being 

destroyed for human settlement and agricultural practices.

It is one of the rarest felines in the world. They are speedy creatures able to run up to 35 miles per hour, faster than Usain Bolt!

2. Gorillas

Cross River Gorillas and Mountain Gorillas are both classified as Critically Endangered and Endangered by the IUCN since 1996 – that is two out of five gorilla subspecies. There are currently only 200-300 Cross River Gorillas left in the wild, and 900 Mountain Gorillas.

3. Sea turtles
Two types of sea turtles are amongst the most endangered species in the world: the Hawksbill Turtle and the Leatherback Turtle.
In the past 100 years, the Hawksbill Turtle has lost 90 percent of its population, 80 percent of which has been lost in the past 10 years. As of 1996, the IUCN classified it as a critically endangered species. The Leatherback turtle is listed by the IUCN as Vulnerable, yet many subpopulations are facing extinction.

4. Orangutan

Since the millennium, the Sumatran Orangutan has been classified by the IUCN as Critically Endangered with approximately 80% of the population lost in the past 75 years mainly as a result of mass deforestation. This awful trend continues to put pressure on the remaining population of 6,600 Sumatran Orangutans that are estimated to remain on this earth.

5. Sumatran Elephant

In the past 25 years, the Sumatran Elephant has lost an astounding 70% of its habitat to deforestation for palm oil plantations, agriculture and human settlements. Less than 2000 are estimated to exist and in 2011, the Sumatran Elephant was classified by the IUCN as Critically Endangered.

6. Saola

In 1992, the discovery of this mystical creature, sometimes referred to as the Asian Unicorn, in Vietnam was hailed one of the most spectacular zoological discoveries of the 20th century. Yet already, this elusive and beautiful animal been deemed by the IUCN to be Critically Endangered and is one of the rarest large mammals to exist on Planet Earth.

7. Vaquita

With less than 100 thought to exist, the Vaquita is the rarest marine mammal in the world. Time is running out for these elusive little sea porpoises, with extinction predicted to become during this year or pretty soon.

8. Tiger

The tiger has long been hunted for its distinctive patterned fur. Of the nine tiger subspecies, three are already extinct, many are endangered but it is the South China Tiger and the Sumatran Tiger that currently face the biggest threat to their survival.

Tragically, the South China Tiger is thought to be extinct in the wild as it hasn’t been spotted since the 1970s. The Sumatran Tiger is the only surviving tiger subspecies indigenous to Indonesia and as of 2008 it has been classified by the IUCN as Critically Endangered. Less than 500 of these tigers exist today in comparison with a population estimation of up to 1,000 in 1978.

9. Rhinos Three of the five species in the family of Rhinocerotidae, are among the most endangered species in the world: the Black Rhino, the Javan Rhino and the Sumatran Rhino. The Javan Rhino is the most threatened with extinction with the total population of only 60 surviving in one National Park in Java, Indonesia. The Sumatran Rhino is Critically Endangered. It has been estimated that less than 100 exist today in the wild. The Black Rhino is classified by the IUCN as Critically Endangered with three subspecies declared extinct in 2011.

10. Pangolin

Despite their tough appearance, these small, warrior built mammals are losing the battle against poachers and habitat loss. All eight species of pangolin are under threat, ranging from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered. They are the most trafficked animal in the world, hunted for their scales which can be sold on the black market for up to $3,000/kg.

• Source: Onekindplanet

Mexican Wolf out of the "EXTINCT" category

 Semarnat changed it from category to species in ‘Danger of Extinction’, thanks to the reintroduction efforts made since 2011 in the Janos Biosphere Reserve

The howl of the Mexican Wolf, declared “Extinct of the Wild Environment” since the end of the 70s for indiscriminate hunting, hears louder and louder, especially now that the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), has changed from category to species in “Extinction Hazard”, thanks to the reintroduction efforts made since 2011 in the Janos Biosphere Reserve in Chihuahua and its area of influence.

The foregoing as part of the update of the Official Mexican Standard 059, published Thursday in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF), which includes modifications for the inclusion, exclusion or changes in the List of Species at Risk, pending since 2015.

