Would you like more details and information about endangered species.
The extinction of small and large, plant and animal is a daily event now, as climate change increasingly joins the other anthropogenic influences on the species of our planet. Mapping the possibilities and modelling the effects is now finally helping out with the problems, but we still have to conserve, and quickly.
When the likes of Cota Doñana are threatened, then all of these precious sites for conservation, from the Great Barrier Reef to all the rainforests worldwide need to be checked. Who is destroying these last places for endangered wildlife on earth? Tourism and care for our personal environment needs assessment for future sustainability.
One great devil ray species (Mobula mobular) was doing well in the Mediterranean Sea last year, but it is still classed as endangered, whether in Gaza or migrating to the Tuscan Sea. As it isnt a food item, this probably saves it from the fate of its smaller relatives. They are disappearing fast, and there has been little effort at conservation.
When we lose so many animals and plants from South America, often as soon as they are discovered as new species. It is consoling to discover such an animal that seems to be looking after itself, in secondary forest, and with hopes of recovery from population loss. Of course, some smart new conservation effort may be required in the form of forest regeneration and afforestation ----- !
How can foxes, badgers and other Carnivores survive when a giant freeway blocks their route to feeding areas? The demography, the genetics and the extinction risk are all considered here, with a resonance for all species that need some kind of wildlife corridor in order to fulfil their life potential.
The humpback was hunted until only 1400 animals were left. Life seems more secure, though they are still endangered, but is there a future for any oceanic life if we turn a blind ear to the noise we emit, and all the rest of the pollution we dump on the sea?
How do we rule this planet? Mostly inadvertently, it seems. The numbers of extinctions are only matched by the displaced species which have become greater in number as they struggle to establish in new niches and habitats, including the pathogens, the unwanted and the invasive.
How can Paris and its future effects have anything to do with our endangered large birds and mammals? The answer is in a clever paper today that explains why we are losing even more of our forests than we thought. Preserve our fauna, our flora, their habitats and the niches they conserve and we will see more trees and animals that these ecosystems desperately need.
While plastic and chemicals destroys turtles at sea, the nesting sites are receiving much more care now to ensure the rarest species can still slowly reproduce. There are officially none more cared-for than Jumby Bay on an island off Antigua. The private island situation helps, but any extra aid has to count with all critically endangered species that we so often have to save from extinction.
How to prevent the tragic loss of life among Australias native fauna? The process of rapid extinctions over the past few centuries show little sign of declining without powerful efforts from the population, government and action groups. Leadbetters possum sets the target for preserving the habitat for a very rare, almost invisible animal, terribly threatened but worth conserving as an example for many others.
Darwin would have called us armchair conservationists, but this is even worse. While he was an armchair theorist (compared to Wallace), we may begin to spend our time and money trying to correct past extinctions. Tinkering is unlikely to be an answer to the continuing loss of biodiversity from every single habitat on land and water. Conservation of what we have is going to be much more difficult than some fairly basic genetic engineering.
Where in the world can we discover new primates? The answer is only in tropical rainforests, but they will certainly be endangered species, like several of the titis and many, many others. We only have one solution to this tragic loss of life, species, habitat and ecosystems. Stop cutting down the last remnants of these once-great forests. It doesnt even make commercial sense, as this business is never going to be sustainable. Greed is the motive and its result has always been the same.
How clean is your home? Rephrase that now and ask yourself how polluted it is, compared to the fresh air, if your neighbourhood has any. You may be hygienic too, which is another kettle of fish (smelly that is). Whatever your situation, we all become complacent. It is not only the drains, polluted with too much detergent. Your own life, that of children and that of older and sick people is endangered by what you do. Awareness is a very simple science, pure and logical, but we must keep up. New products often turn out to be unexpectedly dangerous, even to the manufacturer. The testing now is rigorous, but simpler science is best.
If you are living in a part of the world that suffers from summer heat, drought may be just one of the many dangers you are facing. The temperature at which your health becomes endangered is possibly much lower than you thought (that is, it is much lower than the human death point: normally 43oC.)
In all the world, who will decide when to pull the plug on a species, when it is possible to save it from extinction. The answer is a computer, but then follows the question, who will control the use of the computer and have a veto on its advice? I think we know the answer to that.
A fight has been going on in Canada and the US to prevent tar sand oil pipelines from stretching across both nations. Some unexpected support from state governments and First Nation spokesmen also includes the 90 belugas who live in the giant river system of the St Lawrence. Pollution is not unknown there, but an enormous oil terminal could bring this population to the brink of extinction.
With the elephant and rhino populations deeply depressed (as we are), reintroduction must be the real aim of conservation of the endangered. Once we have disposed of the poachers and pet traders, a real habitat with a real life must exist in some special somewhere for every species. The science of how to do it is still in its infancy, but here is a strong beginning.
