Endangered Animals & Extinction How does it happen?What’s already gone?
Activity
Share the endangered animal you brought for homework with your group, and information about how it happened.
10 minutes
Post Activity Discussion
What surprised you by some of your peers’ animals?
What are common ways that your animals became endangered/extinct?
Do you think that there are ways we can help?
Causes for Endangerment
Habitat Destruction Exotic SpeciesOverexploitationDiseases and Pollution
Classifications
Vulnerable SpeciesThreatened SpeciesEndangered SpeciesExtinct Species
What is the government doing?
Endangered Species Act of 1973Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act of 1966Marin Mammal Protection Act
Activity In your groups, you have three signs sitting in
front of you: SAFE ENDANGERED EXTINCT
I’ll put up a picture of a living organism, and in your group, you’ll have 10 seconds to discuss if you think its safe, endangered, or extinct. When you hear the buzzer, hold up your team decision.
Whoever gets the most right, gets +100 points on the Jeopardy review tomorrow!
Pescado Stubfot Toad
Endangered!
This toad, which lives in Southwestern Ecuador has been threatened by habitat destruction due to logging and agricultural expansion.
We don’t know how many are left!
Aardvark
SAFE!
Sheath Tailed Bat
Endangered!
There are only 100 of these bats left! They only live in caves in Seychelles.
Habitat destruction and predation by invasive species have decreased its numbers.
How to help? Remove the invasive vegetation and control the
introduced predators, along with legal action.
West African Black Rhino
Extinct!
These rhinos were declared extinct in 2006 and their
last remaining habitat was in Cameroon. Poachers hunted the rhino for its horn!
Tarzan’s Chamelon
Endangered!
We don’t know how many of these cool chameleons are left!
Only live in eastern Madagascar, and are threatened by habitat loss from growing agriculture.
Action needed? Support for community conservation and
protection of its habitat!
Harris’s Hawk
SAFE!
Golden Toad
Extinct!
These beautiful toads was a fluorescent amphibian found in Costa Rica, but due to pollution and global
warming, they became extinct in 1989.
Pale Throated Sloth
SAFE!
Araipe Manakin
Endangered!
779 individuals remaining! Live in Brazil, and have dwindling numbers
because of increased agriculture and water diversion.
How we can help? Need legal protection of their environments,
and protection of the springs and streams!
Geometric Tortoise
Western Spotted Skunk
SAFE!
Endangered!
We don’t know how many are left, but they live in South Africa
The main threats are habitat destruction and degradation. They’ve also been hunted.
We need to create reserves and manage fires in these regions!
Spix’s Macaw
Extinct!
These beautiful blue bird doesn’t exist in the wild anymore. Habitat destruction and illegal trapping
has decreased the numbers of this bird dramatically.
Dark Sided Thrush
SAFE!
Rosa Arabica
Endangered!
Yes, flowers can be endangered too guys! There are only 10 sub populations of these
remaining, and they lie primarily in Egypt.These pretty flowers have many medicinal
values, but because of animal grazing, climate change, and drought, many have been lost!
We need to protect against human exploitation!
Fat Tailed Dwarf Lemur
SAFE!
Passenger Pigeon
EXTINCT!
These pigeons were hunted as crop. These birds used to
be all over the skies less than 100 years ago, but humans have gotten rid of them. Last one died in 1914.
American Crocodile
Almost went Extinct…but now SAFE!
In 1975, these crocodiles were listed as endangered, but because hunting stopped for their skin and zoos
started collecting them, their population sizes went up!
You CAN help!
Just like the American Crocodile…we CAN help save animals that currently endangered. Tomorrow: We will be thinking of creative
ways we can help the earth and certain animals!
Resources
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Education/Education_PDFs/Endangered_Animals_curr.pdf
http://science.discovery.com/creatures/10-extinct-species.htm
http://www.esasuccess.org/http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-
news/latest/recently-extinct-animals-list-470209#slide-11
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