What's a tiger?
Although I'm sure we all know the answer to this question, I will explain some defining characteristics of tigers anyway.
Unlike most big cats (and frankly most mammalian predators), tigers rely on sight and sound before smell when they hunt.
Adult male tigers can weigh up to 600 lbs and can consume 88 lbs of meat in a sitting. Typically, they hunt alone and live in solitude. Few connections with other tigers are made other than mothers and offspring. They will roam a large area chosen based on how much prey lives there, and will mark their territory fairly often.
Why are they endangered?
Poaching and killing of tigers contributes to their critical situation. In about a century, 97% of tigers died off, leaving their population just over 3,000.
Habitat loss also remains a severe issue for tigers. Because they require a large territory and rarely interact with others of their species, their shrinking habitats have devastating effects. Their hunting grounds are constantly reduced in size, and they are forced to compete with urbanization, a difficult task to say the least.
Why should we help?
Tigers are a magnificent symbol of ferocity, power, and strength. Imagine a world without these creatures. How many schools and companies feature a tiger as a mascot or logo? Tigers have and always will be symbolic and majestic, and losing these famous cats would reduce a fear-inducing animal of the wild into an old legend.
How can we help?
Many, many organizations help by setting up cameras to catch movement to monitor tigers and end poaching, as well as to stop the reduction of hunting grounds. There is no shortage of causes for stopping illegal trade of tiger parts and prevention of habitat loss, but they still need funding and help. Here is a short list of them:
World Wildlife Fund
Wildlife Trust of India
Panthera
www.savetigersnow.org/
www.tigers.org
National Zoo
Another way to help is by spreading word about the critical condition of tiger populations. You could start your own awareness program or simply share this blog with literally everyone you know. It's not hard.
Thank you very much for reading, but seriously, send this to your grandma, your sister-in-law, your best friend, your best friend's gardener, your best friend's gardener's grandma and her sister-in-law, and your best friend's gardener's grandma's sister-in-law's dog's vet's wife.
That is all.
Sources:
World Wildlife Fund (this foundation is amazing):
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/tiger
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Friday, September 12, 2014
Endangered Leatherback Turtle
Excerpt from WWF (World Wildlife Fund):
"Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of sea turtles a year are accidentally caught in [fishnets]. Sea turtles need to reach the surface to breathe, and therefore many drown once caught...As fishing activity expands, this threat is more of a problem."
What's a leatherback turtle?
Leatherback turtles are the largest of their family. They grow to an astonishing 2,000 lbs, and reach about 7 ft long, making them larger than most adult humans.
Why are they endangered?
Ok everybody, get your tissues. Here's the bareback truth:
Only about 1 in 1000 baby turtles survive to adulthood. Most adults are killed in a variety of human-involved manners:
Bycatch. Terribly common, all types of sea turtles get caught accidentally in fishing nets. Often, they are killed, either with involvement by the fishermen or not.
Garbage. It's ridiculous how much trash ends up in the water. I'm not referring to chemicals or air pollution; just plain old plastic bags. Since leatherbacks survive mostly on various types of sea jellies, they can easily mistake someone's littering for good food.
Turtles have been found to have more than 10 pounds of plastic in their stomachs.
Habitat loss. Turtles hang around coral reefs to feed, and they rely on empty beaches to lay eggs. Many beaches have been set upon by humanity, removing many ideal places for offspring to hatch. The fewer empty beaches, the more chance of avoiding egg-eating predators.
Egg-eating predators can include humans. Unfortunately common in Southeast Asia, people have been known to collect eggs to consume or otherwise. Leatherback turtle populations have steeply declined in places around the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. Not only eggs are collected, either. Leatherback turtles' shells are also illegally traded in such places.
Natural predators. Freshly hatched turtles have a hard enough time surviving all the human intervention, not even mentioning the massive swarms of land and air animals gathering to feast on these large sea creatures.
Why should we help?
Leatherback turtles are extremely important in keeping sea jelly populations in check. As these giants are already critically endangered, the proof of their necessity exists in the exploding zooplankton populations.
Leatherbacks are a heavily depended-upon part of marine food chains and ecosystems. They are linked to many species, and losing them would be devastating.
In commercial affairs, turtles remain a major attraction for tourists. Don't tell me you've never been excited to see the sea turtles when you go on vacation in island or seaside settings.
How can we help?
Wildlife Conservation Society is taking heavy action to not only spread awareness of the critical state of most sea turtle populations, but also directly help them via stopping bycatch, illegal trade, and protecting their habitats.
