10 Easy Things You Can Do At Home To Protect Endangered Species |
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At Least 26 Elephants Killed in Central Africa By Poachers
Poachers have killed 26 elephants in Dzanga-Ndoki national park, Central African Republic. Photograph: Martin Harvey/ Martin Harvey/Corbis”
According to wildlife officials, seventeen armed poachers invaded the protected sanctuary Dzanga-Ndoki National Park on May 6 killing at least 26 elephants, including four calves.
The elephant carcasses were found around Dzanga Bai, which is an open area where anywhere from 50 to 200 elephants gather to drink daily.
For the entire story, click here.
Earth Day: A Project Of The Center For Biological Diversity
CONDOMS HELP CELEBRATE EARTH DAY 2013
On Earth Day — April 22, 2013 — the Center for Biological Diversity celebrated endangered species at 20 events in 13 states across the country. More than 15,000 condoms were distributed in colorful packages (with artwork by Roger Peet) featuring species threatened by unsustainable human population growth, including the Florida panther and leatherback sea turtle. Events included a diversity of celebrations at parks, zoos, farmers’ markets, college and university campuses and more. Download our Earth Day fact sheet, which is chock-full of information on human population growth’s ecological effects.
FLORIDA PANTHER
A predator of enormous physical grace and power, the Florida panther is one of the most majestic large felines in the wild. But while Florida’s human population has nearly doubled over the past 30 years and the coasts have become more crowded, development has increasingly moved inland, coming into direct conflict with panthers and the habitat they need to survive and thrive.
DWARF SEAHORSE
This inch-tall, curly-tailed fish occurs only in shallow seagrass areas in the Gulf of Mexico, along the Atlantic Coast of Florida and in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, as the Gulf gets more crowded and industrialized, this seahorse faces more threats to its existence. Widespread loss of seagrass habitat due to pollution, boat damage and global warming is pushing this minuscule creature to the brink.
HELLBENDER
Hellbenders may not be pretty, but at 2 feet long, they’re North America’s largest amphibian. Like many amphibians, the hellbender faces extinction from the strain that the effects of human population (including pollution) put on our freshwater streams in the southeastern United States.
WESTERN SNOWY PLOVER
The western snowy plover, a pocket-sized shorebird, is surviving against the odds. Its habitat of open, sandy beaches is prime target for increasingly destructive human activity. Being small doesn’t prevent plovers from playing a big role in beach ecosystems, but it does make them vulnerable to the unnatural disturbances that plague their home.
LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE
As ancient as the dinosaurs, the leatherback sea turtle is the heaviest reptile on Earth. Leatherback turtles are dependent on seashores for their lifecycle. With half the world’s human population living within 100 miles of the coastline, their nesting grounds are severely threatened by development.
POLAR BEAR
An international icon of global warming, the polar bear is going extinct as the Arctic sea ice melts beneath its feet because of the greenhouse gas emissions of 7 billion people — especially those in high-consumption nations like the United States. The bear was put on the U.S. endangered species list in 2008.
Cicada Invasion!
CICADAS have emerged here in Sonoma County, CA and are really making some noise! Have you heard them “singing” near or around your home habitat? Reminds me that summer is just around the corner!
Click here to find out when they are coming to your town!
101 New Species Of Weevils Discovered
Photograph courtesy Alexander Riedel
These shiny happy Weevils were found in the tropical rainforest of Papua New Guinea.
For the complete story and photos, click here.
New Species: Elephant Tang
The newly discovered Elephant Tang, or Zebrasoma flavescens elephantiasis, uses his long, proboscis-like snout to borrow deep into the reef in search of small crustaceans and other sustenance.
The myriad of life forms created by evolution will never cease to amaze us…… especially on April 1st!
Found on Mission Blue’s website.
Two New Species: Mouse Lemur Lookalikes
(Credit: Photo courtesy of Peter Kappeler)
Scientists have identified two new species of mouse lemur, the saucer-eyed, teacup-sized primates native to the African island of Madagascar.
Mouse lemurs have lived in Madagascar for 7 to million years. But since humans arrived on the island some 2,500 years ago, logging and slash and burn agriculture have taken their toll on the forests where these tree-dwelling primates live.
Only 10 percent of Madagascar’s original forests remain today, which makes lemurs the most endangered mammals in the world according to the IUCN.
For the entire story, click here.
California Slender Salamander in My Backyard
Discovered in my backyard on March 23, 2013 in moist dirt.
Endemic to California, usually found in a variety of habitats: chaparral, woodland, grassland, forests, urban yards, vacant lots, marshes, and beach driftwood. Generally found in moist locations, under logs, rocks, bark, leaf litter, stumps, debris. Can be very abundant in an area.
Defensive behaviors include: coiling and remaining still, then uncoiling quickly and springing away, repeatedly bouncing over the ground for a distance, then remaining still; releasing sticky noxious skin secretions which can glue shut a predator’s mouth; and releasing the tail to let its movement distract a predator. A released or severed tail will regenerate.
Lungless Salamanders breathe through their skin which requires them to live in damp environments on land and to move about on the ground only during times of high humidity. (In California, they do not inhabit streams or bodies of water, but they are capable of surviving for some time if they fall into water.)
World Water Day 2013
Our Most Precious Resource: WATER
We all know water is essential for life on Earth. However, our insatiable demand is putting our most precious natural resource at risk. The enormous growth in the human population over recent decades is placing a huge strain on the world’s freshwater reserves, with our global consumption of water for food production, energy, industrial and domestic uses reaching what are thought to be unsustainable levels. Rapid urbanisation, pollution and climate change are all exacerbating the problem, further threatening this most vital resource.
World Water Day highlights the importance of freshwater and the need for sustainable management of the world’s freshwater resources, the United Nations (UN) has designated 22 March ‘World Water Day’.
Held annually, World Water Day gives people all around the world the opportunity to take action to raise awareness on water issues and improve the management of the world’s water resources. In 2013, as part of the International Year of Water Cooperation, World Water Day is also dedicated to the theme of cooperation around water.
See how you can get involved in World Water Day 2013
