Over the years we have learned a lot about various species of animals that are basically living beings that have accompanied us long before the existence of man on earth, however, a large part of these species today are in danger. of imminent extinction and here you will be able to know what its causes are and what species may disappear.
What is Species Extinction?
First of all, it is meant by extinction like that complete disappearance of a species. For extinction to happen, it is necessary for every last individual of a species to die, of course the universe is enormous and it is very difficult to know this data with precision, however results are obtained according to a retrospective; For this reason, the phenomenon known as lazarus taxon.
This is a phenomenon that consists of an appearance of the species in question after it was believed extinct, in general, extinction is more susceptible to those species that have sexual reproduction, since only one individual of its species remains, it is not possible to reproduce, the same case happens when there are two (2) individuals left but they are of the same sex.
The species as such have a range of life close to ten million years after the first individual has appeared on earth, however, there are some species that are called living fossils and have been able to adapt to almost any environment on earth over millions of years. Rarely has it been considered extinction as a natural phenomenon, taking into account that approximately 99,9% of the species that once inhabited the earth are extinct.
As expected, humans have a lot to do with the extinction of animals and even today they continue to cause it thanks to the fact that since approximately 100.000 years the society of human beings began its expansion throughout the world and due to its increase in the population they need take more territory that once belonged to animals.
The extinction of species is gaining momentum again with great force since it happened last time with the so-called Cretaceous-Tertiary period, this was understood as a mass extinction phase of the Holocene, which indicates that by approximately the year 2100 the vast majority of species will become extinct, including more than half of those we know today.
Definitions
Surely you are wondering what is species extinction?, a precise definition of this is when the last living being of this species has died, it is from then on that it is certain that there is no longer any individual of that species that is capable of creating descendants for a new generation. But not only that, since a species can be considered "functionally extinct" if there is a small portion of life of the species and naturally it is not possible for them to reproduce because they suffer from health problems, old age, unfavorable geographical distribution, gender equality , etc.
According to history of ecology, is understood by extinction that local extinction, where a species has ceased to exist in a specific territory but can still be found elsewhere. Likewise, it is a conception that also has the name “extirpation”. In general, local extinctions could be understood as a "replacement of the species", taking the reintroduction of the wolf as an example.
Having said all this, those species that are not yet extinct can be called existing, and therefore those existing species that are considered under threat of extinction may be part of different categories related to threatened, endangered and critically endangered species.
But not all human beings are the cause of the extinction of species, since there are groups of people who have created a conservation status that they call "extinct in the wild", together with some species that are on the Red List created by the IUCN which have not been recognized as living species in the wild or wild, since all the remaining species are cared for in zoos and other artificial environments especially suitable for these species.
This does not take away from the fact that there are species that are functionally extinct, since they are no longer living in their natural habitat and may never be able to return to their natural habitat for various reasons. Needless to say, there are some institutions that foster a viable population for all species that have a small degree of hope of returning to their natural habitat using various carefully planned breeding programs.
Although it is true that extinction is a serious problem, it also has a medium and long-term effect on the natural chain, since by eliminating their habitats they cause the extinction of other species as well. This is a fact that is given the name of "chains of extinction".
Currently, there are various organizations that care for the environment as well as governments that take into account the extinction of species and through policies implement Environmental awareness to prevent habitat destruction by humans. One of the causes that cause the extinction of animals is thanks to pollution, the destruction of their habitat, the transfer of predators to specific habitats and much more.
What are the types of extinctions?
There are a couple of classifications that cover the ways in which a species can become extinct, below we present in detail what they are and how they are subdivided:
Terminal Extinction
It is a complete extinction of the species in which it has not left offspring anywhere in the world nor with its own DNA. To further understand this type of extinction, we can use the dinosaurs as an example, however, according to various theories that took place from the 80s, it is believed that these reptiles could have left some of their offspring in some birds. Likewise, a terminal extinction is subdivided into:
Mass extinction
It is a type of extinction that for scholars of geology and paleontology can be carried out in two ways: The species disappears by 10% in a period of less than one year, therefore it needs at least three million and half of years to disappear a little more than the species as such.
background extinction
It is one of the extinctions that consists of a disappearance that originates progressively in a specific species or group of species and progresses for hundreds or thousands of years until a point is reached where there are no descendants of the species. The reasons for this extinction can range from habitat changes to which the species is unable to adapt, as well as the variation in environmental conditions.