Its worrying, because coral is vital to young fish and many predatory organisms that need its shelter, near the surface and full of prey. Hawaiis remote nature reserves should be free from many human-induced problems, but El Nino cannot be denied. This loss of coral in the summer could be the beginning of a horrific scene of local extinctions. It must be carefully monitored.
Fascinating stuff from Kiel, as familiar creatures are found to have incredible abilities. Imagine what these rare new species could show us if they avoid extinction.
The fate of sturgeons around the globe is under discussion Endangered all, they represent an important, as well as a commercial, link to our past. If we allow such large species to simply disappear, then there is no hope for any smaller animals and plants, as we plod towards a sterile and deficient landscape for all humans who appreciate life the way it is.
The white-tailed eagle, the dormouse and the large blue butterfly are all threatened. But not by extinction. The threat comes from ill-equipped government who are going to cling to a list of alien plants and animals that is so far out-of-date, Darwin would have laughed. People would then be allowed to exterminate species like this on their land.
Why do rich countries sometimes encourage their citizens to consume meats beyond the normal acceptable species. So many extinctions have been caused by restaurant menus that hunting have created.
The old story is about to repeat itself again. Small species with a limited niche, Chinese medicine again an ugly influence. The Mexican government and all available help will be needed to beat this extinction, visibly obvious as a fishing season approaches.A Conservation Challenge indeed!
It isn't just us who suffer badly from climate change and global warming. Although some species are thriving, many, such as the emperor penguin, are subject, both now and in the near future to multiple threats, leading to their extinction.
We need to help critically endangered species urgently.One of the most deserving and endearing is the mountain gorilla, although a real choice would be near-impossible. In Bwindi, the organisation-level is ensuring a growing population, so investment as a tourist seems one of the better prospects, given the difficulties many other species face. In some cases, your visit could conceivably cause their extinction!
How to provide for indigenous and other peoples with a rare animal as a food source and sustain their diet? (As well as make sure we dont have another extinction on our hands). A scientific approach is required in the Caribbean, where little seems to be going well for some countries, while others conserve their fauna and flora to make large profits from tourism.
With discovery comes responsibility. At least we dont face extinction yet for the chimpanzee. These last great discoveries of the polluting era are important in that we can still recover the situation for many species, some of them on their last legs. In the case of our closest relative, we need to motivate, to work hard and even fight to the death for the result that is imperative.
We need technology to discover where and how endangered species survive. The US government have just declared 15 more Hawaiian species as endangered, but the islands have so many, it is difficult to see how they can all be conserved.
The wonder of a beautiful sea monster is never lost, but while some species like the great leatherback turtle have varying fortunes, many birds and others are in the process of disappearing for ever.
Mammals survive only in habitats that we keep safe. In Asia, Africa and South America, the final discoveries are being made of almost extinct species, but they won't last long! We have reached the end of jungle, the loss of true discovery, but there is a possibility we can maintain our wonder at these individuals with adaptations to the forest that belong in our ancestors dreams.
New methods of promoting conservation are very much needed, as turtles approach extinction for some species. The golfers are among those who could easily give a lead in helping out endangered animals, or even those plants on the links!
All over the world, big city zoos are trying to maintain habitats for their ecological opposite. Will this be the future function for these institutions?
Worldwide, even the obvious and large animals are in danger, never mind the tiny and inconspicuous species, such as the tapir. How on earth can we manage to restrain our own species from the careless and useless destruction of habitat that is the basis of almost every extinction?
This lake will become a great tourist attraction with its unbeatable karst scenery, but at what cost do we develop for tourists, losing even mammal biodiversity.
Evidence is needed for the survival of many critically endangered animals when they disappear from our sight and reappear many years later in situations such as the open ocean or the dense tropical forests. Conservationists desperately need to know how they can be helped through their young stages and brought back from the brink of extinction.
While loggerhead turtles have been investigated to try and find out how best to conserve this endangered species, new techniques with tiny data-collectors show video and positional information about their foraging.
The protection of our fauna and flora is becoming one of the most important tasks of this generation, as more and more become endangered by human greed. Politics is part of the answer but initiatives such as those of the ZSL have a great part to play.
The illegal trade in endangered freshwater turtles. The pig nosed turtle is unique, its facial features add to its desirability for 'so-called' enthusiasts.
The Granville Fritillary is rare and endangered in parts of its range. On PT (Pikku-Tytarsaari) Island in the Russian part of the Baltic Sea, the population is 100 on a 10 hectare area of suitable habitat.
The Zoological Society of London, in collaboration with the essential International Union for the Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission, have consulted 200 relevant experts. They have compiled the essentials for reptilian species risks. The findings: 19% are at risk of total extinction!
The endangered pygmy 3-toed sloth has been isolated for at least 8,900 years on the 10 mangrove swamps of this speck of land on Isla Escudo de Veraguas, Panama.
The major threat of climatic changes hangs like the sword of Damocles over the heads of many endangered species - and the rest of us.
