Endangered Mammals
Being mammals ourselves, we tend to feel passionately about the plight of other mammals, such as tigers and pandas. Most endangered mammal species are threatened by habitat loss, while a significant percentage continue to be hunted despite dwindling population sizes.
According to the IUCN, some 20 percent of all known mammal species are either threatened or endangered. That's nearly 1,100 species. Some, like the baiji, are likely beyond hope. Others, like the giant panda, continue to make strides in the right direction.
ADDAX
The addax is a rare antelope found in the deserts of Northwest Africa. It has a gray-brown shiny coat and a tuft of chestnut forehead hair. It has exceptionally long spiral horns that are prized by trophy hunters. It is a highly social animal that once occurred in herds of dozens of individuals. Today, most animals live alone or in pairs because of declining populations. Fewer than 500 individuals remain in the wild.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Desert
Location: Northwest Africa
Diet: Grasses and leaves
AFRICAN WILD ASS
Like their horse and zebra relatives, wild asses have a long neck and legs and a mane on the back of the neck, which is erect on the African wild ass. They are light gray in summer, reddish gray in winter and have horizontal stripes along all four legs. They are found in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, though their range once included Egypt, Sudan and Israel. They are threatened by hunting and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Hilly, rocky desert and temperate grassland
Location: Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia
Diet: Grasses, bark and leaves
AFRICAN WILD DOG
African wild dogs are about the size of a medium-sized domestic dog. Historically, large packs of wild dogs roamed the savannas, plains and woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa, hunting in highly coordinated groups dominated by a breeding pair. Their numbers are now dwindling — mainly due to loss of habitat and poaching — and there may be only a few thousand individuals left in the wild.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and poaching
Habitat: Savanna, plains and woodlands
Location: Sub-Saharan Africa
Diet: Antelope, wildebeest, gazelles and similar animals
ANOA
The anoa is one of the smallest cattle species, and one of the most endangered. They are found in the remote, undisturbed lowland forests of Sulawesi and nearby Southeast Asian islands, and tend to retreat to higher elevations of the forest in response to human presence. They live alone or in pairs, and spend much of their time feeding on grasses, leaves and herbs. The anoa is currently threatened by hunting and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Undisturbed, damp, dense forest
Location: Sulawesi and nearby Southeast Asian islands
Diet: Grasses, leaves and herbs
ARABIAN ORYX
The Arabian oryx is an antelope that lives in nomadic herds. It follows the elusive desert rains and has several unique adaptations to living in a dry climate, including being able to go without water for weeks at a time. Now extinct in the wild, it once occurred throughout the Arabian Peninsula. As a flagship species — one that is popular and the target of conservation efforts — re-establishing oryx populations in the Arabian Peninsula may result in protections for many other species.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Hunting
Habitat: Plains and deserts
Location: Arabian Peninsula
Diet: Buds, grasses and leaves
ASIAN BUFFALO
The Asian buffalo is a cattle species that occurs in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Thailand, but its range was once much larger. It is a massive animal with heavy, flattened horns that are used to shovel and fling mud onto its back. Its preferred habitat is grasslands with abundant plant life and nearby watering pools for wallowing. The Asian buffalo is threatened by hunting, interbreeding with domestic stocks and loss of habitat, and there may be only a few thousand individuals left in the wild.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting, interbreeding with domestic stocks and habitat loss
Habitat: Abundant grasslands near watering pools
Location: India, Nepal, Bhutan and Thailand
Diet: Grasses and other vegetation
ASIAN ELEPHANT
Asian elephants are somewhat smaller than African elephants, their close relatives. Like all elephants, they live in small family groups and young calves are raised by their mothers as well as other members of the herd. Individuals communicate by vocalizations, foot stomping and postures, in order to stick together and to warn each other of approaching predators. The Asian elephant is rapidly declining due to loss of suitable habitat throughout its range.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Loss of suitable habitat
Habitat: Mainly scrub forest
Location: Parts of India and Southeast Asia
Diet: Grasses, bark, roots, leaves and other vegetation
AYE-AYE
The aye-aye is a species of lemur, a group of primates with large ears, long limbs and a long body. It has coarse black hair, huge eyes, a pointy nose, and a distinctive elongated middle finger that it uses to extract grubs from tree bark. It is among the most endangered animals in the world due to a combination of habitat loss and persecution (many negative superstitions exist about the aye-aye), but captive breeding programs may help keep this animal from going extinct.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and persecution
Habitat: Rain forest and deciduous forest, usually in the canopy
Location: Madagascar
Diet: Grubs
BACTRIAN CAMEL
The Bactrian camel is a two-hump camel with a shaggy coat and an almost U-shaped neck. It is the only remaining Old World camel in the wild. It lives in the harsh arid plains along the border between China and Mongolia, and can withstand temperatures from minus 20°F to 100°F. Hunting and competition with grazing domestic species have led to a drastic decline in Bactrian camel populations. There are currently fewer than 2,000 animals in the wild.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and competition with livestock
Habitat: Harsh arid plains
Location: China and Mongolia
Diet: Grasses, leaves and grain
BAIJI
The Baiji is a toothed whale with an elongated beak, a sleek body and an average weight of about 300 pounds. Their eyes are not well formed so they rely on echolocation to navigate and search for food in the muddy river bottom. There are many threats to this species, including collisions with boats and loss of prey species by overfishing, pollution and dams. Engine noise also interferes with echolocation.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threats: Boat collisions, loss of prey species, pollution and dams
Habitat: Lakes and rivers
Location: China's Yangtze River and nearby water systems
Diet: Fish
BAIRD'S TAPIR
Tapirs are piglike animals with long legs, an extended trunk and relatively streamlined bodies. Baird's tapir — the largest of the tapirs — has short, dark bristly hair with a light-colored chin and throat. It can be found in the forests of Central and South America, feeding on plant parts near freshwater sources. Baird's tapir are endangered throughout their range due to hunting and habitat destruction.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat destruction
Habitat: Dense tropical rain forest
Location: Central and South America
Diet: Leaves and fallen fruit
BEARDED SAKI
The bearded saki is a monkey found in the dense tropical forests of the Amazon in South America. It is an unusual-looking animal. Thick chin hair gives it a bushy beard and a mop of fur on the head creates thick bangs. When threatened or excited, it switches its tail and emits a high-pitched whistling call. Threats to the bearded saki include hunting and habitat destruction and fragmentation.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Hunting, habitat destruction and fragmentation
Habitat: Dense tropical rain forest
Location: Amazon
Diet: Mainly fruits; also nuts, buds, leaves and insects
BLACK-FOOTED FERRET
The black-footed ferret is a carnivorous mammal with short ears, a short snout and five toes on each foot. Once common on the plains of the Central United States, populations declined rapidly with the extirpation of prairie dogs, their main prey species. The black-footed ferret is currently listed as extinct in the wild, but captive breeding programs may allow for successful reintroduction of wild populations.