While there are various organizations that benefit endangered species you can donate to, one simple way to raise awareness and attention to different vulnerable animals is sharing this blog with literally everyone you have ever known. That might help.
This post has been very sad, but people need to know the facts to know what to do. Also, very sorry for the lack of pictures. This one was all info, and I couldn't find too many good photos of leatherbacks underwater. Thank you for reading, that is all.
Sources:
Wildlife Conservation Society provides quick facts and ways they are helping endangered species.
National Geographic never fails in laying out the bare facts and solid information, as well as stunning pictures.
World Wildlife Fund does a great job of not only providing interesting and credible information, but specific facts about why we should help each species and why they are endangered.
"Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of sea turtles a year are accidentally caught in [fishnets]. Sea turtles need to reach the surface to breathe, and therefore many drown once caught...As fishing activity expands, this threat is more of a problem."
What's a leatherback turtle?
Leatherback turtles are the largest of their family. They grow to an astonishing 2,000 lbs, and reach about 7 ft long, making them larger than most adult humans.
 |
| National Geographic's "size relative to average human" |
Leatherback turtles' shells are especially suited for speed and are very aerodynamic, but this does not help the fact that thousands of them each year are victims of bycatch, other human aquatic activities, or even taken as eggs to be eaten.
On a happier note, these turtles have special warmth adaptations so they can survive in colder waters. This is drastically different from other reptiles, who rely on outside sources to heat them up. Leatherbacks use a combination of blood distribution, fat and body mass, and swimming variation to help them maintain a warm temperature.
In the affairs of egg-laying, females (who make it to adulthood) will return to the same beach on which they hatched to lay their offspring. Mothers will carefully bury and hide their eggs so that natural predators have a hard time finding them.
Interestingly, eggs in the sand experiencing warm temperatures tend to come out female. Males usually hatch from cooler settings, and there is a fairly equal amount of both genders in the mid-80s.
Why are they endangered?
Ok everybody, get your tissues. Here's the bareback truth:
Only about 1 in 1000 baby turtles survive to adulthood. Most adults are killed in a variety of human-involved manners:
Bycatch. Terribly common, all types of sea turtles get caught accidentally in fishing nets. Often, they are killed, either with involvement by the fishermen or not.
Garbage. It's ridiculous how much trash ends up in the water. I'm not referring to chemicals or air pollution; just plain old plastic bags. Since leatherbacks survive mostly on various types of sea jellies, they can easily mistake someone's littering for good food.
Turtles have been found to have more than 10 pounds of plastic in their stomachs.
Habitat loss. Turtles hang around coral reefs to feed, and they rely on empty beaches to lay eggs. Many beaches have been set upon by humanity, removing many ideal places for offspring to hatch. The fewer empty beaches, the more chance of avoiding egg-eating predators.
Egg-eating predators can include humans. Unfortunately common in Southeast Asia, people have been known to collect eggs to consume or otherwise. Leatherback turtle populations have steeply declined in places around the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. Not only eggs are collected, either. Leatherback turtles' shells are also illegally traded in such places.
Natural predators. Freshly hatched turtles have a hard enough time surviving all the human intervention, not even mentioning the massive swarms of land and air animals gathering to feast on these large sea creatures.
Why should we help?
Leatherback turtles are extremely important in keeping sea jelly populations in check. As these giants are already critically endangered, the proof of their necessity exists in the exploding zooplankton populations.
Leatherbacks are a heavily depended-upon part of marine food chains and ecosystems. They are linked to many species, and losing them would be devastating.
In commercial affairs, turtles remain a major attraction for tourists. Don't tell me you've never been excited to see the sea turtles when you go on vacation in island or seaside settings.
How can we help?
Wildlife Conservation Society is taking heavy action to not only spread awareness of the critical state of most sea turtle populations, but also directly help them via stopping bycatch, illegal trade, and protecting their habitats.
While there are various organizations that benefit endangered species you can donate to, one simple way to raise awareness and attention to different vulnerable animals is sharing this blog with literally everyone you have ever known. That might help.
This post has been very sad, but people need to know the facts to know what to do. Also, very sorry for the lack of pictures. This one was all info, and I couldn't find too many good photos of leatherbacks underwater. Thank you for reading, that is all.
Sources:
Wildlife Conservation Society provides quick facts and ways they are helping endangered species.
National Geographic never fails in laying out the bare facts and solid information, as well as stunning pictures.
World Wildlife Fund does a great job of not only providing interesting and credible information, but specific facts about why we should help each species and why they are endangered.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Endangered Proboscis Monkey
Excerpt from World Land Trust (http://www.worldlandtrust.org/education/species/proboscis-monkey)
"Proboscis monkeys have declined at a rate of approximately 50% in the last 40 years...This is as a result of habitat destruction for logging and oil palm plantations, but hunting for food and traditional Chinese medicine also occur."