A new report highlights the 25 most endangered primate species. The new report, Primates In Peril, was published this week at the UN's Convention on Biological Diversity COP11.
The rhino is one of the most endangered animals in the world. Poachers using sophisticated methods kill enormous numbers for their horns, which are thought by Chinese medicine advocates to have medicinal properties. This has been proved to be untrue and since it is impossible to stop the poachers, the only hope for the rhino is to persuade users of rhino horn that using it for medical treatment is a futile exercise.
From orang-utan to giant catfish, the exotic animals of Asia are just about the most endangered, and loved, on earth.
Of all of the invertebrate groups, 20% are threatened with extinction, possibly because of lack of conservation and relevant studies according to a new study by The Zoological Society of London (RZS), along with the IUCN Red List and Wildscreen.
Tiny radio tags fitted to track the 'ant roads' of Formica lugubris. Hairy wood ants in Yorkshire, Derbyshire and the rest of Europe, are near-threatened. So what does York do to help?
The announcement of the Baiji's (Yangtze River Dolphin) extinction was made in December 2006. Long beforehand, scientists and conservationists were filled with trepidation as the dolphin's numbers nosedived.
Far from being random, extinction of organisms is often biased. New research done in New Zealand shows that as the type of threat changes, patterns of extinction change dramatically over time.
A fantastic primate discovery in China as black snub-nose monkey species spotted. The black snub-nosed monkey is now established in both China and Myanmar but is hanging on to survival by a thread.
Pedal power helps spread the message about endangered gorillas. Gorilla conservation helped by a pedal-powered cinema that currently tours around different communities in Uganda.
South-east Asia is the habitat for the endangered dhole (Cuon alpinus), a red dog which is also known as the Asiatic or Indian wild dog.
Tree surveys, bat surveys and habitat surveys can provide useful information. A tree survey can tell you if a tree is the habitat for rare or endangered species or simply provide information on the tree type itself.
The Indonesian President has declared 2012 as International Year of the Rhino and has urged countries to help save endangered species that have been hunted close to extinction.
Satellite tagging is becoming fascinating in some animals, none more so than the endangered bluefin tuna. 132 juvenile tuna fish were tagged and implanted, then followed for four years.
Panthera onca versus Chelonia. Threatened jaguars preying on endangered green sea turtles and other marine turtles is giving conservationists a headache in Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica.
Loss of biodiversity from species extinctions will have a major impact on the planet and could effect the planet as much as climate change or pollution do, according to a new study.
The Wildlife Conservation Society says it plans to do all it can to protect some of the world's most endangered freshwater turtles and tortoises.
A new study has been published about endangered European butterfly populations along with conservation suggestions. A new EU directive - attract butterflies, and caterpillars to your garden.
Restaurants for vultures? To help save and conserve endangered vultures in India, vulture feeding areas have been started. Vulture populations in India have fallen dramatically over the last two of decades.
A new version of the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) has been found. Almost certainly a new species, the fish has been hidden among the endangered scalloped population.
Eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes are being killed by a rare fungal infection seldom found in wild animals, says a wildlife vet. Chrysosporium is killing the endangered snake in America.
A new study looks at how coral responds to climate change. Living corals at risk are urgent problems for scientists struggling to cope with our growing coral reef conservation problems.
Three new wildlife sanctuaries, created in the giant Sundarbans mangrove forest, in Bangladesh, will help protect endangered Irrawaddy and Ganges River dolphins.
Two new feeding 'hotspots' of the endangered loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) have been discovered by scientists using satellite tags to track their movements in the Gulf of Mexico.
Two endangered subspecies of brown spider monkeys have been found by conservationists in a Colombian national park.
The unique pachyderm living on the giant island of Sumatra has halved in population since 1985. Some of the eight provinces have no elephants left, through conflict, capture and killing. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has today come out declaring the urgent need for Indonesian action.
With sharks becoming rarer, gill rakers from manta rays and mobula rays are being used instead. The use of endangered species for their reputed and superstitious powers is being manipulated by some people in China yet again. The trade and demand for gill rakers is putting manta and mobula rays at serious risk.
The last twelve months have seen a worrying descent in the fortunes of the magnificent-but-endangered rhino. Poaching, to satisfy patently-false claims of medicinal benefits has killed a record number of rhinos - and led to the extinction of two species of rhino. With more extreme measure being called for to deal with the escalating crisis, will 2012 see a turning point in the rhino's prospects?
For the first time, scientists say that huge levels of mercury from volcanic eruptions may have caused most of life on earth to be wiped out 250 million years ago.
Many previous predictions of animal and plant extinction due to climate change have not taken the effects of movement and competition into account, say US ecologists.
The University of Florida has co-authored a new study on the endangered Ozark Hellbender giant salamander. The study aimed to observe and look deeper into the declining health and habitat of the salamander and can also be used as a measure of how our ecosystems are changing and affecting amphibians across the world.
A synthetic sex chemical used by female wood cockroaches to attract mates, could be used to ensure endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers in America have an adequate food supply.
