How do species become endangered

An area of occupancy is where a specific population of that species resides. This area is often a breeding or nesting site in a species range. The species is also vulnerable if that population declines by at least 10 percent within 10 years or three generations, whichever is longer.

A species is vulnerable if it is restricted to less than 1, mature individuals or an area of occupancy of less than 20 square kilometers 8 square miles. These formulas calculate the chances a species can survive, without human protection, in the wild. Vulnerable Species: Ethiopian Banana Frog The Ethiopian banana frog Afrixalus enseticola is a small frog native to high- altitude areas of southern Ethiopia.

It is a vulnerable species because its area of occupancy is less than 2, square kilometers square miles. The extent and quality of its forest habitat are in decline. Threats to this habitat include forest clearance, mostly for housing and agriculture.

Vulnerable Species: Snaggletooth Shark The snaggletooth shark Hemipristis elongatus is found in the tropical , coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Its area of occupancy is enormous, from southeast Africa to the Philippines, and from China to Australia. However, the snaggletooth shark is a vulnerable species because of a severe population reduction rate.

Its population has fallen more than 10 percent over 10 years. The number of sharks is declining due to fisheries, especially in the Java Sea and Gulf of Thailand.

They are sold in commercial fish markets, as well as restaurants. Galapagos kelp is classified as vulnerable because its population has declined more than 10 percent over 10 years. Climate change is the leading cause of decline among Galapagos kelp.

El Nino , the natural weather pattern that brings unusually warm water to the Galapagos, is the leading agent of climate change in this area. Galapagos kelp is a cold-water species and does not adapt quickly to changes in water temperature. Endangered Species 1 Population reduction rate A species is classified as endangered when its population has declined between 50 and 70 percent.

A species is classified as endangered when its population has declined at least 70 percent and the cause of the decline is known. A species is also classified as endangered when its population has declined at least 50 percent and the cause of the decline is not known.

When a species population declines by at least 20 percent within five years or two generations, it is also classified as endangered. Endangered Species: Siberian Sturgeon The Siberian sturgeon Acipenser baerii is a large fish found in rivers and lakes throughout the Siberian region of Russia.

The Siberian sturgeon is a benthic species. Benthic species live at the bottom of a body of water. The Siberian sturgeon is an endangered species because its total population has declined between 50 and 80 percent during the past 60 years three generations of sturgeon.

Overfishing, poach ing, and dam construction have caused this decline. It is an endangered species because it has a very small population. The bird is only found on a single island, meaning both its extent of occurrence and area of occupancy are very small.

The Tahiti reed-warbler is also endangered because of human activity. The bird nests in bamboo and feeds on flowers and insects that live there.

As development and invasive species such as Miconia destroy the bamboo forests, the population of Tahiti reed-warblers continues to shrink. Ebony is an endangered species because many biologists calculate its probability of extinction in the wild is at least 20 percent within five generations. Ebony is threatened due to overharvest ing. Ebony trees produce a very heavy, dark wood.

When polished, ebony can be mistaken for black marble or other stone. For centuries, ebony trees have been harvested for furniture and sculptural uses such as chess pieces.

Most ebony, however, is harvested to make musical instruments such as piano key s and the fingerboard s of stringed instruments. A species is classified as critically endangered when its population has declined at least 90 percent and the cause of the decline is known. A species is also classified as endangered when its population has declined at least 80 percent and the cause of the decline is not known.

A species is also classified as critically endangered when the number of mature individuals declines by at least 25 percent within three years or one generation, whichever is longer. It is critically endangered because its extent of occurrence is less than square kilometers 39 square miles. The major threat to this species is loss of its cloud forest habitat. People are clearing forests to create cattle pasture s. The Transcaucasian racerunner is a critically endangered species because of a huge population decline, estimated at more than 80 percent during the past 10 years.

Threats to this species include the salination , or increased saltiness, of soil. Fertilizers used for agricultural development seep into the soil, increasing its saltiness. Racerunners live in and among the rocks and soil, and cannot adapt to the increased salt in their food and shelter. The racerunner is also losing habitat as people create trash dumps on their area of occupancy.

Critically Endangered Species: White Ferula Mushroom The white ferula mushroom Pleurotus nebrodensis is a critically endangered species of fungus. The mushroom is critically endangered because its extent of occurrence is less than square kilometers 39 square miles.

It is only found in the northern part of the Italian island of Sicily, in the Mediterranean Sea. The leading threats to white ferula mushrooms are loss of habitat and overharvesting. White ferula mushrooms are a gourmet food item. Farmers and amateur mushroom hunters harvest the fungus for food and profit. Extinct In The Wild A species is extinct in the wild when it only survives in cultivation plants , in captivity animals , or as a population well outside its established range.

A species may be listed as extinct in the wild only after years of surveys have failed to record an individual in its native or expected habitat. Extinct in the Wild: Scimitar-horned Oryx The scimitar-horned oryx Oryx dammah is a species of antelope with long horns.

