Endangered Species

What Does Endangered Mean?
Endangered means exposed to danger, harm or loss. Therefore, Endangered Species means species, (animals & plants), that has so few members that it is in danger of dying out. For the most part endangered means there is still time. The world today can still help out by doing little things here and there, like building a birdhouse. We are living in a period of mass extinction, and every little amount of help can make a difference. If we donít do something to preserve the wildlife, plants and animals are going to disappear instantly, just like the dinosaurs did. Extinction, ceasing to exist, is increasing more and more. The plant and animal population of our world is vanishing at the rate of 100 species per day.
 
 
 

What Some Endangered Animals?
Thereís a wide range of species that are endangered. Here is a list to name a few: African & Asian Elephant, Hybrid Spider Monkey, Gorilla, Red Wolf, Amur & Anatolian Leopard, Snow Leopard, Asiatic Cheetah, Florida Cougar, Iberian Lynx, Tiger, Marine Otter, Giant & Lesser Panda, Wild Bactrian Camel, Black Rhinoceros, Broomís Pygym-Possum, and Giant Armadillo. Thatís just to name a few. Thereís also a broad listing of birds, fish and plants. The Whale Species is any various large mammals that live in the sea and have a fishlike form, with a flat, horizontal tail and with front limbs modified into flippers.

Itís amazing to see how many different species are becoming extinct everyday. All living things interact with their environment. Whether pollution, toxic waste, overpopulation, or some other hazard threatens wildlife, we have to learn that the environment is shared between humans and animals. We need to decrease the amount of woods we cut down; most animals live there. Burning the rainforest is another major problem. We are destroying animals homes and actually helping their extinction.

What Is Causing These Animals to Become Extinct?
We live in a dynamic world, and habitats, the places that provide everything a plant or animal needs to live and grow, are always undergoing changes at all sorts of levels. However, natural changes usually occur at a slow pace, so that impacts on individual species tend to be slight -- at least in the short term. When the pace of change is greatly accelerated, there may be no time for individual species to react to new circumstances, and the effects can be disastrous. This is the reason that rapid habitat loss is regarded as the chief cause of species endangerment, and there is no force more potent in this regard than human beings. Habitat is the key to wildlife survival. To a greater or lesser extent, every part of the earth has been affected by human activities, especially during this past century. This applies on virtually every scale, from the loss of microbes in soils that once supported tropical forests, to the extinction of fish and other aquatic species in polluted freshwater habitats, to changes in global climate induced by the release of greenhouse gases. The population, all the organisms living in a giving area, also has a tremendous effect on animals. Each environment has a certain carrying capacity. If we keep cutting down forests, only a limited amount of animals and plants are going to be able to live there.

What Can We Do To Help?
Conserve habitat. One of the most important ways to help threatened plants and survive is to protect their habitats permanently in national parks, nature reserves or wilderness areas. There they live without too much interference from humans. It is also important to protect habitats outside reserves such as on farms and along roadsides. Make space for habitat. Build a birdfeeder and establish a birdbath for the neighborhood birds. Recycle, Reduce, and Reuse. Encourage your family to take public transportation. Walk or ride bicycles rather than using the car.

Why is it Important To Care About Endangered Species?
Plants and animals hold medicinal, agricultural, ecological, commercial and aesthetic/recreational value. Endangered species must be protected and saved so that future generations can experience their presence and value.
 

Bibliography:
http://www.endangered specie.com
http://w1.adhost.com/ckmc/bagheera/
http://www.freefoto.com
http://eelink.net/EndSpp/
http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/