Central Asia needs to check the endangered snow leopard's (Panthera uncial) populations throughout the vast mountain ranges of the Pamir, Tien Shan, Altai, Karakoram and Himalaya.
The Brown Argus occurs in southern Britain. It's a butterfly from the family of 'Blues' (It resembles the female Common Blue very closely), widespread in particular habitats. Researchers recently published a paper in Molecular Ecology entitled, ''Evidence for evolutionary change associated with the recent range expansion of the British butterfly in response to climate change.''
A combination of threats has severely threatened the survival of amphibians around the world. New research underlines the need for proactive conservation efforts to avoid extinction for many of the worlds amphibians.
Serious threat to the endangered ape shown in a new study. Research showed that at least 750 orang-utans were killed in the last year. Indonesian, Malaysian and Australian researchers have produced this shocking result from an analysis of human and orang-utan conflict in Kalimantan.
Conservation group brings 13 endangered spoon-billed sandpipers from Russia to Britain to start a captive breeding programme.
A new edition of the Red List of Threatened Species includes the world's most vulnerable creatures who are in danger of being wiped out.
The highly endangered Humpback Whale 'Megaptera novaeangliae' was down to 1400 individuals 45 years ago (at the end of commercial whaling in 1966). Perhaps and hopefully there are too many to count now!
The Atlantic goliath grouper, once fished to near extinction, has made a successful comeback in Florida's waters. Now Florida State University marine biologists are studying the giant fish to learn the secrets of their success.
The Kilombero Valley in Tanzania is home to over 350 species of plants and a wide variety animals, many of them endemic or threatened with extinction. It also contains an important bird community, including three endemic species, namely a weaver bird and two species of Cisticola.
Climatic cycles add an additional pressure to that caused by climatic change, trapping species in unfavourable environmental conditions. Examples on land include the deterioration of the body weight of polar bears and the recent overlap of red and arctic fox territories.
Nearly 400 species of southeastern U. S. aquatic plants and animals have been proposed for review by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to determine if they warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Loggerhead turtle populations across the globe have been divided into nine distinct populations, with more than half downgraded from threatened to endangered status under the United States Endangered Species Act.
Studies of an endangered species of fish which has been moved to a new habitat in order to save it show that evolution can move extremely quickly, causing measurable changes in just decades.
Another important body in the Chinese medicinal community has come out strongly against the use of rhino horn in traditional remedies. The Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine has put out a statement condemning the practice, which may go a long way to shifting attitudes, and reducing demand for the horns of these endangered animals.
Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society have good news about one of the world's rarest crocodiles. Twenty critically endangered Siamese crocodiles have hatched in a zoo in Lao PDR, representing a significant step in the successful conservation of this species.
United States landowners have a key role to play in the protection of endangered American wildlife. That's one of the key messages to come out of the recent award by the US Government of $53m in grants to wildlife projects.
WWF Russia is asking for authorities there to pause plans for oil-drilling in the Arctic's Pechora Sea, claiming that company Gazprom would be unable to handle anything except the most minor of spills. The area is home to a major migratory bird feeding ground, as well as endangered Atlantic walruses. A region-wide plan for upgrading oil-spill infrastructure is desperately needed they say.
WWF, the wildlife charity, says the decision by the body which monitors illegal trade in endangered species to close the doors on its discussions over the ivory trade risk harming the body's credibility.
The WWF is reporting that the Irrawaddy dolphin population in the Mekong river is on the verge of extinction. Irrawaddy dolphins could disappear from the Mekong river if action is not taken soon. That's the message from the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), having conducted 11 studies of dolphin populations in the area between 2007 and 2010.
A camera trap study spanning three continents and seven countries has taken some 52,000 images, allowing a rare glimpse into the lives of some of the world's most endangered mammals. The study has made it clear that habitat loss and fragmented forests are detrimental to the survival of many species.
An endangered species of salmon are not being given adequate protection by the American government a court has ruled. Delighted conservation, fishing and tribal groups now want action they say will save the salmon species and provide thousands of jobs.
A novel way to avoid the tragedy of boats and right whales colliding is being suggested by new research into the feeding habits of the North Atlantic right whales - by tracking their prey. These endangered whales may number as few as four hundred, and inadvertent ship strikes account for worryingly high number of deaths each year.
Conservation groups have announced World Rhino Day 2011, for the 22nd September - with the aim of bigging up some noise, across the globe, for these endangered giants of the savanna. After a terrible 2010, with poaching rampant, the need to both halt the poaching gangs, and to kick rhino-horn out of the 'traditional medicine' cabinet has never been more urgent.
The fish on which we most rely are under threat of extinction says a new survey of scombrids, which include mackerel and tuna - overfishing, pollution and destruction of ocean habitat is the cause say the compilers of the Red List of Threatened Species.