In some studies it was believed that the dinosaurs would have disappeared due to this type of extinction, although the strongest theory about them is related to a mass extinction.
Phyletic or pseudoextinction
It is a type of extinction in which descendants of a species that is extinct may exist. The descendant species that has evolved through the extinct father is called "daughter", so it is known that there may be a variety of descendants even knowing that the original species has become extinct, this is called anagenesis and pseudoextinction.
Demonstrating a phyletic-type extinction is very complicated, since it is necessary to demonstrate the genetics of a living species with an already extinct one. A clear example of this is the «Hyracotherium», which is a prehistoric animal that belonged to the equine genus, such as the Percheron horse that we know today. It is said to be pseudo-extinct because existing species of the Equus as can also be the zebras and the donkey.
But one problem with this lies in the genetics of the fossils, since these extinct species do not usually leave a genetic trace, it has not been possible to know if the Hyracotherium genus could have evolved in the equine family that we know today or if it simply it evolved through a common ancestor belonging to today's horses. Having said all this, it follows that pseudoextinction can be much easier to demonstrate when the Taxonomic classification of animals be verifiable.
There are those who wonder how to differentiate terminal extinction from phyletic extinction, so first of all it is necessary that it be well defined, taking into account that if in the end the species has been declared extinct, the descendant species needs to be completely differentiated from any other species or ancestor of the same, are descendants or perhaps species similar to it.
Causes of extinction
Today there are various species that can be part of the extinction of a species either directly or indirectly, for this reason we present what are the reasons or the main causes why a species is in danger of extinction.
To explain the causes more easily, let us take into account that any animal species that cannot survive on its own or mate to reproduce in an environment it inhabits, or that cannot migrate to another territory, will cause all individuals to die until it finally becomes extinct. .
A species can quickly become extinct due to continuous action, an example of this is when the human being begins to dump waste in a natural environment or through industry contaminates the flora and the waters where species coexist. On the other hand, species can become progressively extinct, even after several million years, thanks to the fact that some species develop better to search for food while others do not.
A debate that has been developed for years is to know what can cause the fastest extinction of animals , if the genetic factors that differentiate one species from another or the hand of man and its contamination, this together with the analysis of the fossil records due to death in catastrophes or lack of adaptation to a habitat has been the subject of controversy for years.
In addition to all this, a principle is established from the biological point of view in which a extinction vortex with which they are classified causes of extinction separately. This model shows causes of extinction by humans that mainly generate climate change.
Multiple groups that care for the environment and some governments are concerned about this lack of awareness and have tried to address it by creating conservation programs. Another fundamental aspect in this context is that human beings are capable of causing the extinction of a species through the overexploitation of an environment, pollution, the destruction of a habitat, indiscriminate hunting and much more.
Genetic and demographic causes
An important feature in causes of species extinction it is the genetics of populations and some demographic elements that, due to their nature, are very unfavorable to the evolution of animals, thus originating a serious problem of extinction; this directly affects those small populations, these being much more susceptible to total extinction.
In this area, natural selection is observed doing its work of propagation through various genetic traits that generate positive changes in a species and is responsible for eliminating negative traits in it, but at the time of a deleterious mutation it could propagate itself to the entire population through an effect called 'genetic drift'.
Genetics can generate positive changes to a given species, among them it can provide it with a greater range of life to be able to adapt to constant changes in the environment they inhabit. That said, some effects produced by genetic variations can cause an increase in the chances of extinction of a species.
The production process called "bottleneck» is capable of greatly reducing genetic diversity by creating a limitation in terms of the number of individuals that are in good conditions of reproduction and thus promote inbreeding, making it more visible among species. The call founder effect has the facility to create an efficient generation of individual species, taking into account that the fastest way to do this is through the "bottleneck" process.
genetic contamination
When speaking of contamination, it does not only refer to that caused by man but also that which can be caused genetically, and that is that the historical development that occurs in a specific region may be under threat as a consequence of this genetic contamination, a clear example of this is homogenization or genetic variation effects that are the result of introgression, a process that could produce a large number of animals or plants with different aptitudes.
