Top 17 Most Endangered Species of the World

Top 17 Most Endangered Species of the World

An Endangered Species is a population of an organism on the earth which is at risk of becoming extinct. They are either a few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental conditions. Here are a few endangered species.

Endangered & Critically Endangered Species:

       

      1)    Kauai Cave Wolf Spider :

The Kauai cave wolf spider is also known as the "blind wolf spider".
It is only known to live in a few caves of the Hawaiian Islands.
Its only six populations are known to exist.
This species has completely lost its eyes.
They reach a body length of about 20 mm in length.
They are reddish-brown in color and are harmless to people.

       2)    Variegated Spider Monkey:

The Brown Spider Monkey is found in Colombia and Venezuela.
Like all spider monkeys, it has very long limbs and a lengthy tail.
lt can almost be used as a fifth limb.
The tail is made up of highly flexible and hairless tips.
These tips improve grip on tree branches.

       3)    Fiji Banded iguana:

The Fiji banded iguana is a lizard from the islands of Fiji and Tonga.
Populations have been declining due to habitat destruction.
They are also threatened by mongoose and cats by the islanders.
They spend their days foraging and watching over their territories.
They retreat to the treetops at night.
Fiji banded iguanas reach 24 inches in length from snout to tail tip.
They can weigh up to 200 grams.
The skin of this species is very sensitive to light.
They can change their skin color to match its background.

       4)    Imperial Woodpecker:  

The Imperial Woodpecker is officially listed as a critically endangered species.
However, the last confirmed report was of a recently-shot bird Durango in 1956.
The species is probably now extinct.
The primary reason for Tor Cine was loss of habitat.
They were also killed by the locals to use in making medicines.
Woodpeckers were stunning birds. As the species became rare many were apparently shot by people.
Since they had never encountered such a bird and wanted to get a closer look.

      5)    Ivory-Billed Woodpecker:

The lvory-billed Woodpecker is the second-largest woodpecker in the world.
The Ivory-billed has a total length of 20 inches.
It weighs up to 570 grams.
It has a 30-inch wingspan.
The ivory-bill has a strong and straight bill.
It also has a long hard-tipped tongue.
The ivory-bill is unique in having a bill whose tip is quite flattened.
It is shaped much like a wood chisel.

      6)    West Caucasian Tur:

The West Caucasian Tur is an endangered mountain goat found only in the Caucasus mountains rang.
It stands up to 39 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs around 65 kilograms.
It has large but narrow body and short legs.
West Caucasian Turs have a chestnut coat with a yellow underbelly and the darker legs.
The horns are scimitar-shaped and heavily ridged.
West Caucasian Turs live between 2,600 and 13,000 feet above sea level.
They eat mainly grasses and leaves.
They are preyed upon by wolves.
The wild population is estimated 5,000 to 6,000 individuals.

      7)    Diana Monkey:

The Diana Monkey is found in West Africa.
It has a length of 40 to 55 cm.
They are generally black or dark grey in color but have a white throat.
Adults weigh between 4 and 7 kg.
It rarely comes down to the ground.
It also has a wide range of alarm calls, with a lot of different sounds for different predators.
lt feeds mainly on fruit and insects.
Individual Diana Monkeys may live for about 20 years.
The largest danger to them is their habitat destruction.

      8)    Golden Conure:

The Golden Conure is also known as the Golden Parakeet or the Queen of Bavaria.
It lives in the drier, upland rainforests of Brazil.
It is threatened by deforestation and flooding.
Locally, they are considered as pests for feeding on crops.
They are hunted for food and sport.
Golden Conures are playful and sociable.
They may even adopt unrelated birds.
They eat fruits, flowers, buds, seeds, and cultured maize in the wild.
They nest in a high tree.
They lay an average of four eggs, which they aggressively guard.

      9)    Bengal Florican:

The Bengal Florican is found in the Indian subcontinent and in South East Asia.
They are usually seen in the early mornings and evenings.
They live in open tall grassland habitats.
There are only 220-280 birds in India and up to 100 in Nepal.
In an effort to save them more than 100 miles of grassland habitat is set aside.
Even then, the population has declined by 56% since I982 and by 30% since 2001.

