Our planet in our hands-Endangered species guide

8/3/2019 Our planet in our hands-Endangered species guide

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HONEY BEES

Honey bees range map :

FAST FACTS

Name in Latin: Apis Mellifera

Name in French: abeille

Name in Latvian:Medus bite

Name in Polish: pszcza

Name in Romanian: albina

Name in Turkish: Bal arlar

Size: 0.4 to 0.6 in (5 to 15 mm) (Workers)

Lifespan: Up to 5 years


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DietHoney bees feed on nectar and pollen from flowers. Worker

bees feed the larvae royal jelly first, and later offer them pollen.

BehaviorHoneybees are social insects. In the wild,

they create elaborate nests called hives

containing up to 20,000 individuals during

the summer months. (Domestic hives may

have over 80,000 bees.) They work together

in a highly structured social order. Each bee

belongs to one of three specialized groups

called castes. The different castes are:

queens, drones and workers.

ReproductionThe great majority of female A. mellifera in a hive are sterile

workers. Only queens mate and lay eggs. Normally there is only

a single reproductive queen in a hive. She is mother to all or

nearly all members of the colony.

ThreatsIn France, since 1995, almost 30% of honey bees colonies

disappear every year. In 10 years, more than 15, 000beekeepers had to stop their activity. This colony collapse

disorder exists all over the world.


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There have been a number of possible explanations for CCD

including urbanization, disease, water pollution and parasitic

mites.

Many researchers and beekeepers however, now suspect the

introduction of systemic neonicotinoid pesticides as a possible

catalyst for the vanishing bees.

We rely on pollinators like honey bees for much of our food

supply. Honeybees alone pollinate around 30% of the food we

eat. You hear a lot about the growing world population and

food shortages on the horizon. While things might look dire,

they will be much, much worse if we dont act now to save the

bees.

Defenders at workYou can plant bee-friendly plants in your

home garden. Dont have a yard? You can

still help save the bees! Even just a few bee-

friendly flowers or food plants in a window

box can help.

Limiting or eliminating pesticide use in

and around the home can make a big

difference, too.


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Bonelli Eagle

Range :

The largest populations of Bonelli's eagles in Europe are found

in the Iberian Peninsula and south-west France.

FAST FACTS

Name in Latin: Aquila fasciata)

Name in French: aigle de Bonelli

Name in Latvian:Svtrainaisrglis

Name in Polish: rze Bnelli

Name in Romanian: vulturul BonelliName in Turkish:Tavancl

Size: from 60 to 70 cm, wingspan from 150 to 170 cm

Weight: From 1,500 to 2, 000 grammes

Lifespan: up to 30 years

Diet


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The Bonelli eagle is a bird of prey and it feeds on small

mammals. As it is quite powerful, it can even feed on

preys as large as itself. It mostly eats rabbits, but also

squirrels, rodents, other birds

PopulationThere is now estimated to be only between 938 and 1039

breeding pairs remaining in Europe. Around French

mediterranean sea, there were only 30 breeding pairs left

in 2010.

BehaviorBonellis eagle tends to live in

warm, mountainous regions,

nesting on cliff edges and

sometimes on trees. Typically,

vegetation in these areas is

dominated by scrub, but

Bonellis eagle also inhabits more densely covered areas

and almost completely bare areas. It tends to live at low

and medium altitudes, but has also been found to live as

high as 2,000 metres above sea level in Africa

Reproduction


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Like other raptors, mating pairs

build between one and six nests

next to each other, utilising

different nests in different years.Each year the pair works on the

nests and over time they become larger and larger,

eventually measuring up to an incredible 1.8 metres in

height and 2 metres in diameter. The female will typically

lay two eggs between January and March. Bonellis eaglereaches maturity at about 3.5 years of age.

ThreatsWhilst the global population of Bonellis eagle covers an

extremely large range and has not declined enough for itto warrant a threatened status, in certain areas, declines

in Bonellis eagle populations have been worrying. In

Europe, this species is considered Endangered; the nesting

population in Spain declined by 25 percent during the

period 1980 to 1990. An increase in adult mortality rate

seems to be the main cause of population decline insouthern Spain, which is one of the last strongholds in

Europe.

These population declines are the result of several

threats, the most serious ones in Europe being hunting,

electrocution or collision with power lines, and the lossor disturbance of suitable habitat. Bonellis eagle is also


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being affected by a shortage of food; diseases such as

myxomatosis have considerably reduced the number of

rabbits in the region, one of the eagles favourite prey.