Its range extends across northern Africa. The scimitar-horned oryx is listed as extinct in the wild because the last confirmed sighting of one was in Captive herds are now kept in protected areas of Tunisia, Senegal, and Morocco. Scimitar-horned oryxes are also found in many zoos. Extinct in the Wild: Black Soft-shell Turtle The black soft-shell turtle Nilssonia nigricans is a freshwater turtle that exists only in one man-made pond, at the Baizid Bostami Shrine near Chittagong, Bangladesh.

The to turtles that live at the pond rely entirely on humans for food. Until , black soft-shell turtles lived throughout the wetland s of the Brahmaputra River, feeding mostly on freshwater fish. Unlike other animals that are extinct in the wild, black soft-shell turtles are not found in many zoos. The reptiles are considered to be the descendants of people who were miraculously turned into turtles by a saint during the 13th century.

Extinct in the Wild: Mt. Kaala Cyanea The Mt. Kaala cyanea Cyanea superba is a large, flowering tree native to the island of Oahu, in the U. The Mt. Kaala cyanea has large, broad leaves and fleshy fruit. The tree is extinct in the wild largely because of invasive species. Non-native plants crowded the cyanea out of its habitat, and non-native animals such as pigs, rats, and slugs ate its fruit more quickly than it could reproduce.

Kaala cyanea trees survive in tropical nurseries and botanical garden s. Many botanists and conservationists look forward to establishing a new population in the wild.

Extinct A species is extinct when there is no reasonable doubt that the last remaining individual of that species has died. The last specimen of the Cuban macaw was collected in This insect, whose long, segmented body resembled a tree limb, is only known through a single specimen, collected more than years ago.

During the 20th century, Singapore experienced rapid development. Almost the entire jungle was cleared, depriving the insect of its habitat. Peas and peanuts are smaller types of legumes. Habitat loss from development in the 20th century is the main reason the tree went extinct in the wild. A single specimen survived at the Royal Botanical Garden in Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, until , when that, too, was lost. Endangered Species and People When a species is classified as endangered, governments and international organization s can work to protect it.

Individuals and organizations that break these laws may face huge fine s. Some of the species do not conceive very often and when they do, they only conceive few offspring. On the other hand, some of the species take years to become sexually mature, resulting in reducing their opportunity to breed over their lifetime.

Some of those become endangered due to their high genetic vulnerability. Animals like Jaguar maintain a low genetic assortment, which makes them vulnerable to adapt when faced with a challenge. This also makes them more vulnerable to diseases that lead to negative genetic mutations. These two are the main culprits for a species to become endangered. Humans are selfish creatures, and there are many factual explanations about how humans have over harvested and over hunted a species.

Most of these species are harvested for their medicinal properties both flora and fauna. Trees with strong barks are cut down for construction purposes, and animals are hunted down for sports. Habitat loss is another reason for a species to become extinct as many species are not that much adaptive to their new living conditions. The loss of their habitat is particularly challenging to their survival. Another cause where humans play an important role for a species to become endangered is pollution.

Air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, land pollution and so on, are the reason for those species to come under the category of endangered species. These living organisms are negatively impacted by pollution.

Overuse of chemical fertilisers on lands makes the soil polluted resulting in plants finding it harder to grow. Or are we…? It's a good thing Wonders of the Day aren't endangered! You can keep your learning experience going by exploring the following activities with a friend or family member:. A quick re-read of the Wonder should give you that information.

For your convenience, I've pasted it below:. A "threatened" species is any species that is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future. Since that information can change, you're more likely to get an up-to-date list at the World Wildlife Foundation site. That is very true, amy! Learning about animals is very important. I agree with him too! I'm just so angry. It's like And the bad thing is is that they are cute!!!

Hi, janae! We're glad that you liked this Wonder, and we think that it's awesome that you care about protecting endangered species! You ask a great question, Joe!

Cultures can be endangered, even leading to cultural extinction. An example we can think of would be the Vikings. We hope your community will continue to thrive and grow again!

Thank you for telling us about this serious issue. Great question! We hope this article helped answer things a little bit but if you're wanting to know more, we encourage you to take a little Wonder Journey to find out. Let us know what you come up with! Good fact, Jacob! Thanks so much for sharing that with us! So exciting to hear that you are passionate about this topic as well. Good luck!

Extinct usually means gone for good. We encourage you to explore your question about plants a little more by doing some more research.

Let us know what you find out! Agreed, Why! Maybe go on a little Wonder Journey to see what can be done to help? Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, ezequiel.

It's a very troubling estimate, Taylor! One thing that you can do to help is spread awareness to others about this issue. Check out the Try It Out links above to get more information on how to help.

You might like checking out some of these Wonders! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Alex. Sadly, animals become endangered for many reasons and a lot of them are related to making money -- some are direct like poaching and some are indirect like developing land and thereby destroying habitat.