10)                      Black Lion Tamarin:

The Black Lion Tamarin is also known as the Golden-rumped Lion.
It is found exclusively at the Morro do Diabo State Park.
It is located in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo.
The Black Lion Tamarin was considered extinct for 65 years till rediscovered in 1970.
The total number of individuals is estimated to be around 1,000.
They are usually found in groups ranging from 4 to7 individuals.

11)                      Golden Mantella:

The Golden Mantella is a small frog.
It is a native of Madagascar.
As suggested by the name, the Golden Mantella, ventral surface is yellow.
These frogs are small, reaching a size of l inch in length.
They lay eggs on moist land.
Once they hatch, the tadpoles are washed into water.
The Golden Mantella is restricted to a diet of small invertebrates.

             12)                      Jaguar:

The Jaguar is the third-largest cat in the world after the tiger and the lion.
The Jaguar's present range extends from Mexico to northern Argentina.
The Jaguar is a nearly threatened species and its numbers are declining rapidly.
Threats include habitat loss and fragmentation. While international trade-in jaguars or their parts is completely prohibited, the cat is still regularly killed by humans.
A short and as well stocky limb structure makes the jaguar adept at climbing; crawling and swimming.
An individual jaguar can drag a 360 kg bull 25 feet in its jaws.

             13)                      Blind River Dolphin:

The Ganges River Dolphin and Indus River Dolphins are sub-species of freshwater or river dolphins.
They are found in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.
They have the long, pointed snout-like all river dolphins.
As the teeth of Blind River Dolphin are visible in both the upper and lower jaws even when the mouth is closed.
The species does not have a crystalline eye lens, thus making them blind.
The species feeds on a variety of shrimp, fish, carp, and catfish, etc.
Both sub-species have been affected by human use of the river systems.
Entanglement in fishing nets has also caused damage to the local population.
Poisoning of the water supply from industrial and agricultural chemicals has also contributed to population decline.

             

             14)                      Small Tooth Saw Fish:

The small tooth sawfish is found in shallow subtropical waters.
Its length is up to 7.6 m.
The small tooth sawfish has a long. flat, blade-like rostrum.
It contains 24 to 32 pairs of Small Tooth Saw teeth along the edges.
It can tolerate freshwater.
It is commonly seen in bays, lagoons, lakes, and rivers.
It is utilized as a food fish, its oil is used to make medicine, soap and in leather tanning.
Adults are stuffed for decoration.

            

             15)                      Darwin's Fox:

Darwin's fox was first collected from San Pedro Island off the coast of Chile.
Darwin's fox has a darker brown coat with red areas on its head.
It has shorter legs than the mainland foxes.
Darwin's fox feeds on various foods.
In dense forests, it hunts for mammals, reptiles, beetles, and invertebrates.
Sometimes it selects fruits and berries.
Dogs pose the greatest threat to their survival by spreading disease or directly attacking them.
People who think that the foxes attack domestic fowls are also a potential problem.

            

             16)                      Paradise Flycatcher:

The paradise-flycatcher is found on the island of Seychelles.
It has a length of 20 cm.
It is the fact that there are two long black central tail feathers which can reach a length of 30 cm in size.
It preys on insects in flight or from a perch.
It also feeds on larvae and spiders.
The oval bowl-shaped nest is built, which consists of twigs, palm fiber, and spider webs.

            

             17)                      Snow Leopard:

The snow leopard is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia.
Snow leopards generally weigh between 27 and 54 kg.
Snow leopards have adapted for living in cold mountainous environments.
They have thick fur, stocky body, and small ears, all of which minimize heat loss.
The tail is thickly covered with fur which allows them to use it like a blanket.
 Snow leopards eat whatever meat it can find including domestic livestock.
It is very interesting to know that they are capable of killing animals three times their size.
It attacks domestic livestock which brings it into direct conflict with humans.
People kill snow leopards to prevent them from taking their animals.
The total wild population of the snow leopard is estimated at between 4,000 and 7,500 individuals.
There are still 600-700 snow leopards in zoos around the world.
In Pakistan, they are protected at
1. Chitral Gol National Park, Northern Pakistan
2. Khunjerab National Park, Northern Pakistan