They can also be disturbed by outdoor activities such asrock climbing, hiking, free flight or motobikes.

Defenders at work

In Europe, where Bonellis eagle is considered

endangered, an action plan was created with the short

term aim of maintaining the existing populations in

Europe, and the longer term aim of increasing the

population size and encouraging the bird to recoloniseparts of its former range. To achieve these aims,

numerous measures were proposed including the

enforcement of existing hunting regulations, modification

of those powerlines that have caused eagle deaths, and

the protection of areas that hold important breeding sites.Hopefully such measures will prevent this magnificent

eagle from disappearing from Europe altogether.


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Pyrenean frog

Geographical range

Only found in a very small area in the western

Pyrenees, there is a French part and a Spanish

part to their range. The French part is much

smaller to the spanish side.

FAST FACTS

Name in Latin: Rana pyrenaica

Name in French: Grenouille des Pyrnes

Name in Latvian: Pireneju varde

Name in Polish: aba pierenejska

Name in Romanian: brasca pirenian

Name in Turkish:Pyrenean Kurbaa

Size:Males grow measure about 30 to 45 mm long,

females reach a size of up to 50 mm long.

Lifespan: About 7 years


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Diet

They feed on a large

proportion of insects

such as wasps,

earwigs and other...

spiders, slugs...

BehaviorFound only between 800 to 1700 m in altitude. They live

in the forests on slopes, they are often seen in and around

small mountainous streams and small water holes,

characterised by fresh clear water. These streams are also

characterised by a rocky habitat. They often share these

areas with Calotriton asper.Reproduction

Their breeding activities start as

early as February but vary

according to altitude and

climate. Metamorphoses occur

in September due to the cold


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water slowing the development of the tadpoles. The way

in which the breeding happens is not well known.

ThreatsThreats include stream eutrophication (through

intensification of agricultural practices), drought, potential

introduction of trout and other predatory fishes, and

habitat loss due to the development of tourism and

transport infrastructure. Logging and associated activities

may threaten the species' habitat, and it is likely to be

vulnerable to climate change.

Defenders at work

It is listed on Appendix III of

the Bern Convention and is

included in the regional

catalogues of Navarra and

Aragn. It is present in Ordesa

and Monte Perdido National

Park (Huesca) and Lizardoia

Integral Reserve (Navarra). It is also protected in the

Natural Park of Pyrnes. Its natural environment is now

under protection.


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Blue Whale

Range map :

FAST FACTS

Name in Latin: Balaenoptera musculus

Name in French: Baleine bleue

Name in Latvian:Zilais valis

Name in Polish: Petwal bkitny

Name in Romanian: Balena albastr

Name in Turkish:Gk balina

Size:Length: 24 - 27 m

Weight: 100 - 120 tonnes

Lifespan: Blue whales have a life expectancy of 35-40 years, but the

normal, un-hunted lifespan of a blue whale is estimated to be 80

years.


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DietThe blue whale is thought to feed

almost exclusively on small,

shrimp-like creatures called

euphausiids or krill. During the

summer feeding season the blue

whale gorges itself, consuming an astounding 4 tons (3.6

metric tons) or more each day. This means it may eat up

to 40 million krill a day.

BehaviorThe blue whale usually occurs alone or in groups of two or

three, but occasionally large groups of up to 60 may formin areas of high food abundance.

The blue whale produces louder calls than any other

animal on earth. Communication occurs via a variety of

low frequency sounds and clicks. The male blue whale is

capable of producing particularly long calls, which havebeen well studied and appear to have functions in sensing

the environment, prey detection, communication and

male display.

ReproductionThe blue whale reaches sexual maturity at 7 to 10 years of

age, when it will mate with several partners during winter


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and early spring. A single calf is

produced after a gestation period of

10 to 11 months and weaned at the

summer feeding grounds, when it is

approximately seven months old.

During the nursing period, the calf consumes around 100

gallons of the mothers fat rich-milk and grows an

incredible one and a half inches in length each day, with a

weight gain of 90 kilograms per day. The inter-birth period

for female blue whales is probably two to three years,although this may have decreased recently in response to

the low population densities .

