American Crocodile

y y y y y

American crocodiles are about 12 feet long. They live on land and in shallow water, swamps, and marshes. American crocodiles like to float in the water with only their eyes and nose above the surface. American crocodiles eat mostly small animals, which they grab with their strong jaws and razor-sharp teeth. American crocodiles lay eggs. They hide their eggs under twigs and leaves, or bury them in the sand. Some crocodiles help their young hatch, then carry them to the water in their mouth.

Habitat Southern Florida, Mexico, Central and South America, Caribbean islands Why It's Endangered Overhunted for its hide Habitat destruction

Gray Bat
y y y y y y

Gray bats only weigh up to half an ounce. Their wings measure about 1.5 inches across. Gray bats live in colonies, or groups, in caves. The caves are usually found near a river or lake. During the day, gray bats sleep. At night, they eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes or other pests in one hour. Gray bats hang upsidedown to help digest their food. Gray bats hibernate, or sleep, in the cold winter months. There are about 2 million bats, but their numbers are shrinking. Almost all gray bats hibernate in one of nine caves.

Habitat Most gray bats live in caves in Alabama, northern Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee. Why endangered? Loss of habitat Use of pesticides to kill the insects they eat

Peninsular Bighorn Sheep

y y y y y y y

Bighorn sheep can weigh as much as 280 pounds and stand about 3 feet tall. They live in dry, desert mountain ranges, near rocky cliffs. Bighorn sheep eat grasses, twigs, and leaves. Male sheep are called rams and can be recognized by their huge, brown horns. The horns curl back over the ears, down, and up past the cheeks. They live in herds, or groups. The male sheep with the biggest horns is usually in charge. Male horns can weigh as much as 30 pounds. Males will use their massive horns to fight. The fights can last as long as 24 hours. Females are called ewes. They are smaller than rams and have shorter, smaller horns.

Habitat Nevada and California to west Texas and south into Mexico Why It's Endangered Loss of habitat Poaching Drought and disease

California Condor
y y y y y y

Condors pair for life and breed once every two years, producing only one egg. Condors roost, or sleep, in large groups. They "talk" to each other with hisses, growls, grunts, and body language. From tip to tip, their wings can stretch up to 9 feet. Instead of flapping their wings, condors soar on wind currents. Condors are scavengers, which means they eat animals that are already dead. But they don't rely on their sense of smell. They watch for other scavengers eating dead animals. In 1982, there were fewer than 25 California condors left in the wild. Today, there are about 200.

Habitat California, Arizona, Utah Why It's Endangered Loss of habitat Hunting Collisions with power lines Florida Panther

y y y y y

Florida panthers are fast and lean. They can weigh up to 150 pounds and are about 3 feet long. Panthers only eat meat. They may eat only once a week. They sleep as much as 18 hours a day. They usually hunt alone at sunrise and sunset. They will cover what they don't eat with twigs and leaves to hide food from other animals. Since 1972, cars have hit and killed 44 Florida panthers.

Habitat

Southwest Florida Why It's Endangered Loss of habitat Lack of food Disease West Indian Manatee
y y y y y y

West Indian manatees eat water plants. They are slow and friendly. West Indian manatees can eat more than 100 pounds of plants in a day. They may grow to 13 feet long and weigh up to 3,500 pounds. Their upper lip is divided into two halves, which close like a pair of pliers on plants. There are less than 2,000 manatees living in the U.S.

Habitat Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Caribbean Why It's Endangered Overhunting Habitat destruction Boats