Under this same order of ideas, non-native species can lead to a complete extinction of animals or plants that are native thanks to their sudden appearance that leads to the destruction of their habitat and in turn to a next contact with species that were previously They were completely isolated. This phenomenon is completely unfavorable for any type of ancient species, since when crossing with an abundant species, a genetic modification is produced and hybrids are developed, which translates into a new original native species and the total extinction of the oldest species.
Of course, it is not so easy to show this type of extinction, since it is not only appreciated from an external observation. Of course, in some cases, a little gene flow in a species helps to contribute to a good evolutionary process motivated by how complex it is to preserve the genotypes and genes of a species. The serious thing about this matter is that a hybridization with or without the phenomenon of introgression could become a threat to older species.
The process of genetic contamination produces a weakening in the natural development of what is considered the gene pool of a specific region, with the consequence that the hybrid flora and fauna that are weaker cannot survive in natural environments that constantly vary. over time until they finally become extinct.
When we talk about gene pool of a species is the complete set of all alleles seen when analyzing the genetic material of all living members of a species. The purpose of a gene pool is to demonstrate the rate of genetic diversity that can be associated with robust populations, which have the possibility of surviving various selection processes.
In the opposite case, if there is a lower rate in terms of genetic diversity, it could result in a considerable reduction in biological fitness and thus have a dangerous increase in the extinction of a smaller population of some species that are purebred.
habitat degradation
According to the context of habitat destruction Reference can be made to a section that deals with habitat degradation as a means of extinction, motivated by the fact that some species cannot be in constant adaptation to certain environments, this has the consequence that when they no longer have the conditions to survive, they become extinct due to full.
This type of extinction by degradation can be caused by two ways; due to increases in the level of toxicity in the environment of the species or due to limited resources that do not suffice for the population of individuals as such.
When referring to a type of extinction due to habitat degradation motivated by toxicity, it should be taken into account that more than one species could become extinct very quickly or perhaps they will be unable to reproduce because they cause sterility. It is a phenomenon that can also take place over longer periods of time with a lower level of toxicity but progressively, also causing danger to the life expectancy of the species.
Likewise, the destruction of a habitat can also be carried out through its physical destruction, this is carried out for reasons of urban and rural expansion for an economic reason, an example of this is the deforestation of the forests that causes the elimination of the habitat of various species that are left adrift and without a place to live. Everything is a chain, since an animal that needs shade to survive and does not have a tree to protect itself will eventually die.
Trawling is another cause of degrading problems in an oceanic habitat, since it damages the ocean floor, such as corals, where marine life abounds. As was well said before, the introduction of competitive and predatory species in the habitat, as well as the limitation of resources for the species, becomes a problem for the rare species that coexist wildly in an environment.
You can not miss the global warming as a reason for some species to be forced to migrate to other territories, causing what we know as competition with other species that were previously in their habitat.
To see it from another perspective, many of these "competitors" are predators and when they come across the others they simply hunt them or limit their resources, in other words it is a war where the strongest survives and therefore an extinction rate originates considerable.
The resources for which the competitors and the rest of the species fight is water and food more than anything, this, together with the constant degradation of the habitat, becomes a wild problem that causes extinction in a natural or total state of extinction. one or more species.
Predators, competitions and diseases
Over thousands of years, human beings have moved various species of flora and fauna to different regions of the planet, often on a commercial level, such as those who brought cows and bulls to various islands to use them as food; Other times this caused an unconscious transfer of animals that were sheltered on ships, such as rats, however, the latter is considered an invasion of species and the consequences are fatal for the regions in which it happens.
An invasive species is capable of wreaking havoc on the inhabitants of a region, whether human or animal. Diseases attack and cause a decline in the integrity of a habitat, in addition to generating pathogenic elements that sicken and kill the species found there. However, human beings themselves can become invasive species for animals, especially due to the indiscriminate hunting that occurs in various parts of the world such as Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and Madagascar.
