Biology
Mammal: African Black Rhinoceros
Reproductive Process: Females reproduce every 2-1/2 years
Five Physical Characteristics: Warm blooded; Gray skin; Eats trees and bushes; solitary; night feeders
Reason for Endangerment: Poaching (mainly to collect the horn and use in Traditional Chinese Medicine)
Common Ecosystems/Geographic Area: Sub-Saharan Africa in areas with tree and bushes
Web site and picture: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/black-rhinoceros/
Bird: California Condor
Reproductive Process: Nesting in crevices; produce very few young (usually only one); takes 56 days to incubate egg; provide extensive care for young; young stays with parents a long time
Five Physical Characteristics: Ten-foot wing span; white to reddish colored head; cold-blooded; eats carrion of larger animals like deer;
Reasons for Endangerment: Habitat destruction; hunting
Common Ecosystems/Geographic Area: mountains with woods; scublands in California, Mexico, Arizona
Web site and picture: http://animal.discovery.com/guides/endangered/birds/california-condor.html
Reptile: Komodo Dragon
Reproductive Process: Mating season is June; Male chooses female for mating; female lays egg in nest; gestation for one month; cluster of a dozen or more (up to 30); eggs laid in a hole; hatch nine months later
Five Physical Characteristics: World's heaviest lizard at 150 lbs or more; grey skin, pointy snout, muscular tail; scaly; cold blooded.
Reason for Endangerment: hunting; habitat destruction
Common Ecosystems: Open grassland; tropical savannah; only in Indonesia
Web site and pictures: http://animal.discovery.com/guides/endangered/reptiles/komodo-dragon.html
http://www.k12.hi.us/~kapunaha/student_projects/komodo/physical_appearance.htm
Amphibian: Panamanian Golden Frog
Reproductive Process: lays fertilized eggs in water
Five Physical Characteristics: Bright yellow with black dots; shiny but toxic skin; small; cold blooded; strong hind legs
Reason for Endangerment: Habitat loss; hunting; pollution
Common Ecosystem: Tropical rainforest (Panama)
Web site and picture: http://animal.discovery.com/guides/endangered/amphibians/panamanian-golden-frog.html
Fish: Russian Sturgeon
Reproductive: In water
Five Physical Characteristics: Large; bony; cold blooded; gills; can be six feet long
Reason for Endangerment: Overfishing (caviar)
Common Ecosystem: Salt water (Black and Caspian Seas)
Web site: http://animal.discovery.com/guides/endangered/fish/russian-sturgeon.html
Habitat connectivity and matrix restoration: the wider implications of agri-environment schemes, Donald & Evans (2006) refer to the threat that agri-business has on indigenous wildlife and the long-term problems this dynamic poses to both human and non-human species. Almost half of all land surfaces on the planet are consumed by agricultural endeavors, note the authors. Agricultural develop threatens species diversity more so than overpopulation itself. Monocrops and cash crops like
Destruction of Bison The Destruction of the Bison The Destruction of the Bison: An Environmental History, 1750-1920 by Andrew Isenberg is an account of the near total-extermination of the bison in Great Plains of America. The bison population declined from being around 30,000,000 in the eighteenth century to less than a 1,000 by the end of the nineteenth century. In recounting the fate of the bison population and how it was decimated
The first tactic the groups used was to intimidate the local inhabitants with a show of military force and then introduce domesticated animals that often used up a disproportionate amount of the local food resources for their needs. Since the Californian Indians lived in highly fragmented tribes it was difficult for the missionaries to bring the religion to them; rather they attracted to Indians to the "faith." The Californian Indians
Rainforest Destruction Destruction of Rainforests by Man The rainforest is one of several types of forest found throughout the tropics, and each type has different characteristics. The closed forests account for about half of the total area of tropical forest (around 62 per cent of the natural tropical forest) and comprise two types of continuous tree cover (Table 1.1). Eleven-twelfths of the closed forests, by area, are tropical moist forests and the
Polar Bear Habitat Powerful yet fragile; these words best describe the polar bear and the habitat where the bears reside. The polar bear is an animal of supreme beauty and power. Polar bears can kill swiftly with one powerful strike from their expansive paws. The inviting cuddly image of the polar bear hides the quiet power, of a fierce predator. Polar bears may be lost to the world forever if the
Environmental Effects on Species Habitats in the Southern California Mountains Southern California is not for everybody. "Some people view the climate and laid-back lifestyle with longing. Others perceive the area, and its inhabitants, as a little too far over the edge" (Hutchings 2001:4D-Z). While the region may not appeal to all types of humans, it does attract a wide range of species who make their home in the mountainous areas
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