What's a proboscis monkey?
The proboscis monkey is an arboreal omnivore endemic to the Borneo Rainforest in Malaysia. Their most distinctive feature (excluding their specialized aquatic anatomy and tendency to spend most of their time in trees) is their long, bulbous nose.
For the sake of focusing on the endangered-ness of these monkey, I will immediately explain the exact function of their oversized respiratory organ. The unfathomable vastness of our dear primate's olfactory structure contributes to the impressiveness of its mating call in terms of noise and power.
Adult males generally reach about 2.5 feet in length, and 45 pounds in weight. Females weigh much less, averaging 15-25 pounds. Proboscis monkeys tend to have tan and red bodies, with some gray on the limbs.
They also usually feature especially large bellies, this being due to their diet, consisting of leaves, seeds, unripe fruits, and other rather unusual plant structures, as well as occasional insects. To digest such foods these primates require large, complex stomachs and a wide variety of symbiotic bacteria.
Why are they endangered?
As with the red panda, proboscis monkeys rely on trees for protection, food, foraging grounds, and shelter. Mass deforestation is causing these primates to lose vital habitats for their survival. The deforestation in the Borneo Rainforest is mostly caused by logging for palm oil and lumber, as well as urbanization. Proboscis monkeys are occasionally hunted for food, as they are considered a delicacy by some.
Why should we help?
Proboscis monkeys are endemic to Borneo, meaning that if they go extinct there or are brought to a dangerous low, there are no other wild occurrences of this species in the entire world. The conditions there are the only suitable place for this creature, and attempts to move a group into the wild anywhere else will most likely fail, just as most species invasions do.
How can we help?
Just Giving is working with World Land Trust to protect the Borneo Rainforest, or you can donate to World Land Trust itself to benefit numerous species.
Also, you can share this blog with everybody you have ever known and we could make a difference. Your choice (I say do both).
That is all.
Sources:
World Land Trust for pictures and information: http://www.worldlandtrust.org/education/species/proboscis-monkey
National Geographic for pictures and information: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/proboscis-monkey/
"Proboscis monkeys have declined at a rate of approximately 50% in the last 40 years...This is as a result of habitat destruction for logging and oil palm plantations, but hunting for food and traditional Chinese medicine also occur."
What's a proboscis monkey?
The proboscis monkey is an arboreal omnivore endemic to the Borneo Rainforest in Malaysia. Their most distinctive feature (excluding their specialized aquatic anatomy and tendency to spend most of their time in trees) is their long, bulbous nose.
http://www.worldlandtrust.org/education/species/proboscis-monkey
For the sake of focusing on the endangered-ness of these monkey, I will immediately explain the exact function of their oversized respiratory organ. The unfathomable vastness of our dear primate's olfactory structure contributes to the impressiveness of its mating call in terms of noise and power.
Adult males generally reach about 2.5 feet in length, and 45 pounds in weight. Females weigh much less, averaging 15-25 pounds. Proboscis monkeys tend to have tan and red bodies, with some gray on the limbs.
They also usually feature especially large bellies, this being due to their diet, consisting of leaves, seeds, unripe fruits, and other rather unusual plant structures, as well as occasional insects. To digest such foods these primates require large, complex stomachs and a wide variety of symbiotic bacteria.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/proboscis-monkey/
Why are they endangered?
As with the red panda, proboscis monkeys rely on trees for protection, food, foraging grounds, and shelter. Mass deforestation is causing these primates to lose vital habitats for their survival. The deforestation in the Borneo Rainforest is mostly caused by logging for palm oil and lumber, as well as urbanization. Proboscis monkeys are occasionally hunted for food, as they are considered a delicacy by some.
Why should we help?
Proboscis monkeys are endemic to Borneo, meaning that if they go extinct there or are brought to a dangerous low, there are no other wild occurrences of this species in the entire world. The conditions there are the only suitable place for this creature, and attempts to move a group into the wild anywhere else will most likely fail, just as most species invasions do.
How can we help?
Just Giving is working with World Land Trust to protect the Borneo Rainforest, or you can donate to World Land Trust itself to benefit numerous species.
Also, you can share this blog with everybody you have ever known and we could make a difference. Your choice (I say do both).
That is all.
Sources:
World Land Trust for pictures and information: http://www.worldlandtrust.org/education/species/proboscis-monkey
National Geographic for pictures and information: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/proboscis-monkey/
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