The animals found in these regions had never had a first contact with human beings and would never have imagined that their intention was to use various predation techniques to kill them, a fact that undoubtedly leads to the destruction of the habitat and extinction of various species.
co-extinction
When "co-extinction" is used in terms of extinction, reference is made to the loss of a species as a consequence of the extinction of a previous one. To understand this in a simpler way, let's imagine a parasite, if the individual it uses to feed itself dies, it will also die. Similarly, co-extinction can exist when a species has completely lost its pollinators.
Global warming
It is an issue that is currently in controversy, since over the years it has been intensifying to such an extent that various studies have been able to show that a mass extinction is likely to originate in which 1/4 of the fauna and the flora of the entire world could disappear by the year 2050 or so.
As for the species that have become extinct as a result of global warming, we have the family of the «Hemibelideus lemuroides, beings that only inhabit the mountains of northern Queensland in the Australian region, this is considered the first mammal that has become extinct as a result of global warming. The reason why this is believed is that this mammal has not been observed in at least three (3) years and after intense searches by expedition teams it has not been sighted either.
How does the human being influence the extinction of species?
It was not until the year 1796 when the well-known Georges Cuvier said that the extinction of species existed, from that moment the believing citizens of the chain of beings He took it as a threat, motivated by the fact that said chain is believed to establish a direct connection between living beings and God. Therefore the concept of "extinction" was not taken seriously, at least before the nineteenth century.
The questioning of this term is due to the fact that at that time the world was not completely studied or mapped, which is why those scientists who supported the theory of the extinction of animals had no basis to affirm that those fossil records could be found somewhere in the world.
It was not until the arrival of the XNUMXth century when studies related to extinction began to gain strength to be seen as a great problem for the ecosystem, including even the human being himself. The reason for this was seen by the increased reproduction of pests rapidly and the elimination of organisms solely by their behavior.
sixth mass extinction
Regarding the background of the extinctions that have occurred over thousands of years, various biology specialists stated that by 1998 many species extinctions were in a massive stage as a result of the indiscriminate action of living beings. humans. This stage was given the name Holocene mass extinction.
In that same year, a study was carried out in which at least 70% of biologists thought that in a period of nearly thirty (30) years, one fifth of the species worldwide were going to become extinct. On the other hand, the renowned biologist named Edward Osborne Wilson said in 2002 that if the constant degradation of the biosphere continued, more than half of the animals that make life in the world would come to an end in a period of 100 years. .
Extinctions that have been planned
Of course, not all extinctions are bad, when it comes to a virus or a bacterium, it is best to get to work on a possible extinction of it so that it cannot spread and thus avoid some diseases. A clear example of this is the smallpox virus, which in a wild habitat is totally extinct, on the other hand, the polio virus can only be found in small parts of the world thanks to the efforts of human beings to stop the spread of East.
Various biologists around the world have agreed to promote the total extinction of various specific species, whether it be the species of mosquitoes that cause Malaria and belong to the Anopheles family, as well as those of the Aedes family that spread dengue, the yellow fever and many more diseases. As a defense for their argument they say that extinguishing them can save millions of people worldwide.
Of course, extincting mosquitoes requires clever work, and what better option than inserting a genetic element that has the ability to insert itself into another crucial gene, thereby producing a recessive knockout gene. This would serve to counteract the genetics of the mosquitoes on an ongoing basis.
War against species extinction
First of all, as part of the development of human beings there have been various creations, whether for cultural, social or economic reasons, that serve to carry out tasks without being considered an extreme danger to the race of Homo sapiens, but some of these inventions do they can be fatal for some species of wildlife, an example of this is Chlorine. However, there are various governments of nations that consider the decline of species as a great loss for their profits at the tourism level.
That is why, over the years, various laws have been enacted that punish activities such as hunting and the commercialization of animals that are part of a protected species. Likewise, nature reserves have been created with the intention that the species feel as if they were in their habitat, in these are the species that are at greatest risk in the wild.
From the international point of view, there is a document called the Convention on Biological Diversity of 1992, which covers a series of guidelines that must be carried out to promote the conservation of biodiversity in different parts of the world, for which the attached governments must ensure such compliance.
After the existence of this agreement, some groups have been created, such as the Alliance for Zero Extinctions. Basically they are groups that are in charge of developing awareness plans for the general public, as well as demanding that the other nations of the world take action on the matter to avoid the extinction of various species.
