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Animals and Extinction

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Extinct & Endangered. We are always hearing about extinct and endangered animals, but do you know what these terms actually mean?

Extinct & Endangered

So, what is extinction? Extinction of a particular animal or plant species occurs when there are no more individuals of that species alive anywhere in the world - the species has died out. This is a natural part of evolution. But sometimes extinctions happen at a much faster rate than usual. For example, at the end of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago, a mass extinction caused the death of many different types of animals and plants, including the dinosaurs.

Today human intervention is also causing rapid extinction. Well, what is an endangered animal then? Endangered animals and plants are at risk of extinction - there are so few of them that they might soon be wiped out altogether. Find out about the extinct and endangered animals in the Museum. Dodo Coelacanth Thylacine Blue whale Golden toad Giant panda Passenger pigeon Schaus' swallowtail.

Endangered Animals for Kids: How They Become Extinct. Endangered Species. Elephants.

Endangered Species

Tigers. Gorillas. Pandas. Blue Whales. What do these amazing creatures have in common? An animal or plant is endangered when there are so few left alive on the planet that the entire species is in danger of vanishing forever. Many of the animals pictured here—from the American bison to the polar bear—are on the IUCN Red List, the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s list of globally endangered, threatened, and vulnerable species.

Scientists estimate there are 7 to 10 million species on Earth. The Earth is mind-blowingly ancient—about 4.5 billion years old. This Galápagos sea lion is categorized as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Polar bears use the summer sea ice in the Arctic as a platform for hunting seals. Of course, there have been LOTS of changes to the world’s biodiversity over time. However, during Earth’s history there have been some extreme events that have killed off large numbers of species. Endangered Species Facts. What Causes Species Endangerment?

Endangered Species Facts

How Does Extinction Happen? Species disappear because of changes to the earth that are caused either by nature or by the actions of people. Sometimes a terrible natural event, like a volcano erupting, can kill an entire species. Other times, extinction will happen slowly as nature changes our world. For example, after the Ice Ages, when the great glaciers melted and the earth became warmer, many species died because they could not live in a warmer climate. People can also cause the extinction of plants and animals. A habitat includes not only the other plants and animals in an area, but all of the things needed for the species' survival -- from sunlight and wind to food and shelter.

Pollution can also affect wildlife and contribute to extinction. Black Rhinoceros for Kids – Endangered Species « Black Rhinoceroses, Black Rhinoceros Pictures, Black Rhinoceros Facts. Both black and white rhinoceroses are actually gray.

Black Rhinoceroses, Black Rhinoceros Pictures, Black Rhinoceros Facts

They are different not in color but in lip shape. The black rhino has a pointed upper lip, while its white relative has a squared lip. The difference in lip shape is related to the animals' diets. Black rhinos are browsers that get most of their sustenance from eating trees and bushes. They use their lips to pluck leaves and fruit from the branches. Except for females and their offspring, black rhinos are solitary. Black rhinos feed at night and during the gloaming hours of dawn and dusk. Rhinos have sharp hearing and a keen sense of smell. Black rhinos boast two horns, the foremost more prominent than the other. The prominent horn for which rhinos are so well known has also been their downfall.

The black rhino once roamed most of sub-Saharan Africa, but today is on the verge of extinction due to poaching fueled by commercial demand. Alberta's Endangered Species. Burrowing Owl Photo: Greg Lasley In order to protect Alberta's Endangered species, it's important to find the answers to three questions: what does it mean when a species is 'endangered?

Alberta's Endangered Species

' which Alberta species are endangered? What can be done to help them? This page provides information that will help you find answers to the first two questions and describes some organizations and programs that are working to restore extinct species or to keep endangered species from becoming extinct. The Alberta Special Places Page tells you about Alberta's six distinct types of habitat on which species depend. For many people, the term 'endangered species' brings to mind well known, large animals like the African Elephant. But here, in Alberta, the cumulative effect of farming, oil & gas development, mining, forestry and the establishment of our towns and roadways has put as many as 55 percent of Alberta species at risk. According to the Alberta Government Fish & Wildlife Branch: How to Help: Endangered Animals for kids. Green Kids Guide to Threatened Species: 9 Ways You Can Help.

Environment Australia, 2000 No one will ever again see a Paradise Parrot flash its rainbow colours across the sky or see the Tasmanian tiger slink through the wet Tasmanian forest.

Green Kids Guide to Threatened Species: 9 Ways You Can Help

They are gone forever - they are now extinct. There are over 50 types, or species, of Australian animals and over 60 species of Australian plants that are extinct. It is very sad, but it is too late.