Rare,endangered&extinctanimals

By:David,Zacc,Alec,andLennard

Table of Contents:
dodo Bird
Platypus
Kiwi Bird
Dumbo Octopus
Red Panda
Black Rhinoceros
Whale Shark
Alarm Jellyfish
marine iguana
amur leopard

pg.3...
Pg.4...
Pg.5...
Pg.6...
Pg.7...
Pg.8...
Pg.9...
Pg.10...
pg.11...
pg.12...

Endangered and Extinct Animals

There are lots of animals that are already extinct, for example the one of a
kind dodo bird, but that's not the only one. Do you want to learn about these poor
animals that didnt get a big and amazing future because of problem of nature and
humans. Yes, I said humans because our activities can cause damage to nature and
other living creatures for example we hunt animals, even till nowadays, The reason
so much animals die is because humans pollute, which damages nature and kill
animals so I hope you will enjoy to learn about the rare, endangered, and extinct
animals.

Dodo

Bird

Have you ever heard of the bird named the

Raphus cucullatus or you may know
him by the name Dodo bird.
The dodo bird is one of my favorite birds, it is extinct. It was
discovered in 1590 and it was declared to be extinct in 1681. The Dodo bird lived on the
islands of
Mauritius which is east of Madagascar in the Indian ocean
.
The dodo had a
large body, stubby wings, a small, curved tail, short legs, and a large beak. Humans
have only found some parts of the birds skeleton that we preserved. It may have
weighed up to about 23 kg (50 pounds).
The Dodo eats fallen fruits, but it also

eats nuts, seeds, bulbs, and roots.

Some
scientist and researchers suggest that the
dodo might have also eaten crabs and
shellfish, like their relatives the crowned
pigeons.
Reproduction is an important part of
every living thing and since dodos are not
mammals that means the females birds will
lay single eggs, in each
clutch
(a set of eggs
laid in one nesting period). The nest was
located on the ground (and quite vulnerable to
predators).
It's native forests on the island of Mauritius, the dodo had no natural
predators
until european explorers landed at the end of the 16th century. But it wasn't just the
humans
that hunted this friendly and docile
bird
, the dodo along with their nests were
hunted by the animals that humans brought with them including
dogs
,
cats
and
monkeys.
The feathers of the dodo were grey, black and white and they had large
curved beak of the dodo is one of its most distinctive features

platypus
A platypus is a hodgepodge known to some people because of its various
amount of species mixed together. It is made out of a duck because of its bill
and its webbed like feet, a otter because of its fur and body and a snake with
its venom. All platypuses have venom but male are especially venomous.
They
have sharp stingers on the heels of their rear feet and can use them to
deliver a strong toxic blow to any enemy.
According to the Australian
Platypus Conservatory. The venom is not life threatening to humans, but it
can cause severe swelling and "
excruciating
pain.
latypuses live in only one small
P
area of the world. These
creatures make their homes in
the freshwater areas that flow
throughout
the
island
of
Tasmania and the eastern and
southeastern coast of Australia.
While they are in the water they
will also waddle onto the
riverbanks to dig burrows with
their claws. These burrows are
tunnels that lead rooms or
chambers. Platypuses live under
huge rocks and ledges.
Its diet
consists
mainly of shrimp,
crayfish, insect larvae and worms.
Platypuses hunt underwater, where they swim gracefully by paddling with
their front webbed feet and steering with their hind webbed feet and beaver
like tail. The platypus is a carnivorous mammal that is about 50 cm long when
it is full grown. Folds of skin cover their eyes and ears to prevent water from
entering, and the nostrils close with a watertight seal. In this posture, a
platypus can remain underwater for a minute or two. Platypuses are one out
of three types of mammals that lays an egg. A platypus's nostrils are on the
top of its beak.

KIWI BIRD

Did you know what a Kiwi bird is? The Kiwi bird is a small and very
cute bird that is critically endangered.
The kiwi actually has has a very good sense of smell which is very unusual
for a bird it also is the only bird to have nostrils at the front of the beak.
They eat
invertebrates
, seeds, grubs and many other types of worms.

The Maori is an indigenous group of people, traditionally believed that

kiwi were under the protection of
Tane Mahuta
, god of the forest since they
had their own religion so
meaning they had different
gods. They were used as
food and their feathers were
used for
kahu kiwi
. Today,
while kiwi feathers are still
used, they get them from
birds that die naturally or
through road accidents or
predation. Kiwi are no longer
hunted and some Maori
consider themselves the
birds' guardians which is
good so they can stop
hunters.
This bird lives in New
Zealand and it is so famous
that in its country there are several banks that named themselves kiwibank.
But not only it is famous for being named after banks it is the national bird
and symbol of New Zealand.
Some of the kiwis predators
are stoats, dogs,
ferrets, and cats are the number one threat a kiwi. Other threats include
habitat loss and motor vehicle strike meaning getting driven over by the
motorcycle or car.
Stoats
are responsible for approximately half of kiwi chick deaths in
many places through New Zealand. Scientist say that the combined effect
of predators and other mortality (accidents etc.) results in less than 5% of
kiwi chicks surviving to adulthood. Young kiwi chicks are easy to stoat
predation until they reach about 11.2 kg in weight, at which time they can
usually defend themselves from dying.