According to the science that studies animals "zoology" and biology, the issue of extinctions is a great concern not only from a scientific point of view. This has resulted in many organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund taking the lead and taking charge of protecting the most vulnerable species to extinction.
Likewise, several countries have had the intention of preventing the constant destruction of habitats, as well as pollution and the exploitation of soils in search of minerals, all this through the promulgation of laws and decrees.
Cloning
Thanks to the technological development that has arisen over the years, various studies have been carried out that derive directly from the DNA of an extinct species in order to create a living species of the same genus, this process is called cloning and the first species that have been taken to test this advance are the mammoth, the dodo, and the thylacine.
Although it seems strange, this is a study that started from the publication of the novel Jurassic Park , this test had a favorable result for the year 2003 when the first cloned bucardo goat was born alive, it is a subspecies of goat that belonged to the Pyrenees of Huesca, it was considered extinct in the year 2000. However, this cloned goat only lived for at least seven (7) minutes and died due to insufficient lung capacity, although this result was a great advance in the science of cloning.
extinct species to date
|
Animal |
Scientific name |
Year of Extinction |
| Formosan clouded leopard | Neofelis nebulosa brachyura | 2013 |
| Giant Pinta Tortoise | Chelonoidis abingdonii | 2012 |
| Vietnamese Javan Rhino | Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus | 2011 |
| bucardo | Pyrenean Pyrenean Capra | 2000 |
| nukupuu | Hemignathus lucidus | 1998 |
| western black rhino | Diceros bicornis longipes | 1997 |
| zanzibar leopard | Panthera pardus adersi | 1996 |
| Golden Frog | incilius periglenes | 1989 |
| poc duck | Podilymbus gigas | 1986 |
| Christmas Island shrew | trichura crocidura | 1985 |
| Monarch of Guam | Myiagra freycineti | 1983 |
| Colombian Grebe | podiceps andinus | 1977 |
| Java tiger | panthera tigris sondaica | 1976 |
| Madagascar Pygmy Hippopotamus | Hippopotamus lemerlei | 1976 |
| Round Island burrowing boa, | Bolyeria multocarinata | 1975 |
| Great white butterfly of Madeira | Pieris brassicae wollastoni | 1970 |
| persian tiger | Panthera tigris virgata | 1970 |
| blue pike | Sander vitreus galucus | 1970 |
| mexican brown bear | ursus arctos nelsoni | 1964 |
| kakawajie | Paroreomyza flammea | 1963 |
| Graceful red-bellied marmosa | Cryptonanus ignitus | 1962 |
| central hare wallaby | lagorchestes asomatus | 1960 |
| western walleye kangaroo | Onychogalea lunata | 1956 |
| Caribbean monk seal | Monachus tropicalis | 1952 |
| queen of sheba gazelle | gazella bilkis | 1951 |
| japanese sea lion | Zalophus japonicus | 1951 |
| Pig's Feet Bandicoot | Chaeropus ecaudatus | 1950 |
| rosy headed duck | Rhodonessa caryophyllacea | 1949 |
| atlas lion | panthera leo leo | 1942 |
| arabian ostrich | Struthio camelus syriacus | 1941 |
| Bow shaped pearl oyster | Epioblastma arcaeformis | 1940 |
| grey's kangaroo | Macropus greyi | 1939 |
| Schomburgk's deer | Rucervus schomburgk | 1938 |
| Tasmanian Tiger | Thylacinus cynocephalus | 1936 |
| syrian wild ass | Equus hemionus hemippus | 1928 |
| caucasian bison | Bison bonasus caucasicus | 1927 |
| common buffalo | Alcelaphus buselaphus buselaphus | 1923 |
| red mustache pigeon | Ptilinopus mercierii | 1922 |
| passenger pigeon | Ectopistes migratorius | 1914 |
Since when is it considered an endangered species?
From the moment in which a population of individuals of a species begins to decrease continuously in any part of the world, an extinction alert is produced, since it is at risk of disappearing completely.
How many animals are in danger of extinction?
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, approximately 5.200 animal species are in danger of extinction. This figure is subdivided into 11% of birds, 20% of reptiles, 34% of fish and 25% of amphibians and mammals.