ThreatsBecause of its enormous size and speed, the blue whale

was largely safe from early whalers, who could not pursueit in open boats with hand harpoons. However, the advent

of the exploding harpoon gun in 1868 allowed for the

commercial exploitation of this species, with the whaling

industry particularly focusing on the blue whale after

1900. The slaughter peaked in 1931, when over 29,000were killed in one season. After that, blue whales became

so scarce that the whalers turned to other species. More

than 360,000 blue whales were taken by whaling fleets in

the Southern Hemisphere from 1904 to 1967, and the

Antarctic and North Atlantic populations were probably

depleted to the low hundreds by the time whaling ceased.The total global blue whale population has declined by at


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least 70 percent, and possibly as much as 90 percent, over

the last three generations, with the formerly very large

Antarctic population declining over the same period by as

much as 97 percent.

Although commercial whaling

of the blue whale is now

banned, its population is so

small that any further

mortalities may severely

impact on the survival of the

species. It is still subject to a number of threats including

ship strikes, noise and chemical pollution, and net

entanglement. The remote distribution of some blue

whale populations probably makes them less vulnerable

to human impacts than some other cetacean species, butlocal populations that inhabit waters with significant

levels of human activity, such as the Gulf of St. Lawrence,

may be particularly vulnerable to these threats.

Defenders at workHunting of the blue whale was banned in 1966, although

some illegal soviet whaling persisted for several years

after. No blue whales have been deliberately caught since

1978. However, this protection almost came too late for

the blue whale, and recovery has been extremely slow.


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Only in the last few years have there been signs that

numbers may be increasing.

Today, there are an estimated 10,000 to 25,000 blue

whales surviving worldwide, which represents around 2 to11 percent of the total pre-commercial exploitation

population . All international trade in the blue whale is

further prohibited by its listing on Appendix I of the

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

(CITES) and on Appendix I of the Convention on Migratory

Species (CMS or the Bonn Convention) .

The blue whale occurs in a

number of Marine Protected

Areas throughout its range that

are aimed at protecting the

whole marine ecosystem, as well

as whale sanctuaries in the

Antarctic, Indian and Southern

Oceans. Several countries have

also implemented research and

conservation programmes for this species, much of whichis coordinated by the International Whaling Commission,

and these include identifying areas of critical habitat,

investigating species abundance and distribution, and

mitigating the threats to the species.


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HUMBOLDT PENGUIN

Range map :

This species is found along the coasts of Peru

and Chile within the reaches of the Humboldt

Current. Some birds have been recorded as

vagrants northwards off Columbia. There are

also isolated colonies further to the south on

the Punihuil Islands.

FAST FACTS

Name in Latin: Spheniscus humboldti

Name in French: Pingouin de Humboldt

Name in Latvian: Humblta pingvns

Name in Polish: pingwin Humboldta

Name in Romanian: pinguinul Humboldt

Name in Turkish: Humboldt pengueni

Size: 65 cm

Weight:4 kg

Lifespan: up to 30 years in captivity


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DietHumboldt penguins exploit

the cold waters off the South

American west coast for food.The Humboldt Current flows

northwards from Antarctica,

and provides a rich harvest of

fish, particularly anchovies, but the birds also feed on

other fish species, krill and squid.

PopulationIn 1998, a survey established that with a world population

of between 3,300 and 12,000 breeding pairs, the specieswas likely to become extinct within the next century

BehaviorHumboldt penguins nest on rocky coasts and islands with

suitable terrain for constructing nest burrows

ReproductionThese penguins are monogamous and can be found in

their breeding colonies throughout the year although the

main breeding seasons are from March to April and

September to October, depending on the location. The


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birds dig burrows into the sand or guano cliffs, or find

small crevices in which to lay the eggs. Two eggs are laid

over a period of two to four days, incubation taking

between 40 and 42 days, with both adult birds sharingnest duties. The chicks usually hatch two days apart and

are fed by both adults once they have acquired their first

thick downy coats. Chicks rarely leave their nest scrape

until they are fledged at about 12 weeks. They then fend

for themselves along the coast for several months beforereturning to establish their own nests, often within the

same colony where they were reared. They reach

maturity at the age of two years.

ThreatsPenguins have historically been heavily hunted for meat,

oil and skins and suffered from unsustainable egg

collecting. Currently, the principal risks to Humboldt

penguins come from human over-harvesting of the fish

stocks, especially anchovies, and expliting the birds

guano beds, using the mineral-rich guano for fertiliser.

Removal of the guano deprives the birds from

constructing nest burrows and leaves the eggs and chicks

vulnerable to weather and predators.