Dumbo Octopus
You may not know this animals as the Dumbo
Octopus but you may know it as the Grimpoteuthis it is
not an endangered animal but it is rarely seen because
it is deep under in sea. Dumbo octopus has soft,
head-shaped body with 8 arms or also known as
tentacles. Two ears which act like fins are placed on
both sides of the head. The colour of the body can be
red, green or orange. But they cant change colour not
like some other animals. But the saddest thing is that
an average lifespan of dumbo octopus is between 3 and
5 years. There are about 14 species of the dumbo octopus. But even if the are
many species they are all different sizes, most species are 20-30 cm (7.9-12 in)
length. The largest Dumbo octopus known is 1.8 m (6 ft 32in) length and weighed in
5.9 kg (13 lb).
Unlike other octopuses, a Dumbo Octopus swallows its prey in whole which is
really awkward since the Dumbo Octopus isnt so big. It has a diet of worms,
bivalves, and other small crustaceans. When they are away from the sea bed
meaning bottom of the sea, they will eat other things that are edible for them on
the sea bed, which are rather usual in a Dumbo Octopus natural habitat. They
crawl on the ocean floor and look for food. Once prey is spotted, they will swim
towards them and devour them quickly. The legs/tentacles of a Dumbo Octopus
have small harpoon-like barbs to hold on to prey.
Usually, they have plenty to eat,
rarely dying of starvation.
Deep-water creatures,
the
Grimpoteuthis
appears to
have
adapted
to the intense
pressure and cold temperatures
of the deep ocean. Their
reproduction appears to be
going fast, so that means they
can easily out-pace more
bivalves
shallow-water octopus species.
A

crustaceans

Red Panda
Have you ever heard of the
Ailurus fulgens? Well as some people know
it it is the Red Panda or a lesser panda. Red pandas are not like a normal
panda but just red, it is a fox like ginger panda with a long tail.
The red panda
is dwarfed by the black-and-white giant Panda that shares its name. These
pandas typically grow to the size of a house cat, though their big, bushy tails
add an additional 46 centimeters. The pandas use their ringed tails as
wraparound blankets in the chilly mountain heights.
Pandas mostly eat bamboo but they also eat berries, blossoms, bird
eggs and other types of plants because they are herbivores. Red pandas also
have a small bone that sticks out of there rist. That bone helps them get a
good grip on bamboo.
The red panda shares the giant panda's high-altitude forest habitat,
but has a wider range. Red pandas live in the mountains of Nepal and
northern Myanmar (Burma), as well as
in central China. The average lifespan
of a red panda is about 8 years and it
weighs about 12 to 20 pounds.
Red
Red pandas are endangered because
the act of destroying large amount of
trees, red pandas habitats are getting
demolished by people because
humans want to spread agriculture.
Red pandas also have predators like
the snow leopard or the martens.

whale Shark
The Whale shark is the Biggest shark in the world or should I say the
rhincodon typus
is the biggest shark in the world

Its enormous mouth (nearly

five feet wide) has large quantities of tiny plankton that it filters through
its gills as it swims. The whale shark is really big it is 41.50 ft long or 12.65 m.
it weighs 47000 pounds can you believe that. that is a bit over 23 tons.
The Whale shark mainly eats
planktons. A ton of it. Sometimes it
also eats:
macro

algae
,
krill
,
Christmas Island red crab
larvae
and small
nektonic
life, such as
small
squid
or
vertebrates
. To eat
the shark opens its mouth and swims
forward, pushing water and food
into the mouth.
The whale shark lives in seas usually around 30 degrees celsius. it lives
in north and south waters of the ecuadors. These big Sharks swim around
generally alone. However, large numbers of whale sharks often gather in
areas with abundant plankton food. They also usually swim at the top of the
water but these amazing animals can dive down to 700 m deep which is really
deep

the whale shark does not have any predators because it is so big. But
the baby whale sharks are often preferred by the great white shark as a
small snack. The Sharks are critically endangered because Whale sharks are
highly valued on international markets. Demand for their meat, fins and oil
remains a threat to the species, particularly by unregulated fisheries. They
are victims of bycatch, the accidental capture of non-target species in
fishing gear. And whale shark tourism presents a threat to the species as it
can interrupt their feeding and Whale sharks can be injured by boat
propellers.

