Species that are endangered and vulnerable

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The Xerces blue butterfly is the first American insect species destroyed by urban development.  It is thought to have gone extinct in San Francisco in the early 1940s. 

Cause is of extinction is urban development and loss of habitat .

The African Penguin is listed as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act. In 2018, the African penguin was listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Its population is approximately 50,000 birds and declining. The decline is due to commercial overfishing and oil spills. 

The Florida panther  is a large, long-tailed cat. They are found in Florida and range in weight from 102 to 154 pounds and can be 7ft in length. 

The Florida panther can be found in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Their are only 100 – 160 cats in the wild. There are many reasons why this panther is endangered-  poor habitat conditions such as loss of habitat, people killing them off for livestock, and growing human population (more cars and trucks not knowingly hitting and killing them on the roads.) The panther is on the Endangered Species Act.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has added the migrating North American monarch butterfly to its "red list," categorized as an endangered species—two steps from extinct. The monarch's native population has shrunk by between 20% and 70% over the past decade. Its decline is primarily due to climate change, deforestation, habitat loss, and pesticide use, which kills the milkweed on which monarch butterflies feed.  

 The long-eared jerboa (Euchoreutes naso) is a nocturnal mouse-like rodent with a long tail, long hind legs for jumping, and enormous ears. It has long back legs with large feet and hops like a kangaroo. The jerboas inhabit the southern tip of Mongolia and Qing-Zang Plateau areas of northwestern China. Threats include human disturbance from livestock grazing, domestic cats, and drought. Certain jerboa is considered endangered species red-listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).   image credit: independent.co.uk 

Lions are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List. Lions are classified as critically endangered in many parts of Africa. Lion populations have been falling drastically for decades. Lions live in the grasslands and forest areas of Africa and India. Their habitats are being destroyed for construction and crops. Photo-Doug Wells

In just 30 years, giraffes have lost 40% of their  population. Loss of their habitat, along with poaching and wildlife  trafficking, is contributing to their population decline. In the 19th  and 20th centuries, herds of 30 giraffes were common; nowadays, their  average herd number is between 4 and 6. Giraffes were listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List in 2016. There are nine subspecies classified as endangered or critically endangered.  

Ailuropoda melanoleuca numbers have  finally been increasing. The International Union for Conservation of Nature have upgraded the panda from “endangered” to “vulnerable.” This is exciting news! Wild pandas numbers were low due to poaching, and deforestation, depleting their bamboo.  

 The adorable pika is an indicator species for the potential effects of our drastically changing climate. Pikas are seen throughout the Rocky Mountain National Park, but their sensitivity to summer heat and lack of snowfall for insulation in the winter may result in declining numbers. Even though pikas are not currently threatened or endangered, they are being monitored for changes in their locations in the park.