The mass extinction 200 million years ago, that paved the way for the rise of the dinosaurs, could have been caused by a massive belch of methane, say scientists in a paper just published online on ScienceExpress. Plant remains show that the atmosphere was rapidly filled with carbon, which could have come from CO2-driven warming, releasing the methane stored in the cold sub-sea sediments.
A paper out in today's Current Biology has described how the path lined with gold - rich in natural resources - can distract animals from completing their journeys between fragments of endangered habitat. Sometimes it is better to lay paths narrow and rocky, to encourage pollinators, such as hoverflies, to keep moving between stranded natural habitats.
Exciting find of northern white-cheeked gibbons in southeast Asia. Across the hoots, rustles and chirrups sounding through Vietnam's remote Pu Mat National Park, a dawn chorus can be heard. One haunting sound represents a new hope for a critically endangered primate, the northern white-cheeked crested gibbon.
Propoals to reform the EU Common Fisheries Policy hope to reduce over fishing, ban the process of discarding unwanted fish and conserving existing stocks. After some years of operation it became clear that the policy was not achieving its key objectives, with overfishing continuing and fish numbers declining, some almost to the point of extinction.
The first comprehensive assessment of tuna and billfish has put 5 of 8 tuna species on the Red List for threatened or endangered animals and the IUCN is warning that Bluefin tuna are particularly vulnerable to vanishing, without the closure of fisheries. The report, out today in Science puts part of the blame on the higher prices of the remaining numbers of tuna and marlin.
Making sure that we conserve those species not yet known to science is a tricky task but one that researchers publishing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences think they have moved forward on. Their model predicts that the majority of undiscovered species live in areas that are already top priority for conservationists.
An unprecedented number of marine species are at risk of extinction. Increasing levels of CO2 contributes to rising temperatures. In turn, increased temperatures lead to more CO2 being absorbed into the ocean. Increased CO2 in the ocean leads to increasing ocean acidification and hypoxia, which are devastating for marine life.
Madagascan species at risk of extinction are commonly found on sale in Thai markets says a WWF-backed body investigating the trade in endangered species. TRAFFIC surveyed sales for 15 days in Bangkok and eight of Thailand's provinces and found 591 Madagascan reptiles and amphibians available on sale.
The numbers of albatross and other sea-birds drowning after being snared by longline fishing hooks is three times higher than thought - at 300,000 per year. The new number in a study published in Endangered Species Research, is all the more shocking because measures to make longline fishing safe have been proven to work.
A dangerous toxin has been found in an endangered Hawaiian seal, further threatening its survival. Scientists from the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) discovered ciguatoxin in the Hawaiian monk seal and are concerned other marine mammals may have come into contact with the poison which is produced by marine algae.
This year's update to the Red List of Threatened Species says that some of the largest species of bird in the world are close to extinction. The update has also resulted in the threat level for the Great Indian Bustard being upgraded to Critically Endangered, the highest level of threat.
Can a rescue team of conservationists save Critically Endangered sandpiper? Spoon-billed sandpipers are well-camouflaged amongst their tundra habitat, with a unique spoon-shaped bill. Breeding in Chukotka in north-eastern Russia, the spoon-billed sandpiper migrates an astonishing 8000 kilometres to over-winter in Southeast Asia.
They're only the sixth pair of twins recorded in Rwandan mountain gorilla history and have arrived, with perfect timing, to give a boost to the endangered species before the annual naming ceremony. The new twins come hot on the heels of the fifth recorded double birth, in the Hirwa Group of mountain gorillas.
The US Government has decided that while Atlantic tuna stocks are under pressure they are not yet in danger of extinction, although the ongoing effects of the Deepwater Horizon spill may change that. Currently the western Atlantic, eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean populations of blufins are to be designated as 'species of concern.'
Two recent researches find that species extinction, while still very real, may not be as bad as it's been thought, calculated, and reported to be. A report in the May 19th issue of 'Nature' says that calculations used for determining extinction rates have been flawed, resulting in overestimation that can be greater than 160 percent.
Species with low populations can still be saved. These species, such as the Siberian tiger and mountain gorilla, were thought by some scientists to be 'too rare to save'. Some of the world's most endangered species exist in populations far smaller than previous studies had argued were necessary for survival.
A new species of large, land-based, carnivorous crabs has been described in toady's PloS ONE - found all over the Hawaiian Islands. The catch is that they have been extinct for a thousand years - tipped into an early demise by newly arrived Polynesian colonists.
One-fifth of all vertebrate species worldwide are threatened with extinction and many have undergone declines. Several rabbit species also face similar circumstances and have become increasingly threatened with habitat loss.
A new report from UNEP outlines the need to make a break with a dogma that couples runaway economic growth to environmental and resource run-down. The UN's International Resource Panel says that 'decoupling' is the only way to avoid the looming crises of global warming, rising commodity prices, resource depletion and mass species extinction.