Alarm JellyFish
The Atolla Jellyfish also known as
the Alarm Jellyfish. It typically has
22 normal tentacles and one
longest tentacle which is larger
than the rest . This long trailing
tentacle is thought to be easier to
capture the prey.
The alarm jellyfish lives in deep
oceans throughout the world, from
the Arctic to the Antarctic. They've
also been found in the North
Atlantic and Pacific ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and waters around
New Zealand. Their typical habitat ranges from 3,200 feet to more
than 13,000 feet below the surface. The temperature that the alarm
jellyfish lives in is about 29 degrees fahrenheit 2 degrees
Fahrenheit below zero. The diet of this jellyfish is mostly made of
crustaceans and microorganisms.
When the jellyfish is being attacked it would go in its attack
mode which is a series of light flashes, which helps by drawing
bigger predators who will be more interested in the first predator
rather than the Alarm Jellyfish, so that means the jellyfish is free
from being eaten. That is how they earned it the nickname alarm
jellyfish".

The alarm jellyfish can reproduce asexually and sexually.

Researchers think that the jellyfish attach by their tentacles
to enable the males to fertilize the females eggs. Like many
other members of the Scyphozoa class, Alarm Jellyfish can
develop into
polyps
, asexually producing buds that grow into
larvae.

MARINE IGUANA

The Marine Iguana is the only lizard that can live on land and go underwater. It can
dive to a depth of 9 feet. It has a very hard life because it can only stay underwater for 10
minutes to get his food. also it is a popular snack for Sea lions. The Marine iguana weighs
about 1.5 t0 5 kg. it grows 1.2 to 1.5 m long. The iguana has spikes all way down its back
and also some spikes between its 2 eyes. their flattened tails and fins are perfect for
swimming. They have long, sharp claws they use to hold on tightly to rocks in the strong
currents and waves along the shore. Marine iguanas have flat snouts which makes it
easier for them to Scrape algae off the rocks with their sharp teeth.
Marine iguanas usually eat a
lgae
, But recently they have been seen eating plants on
land. But what they eat the most is algae because their body digests it very well. Also the
reason they dont eat as much land plants is because their body doesn't make much use of
it.
Did you know that around 1 million years ago the marine iguana was not a marine
iguana it was just another type of iguana. scientist think that 1 million years ago iguanas
from South Africa sailed across seas and landed on the Galapagos islands. Now These
iguanas have adapted to the water and now are very good swimmers and that is why they
are now called Marine Iguanas.
Marine Iguanas are endangered. They are being hunted by animals that arent
supposed to live there like,
Rats,
dogs, cats, and pigs. The sea lion lives there by nature

and also eat the marine Iguana. the marine iguana is also affected by the climate change .
But most of all the Iguanas Habitat is disappearing very quickly. Even though humans
dont hunt Marine iguanas we are destroying their Habitats and we are polluting the air
with our cars.

Amur Leopard
The amur leopard also known as the Panthera pardus orientalis as its
scientific name is the most endangered animal in the whole world because the
are only around 35 of them left that we know of. Which is really little for an
animal. The male amur leopard mostly weigh 32-48 kg, but they can also weigh
75 kg. Females are smaller than the males and their weight is 25-43 kg.
In the
wild leopards live for 10 to 15 years and they may reach 20 years in captivity.
Amur leopards live in forests which are in Eastern Russia. That is really

bad because of the horrible winters with super cold and deep snow, but
something equally as bad is if when it is summer the forests are hot. Amur
leopards hunt lots of animals including roe deer, sika deer, badgers and hares.
the main reason these animals are the most endangered species is because of
Poaching
, and
Forest fires
.
Poaching leopards is a main reason why there are only 35 of them left.
There are rumours but no evidence that Chinese traders buy leopard skins.
Human makes the fires which is another threat to the survival of the Amur
leopard. Farmer who make the fores try to kill all the ticks, roaches,etc. So they
wont eat his crops, but when he sets a fire it wont until it burns a lot.

Glossary
invertebrates-
ananimallackingabackbone
adapted-
make(something)suitableforanewuseorpurposemodify.
excruciating -
intenselypainful

offspring-
aperson'schildorchildren.

solitary-

doneorexistingalone

algae-
asimple,nonflowering,

polyps-
medicine

Sources
1)

http://en.wikipedia.org/

2)
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/
3)
http://azanimals.com/
4)
http://www.livescience.com/27572platypus.html
5)
http://10000birds.com/
6)
http://www.boredpanda.com/strangeanimals/
7) http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/redpanda/
8)
http://www.arkive.org/redpanda/ailurusfulgens/
9)
https://prezi.com/pefzcdvarvs/atollaalarmjellyfish/
10) www.worldwildlife.org/species/whaleshark
11) http://animals.pawnation.com/
12) http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/amurleopard
13) http://www.altaconservation.org/amurleopard/amurleopardfactfi
le/
14) http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/marineig
uana/
15) http://www.discovercreation.org/blog/2011/01/20/themarineigua
na/