IUCN Status: Extinct in the Wild
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Loss of prey species, habitat loss and disease
Habitat: Short or middle grass prairies and rolling hills
Location: Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming
Diet: Mainly prairie dogs
BLUE WHALE
The largest animal on the planet, the blue whale can reach a length of more than 100 feet. Despite their size, they are remarkably skilled divers, rapidly plunging several hundred feet below the surface using their back muscles to propel them. When they emerge from the dive, they let out a torrent of water, air and mucus from their blowhole. They are found in most of the world's oceans, and are threatened by noise and other environmental pollution throughout much of their range.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Noise and other environmental pollution
Habitat: Open ocean
Location: World's oceans
Diet: Mainly krill
BONOBO
The bonobo is slightly smaller than the chimpanzee, and has a slimmer body and longer limbs. It lives in large social groups in which the female is dominant, and young pygmy chimpanzees spend up to three years being nursed, groomed and cared for by their mothers. The bonobo is found in the tropical and subtropical forests of Central Africa and is threatened by habitat loss and hunting.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and hunting
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical forests
Location: Central Africa
Diet: Mainly fruit; also other plant parts and invertebrates
CHEETAH
The cheetah is a golden-yellow cat with black spots and a ringed tail. The world's fastest land animal, the cheetah can reach speeds of more than 60 miles per hour. It cannot, however, maintain that speed for more than a few seconds. If prey can last longer than 10-20 seconds, it usually escapes. Cheetahs are among the world's most loved animals. There are major international efforts to save them from extinction. It is endangered due to habitat loss, reduction of prey species, inbreeding and high infant mortality.
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss, loss of prey species, inbreeding and infant mortality
Habitat: Areas with tall grass and shrubs
Location: Sub-Saharan African and Northern Iran
Diet: Mainly gazelles; also impalas, antelope young and small mammals
CHIMPANZEE
The chimpanzee has a bare face, longer arms than legs and dark hair thinly covering its body. It is one of the few primate species capable of walking upright. They live in large social groups in which the young are cared for by their mothers for about three years. During that time, young chimpanzees learn feeding techniques, including the use of tools. Chimpanzees are threatened by hunting and loss of habitat.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Tropical rain forest, montain forest,and forest-savanna environments
Location: Central Africa
Diet: Mainly fruits and young leaves; also other plant parts, insects, small vertebrates, eggs, etc.
GIANT ARMADILLO
Armadillos are insectivorous mammals that are covered in armored plates of hardened skin on their back, sides, limbs and tail. They have a huge claw on their front feet, which is used to dig up soil in search of food items such as insects and other small animals. The giant armadillo, by far the largest of the armadillos, can weigh more than 60 pounds. They are found in the Amazon Basin of South America but are endangered throughout their range due to hunting and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Prefers tropical rain forest
Location: Amazon Basin of South America
Diet: Ants and termites
GIANT OTTER
The giant otter is a large aquatic mammal with a dark brown shiny coat and cream-colored streaks and patches on the chin and throat. Its short legs and webbed toes make it a great swimmer, and its whiskers allow it to find prey in the water. They live in communal groups in northern and central South America and are threatened by habitat destruction throughout their range.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat destruction
Habitat: Tropical rivers, lakes and creeks
Location: Northern and central South America
Diet: Mainly fish; also crabs, snakes and small caimans
GIANT PANDA
The giant panda has a distinctive white head with black eye patches, ears and shoulders. Unlike other bear species, giant pandas are entirely herbivorous, spending up to 12 hours a day chewing bamboo shoots and roots. Because of poaching and habitat loss, they are extremely rare, occurring in small populations in the bamboo forests of China. Despite being the subject of major international conservation efforts, wild populations of giant pandas may not be enough to save this species.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss, poaching and human encroachment
Habitat: Mountainous regions where bamboo is present
Location: Central China
Diet: Bamboo shoots and roots
GOODFELLOW'S TREE KANGAROO
Like all tree kangaroos, Goodfellow's tree kangaroo is adapted for life in the trees. It has short legs, narrow feet and a long tail for balance. It is a large animal, with adults weighing up to 15 pounds. Its range lies entirely within Papua New Guinea, and it is threatened throughout its range by hunting and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Dense tropical rain forests
Location: Papua New Guinea
Diet: Silkwood leaves and various fruits
GORILLA
The gorilla is the largest of the primates. Adult males are often twice the size of females and have a silvery back when fully mature. They live in highly complex social groups led by a dominant male in the lowland and swamp forests of Central and Equatorial Africa. The gorilla faces many threats in the wild, including slash-and-burn forest clearing, illegal hunting for the bushmeat trade and trophy poaching.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and hunting
Habitat: Tropical secondary and montane forests
Location: Central and Equatorial Africa
Diet: Fruits, leaves shoots and some insects
GRAY WOLF
The gray wolf is the largest wild member of the dog family and was once the world's most widely distributed land mammal. It lives in packs that cooperate to hunt and patrol territories covering very wide areas. The range of the gray wolf includes the upper latitudes of North America, Greenland, Europe and Asia, though its distribution within that range has been dramatically reduced due to human persecution and habitat loss.
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Human persecution and habitat loss
Habitat: A wide range including forests, tundra and grasslands
Location: North America, Greenland, Europe and Asia
Diet: Mainly large prey such as moose, elk and bison
HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL
Seals are pinnipeds, all of which are specially adapted to an aquatic lifestyle. They are found worldwide in the temperate and polar seas, and most species breed on land in large colonies. The Hawaiian monk seal gets its name from its loose neck skin that resembles a monk's robe. It is currently threatened by hunting, habitat loss and disturbances to its breeding grounds by humans.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and disturbance to breeding grounds
Habitat: Temperate and polar seas
Location: Northwestern Hawaiian islands
Diet: Fish and various marine invertebrates
HIROLA
Hirola are a type of antelope. They have golden-brown hair, long legs and an elongated face. The horns of both the male and female are curved and flair at the tips. They live in the desert scrub and grasslands where they form harems led by a dominant territorial male. They have a very small range that includes parts of Kenya and Somalia, and their numbers are in sharp decline due to poaching and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threats: Poaching and habitat loss
Habitat: Deser scub and grasslands
Location: Kenya and Somalia
Diet: Mainly grasses
HUMPBACK WHALE
The humpback whale is a giant yet graceful marine mammal that can reach a length of more than 40 feet. It occurs throughout the world's oceans, spending its summers at the poles and winters at lower latitudes. Both males and females sing, but the song of the male is long and complex, containing variations in rhythm and melody and sometimes lasting 30 minutes or more. It is used to attract females, to warn other males, and possibly to locate individual whales. The primary threat to the humpback whale comes from commercial whaling.