Two Sumatran tiger families caught on camera. Camera traps captured images and footage of 12 Sumatran tigers, including two females with cubs, in the Bukit Tigapuluh forests. This is a great boost for tiger conservationists as there are thought to be only 400 of the Critically Endangered Sumatran tigers remaining in the wild
Gray wolves have lost their protection in parts of the United States after their numbers made a recovery, a move that means they can be hunted again. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has removed Endangered Species Act protection from gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains, including Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon and Washington, and northern Utah.
Scientists in America have unveiled information that suggests oceans can take vast amounts of time to recover from disasters such as mass extinctions. Researchers from the University of Chicago, West Virginia University and The Ohio State University examined fossil records dating from a mass extinction that devastated ocean life 360 million years ago, known as the Hangenberg event.
Researchers at the University of Bristol's School of Biological Sciences report that after ten years, introduced tortoises served as ''effective seed dispersers'' for regrowing an endangered tree species in Mauritius' Ile aux Aigrettes nature reserve. Beginning in 2000, 18 adult and sub adult Giant Aldabran Tortoises were brought to the island of Ile aux Aigrettes in an effort to save and regrow the island's endangered ebony forest
Environment Minister says reforms must wait two years before being considered. The current legislation in Australia protecting the environment is the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Amongst other things it gives the government's environment minister powers to approve or reject industrial projects that might damage an endangered species or the environment.
In historic move on Friday, the US Fish and Wildlife service removed endangered species status protection from gray wolves in five US rocky mountain states. Wolf hunts are already planned in Montana and Idaho, where the animals are blamed for attacking livestock, and a decline in elk numbers.
A colony of endangered Northern Rockhopper penguins is facing a grim future after a ship grounded on an important breeding island in the South Atlantic Ocean. The remoteness of the Tristan islands and the fact that there is no air field on any of the islands has caused major headaches for the oil spill management efforts.
Melting sea ice, brought about by climate change, could be forcing two species of caribou nearer to extinction, according to wildlife campaigners. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has responded to the claims about the Peary caribou and the Barren-ground Caribou by launching a review of their status.
Shark finning, the horrific practice of cutting off the fins of sharks, and then dumping them still alive into the sea to die, is being pushed back by a new bill going through the Chilean Senate. The measure, which would help stop the wasteful slaughter of increasingly endangered sharks, is being supported by a visiting Pew Environment Group team.
The dwarf seahorse, which resides in seagrass located throughout the Gulf of Mexico, Florida and the Caribbean, is threatened with extinction from pollution caused by the Gulf oil spill disaster.
A new way to decide how close a species is to extinction has been proposed in a new paper in Frontiers in Ecology and Environment. The measure, known as the SAFE index, looks at the population today, in comparison to the smallest population that is viable, for a species. This 'distance to extinction' should complement existing measures to help conservationists prioritize resources.
The Critically Endangered Western gray whale is under threat from the development of a new oil and gas platform off Russia's Sakhalin Island. The biggest concern is the proximity of the proposed platform to the feeding grounds of the Critically Endangered Western gray whale. The area earmarked for the project is near Piltun Bay, the primary feeding area for Western gray whale mothers and calves.
Well-equipped, sophisticated organized crime syndicates have killed more than 800 African rhinos in the past three years - just for their horns. Populations of African rhinos had been rising over the past few decades, with the population of Critically Endangered black rhino increasing to 4,840 in the most recent estimate, up from 4,240 in 2007.
Conservationists may be taking a second look at how close to extinction some animals are, thanks to scientists who have spotted important differences between how male and female bats feed. They found that female bats feed in completely different areas to males. The females prefer to hunt specifically in aquatic habitats, such as lakes and marshes, but males hunt in a broad range of areas, including rivers, cities and farmland.
Hunting permits issued by the Mongolian government for endangered snow leopards have been rescinded following huge public backlash. Last month, the government of Mongolia issued four hunting permits to foreign nationals that would have allowed them to hunt and kill snow leopards in the name of ''research''. The snow leopard hunting permits have now been rescinded
It seems likely that gray wolves will be taken off the Endangered Species List in northwestern U.S. Gray wolves were once widespread across the Northern Rockies. However, by the early 1900s the population was driven to near extinction by trapping and poisoning. In 1974, gray wolves were listed as an endangered species and since that year the population has slowly recovered.
The wreckage of a cargo vessel that has grounded off a South Atlantic Island is causing an impending environmental disaster, threatening one of the world's most endangered penguins. 1500 tonnes of heavy crude oil has spilled into the sea.
Genetic analysis confirms the world's rarest albatross is a separate species. The Amsterdam albatross is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. It is an extremely large albatross that breeds only on Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean, where its total population is made up of just 130 individuals. The Amsterdam albatross's breeding range is restricted further still, to a single area of the island known as the Plateau des Tourbieres.
Zoos around the world are being asked to team up to shelter and breed endangered animals as a form of biodiversity insurance. The research found that between 20 and 25 percent of endangered species of mammals are already kept at the zoos and just a slightly lower figure for birds. However, the concern is that the species that are facing an acute risk of extinction are not so well represented.
