Blue whales were abundant in nearly all the oceans until the beginning of the twentieth century. For more than 40 years, they were hunted almost to extinction by whalers until protected by the international community in 1966. A 2002 report estimated there were 5,000 to 12,000 blue whales worldwide, located in at least five groups. More recent research into the Pygmy subspecies suggests this may be an underestimate. Before whaling, the largest population was in the Antarctic, numbering approximately 239,000 (range 202,000 to 311,000). There remain only much smaller (around 2,000) concentrations in each of the North-East Pacific, Antarctic, and Indian Ocean groups. There are two more groups in the North Atlantic, and at least two in the Southern Hemisphere.
Blue Whale facts
Females are larger than males and may weigh as much as 30-40 African elephants.
The blue whale has a high, slender blow.
Mating and calving must occur well offshore.
Calves are six to seven meters at birth in the fall and winter.
The calves nurse for seven to eight months to reach 16 meters.
Nursing young can put on 90 kg a day.
Sexual maturity is reached at about five years of age when the whales are 20 meters long.
Blue whales migrate along both coasts between summer Arctic waters and winter southern waters
The Black-footed Ferret is one of the great success stories of endangered animal reintroduction in the United States. While they may not have recovered to the numbers that will sustain an unaided healthy population, their story brings great hope. Yet, without our continued help they may very well become extinct.
A Quick Background
Black-footed ferrets were thought to be extinct in the US when the last studied population vanished from South Dakota in 1974. It wasn’t until they were accidentally discovered in Meeteetse, Wyoming, in 1981 by a cattle dog named Shep, that they were put back on the radar of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the recovery program started again.
Why are Black-footed Ferrets endangered?
On a very basic level, these small ferrets are endangered because they have lost their once, vast habitat. Black-footed ferrets have specialized on eating prairie dogs and without the land for vast numbers of prairie dogs, there are not ferrets. As it turns out, it wasn’t long ago that prairie dogs were the target of extermination efforts by farmers. The US government even supported the poisoning of large numbers of prairie dogs. The ferrets couldn’t survive this onslaught and they were thought to have gone extinct in the US. Fortunately, one small dog in Wyoming found a single black-footed ferret. Teams went in to Meeteetse, WY, and ended up finding about 130 individuals.
How many Black-footed Ferrets are left in the wild?
It is believed that there were only 18 ferrets left in the entire country when that population was discovered in Meeteetse. Those individuals were trapped, and a breeding program was set up and run from a center in Northern Colorado.
Today there are 18 reintroduction sites in several states across the plains states. It is estimated that about 1,000 individuals exist in the wild, with more being reintroduced every year. (Read more about Black-footed ferret reintroduction programs.)
Who is helping the Black-footed Ferrets?
The US Fish and Wildlife Service has set up the Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center to organize these reintroduction efforts. They have bred over 5,500 ferrets and reintroduced roughly half of those back into their native range. Leading the center is biologist Paul Marinari.
Online Videos about the Black-footed Ferrets
This video from National Geographic shows some of the field work being conducted on Black-footed ferrets by Earthwatch Teams:
The Asian or Asiatic Elephant (Elephas maximus), sometimes known by the name of one of its subspecies – the Indian Elephant, is one of the three living species of elephant and the only living species of the genus Elephas. It is the largest living land animal in Asia. The species is found primarily in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Indochina and parts of Indonesia. It is considered endangered; only 25,600 and 32,750 are left in the wild.
The African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the larger of the two species of African elephant. Both it and the African Forest Elephant have usually been classified as a single species, known simply as the African Elephant. (Some authorities still consider the currently available evidence insufficient for splitting the African Elephant into two species.) It is also known as the Bush Elephant or Savanna Elephant.
While the species is designated as vulnerable, conditions vary somewhat by region within Eastern and Southern Africa.
In 2006, an elephant slaughter was documented in southeastern Chad by aerial surveys. A series of poaching incidents, resulting in the killing of more than 100 elephants, was carried out during the late spring and summer of 2006 in the vicinity of Zakouma National Park. This region has a decades-old history of poaching of elephants, which has caused the elephant population of the region to drop from approximately 300,000 in 1970 to around 10,000 today. The African Bush Elephant officially is protected by Chadian government, but the resources and manpower provided by the government (with some European Union assistance) have proven insufficient to stop the poaching.
Human encroachment into or adjacent to natural areas where Bush Elephants occur has led to research of methods that safely drive groups of elephants away from humans, including the discovery that playback of the recorded sounds of angry honey bees are remarkably effective at prompting elephants to flee an area.
The tuatara, or Northern Tuatara, is an ancient surviving reptile that connects distantly to other reptiles. It looks superficially like most other lizards, but it is only distantly related.
Where does the Tuatara live?
Tuataras are found on remote islands off North New Zealand. There are approximately 31 islands where the tuatara has been found, suggesting that it was likely found on the main island of New Zealand at one point. Current conservation efforts are in place to help eradicate Polynesian rats from the outer islands to make sure they don’t pose a threat to existing tuataras.
Reproduction
Tuataras reproduce extraordinarily slow! It takes around 10 years for them to reach sexual maturity, at which time they give birth to one offspring every four years! At this slow rate of reproduction they are extremely vulnerable to extinction.