Source:  excelsior

La Víbora más grande conocida comía Cocodrilos (World's Biggest Snake Ate New Prehistoric Croc Species)

Artículo en Español:

Una nueva especie de cocodrilo prehistórico ha sido descubierto en Colombia-y el antiguo reptil, era probablemente una de las presas de la serpiente más grande conocida, según un nuevo estudio.

Pero si usted estaba esperando un choque de titanes prehistóricos, no está de suerte: El "pequeño cocodrilo" llamado Cerrejonisuchus improcerus de 2.1 metros de largo no habría tenido ninguna oportunidad contra la Titanoboa cerrejonesis de 13,7 metros de largo, dicen los investigadores.  

Fuente: nationalgeographic.com

English Article:

A new species of prehistoric croc has been unearthed in Colombia—and the ancient reptile was likely prey for the largest known snake ever to have slithered the Earth, a new study says.

But if you're hoping for a prehistoric clash of the titans, you're out of luck: The 7-foot-long (2.1-meter-long) crocodile relative—called Cerrejonisuchus improcerus—wouldn't have stood a fighting chance against the 45-foot-long (13.7-meter-long) Titanoboa cerrejonesis, researchers say. (See pictures of Titanoboa, the biggest snake in history.).

Font: nationalgeographic.com 

14-Dic-09 - Diez especies muy queridas amenazadas por el Calentamiento Global (Ten beloved species threatened by global warming)

Artículo en Español:

La Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (UICN) ha publicado una lista de diez especies que probablemente sean las más afectadas por el cambio climático, incluidas especies muy queridas, como la tortuga baula, el koala, el pingüino emperador, el pez payaso y la ballena beluga.   

Fotos:

Fuente: mongabay.com

 English Article:

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has released a list of ten species that are likely to be among the hardest hit by climate change, including beloved species such as the leatherback sea turtle, the koala, the emperor penguin, the clownfish, and the beluga whale. Photos:

Font: mongabay.com

12-Oct-09 - Monkey moms and babies communicate from the start (Las Madres y las Crías Macacos se Comunican desde el Principio)

 Credit: IMAGES: P. Ferrari.

English Article:

A macaque mother pulls her infant's head close and looks into his eyes to initiate an interaction (above and top right). She then smacks her lips at close range (middle right) and licks at the infant's face (bottom right).

Rhesus macaque mothers and their babies like to get in each others’ faces, exchanging looks and smacking their lips. They’re neither rude nor hungry. Just as their human counterparts do, these monkeys communicate in a mutually pleasing way that prepares infants to navigate the social world, a new study suggests.Interactions between macaque moms and babies often begin with exaggerated lip smacking by the adult, who gently touches her infant’s lips and face with her mouth, ethologist Pier Ferrari of the University of Parma in Italy, and his colleagues report online October 8 in Current Biology

Scientists already knew that macaque mothers and infants smack their lips and look into each other’s eyes, remarks psychologist Dario Maestripieri of the University of Chicago. But Ferrari’s study is the first to record the frequency and context of such behaviors, offering clues to why they occur, he says.

Mouthing off from Science News on Vimeo.
Fuente/Font (1): sciencenews.org

Artículo en Español:
Una madre macaco acerca la cabeza de su bebé y mira a sus ojos para iniciar una interacción (arriba y a la derecha). A continuación, huele la boca a corta distancia (centro derecha) y lame la cara del bebé (inferior derecha).
Crédito: Imágenes: P. Ferrari.

Un nuevo estudio sugiere que, al igual que sus homólogos humanos, estos monos se comunican de una manera mutuamente satisfactoria, lo que serviría para preparar a las crías para manejarse en  el entorno social.Las interacciones entre las madres y los bebés macaco, a menudo comienzan con un chasquear de labios exagerado por parte del adulto, que toca con dulzura los labios y la cara de su bebé  con la boca, informan el etólogo Pier Ferrari de la Universidad de Parma en Italia, y sus colegas en un informe de octubre 8 de la revista Current Biology.
Los científicos ya sabían que las madres y los bebés macaco chasquean los labios y se miran a los ojos, según los comentarios del psicólogo Darío Maestripieri de la Universidad de Chicago. Pero el estudio de Ferrari es el primero en registrar la frecuencia y el contexto de tales comportamientos, que ofrece pistas sobre por qué se producen, dice.
Fuente/Font (1): sciencenews.org