What are the causes for a species to be in danger?
As we have seen throughout this article, there are various reasons why an animal or species ceases to exist, each species has a particular way of being in danger of extinction, and the main reasons are the habitat degradation, indiscriminate hunting, illegal animal trade and global warming.
How to prevent the extinction of animals?
Since there are few people and organizations that have been launched to prevent the extinction of animals, it is known that it is not something that can be done easily since many resources are needed to be able to provide complete protection to the species that they need it more. The first actions that must be avoided is deforestation, for this it is necessary to implement new laws and ordinances that strongly punish those who do this.
Likewise, those who try to traffic in animals, something that happens daily in various parts of the world, must be punished. On the other hand, the creation of natural reserves worldwide for the protection of endangered species should be encouraged; At the scientific level, the creation of breeding and reintroduction programs should be encouraged, as well as the development of ideas in favor of considerably improving the genetics of the species.
Worldwide, programs have been implemented to recover the ozone layer and prevent global warming, it is one of the greatest things that human beings have proposed to safeguard the integrity of both their species and that of animals; For this reason, it is necessary to remember that social awareness must be created so that people reflect and it is not too late.
Species that are in danger of extinction worldwide
- Snow Leopard
- Panda
- common chimpanzee
- Mountain gorilla
- Polar Bear
- Iberian lynx
- Sumatra tiger
- Southern White Rhino
- Pangolin
- bornean orangutan
- Axolotl
- Bluefin tuna
Now, to learn more about these endangered animals, we will summarize what their characteristics are and when they appeared on earth for the first time, they have the following:
Axolotl
It is known as the Axolotls, were discovered by the Aztecs who say they had a sighting of the god Xolotl who was moving souls to the underworld with the sunset of the sun. The Aztecs began to idolize the meat of the axolotl, so they began to hunt them in the huge lakes that are found today in the central region of Mexico. Today only a small part of the Axolotls can be found, since the constant use of fertilizers, pesticides, feces and human waste have put this species at risk.
It is known that this species is neotenic, this means that they can reach sexual maturity just by being larvae with a tail and gills. For this reason they cannot physically develop but they can regenerate, and when it comes to regenerating, they must be able to regenerate any bone, limb or organ that has been cut or has stopped working.
These animals are so incredible that they can withstand cancer much more than any mammalian species in the world, it should be noted that if they can overcome the imminent extinction that lies ahead, scientists around the world could make use of their potentially resistant genes to develop advances in the world of medicine and that are applied to human beings.
the mandrel
They belong to the family of primates and consist of about 1.300 individuals located in the forests of Gabon, it has been said that when it comes to creating social groups, baboons can become very similar to humans. They are species of monkeys that are recognized by their interesting physiognomy that can denote what sexual and social state they are in.
The worst of the case is that it is a species that is constantly killed for its meat in West Africa, it is already considered an aggrieved part of the bushmeat trade, its meat being smuggled into western Europe every day. Motivated by the fact that they are primates that are always agglomerated in large numbers in the same territory, it comes in handy for hunters to market their meat.
But this has not been the only reason why it is an endangered species, since the destruction of its habitat through logging also seriously affects its way of living and its reproduction, which is why various measures have been implemented. to give them some protection.
Polar bears
Polar bears are known to belong to the coldest part of the world and cannot adapt to a warm environment, this means that global warming is definitely a big problem for them as they hunt through the ice and take seals by surprise when they peer through vents in the ice momentarily. According to various studies carried out, it was possible to know that in the thirteen consequent winters from the year 2003 there were very few ice extensions thanks to satellite reports.
It has been possible to shorten the hunting season for the arctic areas where polar bears live, although the ice continues to decrease and this becomes a real problem for polar bears, since for each week that passes they lose approximately 7 kg of fat that is vital to protect themselves from the cold and to be able to hibernate when the season arrives in which they must do so.
golden snub-nosed monkey
It is a small primate found in China, specifically in the central region where there are mountains. This is a monkey capable of withstanding the coldest climates that can exist, something that other primates cannot endure. Its physiognomy is based on a long soft and smooth hair that offers protection against the cold. But its fur not only protects it from the cold, but also makes it a species in demand to be hunted and sell its fur.