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Commercial whaling
Habitat: Polar to tropical waters
Location: World's oceans
Diet: Krill and small schooling fish
IBERIAN LYNX
The Iberian lynx is a solitary cat with a spotted coat and tufted ears found in southwestern Europe. It is an expert hunter, feeding on rabbits, deer fawns, ducks and other animals. It is threatened by loss of habitat and prey species and currently has a very restricted range. This may be the first cat species to go extinct for at least 2,000 years.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Loss of habitat and prey species
Habitat: Openg grassland mixed with dense shrubs and trees
Location: Southwestern Europe
Diet: Rabbits, deer fawns, ducks and other animals
INDIANA BAT
The Indiana bat is a medium-sized gray-brown bat that lives in limestone caves in many states of the Midwestern United States. It is an important species in that it eats many insects that are considered to be agricultural pests. They spend winters in caves and migrate north in spring to roost in trees with their young. Habitat disturbance and environmental pollution threaten this species throughout the Midwest.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat disturbance and environmental pollution
Habitat: Caves and forests
Location: Midwestern United States
Diet: Insects
INDUS RIVER DOLPHIN
The Indus River dolphin is a small freshwater dolphin found in the rivers of southern Asia. It has broad flippers, a flattened neck and an elongated beak with rows of sharp teeth. The front teeth protrude to form a cage for fish and other prey. The Indus River dolphin is extremely rare and faces numerous threats throughout its range, including pollution, poaching, collisions with boats, being caught in fishing nets and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Pollution, poaching, collision with boats, fishing nets and habitat loss
Habitat: Rivers
Location: Southern Asia
Diet: Shrimp and small fish
IRANIAN JERBOA
The Iranian jerboa is a mouselike rodent that is endemic to Iran. It is light brown with short legs and a tufted tail. It is a vegetarian and nocturnal, spending much of its day in underground burrows and emerging at night to forage. The Iranian jerboa is only known to occur in a small grassland region of southern Iran. It is threatened because of a restricted range and by habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threats: Restricted range and habitat loss
Habitat: Grassland regions
Location: Southern Iran
Diet: Vegetation
JAGUAR
The jaguar is the New World's only large cat species. It looks like a leopard, but it has whorled spots with dark centers. It is a stout, powerful, big-headed animal that occurs in watery habitats such as swampland and frequently flooded forests throughout central and northern South America. The jaguar is threatened by competition with domestic species, hunting and habitat loss.
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Competition with domestic species, hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Watery habitats like swampland and flooded forest
Location: Central and northern South America
Diet: Mainly medium- and large-sized mammals
JAVAN RHINOCEROS
The Javan rhinoceros is an extremely rare mammal with thick gray skin that folds into a saddle around the neck. With many adults weighing more than 4,000 pounds, it is a very large animal. It has a single horn on the tip of its snout that grows to about 10 inches. It is a solitary nocturnal animal found only in the forests of Southeast Asia. It is threatened throughout its range by hunting and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Dense lowland rain forest
Location: Indonesia and Vietnam
Diet: Leaves, shoots, fruit and other vegetation
MANED THREE-TOED SLOTH
Sloths are slow-moving mammals with small heads, eyes and ears. They spend their time suspended from trees branches in the forest canopy, eating the leaves, buds and twigs. The maned three-toed sloth lives in the forests of Brazil, where it is threatened by logging. They are entirely dependent on trees and cannot race away when their trees are cut down. On the ground, they drag themselves along using their strong front limbs.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Continuing deforestation
Habitat: Coastal rain forest
Location: Brazil
Diet: Leaves, buds and soft twigs
MANED WOLF
The maned wolf is a carnivore similar in appearance to the red fox but with very long legs. The maned wolf also has a black neck crest that resembles a mane. It is found in the scrub and grasslands of the central parts of South America where it lives in male-female pairs. It is active at night, hunting rabbits, birds, mice and other creatures. Threats to the maned wolf include hunting, habitat loss and disease.
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting, habitat loss and disease
Habitat: Scrub and grasslands
Location: Central South America
Diet: Rabbits, birds, mice and other animals
MOUNTAIN ZEBRA
With their distinctive black and white stripes, long legs and ability to run at high speeds, zebras are a symbol of wilderness and conservation throughout the world. Unlike other hoofed mammals, zebras and their horse relatives have only one toe on each foot. The mountain zebra is distinguished from other zebras by having a fold of skin, called a dewlap, on their throat. They occur in South Africa and are threatened by hunting and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Mountainous slopes and plateaus
Location: South Africa
Diet: Tufted grass, bark, leaves, fruit and roots
NORTHERN HAIRY-NOSED WOMBAT
The northern hairy-nosed wombat is a rare, stocky, short-legged marsupial that only occurs in a forest preserve in Queensland, Australia. They are large animals, sometimes growing to a meter or more in length. They are solitary and are known for digging elaborate underground tunnels, which explains their powerful forearms. Once abundant, there are currently fewer than 100 individuals left in the wild because of degraded and lost habitat.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and degradation
Habitat: Semi-arid, open woodlands or grasslands
Location: Epping Forest National Park in Queensland, Australia
Diet: Native grasses
OCELOT
The ocelot is a reddish-brown cat with a light-colored belly and spots in a distinctive chain-link rosette pattern. It lives in a variety of habitats, including grasslands, swamps and forests, from the southern United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. Ocelots were once hunted to near extinction, but numbers have recently increased in some populations. Today, the primary threat is loss of habitat.
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Loss of habitat
Habitat: A variety including grasslands, swamps, and forests
Location: Southern United States to South America
Diet: Small- to medium-sized mammals and birds
ORANGUTAN
The orangutan is a tree-dwelling primate that rarely ventures down to the ground. It has orange-red fur, long arms and handlike feet. Young orangutans cling to their mother as she navigates the forest canopy, feeding on fruit and other plant parts as well as honey, lizards, birds and eggs. Threats to the orangutan include hunting, loss of habitat and being captured for the illegal pet trade.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting, habitat loss and the illegal pet trade
Habitat: Various tropical forest habitats
Location: Island of Borneo
Diet: Fruits and other plant parts; also honey, lizards, birds and eggs
PANTHER
The panther is a large, long-tailed predatory cat with big paws for its size. It is usually tan, golden or chestnut above, with a light belly and very dark brown tail tip and ears. It is remarkably adaptable, occurring in habitats ranging from tropical to mountain to desert. By the mid-20th century, panther populations were greatly reduced by hunting, but the primary threat to the panther today is habitat loss.
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: A wide variety including tropical, mountain and desert
Location: South America and western North America
Diet: Mainly deer; also other small- to medium-sized animals
PRZEWALSKI'S HORSE
Przewalski's horse is a short, stocky horse with a long neck and very large head. Its mane is dark and stiff, and its coat ranges from golden brown to reddish. Przewalski's horse is the only true wild horse. Unfortunately, they went extinct in the wild during the 20th century due to hunting and crossbreeding. Today, they are being reintroduced to their natural habitat on the Mongolian steppe with zoo-bred individuals. Today, threats to Przewalski's horse come from loss of grazing habitat.