How long does a Tuatara live?
Tuataras can live for more than one hundred years, although this is often difficult to measure as few have been kept in captivity for such a long time.
The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is a species of lizard that inhabits the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang, and Gili Dasami, in central Indonesia. A member of the monitor lizard family (Varanidae), it is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of two to three meters (approximately 6.5–10 ft) and weighing around 70 kilograms (154 lb). Their unusual size is attributed to island gigantism, since there are no other carnivorous animals to fill the niche on the islands where they live, and also to the Komodo dragon’s low metabolic rate. As a result of their size, these lizards are apex predators, dominating the ecosystems in which they live. Although Komodo dragons eat mostly carrion, they will also hunt and ambush prey including invertebrates, birds, and mammals.
Mating begins between May and August, and the eggs are laid in September. About twenty eggs are deposited in abandoned megapode nests and incubated for seven to eight months, hatching in April, when insects are most plentiful. Young Komodo dragons are vulnerable and therefore dwell in trees, safe from predators and cannibalistic adults. They take around three to five years to mature, and may live as long as fifty years. They are capable of parthenogenesis, in which viable eggs are laid without fertilization by a male.
Komodo dragons were discovered by Western scientists in 1910. Their large size and fearsome reputation make them popular zoo exhibits. In the wild their range has contracted due to human activities and they are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. They are protected under Indonesian law, and a national park, Komodo National Park, was founded to aid protection efforts.
The Komodo dragon is also known as the Komodo Monitor or the Komodo Island Monitor in scientific literature, although this is not very common. To the natives of Komodo Island, it is referred to as ora, buaja darat (land crocodile) or biawak raksasa (giant monitor).
In old B movies, the green iguana often played the dinosaur. Its look is somewhat archaic and the gleam of its eyes appears prehistoric. Yet the green iguana is a modern survivor. It has many adaptations that have suited it well to living in tropical rainforests.
Where does the Green Iguana live?
Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana) are native to Central and South America although they have been introduced to many other areas such as south Florida, Hawaii, and south Texas. Its favorite habitat is high in the trees of the tropical rainforests. Most of the time it prefers trees over water, where it can plummet if threatened.
How big are Green Iguanas?
In general, green iguanas will grow to 1.5 meters (head to tail) although some specimens have been measured at almost 7 feet (just over 2 meters). As for weight, most never get more than 20 pounds.
What do Green Iguanas eat?
The favorite diet for green iguanas is plant material. They’ll eat tasty leaves, lettuce, fruits and vegetables. At the reserve in Roatan their favorite food is ripe bananas. We also saw them eating different gourds and squash. Iguanas do eat some meat if given the chance, though; they will occasionally eat a baby chicken if given the chance. If you have an iguana you should read this short article on: Caring for your Iguana.
The largest garter snake in the world is Thamnophis gigas, the giant garter snake.
Where is the Giant Garter Snake found?
This snake lives in wetlands of the Central Valley of California. In fact, it is endemic to this area, found nowhere else in the world. In colder temperatures, the snake goes underground and becomes dormant.
What Does the Giant Garter Snake Eat?
The main diet of the giant garter snake is fish and frogs.
Conservation of this Species
Serious threats to the giant garter snake have arisen because of habitat destruction. In fact, the species is listed as threatened by the state and federal government because the wetland habitat in the Central Valley of California has been so severely destroyed. Recent studies have shown that its habitat is only 2% of what it used to be. There are efforts underway to improve the habitat in these areas to help restore this species’ status.
How do I learn more about Enzo?
Enzo (from the video above) has an amazing program called enzoology. Check out more video from this nature kid and see their website at enzoology.com.
The European Viper, Vipera berus, is also known as the European Adder, the Common Adder, and the Common Viper. This species is found throughout most of Europe and a large part of Asia. While this viper is venomous, it isn’t considered dangerous. The viper is not very aggressive and usually only bites when disturbed. However, you’d have a hard time calling this species a friendly viper; it’s a bit of an oxymoron.
What does the European Viper eat?
The most common prey for the European Viper include small mammals, birds, lizards, amphibians ,and in some cases, spiders, worms and insects.
Reproduction
Female vipers breed once every two to three years with litters of three to 20 young born in late summer to early autumn. The snake is ovoviviparous (eggs hatch within the female’s body). Young stay with their mom for only a few days.
The cottonmouth, also known as the water moccasin, black moccasin and black snake, is the largest Agkistrodon species. It is a venomous pit viper that is found in the Southern and Eastern United States. It is more aggresive than the copperhead and is capable of giving a painful and potentially fatal bite. This is the world’s only semi-aquatic viper.
What does the Cottonmouth eat?
Cottonmouths are known for being one of the few venomous snakes that feed on fish. Their Latin name piscivorus means “fish eaters” from the roots piscis (fish) and voro (to eat). They generally feed on fish and frogs but will eat a wide variety of different animals that are present in their habitat.
Habitat of the Cottonmouth
Cottonmouths are almost always found in or around water, although they can be a substantial distance from a water body. The farthest we have found one is about a half a mile from a creek. They generally live in slow-moving water bodies, such as creek beds or shallow lakes. There have been reports of the snake entering seawater to colonize offshore islands in the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