Such action has been regulated by various governments that have reached out to protect and punish those who hunt these primates, something that has been seen since the early 1990s and has managed to considerably reduce their disappearance. But not everything is as beautiful as it is believed, since they have continued to disappear due to the constant destruction of their habitats for the collection of wood and other minerals.
Not satisfied with this, the number of tourists who go to China with the intention of visiting the mountains and seeing these monkeys has increased, so they are constantly harassed by humans to get a close encounter with it. It is a species that is protected in nature reserves, but there are just over 100 individuals of this species that still live in the wild.
Lemur
They are species that inhabit the jungles of Madagascar, and since this region has excessively lost its extensions of land, lemurs are at serious risk of disappearing. They are animals that love nectar, which is why they have been considered the best pollinators in the world. When it is time to give birth, they all come together in a herd and offer a great improvement to the ecosystem even while in captivity.
However, these small animals are bred in a very small genetic field, which means that reintroductions to their habitat are more complex. You can only have an increase in their species if they are assigned a habitat that is not intended to be destroyed or expropriated.
The fungus that puts amphibians at risk
Motivated by the variation of the climate in various environments, there has been the growth of a fungus that is lethal to amphibians, it is the chytrid fungus. At the jungle level, where the lands are lower, the heat increases and the humidity increases; but this brings as a consequence that cloudiness forms and in the upper part of the mountains it is colder and the frogs that live there cannot bear it.
It is known that frogs are ectothermic and necessarily need some external sources to be able to maintain their body heat, otherwise their immune system begins to lose strength and that is when the chytrid fungus comes into action. When this fungus starts to work, it produces a disease called chytridiomycosis, and it is deadly for amphibians, since it infects them and also kills various species of vertebrates. According to studies, it has been found that at least 1/3 of all amphibian species worldwide are at risk of disappearing from the planet.
the olm
Surely you do not know what animal we are talking about, because it is not an animal, it is an organism that has lived on the planet for at least 66 million years, it is a species that has swum in crystal clear waters for thousands of years. and were found inside caves in Europe. It had emerged about 80 million years earlier, in the darkest caves of what is now Europe, and it also does not need sunlight to survive.
This is a completely blind species, since the olm has not managed to develop as the other tropical amphibians have done, and it also does not have any type of pigmentation. In view of the above, he is guided by his developed sense of smell, hearing and electrosensitivity, since it has been believed that the olm's are capable of detecting the Earth's magnetic field.
It is a species that is capable of living for up to 100 years, of which up to 10 years can pass without any type of food, the only thing they need to be able to live is crystal clear and clean water. That is why they are constantly swimming in the forests and are considered purifying organisms, although their habitat has been exposed to risk due to the taking of forests to cultivate, although it is true that their waters are not worked on, the preservatives in the cultivation contain chemicals that damage the water where these organisms live, making them in danger of extinction.
Angonoka turtle
It is one of the turtles about which little is really known, however they take around 15 years to reach sexual maturity to reproduce. Without a doubt, this has the consequence that the destruction of their eggs or their habitat is an irreversible long-term damage, for this reason today it is one of the species that is in danger of extinction.
At first it was believed that this tortoise had become extinct, but it was not until 1984 that it could be seen in northwestern Madagascar; A program was immediately developed to reproduce these tortoises under a protected habitat. A few years later, in 1998, the tortoise was only found in a National Park that was created solely to protect it. After achieving considerable reproduction, it could be put into operation. release at least 100 turtles.
It did not take long for people to become interested in them because they are exotic animals, their illegal hunting began to market them alive or use their shell as an ornamental object. Currently, there has been an increase in the hunting of these species, so the release of turtles into the wild has stopped; the area in which the turtles are found is strongly protected by security personnel.
pangolin
They are small creatures that in around 10 years (2007-2017) approximately one million individuals were killed to market their demanded armor that protects their body. These animals are not aggressive, show great shyness throughout their lives and are characterized by being nocturnal. To defend themselves against their predators they simply curl up and wait for their keratin armor to protect them; This can often be used by predators, but when it is a human being who attacks them, they can simply pick it up and carry it away.