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Loss of grazing habitat
Habitat: Grassy deserts and plains
Location: Altai Mountains of Mongolia
Diet: Mainly grasses, plants and fruit
PYGMY HIPPOPOTAMUS
Weighing between 400 and 500 pounds on average, the pygmy hippopotamus is only a small fraction of the weight of other hippopotamuses. Because they spend more time on land than their larger cousins, they have narrower feet and fewer webbed toes. They live in the marshlands and dense forests of Liberia and West Africa, foraging at night, and are usually solitary. They are threatened by illegal hunting and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Illegal hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Marshlands and dense forests
Location: Liberia and West Africa
Diet: Fallen fruits, aquatic plants, grasses and leaves
RED PANDA
The red panda is a chestnut-colored panda with alternating light and dark rings on the tail. It is mainly nocturnal and solitary, and spends most of its time in trees, where it uses its long bushy tail for balance. The red panda lives in the dense, cool temperate forests of Myanmar and the Himalayan Mountains in South Asia. It is threatened throughout its range by poaching and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Poaching and habitat loss
Habitat: Dense, cool temperate forests
Location: Myanmar and Himalayan Mountains
Diet: Blossoms, berries, eggs, leaves and bamboo
RED WOLF
The red wolf is a small carnivore with a coat of mixed cinnamon, black and white fur. Similar to the gray wolf, it lives in highly organized social packs that cooperatively hunt small mammals. By the 1970s, the red wolf was believed to be extinct in the wild, primarily because of human persecution and interbreeding with coyotes. They currently exist in a reintroduced population in North Carolina.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Human persecution and habitat loss
Habitat: Mountains, lowland forests and wetlands
Location: Southeastern United States
Diet: Deer, rabbits, mice, raccoons and other mammals
RING-TAILED LEMUR
The ring-tailed lemur is a small primate found only in southern and southwestern Madagascar. It has a white face, dark nose and eye patches; brown-gray fur on its body; and a distinctive black and white ringed tail. It is a very social lemur, living in female-dominated groups of five to 25 and spends more time on the ground than other lemurs. Like many lemurs, this species is threatened by widespread habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Habitat loss
Habitat: Mainly deciduous and gallery forest
Location: Southern and southwestern Madagascar
Diet: Mainly fruit; also leaves
RUFFED LEMUR
Lemurs are small primates with a doglike snout, large eyes and a dental comb used for mutual grooming (except for the aye-aye). The ruffed lemur is the largest of the lemurs, weighing between eight and 10 pounds on average. It lives in the rain forests of eastern Madagascar in small social groups. They are threatened by deforestation, hunting and capture for the exotic pet trade.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Deforestation, hunting and exotic pet trade
Habitat: Rain forests
Location: Eastern Madagascar
Diet: Mainly fruit; also leaves, seeds and nectar
SCIMITAR-HORNED ORYX
The scimitar-horned oryx is an antelope with curved, swordlike horns that grow to be several feet long. This graceful herbivore was once found throughout much of the desert plains and arid regions of Africa, but they are now extinct in the wild due to hunting and habitat loss. They are very social animals, and historically traveled together in large herds. There is currently an international effort to restore wild populations through captive breeding and reintroduction.
IUCN Status: Extinct in the Wild
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Arid steppe and desert
Location: North Africa
Diet: Leaves, grasses and fruit
SEA OTTER
Compared to other otters, the sea otter is smaller and stouter. It has several anatomical adaptations to an aquatic existence, including large lungs, very thick fur, a powerful tail and flipper-like hind feet. It is the world's smallest marine mammal. Once widespread in coastal waters throughout the eastern Pacific Ocean, sea otter populations have declined dramatically in recent years, possibly because of predation or poaching.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Oil spills
Habitat: Coastal waters
Location: Eastern Pacific Ocean
Diet: Marine invertebrates, such as crabs, octopus and sea urchins
SLENDER LORIS
Lorises are small primates related to the lemurs of Madagascar. The slender loris is a grayish-brown animal with a dark face and large eyes separated by a white stripe. They move through the forest with grace and deliberation, holding onto tree branches with their unusual toes. On each foot, the big toe opposes the other toes and creates a four-way grip of the branch. Slender lorises are found in forests of South Asia and Sri Lanka. They are threatened by deforestation.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Deforestation
Habitat: Various forest habitats
Location: South Asia and Sri Lanka
Diet: Mainly insects; also plant matter, eggs and small vertebrates
SNOW LEOPARD
The snow leopard is a large carnivorous cat that lives in the steppe, shrub, mountains and open forests of Central and South Asia. It has short, stocky limbs for climbing craggy terrain and a long, thickly furred tail for warmth and balance. The snow leopard is threatened by loss of prey species, declining habitat, poaching and persecution. There may be as few as 2,500 adults remaining in the wild.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Loss of prey species, declining habitat, poaching and persecution
Habitat: Steppe, shrub, mountains and open forests
Location: Central and South Asia
Diet: Small- and medium-sized mammals
SPERM WHALE
The sperm whale is the world's largest carnivore. It can grow to a length of more than 60 feet, and has a huge boxlike head that makes up more than one-third of its total length. It is an impressive diver, plunging to depths of nearly 4,000 feet and staying submerged for almost two hours at a time. The sperm whale is found in deep waters worldwide and is threatened by hunting, being caught in fishing gear and colliding with ships.
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting, being caugh in fishing gear and colliding with ships
Habitat: Open ocean
Location: Worldwide oceans
Diet: Giant squid, octopus, fish and other marine animals
SUMATRAN RHINOCEROS
The Sumatran rhinoceros is the smallest and hairiest of the world's living rhinoceroses. It is also one of the most critically endangered. As the name suggests, these animals occur in Sumatra and also Borneo, although they once roamed throughout Southeast Asia. Because of poaching and destruction of its rainforest habitat, Sumatran rhinoceros numbers have been in steady decline in recent decades and there may be fewer than 300 hundred individuals left in the wild.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Poaching and habitat destruction
Habitat: Lowland secondary rainforest, swamps and moss forests
Location: Sumatra and Borneo
Diet: Young saplings, leaves and other vegetation
TIGER
The tiger is the largest member of the cat family. A symbol of wildlife conservation, it is a majestic animal with an orange coat, black stripes and white markings. It lives in tropical forests, where it is usually solitary and nocturnal. Its range once extended to Eastern Europe, but it now lives in scattered populations in southern and eastern Asia. It is threatened by poaching, habitat loss and loss of prey species.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Poaching, habitat loss and loss of prey species
Habitat: Various habitats including rain forest, deciduous forest and coniferous forest
Location: Southern and eastern Asia
Diet: Mainly large, hooved animals
VICUNA
The vicuna is the smallest member of the camel family. On average, adult vicunas are about 5 feet tall with a long neck and cleft upper lip designed for grasping at grasses. It has a thick, insulating cinnamon-colored coat with a white chest bib. They live in the grasslands of the Andes Mountains in the South American countries of Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. The primary threat to the vicuna is illegal hunting.
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Illegal hunting
Habitat: Mountainous grasslands
Location: Andes Mountains in the South America
WESTERN GIANT ELAND
Elands are the largest of all antelopes. They are commonly used for milk or hunted for their meat and hides. The western giant eland has large ears, spiral pointed horns and vertical white stripes on its cinnamon-brown body. It lives in Central and West Africa, and is rapidly disappearing throughout its range because of habitat loss, primarily due to agricultural expansion.
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Habitat loss due to agricultural expansion
Habitat: Tropical savanna
Location: Central and West Africa
Diet: Fruits, leaves, flowers, bark and other plant parts
YELLOW-BREASTED CAPUCHIN
Capuchins are New World primates with a small face, short limbs and a prehensile tail. Many species of capuchin — such as Brazil's yellow-breasted capuchin — are known for being adept at using tools, primarily to crack open hard-shelled nuts. Yellow-breasted capuchins are also one of the most endangered primates. Threats to this species include hunting, habitat loss and capture for the illegal pet trade.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threat: Hunting, habitat loss and the illegal pet trade
Habitat: Evergreen rain forest, mangroves and deciduous dry forest
Location: Brazil
Diet: Fruits, seeds, nectar and small animals
Diet: Mainly grasses
Being mammals ourselves, we tend to feel passionately about the plight of other mammals, such as tigers and pandas. Most endangered mammal species are threatened by habitat loss, while a significant percentage continue to be hunted despite dwindling population sizes.