On the mainland nesting sites, wild dogs take eggs, chicks

and even adult birds. Natural predators on land include

foxes and caracaras (a large native hawk), whilst in the


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water the penguins fall prey to fur seals, sharks and

whales. A more alarming trend over recent decades has

been the effects of El Nio-related events. This is known

to affect penguin numbers in two ways; by displacing the

Humboldt Current with warmer, less food-rich water,

and raising severe storms that can wash out the nesting

colonies. There are also a large number of birds caught as

by-catch, and they are constantly at risk from marine

pollution.

Defenders at work

Legislation to assist the recovery of the Humboldt penguin

has been passed in Chile, including a 30 year moratoriumon killing or capturing the birds, and protection of the

four principal breeding colonies, although enforcement is

low. In Peru, the major colonies are also protected and the

extraction of guano is managed by government.

Further proposed conservation targets to save this species

include the creation of marine nature reserves around

the main breeding grounds, greater care over the

extraction of guano, reducing the fish harvests and

setting up awareness programmes to limit the hunting of

penguins and accidental entanglement (by-catch) in fishing

nets.


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Przewalskis horse

Range : Wild horses (Equus

ferus) lived in Europe and Asia 10 to 15

thousand years ago before being

pushed back to the furthest limits of

their range. Przewalski's horse ended

up in Asia and the final abode of the

subspecies was in southwest Mongolia

where the last wild specimen was

recorded in 1968. Subsequently,captive-bred individuals have been released in Mongolia, causing the IUCN to

reassess the status of this species from Extinct in the Wild to Critically

Endangered.

FAST FACTS

Name in Latin: Equus przewalskiiName in French: Cheval de Przewalski

Name in Latvian:Prevaskas zirgs

Name in Polish: ko Przewalskieg

Name in Romanian: calul Przewalski

Name in Turkish:Prezewalski yaban at

Size: Head-body length: 210 cm / Tail length: 90 cm

Weight:350 kg

Lifespan: up to about 25 years in captivity


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DietThey are herbivores. Przewalski's horse feeds on grasses

and other plants, while in captivity it also takes hay and

grain . Most of the day is spent foraging, as it feeds on

food with a low nutritional content.

Population1,500 found worldwide live in captivity, with about 250 in

the wild.

BehaviorFirst described scientifically in the late 19th century by

Russian explorer N. M. Przewalski, for whom the horse is

named, the horse once freely roamed the steppe along

the Mongolia-China border. Never again seen in the wild,

Przewalskis horses have since been kept and bred in

captivity and have recently been reintroduced inMongolia.

While extant in the wild, these horses ate grasses and

other vegetation on the steppe, shrublands, and plains of

western Mongolia and northern China. Herds observed at

reintroduction sites appear to be affectionate.


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ReproductionIn the wild, Przewalski's horse occurs in family groups led

by a dominant stallion, juveniles were ousted and the

males formed their own bachelor groups beforeattempting to take over a band of females. In captivity,

births occur in April/May but in the wild the season is

later and more likely to be May/June. Gestation takes

between 11 and 12 months and foals are able to stand as

soon as one hour after birth. A week after giving birth,

females come into heat and will mate again .

ThreatsHabitat degradation, human activities including hunting

and conflict, along with competition with domesticlivestock for water and forage were all thought to be

responsible for driving the extinction of Przewalski's horse

in the wild in the 1960s. Thankfully, it has been possible to

reintroduce this unique survivor into the wild. However,

those reintroduced populations still face threats; primarilythat of hybridisation with domestic horses, along with

competition with domestic horses for resources .

A loss of genetic diversity is one of their greatest threats

today.


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Defenders at work

After the subspecies became Extinct in the Wild, it clung

on in a number of small populations in various zoos

around the world. In 1977, there were around 300 horses

in zoos and parks and their breeding was managed in

order to prevent inbreeding . In the 1990s, The Mongolian

Association for Conservation of Nature and the

Environment (MACNE) and the FPPPH collaborated to

reintroduce a number of individuals in small herds into

the Hustai National Park in central Mongolia . The national

symbol was a welcome return to the area and part of an

important drive to save the steppe biotope . Today, more

than 120 Przewalski's horses live in Hustai and a further

conservation programme run by the International Takhi

Group (a consortium of European takhi breeding

institutions) together with the Mongolian Commission for

Endangered Species has introduced a further 50 horses toan area in the Dzungarian Gobi in Southwest Mongolia.

The return of the Przewalski's horse to its natural

environment is a success story for conservation and,

despite ongoing problems, it is hoped that at least two

large, self-sustained populations will soon be a reality.

Our planet in our hands-Endangered species guide

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