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THE
BLACK RHINO
BY:
Ty Brockington and Salvador
The Black Rhino is one of only five remaining Rhino species. Their inhabitant includes the Savanna Region in Central and Southern Africa. It has a life span of about 45 years and grows to about 14.6 feet (including tail). They are generally solitary animals and only socialize when mating season arrives. They have remained on the endangered list since 1970 and their population has fallen by 97% in the past 25 years. Their total population estimates 2,550 and since then has been making progress in the status of their numbers. The main reason for their decline is poaching. The demand for Rhino horn is surprisingly large as they are used as weapons and magic medicine. The average horn sells for about $300 depending on the dealer. Now, biologists and conservation lists track down the Black Rhinos and saw off their horns while they are under anesthetics in an effort to try to save their lives from poachers. They are surprisingly gentle creatures if left undisturbed and deserve our respect and protection.
By K.C. Cochran and Shane Yamada This is the picture of the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis,. It is also know as the plague. Yersinia Pestis mainly infects rodent populations and is transmitted to humans from contact with infected fleas. If you get infected with Yersinia Pestis there is a 90% chance that you will die in 24 hours. However a immunization has been created to contain this bacterium and it is no longer a threat.
Gorillas
By
Alyssa Johnson, Tessa Watsek, Jennifer Powers Gorillas are born weighing about 4.5 pounds but can grow to be 220 pounds for females and 310 – 400 pounds for males. Gorillas travel, eat, play and sleep in stable family groups of a few individuals to more than 50. gorillas are mainly vegetarians and eat mostly roots, leaves, shoots, fruits, ants and termites. Gorillas don’t drink water because the water in their diet is apparently enough to sustain them. After feeding in the evening, gorillas make bowl shaped “nests” out of plants and leaves and surrounding vegetation. Except for humans, gorillas have few predators. If threatened, the males will roar and scream and beat their chest to scare off the animal. Gorillas are hunted by native people for food or to protect crops that gorillas destroy. Gorillas live about 50 years in the wild and 35-40 years in captivity. Gorillas live in western Africa and scientists estimate that there are only about 50, 000 left in the wild. Duckbill platypus
By
Ryan McQuade and Nick Adams
The duckbill platypus is a small, unusual creature
that is about the size of a grown house cat. It has a sleek, brown,
waterproof fur coat. It does not develop this coat until it is about 6
weeks old. It also has a bill, somewhat like a ducks, but is really an
elongated snout. It has a large tail and webbed feet that it uses for
swimming. The platypus lives in different parts of Australia. It was
discovered in 1797 and at first, was thought to be fake because of its odd
features. Later, it was proved to be a real animal.
By David Bloom and Dan DeCollibus Although pandas are dying off fast, there is still hope for their species. Foundations like WWF are continually trying to save animals that are becoming endangered. The panda population would be greatly helped by them not being hunted for their pelts. If people would donate money to the WWF to aid their fight to save the panda that would greatly help the panda population. The panda population is slowly increasing and hopefully the panda will soon no longer be considered endangered.
Ring Tailed Lemur Ring tailed lemurs are found on the southern tip of Madagascar. They are endangered due to the destruction of their habitats. They are also eaten and kept illegally as pets. The ring-tailed lemur is much different from the other species of lemurs. They can usually live up to 20 to 25 years. The ring-tailed lemur is much like the size of a house cat. They also have night vision like a cat. The part they are most well known for is their tail. It is a long white and black tail which when scent smeared, can be used in aggressive encounters. The ring-tailed lemur is the most territorial of their species. They mark their territory by smearing the scent from their wrists onto tree branches to tell where they have been and to warn other groups off. The females are the most dominant in the ring tailed lemur species. The head female is chosen by a series of aggressive encounters. The diet of a ring-tailed lemur consists mostly of fruits and leaves and rarely small bugs and vertebrates. They use their voice their tail and their facial expressions as communication.
Animal
Cruelty By: Whitney Baumann and Lindsey Dunlap
Animal Cruelty is one of the most disturbing and important issues we have in the world today. People do not realize what goes on and what happens to animals that the public does not know about. To get food, the farm workers sometimes break downed cow's necks and leaves them there. Also when they slaughter pigs they throw them into scalding hot water when they are alive, and they have a slow painful death. Another form of animal cruelty is cosmetic and medical testing. One of the most known forms of chemical testing on animals is the Draize Test, this often blinds the rabbit and causes some of the time painful eye infections. It is horrible that innocent animals are killed for human's food, clothing and basically for human's benefit. Animals are living beings that feel pain and suffer, but still the testing and cruelty goes on. Even billions of dollars of the tax money we pay goes to the laboratory testing and experimenting of animals which includes the cruel acts of making them suffer. Many organizations have been put together to help stop this, and it does need to stop. The public is not helpless when it comes to putting an end to animal cruelty but we need to work together to make it stop.
Black Footed Ferret
By Jonathan
Elder, Eric Foote and Brian Miller The Black-footed ferret is an endangered species found in North America. Its Main source of food is the Prairie Dog. The ferret physical form is well suited for its environment. The average ferret is about 2 feet long with a 6-inch tail. The male is 10% larger than the female. The Black-footed ferret lives in the prairies of North America. The Black-footed ferret is also a nocturnal animal. They occasionally stay underground in hunting season and hibernation time. During the time of hibernation ferrets aren’t exactly asleep they just go above ground less than usual. When ferrets reproduce they 4-5 offspring. They are born blind and go above ground 2 months after birth. They begin hunting soon after. The Black-footed ferret is a close relative of the domestic ferret. Though they have many physical and instinctive differences. The Black-footed ferret has many predators. Such as coyotes, eagles, owls, bobcats and foxes. If the Black-footed ferret goes extinct there will be major ecological damage.
By Eden Banarie and Raquel Molina The common kingsnake is endangered in Iowa. It is a member of the non-venomous Colubridae family and its Latin name is Lampropeltis Getula. It can be found in most states throughout from coast to coast and in parts of Mexico. It lives in such habitats as deserts, woodlands, forests, marshes, and grasslands. They eat rodents and other snakes and are not affected by other venomous snakes. They are eaten by hawks and eagles. They normally reach sexual maturity around age 2 and can produce clutches twice a year. The kingsnake gets its name from its habit of eating other snakes and is most famous for eating rattlesnakes, copper heads, and coral snakes. They are one of the most common snakes for keeping as pets. There was no information on why they were endangered but we think it is because their environments are being destroyed by humans for agriculture use, mining, irrigation, and oil development, and they are wanted by people because of their beautiful skin. |