We encourage you to keep exploring this topic and spreading awareness to others. We hope this Wonder was helpful, hellen! Sometimes the Wonder simply starts our Wonder Journey! We encourage you to keep researching at the library and online! Absolutely, TJ! Thanks for remembering to cite your sources. The following is how you would cite the Wonder of the Day.

You may use Wonderopolis as the author and since we do not list the publish date, you can use the date you accessed the article for information. If that was today, then use today's date for your citation. Hi, malorie! We're glad you stopped by Wonderopolis! We hope you find all the information you need! Absolutely, Wonder Friend! You're at the right place! There are more than 1, Wonders of the Day on more than different topics! We couldn't agree more, Violet! We're glad you're advocating for animals!

Yes, they do, Christian! Thanks for standing up for animals. Hi, Andrew! Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this Wonder. Great question, George! We encourage you to keep researching your question. We encourage you to check out our other Wonders about animals. Search for them using the search box near the top of the page! We appreciate you sharing your connection to the Wonder, Andrew! Thanks for stopping by Wonderopolis! Hi, gabe! You raise an important question we all need to consider. Thanks for sharing your concern.

Thank you for sharing this video, Arseni! It is startling to learn about the many species that are threatened with extinction currently. Thanks for sharing. When you said "I never thought this deeply into this subject", I felt like you were very open about it. You were being your self! Unfortunately, once an animal becomes extinct there is nothing we can really do to bring it back. Thanks for sharing with us today!

It sounds like you learned a lot from this Wonder. It really is sad that we can't save all of the animals, yet we hope they can make it. Thanks for sharing this comment with us today! It sounds like you learned a lot from this Wonder! Way to go, Wonder Friend! Great question, too! There are lots of reasons why animals die, and become endangered. For example, if we clear a forest for a housing development, we could be taking away the habitat of certain animals, and they have no where else to go.

It is sad. Yet, sometimes we don't realize what we've done until it is too late. We agree, ll lezon! It is sad, but some people may actually rely on certain animals for food. That may be a reason why they would kill some animals. It really is sad that people kill defenseless animals. Yet, a lot of animals become endangered because their homes are being destroyed by humans. We think that is sad, too. Thanks for sharing with us today, Wonder Friend! Hi Brenna, thanks for sharing your thoughts.

We are glad you're thinking about animals and how it's important to treat them well. Nice work, Wonder Friend! Good for you, Wonder Friend! Wolves are not endangered, but they are often the main characters in storybooks! Hey there, Anne! We are so glad you've been thinking about animals that are endangered. We are so glad you shared your comment with us- we're very proud of you and your awareness!

We are so glad you've been thinking about endangered species with us, Joyce! Thanks for sharing your comment about pandas and your enthusiasm for saving them, too! We are really proud of you! Thank you for sharing your speech about pandas! Thanks for sharing your very own Wonder, Leah! We LOVE pandas, too!

We'll have to start our research! Hi there, Leah! Thanks for WONDERing about endangered species with us today-- we think it's great that you want to do your part to save animals who are in danger of extinction. We hope you continue to Wonder about animals and their safety!

Hey there, Monkey Geek! We're upset to hear about endangered animals, too. We hope that we will hear more about animals living freely and in their natural habitats, but it's important that we understand why some animals are endangered. We think you have a super big heart to care deeply for all the endangered species, Wyatt! It is wonderful that you made a personal connection to it, too! Thank you for sharing your comment with us today!

We're also glad to hear that you learned some new things. We agree, the video is sad. It is super sad to know that there are so many endangered animals out there in the world. We will have to do a bit more exploring to find out what percentage of animals are endangered today compared to We're glad you like Wonderopolis, Sunlight! We sure are proud of you for doing what you can to help and for encouraging others to do the same!

That's such a nice thing to say, Catherine! We are undergoing some spring clearing site maintenance and need to temporarily disable the commenting feature. Thanks for your patience. Drag a word to its definition. You have answered 0 of 3 questions correctly and your score is:. Want to add a little wonder to your website? Help spread the wonder of families learning together. We sent you SMS, for complete subscription please reply.

Follow Twitter Instagram Facebook. How many species are on the endangered species list? What can you do to help protect endangered species? Wonder What's Next? You can keep your learning experience going by exploring the following activities with a friend or family member: Since plants and animals can't vote, they must rely on caring humans to enact laws and take other positive steps to protect endangered species. Wondering how your family can help?

Check out these ways you can help endangered species. You probably don't have any rhinos or polar bears where you live, but you might be surprised to find out how many endangered species call your state home. Explore the list of endangered species native to your home state. Have you ever seen any of these endangered animals? Discuss with a friend or family member. The artist in you might be interested in these endangered animal coloring pages.

You can display them or share them with your friends to promote awareness of endangered or threatened species. Can you use your creativity and imagination to write a short story to go along with one of your pictures? Perhaps you could use your story to teach others about how a particular animal became endangered! Did you get it? Test your knowledge. What are you wondering? Wonder Words extinction conserve status biodiversity threat restrict conservation organism restrict Take the Wonder Word Challenge.