Likewise, it was confirmed that this species of animal has a rather curious evolutionary heritage, since it could be separated from various mammals even when dinosaurs were inhabiting the earth. At least four species are now found in Africa and four in Asia; It is a species that today is in imminent danger of extinction.
The chimpanzee
It is the chimpanzee that we commonly know, and as a consequence of the constant deforestation that plagues the western region of Central Africa, the loss of at least 3/4 parts of its species has been seen so far in the XNUMXst century; Likewise, they are species that in some countries of the world are killed to market their meat while others catch them alive to traffic them illegally.
This species of primates is going through one of the worst moments of its life because logging, mineral extraction, oil exploitation and deforestation for urban construction have destroyed the wildlife that they once could have, this causes their group to fragment. and may not have a stable habitat. From a cultural point of view, chimpanzees are considered by the traditional African region as untrustworthy beings (this is motivated by their resemblance to human beings).
Their resemblance to human beings reaffirms the theory that we come from monkeys, however this resemblance causes them to be attacked in various ways, making them susceptible to various diseases. The territories of the chimpanzees are losing more and more extension and it turns them into another of the species in danger of disappearing.
Panda
We have all been delighted with a panda bear at some time, it seems impossible that these adorable beings want to harm them, but it is so; They are species that suffer from indiscriminate hunting and habitat destruction, which is why, starting in 1980, China developed an expensive project to put their species to safety. This produced responses worldwide from countries that began to care about protecting these bears. The results of this action caused the wild population of the giant panda to increase, so that in 2016 the species became vulnerable.
This does not remove the fact that the panda bear is considered an endangered species, since currently there are only a little more than 2.000 individuals living together in the wild, they are scattered in some populations totally isolated from human beings. Not only are they endangered by hunting and habitat, but their preferred food, bamboo, can be easily damaged by temperature changes, which is undoubtedly a great threat to bamboo forests located in China.
Monarch Butterfly
One of the insects that are in danger of extinction are the monarch butterflies, are species that feed mainly on a poisonous plant called "milkweed" and turn them into a poisonous butterfly to defend themselves against predators, which they notice in advance by their brightly colored wings. But as a consequence of the continued use of herbicides, the plants they eat are eliminated, putting them at serious risk.
One of the Characteristics of Monarch Butterflies is that they migrate in large swarms, which makes them easy targets for predators and humans consider them a pest and use pesticides to kill them, this has the consequence that they are at risk of extinction, since their population and habitat is more exposed to destruction.
When the winter season arrives, hundreds of millions of these butterflies begin their journey of thousands of kilometers, which for some people is a great sight to see the great swarm of butterflies flying in the sky, without a doubt it is a pleasant natural activity. to observe These butterflies begin their migration from the United States and move to Mexico and California, regions where they can find trees to perch and begin to reproduce.
The Tigers
A species of mammals has been affected in the course of 100 years and today is part of the species that may disappear, we refer to Tiger, its population of individuals has been drastically reduced by 97%, taking into consideration that at least 3 species of the 9 that make up its family have already disappeared from the earth.
It was not until 2010 that various countries where tigers still exist have developed agreements to protect tigers and their global population. The most important measures that were taken to protect them were the prohibition of hunting them and the commercial prohibition to produce traditional medicines.
After this measure was implemented, 6 years later the tiger population would grow again in regions such as Russia, Nepal and India. However, it is news that does not favor everyone, since for Southeast Asia there is still a decrease in individuals of this species. An unpleasant example of this aspect is that in the region of Cambodia tigers have already been declared extinct at the national level, in the same way the South China tiger is already about to disappear as well as the Sumatran tiger located In Indonesia.
the vultures
It is common to see vultures around a decomposing body as they are scavengers and it is known that the presence of these birds in any environment means the existence of a carcass in the area. They have been considered icons of death according to various popular beliefs, although they greatly contribute to avoiding biological contamination; Since they eat the corpses of what was once a living being, they manage to prevent the spread of various diseases in the ecosystem.
They also help endangered species by alerting staff in a protected area to the presence of potential poachers; For this reason, hunters have decided to add cyanide to vulture prey, which, depending on the size of a poisoned prey, could eliminate several vultures from a single litter. It is worth noting that of the species that make up the world population of vultures, approximately half are in danger of disappearing.