According to the IUCN, some 20 percent of all known mammal species are either threatened or endangered. That's nearly 1,100 species. Some, like the baiji, are likely beyond hope. Others, like the giant panda, continue to make strides in the right direction.
ADDAX
The addax is a rare antelope found in the deserts of Northwest Africa. It has a gray-brown shiny coat and a tuft of chestnut forehead hair. It has exceptionally long spiral horns that are prized by trophy hunters. It is a highly social animal that once occurred in herds of dozens of individuals. Today, most animals live alone or in pairs because of declining populations. Fewer than 500 individuals remain in the wild.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Desert
Location: Northwest Africa
Diet: Grasses and leaves
AFRICAN WILD ASS
Like their horse and zebra relatives, wild asses have a long neck and legs and a mane on the back of the neck, which is erect on the African wild ass. They are light gray in summer, reddish gray in winter and have horizontal stripes along all four legs. They are found in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, though their range once included Egypt, Sudan and Israel. They are threatened by hunting and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Hilly, rocky desert and temperate grassland
Location: Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia
Diet: Grasses, bark and leaves
AFRICAN WILD DOG
African wild dogs are about the size of a medium-sized domestic dog. Historically, large packs of wild dogs roamed the savannas, plains and woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa, hunting in highly coordinated groups dominated by a breeding pair. Their numbers are now dwindling — mainly due to loss of habitat and poaching — and there may be only a few thousand individuals left in the wild.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and poaching
Habitat: Savanna, plains and woodlands
Location: Sub-Saharan Africa
Diet: Antelope, wildebeest, gazelles and similar animals
ANOA
The anoa is one of the smallest cattle species, and one of the most endangered. They are found in the remote, undisturbed lowland forests of Sulawesi and nearby Southeast Asian islands, and tend to retreat to higher elevations of the forest in response to human presence. They live alone or in pairs, and spend much of their time feeding on grasses, leaves and herbs. The anoa is currently threatened by hunting and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Undisturbed, damp, dense forest
Location: Sulawesi and nearby Southeast Asian islands
Diet: Grasses, leaves and herbs
ARABIAN ORYX
The Arabian oryx is an antelope that lives in nomadic herds. It follows the elusive desert rains and has several unique adaptations to living in a dry climate, including being able to go without water for weeks at a time. Now extinct in the wild, it once occurred throughout the Arabian Peninsula. As a flagship species — one that is popular and the target of conservation efforts — re-establishing oryx populations in the Arabian Peninsula may result in protections for many other species.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Hunting
Habitat: Plains and deserts
Location: Arabian Peninsula
Diet: Buds, grasses and leaves
ASIAN BUFFALO
The Asian buffalo is a cattle species that occurs in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Thailand, but its range was once much larger. It is a massive animal with heavy, flattened horns that are used to shovel and fling mud onto its back. Its preferred habitat is grasslands with abundant plant life and nearby watering pools for wallowing. The Asian buffalo is threatened by hunting, interbreeding with domestic stocks and loss of habitat, and there may be only a few thousand individuals left in the wild.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting, interbreeding with domestic stocks and habitat loss
Habitat: Abundant grasslands near watering pools
Location: India, Nepal, Bhutan and Thailand
Diet: Grasses and other vegetation
ASIAN ELEPHANT
Asian elephants are somewhat smaller than African elephants, their close relatives. Like all elephants, they live in small family groups and young calves are raised by their mothers as well as other members of the herd. Individuals communicate by vocalizations, foot stomping and postures, in order to stick together and to warn each other of approaching predators. The Asian elephant is rapidly declining due to loss of suitable habitat throughout its range.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Loss of suitable habitat
Habitat: Mainly scrub forest
Location: Parts of India and Southeast Asia
Diet: Grasses, bark, roots, leaves and other vegetation
AYE-AYE
The aye-aye is a species of lemur, a group of primates with large ears, long limbs and a long body. It has coarse black hair, huge eyes, a pointy nose, and a distinctive elongated middle finger that it uses to extract grubs from tree bark. It is among the most endangered animals in the world due to a combination of habitat loss and persecution (many negative superstitions exist about the aye-aye), but captive breeding programs may help keep this animal from going extinct.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and persecution
Habitat: Rain forest and deciduous forest, usually in the canopy
Location: Madagascar
Diet: Grubs
BACTRIAN CAMEL
The Bactrian camel is a two-hump camel with a shaggy coat and an almost U-shaped neck. It is the only remaining Old World camel in the wild. It lives in the harsh arid plains along the border between China and Mongolia, and can withstand temperatures from minus 20°F to 100°F. Hunting and competition with grazing domestic species have led to a drastic decline in Bactrian camel populations. There are currently fewer than 2,000 animals in the wild.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and competition with livestock
Habitat: Harsh arid plains
Location: China and Mongolia
Diet: Grasses, leaves and grain
BAIJI
The Baiji is a toothed whale with an elongated beak, a sleek body and an average weight of about 300 pounds. Their eyes are not well formed so they rely on echolocation to navigate and search for food in the muddy river bottom. There are many threats to this species, including collisions with boats and loss of prey species by overfishing, pollution and dams. Engine noise also interferes with echolocation.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threats: Boat collisions, loss of prey species, pollution and dams
Habitat: Lakes and rivers
Location: China's Yangtze River and nearby water systems
Diet: Fish
BAIRD'S TAPIR
Tapirs are piglike animals with long legs, an extended trunk and relatively streamlined bodies. Baird's tapir — the largest of the tapirs — has short, dark bristly hair with a light-colored chin and throat. It can be found in the forests of Central and South America, feeding on plant parts near freshwater sources. Baird's tapir are endangered throughout their range due to hunting and habitat destruction.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat destruction
Habitat: Dense tropical rain forest
Location: Central and South America
Diet: Leaves and fallen fruit
BEARDED SAKI
The bearded saki is a monkey found in the dense tropical forests of the Amazon in South America. It is an unusual-looking animal. Thick chin hair gives it a bushy beard and a mop of fur on the head creates thick bangs. When threatened or excited, it switches its tail and emits a high-pitched whistling call. Threats to the bearded saki include hunting and habitat destruction and fragmentation.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Hunting, habitat destruction and fragmentation
Habitat: Dense tropical rain forest
Location: Amazon
Diet: Mainly fruits; also nuts, buds, leaves and insects
BLACK-FOOTED FERRET
The black-footed ferret is a carnivorous mammal with short ears, a short snout and five toes on each foot. Once common on the plains of the Central United States, populations declined rapidly with the extirpation of prairie dogs, their main prey species. The black-footed ferret is currently listed as extinct in the wild, but captive breeding programs may allow for successful reintroduction of wild populations.