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has withdrawn permission that allows companies to drill for oil in Africa's Virunga National Park. Virunga National Park is Africa's first National Park. It has an astonishingly high biodiversity and is home to many rare species including chimpanzees, forest elephants and the endangered eastern gorilla.
Climate-endangered species should be moved to new compatible habitats, in order to prevent extinctions threatened by global warming. So says a conservationist from the University of York. As long as care is taken is selecting suitable new locations, such radical steps should help slow down rising species loss.
The Andean cat, an elusive species of feline has been discovered to inhabit a much bigger range than was previously imagined. A single photograph of two Andean cats in the foothills of Argentina convinced the WCS researchers and their team to extensively survey 31,000 square kilometres of Argentina's Mendoza and Neuquen provinces.
Unusual hybrid frog reveals importance of considering genetics in amphibian conservation. The hybrid frog is providing scientists with exclusive insights into the genetic make-up of different amphibian populations - with important bearing on future conservation measures. The unique hybrid was produced by scientists at the University of Manchester, who allowed two entirely different, critically endangered species of Central American leaf frogs to interbreed
For the native birds of the Everglades, keeping an eye out for pythons is an increasing preoccupation. The burgeoning population of snakes, descended from pet-escapees, is seen as an increasing threat to some of the endangered species of Florida's National Park, says a study published in this month's BioOne. Filed in environmental isssues: florida/snakes/nature.
Historical incidences of mass extinction and the likelihood of another such event given the declining populations of certain animal species. In 540 million years, the Earth has undergone only five mass extinctions that we know of, during which over 75% of the animal population expired. Without jumping to sensationalist conclusions, it is safe to say that another, similar, event is unlikely, however a recent study published in Nature Magazine has investigated the likelihood of such an event occurring.
The next mass extinction? Are humans the cause of the planet's sixth mass loss of species on a scale of the events that wiped out the dinosaurs? Scientists believe that we certainly will be if all creatures classified now as critically endangered are lost, but there is still time to avert the crisis.
A hidden camera holds proof that the Javan Rhinoceros is breeding in the wild. Recent footage from a hidden camera in Ujung Kulon National Park, Indonesia, has proven that the extremely rare Javan rhino is successfully breading in the wild. Much to the relief of the park rangers, footage was recorded of a mother rhino and its young calf feeding on the shrubbery in the park.
Conservationists have found populations of the greater bamboo lemur in new areas of Madagascar. Now, the future for these critically endangered species is a little bit brighter. Like many of Madagascar's unique species, the greater bamboo lemur is under increasing pressure. Rainforests in Madagascar are being cleared by indiscriminate slash-and-burn techniques to make way for farmland.
The critically endangered Siberian tiger has an effective population of just 14 animals - that's the worrying conclusion of a recent study into these stunning cats. The Siberian tiger, also known as the Amur tiger, is the world's largest cat. Previously it ranged far across northern China, Korea and south eastern Russia. In the early 20th Century the Siberian tiger was driven close to extinction through poaching and habitat loss and was wiped out from 90% of its once large range.
A new bird, and a new hope for a threatened ecosystem. The Beanka Forest of Madagascar, an area rich in biodiversity, continues to contribute species new to science, heightening concerns about its protection. Local conservation groups are seeking to protect these unique dry forests by enlisting the help of locals, and addressing their needs.
A deadly fungus known as White Nose Syndrome is threatening to wipe out North America's hibernating bat population. Conservationists across North America are racing to discover a solution to a deadly fungus that is threatening to wipe out the hibernating bat population. White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is a fatal disease that targets hibernating bats and the cause is believed to be a newly discovered cold-adapted fungus, Geomyces destructans that invades the living skin of hibernating bats.
A new method of dating indicates that a New Mexico dinosaur was alive 700,000 years after the ''mass extinction'' of all the others. Is it possible that the previously accepted date is wrong? Researchers from the University of Alberta have cast shadow of doubt on this timescale after they examined a fossilised hadrosaur bone that was discovered in New Mexico.
Despite their resilience, oysters numbers are falling. Over the past century 85% of oyster reefs have been lost globally, and in most bays 90% of them are functionally extinct. That's according to a study published in the journal Bioscience by a team of American marine scientists.
Countries will have to improve their co-operation if they are to protect endangered wildlife in an age of climate change, according to an international study. A team of scientists have come up with a conservation index designed to help policy-makers to deal with the effects of climate change on birds in Africa, the theory of which could help governments across the world as climate change forces species to move to new areas.
