Animals You Didn't Know Are Going Extinct

14/01/2024

Parakeets

Several gorgeous species of this popular house pet are on the brink of extinction in no small part because of their popularity as house pets. Populations of the sun parakeet, estimated to be between 1,000 and 2,500 individuals, have declined due to trapping for the cage-bird trade as well the diminishing quality of their habitat. Though the total population is not known, the reasons for population decline are similar for the grey-cheeked parakeet of Ecuador and Peru.

14/01/2024

Crayfish

Usually we think of crayfish as a common Southern food pulled from rivers. However, a surprising number of crayfish species are on the decline. Those on the Endangered Species list include the white-clawed crayfish (pictured above), the phantom cave crayfish, the slenderclaw crayfish, the giant freshwater crayfish, and the aptly named Sweet Home Alabama crayfish of Marshall county, Alabama. This native Alabama crayfish is threatened by pollution of the freshwater aquifer and its close proximity to roads and urban development.

14/01/2024

Deer

Many species of tiny musk deer are so diminutive they look like the prehistoric animals that were the first mammals to arrive on the planet. The species includes the Himalayan musk deer (pictured above), the black musk deer, the Kashmir musk deer, and the Chinese forest musk deer, among others. These deer are hunted primarily for their musk glands, which are used in traditional East Asian medicines and cosmetics.

04/01/2024

Water Buffalo

The water buffalo is a surprise for this list as we think of it as a domesticated animal, but like horses, it's the wild cousins of the domesticated beasts that are at risk. There are as few as 2,500 mature individuals left and researchers estimate the species has experienced a population decline of at least 50% over the last three generations. The major threats include interbreeding with feral and domestic buffalo as well as habitat loss, hunting, and disease from domestic livestock.

04/01/2024

2024 Return of the Turkey Vultures, March 8 & 9, Bisbee, AZ. Get ready!!! Stay tuned!!!

04/01/2024

04/01/2024

Vultures

Vultures aren't usually considered the most attractive of birds, but the Egyptian vulture is a notable exception. The striking bird is found in Europe, Africa, and India, but rapid and severe declines in the Indian populations as well as a long-term decline in the European populations put the population at around 12,000 to 38,000 mature individuals. One of the threats to Egyptian vultures is the drug diclofenac, which is used as a painkiller for livestock. The vultures, who feed on animal carcasses, are killed from consuming animals that were treated with the drug. As a result, some countries have banned the use of diclofenac.

14/12/2023

Hippo aesthetics

14/12/2023

Hippos

Pygmy hippopotamus are the diminutive relatives of the Hippopotamus amphibius. The two do not share a habitat, however, as the pygmy hippo is only found in Liberia, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and the Guinea regions of West Africa. While the pygmy hippopotamus population in the wild is unknown, the total number of mature individuals is estimated to be between 2,000 and 2,500. Deforestation is the greatest threat to the pygmy hippo, but this animal is also hunted for meat.