IUCN Status: Extinct in the Wild
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Loss of prey species, habitat loss and disease
Habitat: Short or middle grass prairies and rolling hills
Location: Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming
Diet: Mainly prairie dogs
BLUE WHALE
The largest animal on the planet, the blue whale can reach a length of more than 100 feet. Despite their size, they are remarkably skilled divers, rapidly plunging several hundred feet below the surface using their back muscles to propel them. When they emerge from the dive, they let out a torrent of water, air and mucus from their blowhole. They are found in most of the world's oceans, and are threatened by noise and other environmental pollution throughout much of their range.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Noise and other environmental pollution
Habitat: Open ocean
Location: World's oceans
Diet: Mainly krill
BONOBO
The bonobo is slightly smaller than the chimpanzee, and has a slimmer body and longer limbs. It lives in large social groups in which the female is dominant, and young pygmy chimpanzees spend up to three years being nursed, groomed and cared for by their mothers. The bonobo is found in the tropical and subtropical forests of Central Africa and is threatened by habitat loss and hunting.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and hunting
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical forests
Location: Central Africa
Diet: Mainly fruit; also other plant parts and invertebrates
CHEETAH
The cheetah is a golden-yellow cat with black spots and a ringed tail. The world's fastest land animal, the cheetah can reach speeds of more than 60 miles per hour. It cannot, however, maintain that speed for more than a few seconds. If prey can last longer than 10-20 seconds, it usually escapes. Cheetahs are among the world's most loved animals. There are major international efforts to save them from extinction. It is endangered due to habitat loss, reduction of prey species, inbreeding and high infant mortality.
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss, loss of prey species, inbreeding and infant mortality
Habitat: Areas with tall grass and shrubs
Location: Sub-Saharan African and Northern Iran
Diet: Mainly gazelles; also impalas, antelope young and small mammals
CHIMPANZEE
The chimpanzee has a bare face, longer arms than legs and dark hair thinly covering its body. It is one of the few primate species capable of walking upright. They live in large social groups in which the young are cared for by their mothers for about three years. During that time, young chimpanzees learn feeding techniques, including the use of tools. Chimpanzees are threatened by hunting and loss of habitat.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Tropical rain forest, montain forest,and forest-savanna environments
Location: Central Africa
Diet: Mainly fruits and young leaves; also other plant parts, insects, small vertebrates, eggs, etc.
GIANT ARMADILLO
Armadillos are insectivorous mammals that are covered in armored plates of hardened skin on their back, sides, limbs and tail. They have a huge claw on their front feet, which is used to dig up soil in search of food items such as insects and other small animals. The giant armadillo, by far the largest of the armadillos, can weigh more than 60 pounds. They are found in the Amazon Basin of South America but are endangered throughout their range due to hunting and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Prefers tropical rain forest
Location: Amazon Basin of South America
Diet: Ants and termites
GIANT OTTER
The giant otter is a large aquatic mammal with a dark brown shiny coat and cream-colored streaks and patches on the chin and throat. Its short legs and webbed toes make it a great swimmer, and its whiskers allow it to find prey in the water. They live in communal groups in northern and central South America and are threatened by habitat destruction throughout their range.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat destruction
Habitat: Tropical rivers, lakes and creeks
Location: Northern and central South America
Diet: Mainly fish; also crabs, snakes and small caimans
GIANT PANDA
The giant panda has a distinctive white head with black eye patches, ears and shoulders. Unlike other bear species, giant pandas are entirely herbivorous, spending up to 12 hours a day chewing bamboo shoots and roots. Because of poaching and habitat loss, they are extremely rare, occurring in small populations in the bamboo forests of China. Despite being the subject of major international conservation efforts, wild populations of giant pandas may not be enough to save this species.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss, poaching and human encroachment
Habitat: Mountainous regions where bamboo is present
Location: Central China
Diet: Bamboo shoots and roots
GOODFELLOW'S TREE KANGAROO
Like all tree kangaroos, Goodfellow's tree kangaroo is adapted for life in the trees. It has short legs, narrow feet and a long tail for balance. It is a large animal, with adults weighing up to 15 pounds. Its range lies entirely within Papua New Guinea, and it is threatened throughout its range by hunting and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Dense tropical rain forests
Location: Papua New Guinea
Diet: Silkwood leaves and various fruits
GORILLA
The gorilla is the largest of the primates. Adult males are often twice the size of females and have a silvery back when fully mature. They live in highly complex social groups led by a dominant male in the lowland and swamp forests of Central and Equatorial Africa. The gorilla faces many threats in the wild, including slash-and-burn forest clearing, illegal hunting for the bushmeat trade and trophy poaching.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and hunting
Habitat: Tropical secondary and montane forests
Location: Central and Equatorial Africa
Diet: Fruits, leaves shoots and some insects
GRAY WOLF
The gray wolf is the largest wild member of the dog family and was once the world's most widely distributed land mammal. It lives in packs that cooperate to hunt and patrol territories covering very wide areas. The range of the gray wolf includes the upper latitudes of North America, Greenland, Europe and Asia, though its distribution within that range has been dramatically reduced due to human persecution and habitat loss.
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Human persecution and habitat loss
Habitat: A wide range including forests, tundra and grasslands
Location: North America, Greenland, Europe and Asia
Diet: Mainly large prey such as moose, elk and bison
HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL
Seals are pinnipeds, all of which are specially adapted to an aquatic lifestyle. They are found worldwide in the temperate and polar seas, and most species breed on land in large colonies. The Hawaiian monk seal gets its name from its loose neck skin that resembles a monk's robe. It is currently threatened by hunting, habitat loss and disturbances to its breeding grounds by humans.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and disturbance to breeding grounds
Habitat: Temperate and polar seas
Location: Northwestern Hawaiian islands
Diet: Fish and various marine invertebrates
HIROLA
Hirola are a type of antelope. They have golden-brown hair, long legs and an elongated face. The horns of both the male and female are curved and flair at the tips. They live in the desert scrub and grasslands where they form harems led by a dominant territorial male. They have a very small range that includes parts of Kenya and Somalia, and their numbers are in sharp decline due to poaching and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threats: Poaching and habitat loss
Habitat: Deser scub and grasslands
Location: Kenya and Somalia
Diet: Mainly grasses
HUMPBACK WHALE
The humpback whale is a giant yet graceful marine mammal that can reach a length of more than 40 feet. It occurs throughout the world's oceans, spending its summers at the poles and winters at lower latitudes. Both males and females sing, but the song of the male is long and complex, containing variations in rhythm and melody and sometimes lasting 30 minutes or more. It is used to attract females, to warn other males, and possibly to locate individual whales. The primary threat to the humpback whale comes from commercial whaling.