Conservationists around the world have pledged to make 2001 the Year of the Turtle and bring some of the world's oldest species back from the brink of extinction. While for the Chinese 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit, for an international group of conservationists it is the Year of the Turtle. For, after some 220 million years of being on the planet, around half of all species are now under threat from a range of man-made problems
A campaign has been launched to save the jaguar in Northern Mexico and parts of south-western United States where its numbers are endangered. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will develop a plan to preserve habitats, starting with research into numbers and distribution of the animals, about which very little is known. A Jaguar Recovery Team has been assembled
A recent scientific expedition looking at plastic levels in the Mediterranean Sea has revealed the severity of the micro-plastic pollution problem. The research work has been completed by Mediterranean EnDangered (MED), an international programme bringing together scientists, teachers, sailors, artists and associations for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea.
The proposed construction of a new oil and gas platform on the coast of Sakhalin Island in Russia is putting more pressure on the survival of the critically endangered western gray whale population. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) lists the western gray whale as critically endangered. The ICUN believes that about 130 of the whales remain in the oceans, with only 30 of these being mature females capable of reproducing.
US study indicates that Neanderthal extinction was not due to dietry deficiency. Archaeologists cannot agree whether Neanderthals are a separate human species or a subspecies of modern humans.
Researchers from Ohio suggest that human activity that is allowing the introduction of invasive species into ecosystems tcould potentially lead to the Eath's sixth mass extinction. 65 million years ago dinosaurs dominated the Earth. Global temperatures were between six and 14 degrees Celsius warmer than at present and sea levels were over 300 metres higher. 40% of the present land mass was under the sea.
For the first time in Peru, conservationists have purchased privately owned lands within a national protected area and then donated them to the national government. The donated lands are home to the Iquitos Gnatcatcher, a Critically Endangered bird first described in 2005. Actvists have hailed the move which they say will allow better conservation of this threatened species.
The short-tailed albatross whose adult population number only about 3,000 were till recently found only on the Japanese islands of Kure Atoll and on Midway Atoll. Now they have spotted on the Hawaiian Islands. In a report the Seabird Program at the American Bird Conservancy, a US based conservation organization, says, this raises hopes that this once endangered bird might be gaining in numbers.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has done an assessment of India's freshwater biodiversity after 13 years. It has included 30 fish species in the Western Ghats in its critically endangered list.
The Centre for Biological Diversity in Australia has appealed to the world to boycott bluefin tuna sold in sushi restaurants and in just over a week they already have 20,000 signatures from 91 countries. The price of bluefin tuna has soared this year to over US$170,000 for just one fish. This has created a significant increase in illegal bluefin tuna fishing and as a result there are now grave concerns that the bluefin tuna population is close to extinction.
Successful tagging and tracking of a western gray whale has meant a team of Russian and American scientists have gained important insights into a population of endangered whales. The western gray whale is one of the world's most endangered whales species. Listed as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List for Threatened Species, there are thought to be only 130 western gray whales living today.
At this week's International Tiger Forum in Saint Petersburg an important alliance was formed that will help not just tigers but a range of endangered species across the globe. A Letter of Understanding signed at the Forum brings into effect the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC).
Critically endangered populations of hammerhead and oceanic white tip sharks have plummeted by 70% and 99% in the North Atlantic respectively according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. An unsustainable harvest of at least 1.3 million sharks were fished there in 2008, the last year for which data is available.
Big cats are killed for skins, paws, heads and other body parts. Black markets along Myanmar, Thailand and China's shared borders play a crucial role facilitating the deadly illicit trade in tigers and other endangered species.
A critically endangered species, the La Loma tree frog, Hyloscirtus colymba, has been successfully bred for the first time as part of a project involving the Smithsonian Institute's National Zoo. The scheme, involving nine partners as part of the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project offers hope, not just for the survival of the La Loma tree frog but other endangered amphibians from the region.
The european otter (Lutra lutra) is making a remarkable recovery from the brink of extinction in England's waters. The Environment Agency now believes that England's otter population will have made a full recovery within the next twenty years.
We present some business ideas for those of you who think that the future is greener than the present- we can think of some who don't ---. The advice is general and does not apply exclusively to any one nation.
We use the tiger (this is a prime Siberian example) to show up our failure to conserve wild species, but while we monopolise all the food that animals require, we could remember that it is not only their conservation we urgently need to cover. It is also our own indulgences.
How can you describe the threats existing to species, both large and small? Using the highly-threatened primates, we can perhaps see how they have contrived to exist until the current time. Then we can better understand just how we can prevent factors simply wiping them from the face of the earth, often through ignorance, lack of care, prejudice and of course the universal profit motive. Conservation begins in our minds, but demands much more than that.
The future is certainly renewable, but are we too late to prevent future centuries problems of global warming- and the rest! Here are some current US solutions to waste and warming for you to enjoy---there are some ads in this piece but weve allowed them for one blog only.
Need to save money after the spending boom to end them all? Here are 2 sets of opinions on how to pull out the plugs at night at least.
When dolphins are 'rescued' in various countries, the car given seems to be ill-considered. We are simply looking at the success rate which is reported to be low, in most places. They could even end up in commercial aquarium shows, but they certainly rarely make it back to the sea.