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Commercial whaling
Habitat: Polar to tropical waters
Location: World's oceans
Diet: Krill and small schooling fish
IBERIAN LYNX
The Iberian lynx is a solitary cat with a spotted coat and tufted ears found in southwestern Europe. It is an expert hunter, feeding on rabbits, deer fawns, ducks and other animals. It is threatened by loss of habitat and prey species and currently has a very restricted range. This may be the first cat species to go extinct for at least 2,000 years.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Loss of habitat and prey species
Habitat: Openg grassland mixed with dense shrubs and trees
Location: Southwestern Europe
Diet: Rabbits, deer fawns, ducks and other animals
INDIANA BAT
The Indiana bat is a medium-sized gray-brown bat that lives in limestone caves in many states of the Midwestern United States. It is an important species in that it eats many insects that are considered to be agricultural pests. They spend winters in caves and migrate north in spring to roost in trees with their young. Habitat disturbance and environmental pollution threaten this species throughout the Midwest.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat disturbance and environmental pollution
Habitat: Caves and forests
Location: Midwestern United States
Diet: Insects
INDUS RIVER DOLPHIN
The Indus River dolphin is a small freshwater dolphin found in the rivers of southern Asia. It has broad flippers, a flattened neck and an elongated beak with rows of sharp teeth. The front teeth protrude to form a cage for fish and other prey. The Indus River dolphin is extremely rare and faces numerous threats throughout its range, including pollution, poaching, collisions with boats, being caught in fishing nets and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Pollution, poaching, collision with boats, fishing nets and habitat loss
Habitat: Rivers
Location: Southern Asia
Diet: Shrimp and small fish
IRANIAN JERBOA
The Iranian jerboa is a mouselike rodent that is endemic to Iran. It is light brown with short legs and a tufted tail. It is a vegetarian and nocturnal, spending much of its day in underground burrows and emerging at night to forage. The Iranian jerboa is only known to occur in a small grassland region of southern Iran. It is threatened because of a restricted range and by habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threats: Restricted range and habitat loss
Habitat: Grassland regions
Location: Southern Iran
Diet: Vegetation
JAGUAR
The jaguar is the New World's only large cat species. It looks like a leopard, but it has whorled spots with dark centers. It is a stout, powerful, big-headed animal that occurs in watery habitats such as swampland and frequently flooded forests throughout central and northern South America. The jaguar is threatened by competition with domestic species, hunting and habitat loss.
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Competition with domestic species, hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Watery habitats like swampland and flooded forest
Location: Central and northern South America
Diet: Mainly medium- and large-sized mammals
JAVAN RHINOCEROS
The Javan rhinoceros is an extremely rare mammal with thick gray skin that folds into a saddle around the neck. With many adults weighing more than 4,000 pounds, it is a very large animal. It has a single horn on the tip of its snout that grows to about 10 inches. It is a solitary nocturnal animal found only in the forests of Southeast Asia. It is threatened throughout its range by hunting and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Dense lowland rain forest
Location: Indonesia and Vietnam
Diet: Leaves, shoots, fruit and other vegetation
MANED THREE-TOED SLOTH
Sloths are slow-moving mammals with small heads, eyes and ears. They spend their time suspended from trees branches in the forest canopy, eating the leaves, buds and twigs. The maned three-toed sloth lives in the forests of Brazil, where it is threatened by logging. They are entirely dependent on trees and cannot race away when their trees are cut down. On the ground, they drag themselves along using their strong front limbs.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Continuing deforestation
Habitat: Coastal rain forest
Location: Brazil
Diet: Leaves, buds and soft twigs
MANED WOLF
The maned wolf is a carnivore similar in appearance to the red fox but with very long legs. The maned wolf also has a black neck crest that resembles a mane. It is found in the scrub and grasslands of the central parts of South America where it lives in male-female pairs. It is active at night, hunting rabbits, birds, mice and other creatures. Threats to the maned wolf include hunting, habitat loss and disease.
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting, habitat loss and disease
Habitat: Scrub and grasslands
Location: Central South America
Diet: Rabbits, birds, mice and other animals
MOUNTAIN ZEBRA
With their distinctive black and white stripes, long legs and ability to run at high speeds, zebras are a symbol of wilderness and conservation throughout the world. Unlike other hoofed mammals, zebras and their horse relatives have only one toe on each foot. The mountain zebra is distinguished from other zebras by having a fold of skin, called a dewlap, on their throat. They occur in South Africa and are threatened by hunting and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Mountainous slopes and plateaus
Location: South Africa
Diet: Tufted grass, bark, leaves, fruit and roots
NORTHERN HAIRY-NOSED WOMBAT
The northern hairy-nosed wombat is a rare, stocky, short-legged marsupial that only occurs in a forest preserve in Queensland, Australia. They are large animals, sometimes growing to a meter or more in length. They are solitary and are known for digging elaborate underground tunnels, which explains their powerful forearms. Once abundant, there are currently fewer than 100 individuals left in the wild because of degraded and lost habitat.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and degradation
Habitat: Semi-arid, open woodlands or grasslands
Location: Epping Forest National Park in Queensland, Australia
Diet: Native grasses
OCELOT
The ocelot is a reddish-brown cat with a light-colored belly and spots in a distinctive chain-link rosette pattern. It lives in a variety of habitats, including grasslands, swamps and forests, from the southern United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. Ocelots were once hunted to near extinction, but numbers have recently increased in some populations. Today, the primary threat is loss of habitat.
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Loss of habitat
Habitat: A variety including grasslands, swamps, and forests
Location: Southern United States to South America
Diet: Small- to medium-sized mammals and birds
ORANGUTAN
The orangutan is a tree-dwelling primate that rarely ventures down to the ground. It has orange-red fur, long arms and handlike feet. Young orangutans cling to their mother as she navigates the forest canopy, feeding on fruit and other plant parts as well as honey, lizards, birds and eggs. Threats to the orangutan include hunting, loss of habitat and being captured for the illegal pet trade.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting, habitat loss and the illegal pet trade
Habitat: Various tropical forest habitats
Location: Island of Borneo
Diet: Fruits and other plant parts; also honey, lizards, birds and eggs
PANTHER
The panther is a large, long-tailed predatory cat with big paws for its size. It is usually tan, golden or chestnut above, with a light belly and very dark brown tail tip and ears. It is remarkably adaptable, occurring in habitats ranging from tropical to mountain to desert. By the mid-20th century, panther populations were greatly reduced by hunting, but the primary threat to the panther today is habitat loss.
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: A wide variety including tropical, mountain and desert
Location: South America and western North America
Diet: Mainly deer; also other small- to medium-sized animals
PRZEWALSKI'S HORSE
Przewalski's horse is a short, stocky horse with a long neck and very large head. Its mane is dark and stiff, and its coat ranges from golden brown to reddish. Przewalski's horse is the only true wild horse. Unfortunately, they went extinct in the wild during the 20th century due to hunting and crossbreeding. Today, they are being reintroduced to their natural habitat on the Mongolian steppe with zoo-bred individuals. Today, threats to Przewalski's horse come from loss of grazing habitat.
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Loss of grazing habitat
Habitat: Grassy deserts and plains
Location: Altai Mountains of Mongolia
Diet: Mainly grasses, plants and fruit
PYGMY HIPPOPOTAMUS
Weighing between 400 and 500 pounds on average, the pygmy hippopotamus is only a small fraction of the weight of other hippopotamuses. Because they spend more time on land than their larger cousins, they have narrower feet and fewer webbed toes. They live in the marshlands and dense forests of Liberia and West Africa, foraging at night, and are usually solitary. They are threatened by illegal hunting and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Illegal hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Marshlands and dense forests
Location: Liberia and West Africa
Diet: Fallen fruits, aquatic plants, grasses and leaves
RED PANDA
The red panda is a chestnut-colored panda with alternating light and dark rings on the tail. It is mainly nocturnal and solitary, and spends most of its time in trees, where it uses its long bushy tail for balance. The red panda lives in the dense, cool temperate forests of Myanmar and the Himalayan Mountains in South Asia. It is threatened throughout its range by poaching and habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Poaching and habitat loss
Habitat: Dense, cool temperate forests
Location: Myanmar and Himalayan Mountains
Diet: Blossoms, berries, eggs, leaves and bamboo
RED WOLF
The red wolf is a small carnivore with a coat of mixed cinnamon, black and white fur. Similar to the gray wolf, it lives in highly organized social packs that cooperatively hunt small mammals. By the 1970s, the red wolf was believed to be extinct in the wild, primarily because of human persecution and interbreeding with coyotes. They currently exist in a reintroduced population in North Carolina.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Human persecution and habitat loss
Habitat: Mountains, lowland forests and wetlands
Location: Southeastern United States
Diet: Deer, rabbits, mice, raccoons and other mammals
RING-TAILED LEMUR
The ring-tailed lemur is a small primate found only in southern and southwestern Madagascar. It has a white face, dark nose and eye patches; brown-gray fur on its body; and a distinctive black and white ringed tail. It is a very social lemur, living in female-dominated groups of five to 25 and spends more time on the ground than other lemurs. Like many lemurs, this species is threatened by widespread habitat loss.
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Habitat loss
Habitat: Mainly deciduous and gallery forest
Location: Southern and southwestern Madagascar
Diet: Mainly fruit; also leaves
RUFFED LEMUR
Lemurs are small primates with a doglike snout, large eyes and a dental comb used for mutual grooming (except for the aye-aye). The ruffed lemur is the largest of the lemurs, weighing between eight and 10 pounds on average. It lives in the rain forests of eastern Madagascar in small social groups. They are threatened by deforestation, hunting and capture for the exotic pet trade.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Deforestation, hunting and exotic pet trade
Habitat: Rain forests
Location: Eastern Madagascar
Diet: Mainly fruit; also leaves, seeds and nectar
SCIMITAR-HORNED ORYX
The scimitar-horned oryx is an antelope with curved, swordlike horns that grow to be several feet long. This graceful herbivore was once found throughout much of the desert plains and arid regions of Africa, but they are now extinct in the wild due to hunting and habitat loss. They are very social animals, and historically traveled together in large herds. There is currently an international effort to restore wild populations through captive breeding and reintroduction.
IUCN Status: Extinct in the Wild
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Arid steppe and desert
Location: North Africa
Diet: Leaves, grasses and fruit
SEA OTTER
Compared to other otters, the sea otter is smaller and stouter. It has several anatomical adaptations to an aquatic existence, including large lungs, very thick fur, a powerful tail and flipper-like hind feet. It is the world's smallest marine mammal. Once widespread in coastal waters throughout the eastern Pacific Ocean, sea otter populations have declined dramatically in recent years, possibly because of predation or poaching.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Oil spills
Habitat: Coastal waters
Location: Eastern Pacific Ocean
Diet: Marine invertebrates, such as crabs, octopus and sea urchins
SLENDER LORIS
Lorises are small primates related to the lemurs of Madagascar. The slender loris is a grayish-brown animal with a dark face and large eyes separated by a white stripe. They move through the forest with grace and deliberation, holding onto tree branches with their unusual toes. On each foot, the big toe opposes the other toes and creates a four-way grip of the branch. Slender lorises are found in forests of South Asia and Sri Lanka. They are threatened by deforestation.
IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Deforestation
Habitat: Various forest habitats
Location: South Asia and Sri Lanka
Diet: Mainly insects; also plant matter, eggs and small vertebrates
SNOW LEOPARD
The snow leopard is a large carnivorous cat that lives in the steppe, shrub, mountains and open forests of Central and South Asia. It has short, stocky limbs for climbing craggy terrain and a long, thickly furred tail for warmth and balance. The snow leopard is threatened by loss of prey species, declining habitat, poaching and persecution. There may be as few as 2,500 adults remaining in the wild.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Loss of prey species, declining habitat, poaching and persecution
Habitat: Steppe, shrub, mountains and open forests
Location: Central and South Asia
Diet: Small- and medium-sized mammals
SPERM WHALE
The sperm whale is the world's largest carnivore. It can grow to a length of more than 60 feet, and has a huge boxlike head that makes up more than one-third of its total length. It is an impressive diver, plunging to depths of nearly 4,000 feet and staying submerged for almost two hours at a time. The sperm whale is found in deep waters worldwide and is threatened by hunting, being caught in fishing gear and colliding with ships.
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting, being caugh in fishing gear and colliding with ships
Habitat: Open ocean
Location: Worldwide oceans
Diet: Giant squid, octopus, fish and other marine animals
SUMATRAN RHINOCEROS
The Sumatran rhinoceros is the smallest and hairiest of the world's living rhinoceroses. It is also one of the most critically endangered. As the name suggests, these animals occur in Sumatra and also Borneo, although they once roamed throughout Southeast Asia. Because of poaching and destruction of its rainforest habitat, Sumatran rhinoceros numbers have been in steady decline in recent decades and there may be fewer than 300 hundred individuals left in the wild.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Poaching and habitat destruction
Habitat: Lowland secondary rainforest, swamps and moss forests
Location: Sumatra and Borneo
Diet: Young saplings, leaves and other vegetation
TIGER
The tiger is the largest member of the cat family. A symbol of wildlife conservation, it is a majestic animal with an orange coat, black stripes and white markings. It lives in tropical forests, where it is usually solitary and nocturnal. Its range once extended to Eastern Europe, but it now lives in scattered populations in southern and eastern Asia. It is threatened by poaching, habitat loss and loss of prey species.
IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Poaching, habitat loss and loss of prey species
Habitat: Various habitats including rain forest, deciduous forest and coniferous forest
Location: Southern and eastern Asia
Diet: Mainly large, hooved animals
VICUNA
The vicuna is the smallest member of the camel family. On average, adult vicunas are about 5 feet tall with a long neck and cleft upper lip designed for grasping at grasses. It has a thick, insulating cinnamon-colored coat with a white chest bib. They live in the grasslands of the Andes Mountains in the South American countries of Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. The primary threat to the vicuna is illegal hunting.
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Illegal hunting
Habitat: Mountainous grasslands
Location: Andes Mountains in the South America
WESTERN GIANT ELAND
Elands are the largest of all antelopes. They are commonly used for milk or hunted for their meat and hides. The western giant eland has large ears, spiral pointed horns and vertical white stripes on its cinnamon-brown body. It lives in Central and West Africa, and is rapidly disappearing throughout its range because of habitat loss, primarily due to agricultural expansion.
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Habitat loss due to agricultural expansion
Habitat: Tropical savanna
Location: Central and West Africa
Diet: Fruits, leaves, flowers, bark and other plant parts
YELLOW-BREASTED CAPUCHIN
Capuchins are New World primates with a small face, short limbs and a prehensile tail. Many species of capuchin — such as Brazil's yellow-breasted capuchin — are known for being adept at using tools, primarily to crack open hard-shelled nuts. Yellow-breasted capuchins are also one of the most endangered primates. Threats to this species include hunting, habitat loss and capture for the illegal pet trade.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threat: Hunting, habitat loss and the illegal pet trade
Habitat: Evergreen rain forest, mangroves and deciduous dry forest
Location: Brazil
Diet: Fruits, seeds, nectar and small animals
Diet: Mainly grasses
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