An example of a massacre done to innocent animals

http://www.glumbert.com/media/dolphin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdud3nu_FZo

Some endangered species in Portugal

The main reason why animals are in danger
Most low in almost all species in danger of extinction are caused by man, both by habitat destruction and the slaughter of these. This reduction is caused mainly by the fishing and hunting. In fishing are often caught animals that aren’t desired, this causes a decrease in certain species unnecessary. In hunting, the main problem is illegal hunting, because it isn’t controlled, which also causes a decrease of some species and may even lead them to extinction.

This species are:
-Osprey
-Monk Seal
-Iberian Wolf
-Iberian lynx
-Eagle

Polar Bear

The polar bear is one of the largest species of bear. Some specimens can reach about 2 feet long and weigh 700 kilos. Although heavy and solid, moves with ease in the white landscape of the Arctic. Long hair greasy and keeps your body warm, and the subcutaneous fat layer is an additional protection against the cold.
Polar bears inhabit the regions of the Arctic Circle and the surrounding territories, including Canada, Alaska, Siberia, Greenland and the nearby islands, such as Svalbard (Norway) and Wrangel (Russia).


With the melting of ice caps, many bears have been found drowned away from their natural homelands, the victims of displacement of huge masses of ice that break off with the animals up and eventually melt, leaving the Bears far from a local firm and causing, although they are excellent swimmers, will eventually die.



The polar bear enjoys protection in the international conservation of the species. Hunting was banned in international waters, but it was recognized that right of indigenous peoples (Eskimos). Females and young enjoy absolute protection.
Another reason for the defrost

Bengal tiger

The Bengal tiger is a lonely hunter and night, which can cover distances of 10 to 20 km in one night. The tiger lives about 20 years, and the male lives less than the female, because they are always in confrontation with other males because of the prey. The order of carnivores, the only animal that exceeds size is the bear.
It is one of the most endangered big cats from the planet, is the destruction of their habitat or by poaching, and its coveted fur for clothing and bones for traditional medicine. It is estimated that in 2008 there are about 500 Bengal tiger in the free world, three of the nine subspecies of tigers that existed on the planet are now extinct, and others tend to disappear by the genetic crossing between different subspecies.

Snow Leopard

The Snow Leopard displays a wonderful cover for the mountain environment of bare rocks and snow, and the color of his skin gray-white (with a slight yellowish tint) dotted with rosettes and dark gray points. It also features adjustments for life at high altitudes including a broad nasal cavity, short limbs. The leopard of snow has an advantage over other leopards, their habitat is difficult to access. He lives at high altitudes, between 3 000 and 6 000 meters in the Himalayas and the mountains of northern China.

Although inhabit remote and inaccessible, now the Snow Leopard in the list of species threatened with extinction because their bones, skin and some of their organs are used by Asian medicine to produce drugs.

Rhinocero

The rhinos are excellent swimmer, getting to spend several hours in the water can ease the bite of insects. Its horn, different than we think, is not made of bone, but made of hair extremely compact forming a structure very sturdy. Their skin can have up to 7 cm and despite the size and weight, which vary according to each species, can reach up to 80 km \ h.
The rhino can sometimes be seen with another species, the Tchiluanda. The Tchiluanda is an African bird that picks ticks and tells the rhino nearby enemies.
There are 5 species of rhinos in the world: Indian rhinoceros, Rhinoceros White (second largest land mammal), Java Rhino, Black Rhinoceros, Sumatran Rhinoceros.

The rhino has adult predators are only the man. The young can fall victim to lions, tigers and hyenas if there is a favorable opportunity for them. All species of rhinos are endangered because they are very low fertility (each female has only one litter every two years). So very vulnerable to hunters, in addition to suffering the destruction of their habitat.
They have been hunted extensively because nearly all its parts are used in traditional Asian medicine. The most valuable is the horn that has been used as an aphrodisiac, to cure fevers, for cables of daggers in Yemen and Oman, or to prepare a potion that is supposed to detect poison.

Koala

Koalas are solitary animals. Sometimes they can be seen in groups, but never in groups with more than ten elements, which mostly consists of several females and one dominant male. It is a very quiet animal, it can sleep 14 hours and the rest of the time spends it looking for food.

Koalas eat only leaves and bark from eucalyptus trees. There are over 600 types, or species of these trees, but Koalas only eat the leaves and bark from 12 of them.

They can be found along the eastern coast of Australia, from the Atherton Tableland west of Cairns in Queensland, down through New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia . They also live on islands off the coast of Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.

Reasons for being endangered
Once there were millions of Koalas, but in the early 20th century the Koala was hunted almost to extinction. In the 1920s nearly eight million koalas were killed, largely for their fur.

The most common causes of koala deaths are dog attacks and motor vehicle accidents. In recent years some colonies of koals have been hard hit by desease.

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is all the different forms of life on the planet, or in a particular region.

Why is it important to preserve biodiversity?

Ethical reasons, because the human being has a moral duty to protect other forms of life.

Economic reasons, the decline of species can affect human activities such as fishing and the production of medicines.
Do not forget that at least 40% of the world economy and 80% of the needs of people depend on biological resources.

Reasons functional nature, the reduction of biodiversity leads to environmental losses because the species have important roles in ecosystems such as air purification, climate regulation, soil and watershed erosion, pest control etc..

The main causes for the extinction of species are climate changes, habitat destruction, hunting and lack of food (is also a consequence of loss of biodiversity).

Blue Whale

The blue whale is a marine mammal and is the largest animal that ever existed on the planet, with 33 meters long and 180 tons of weight. It is also the loudest animal in the world. They emit low frequency sounds that reach the 188 decibels that can be heard more than 800 miles away. Its main food is krill but also eat small fish and squid.

The killing of blue whales spread quickly, and in 1925, the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan had joined Norway in hunting blue whales, capturing and killing them and processing them in large factory ships. And in 1930, 41 ships killed 28,325 Blue Whales.

While hunting the blue whale was finally banned in 60 years, 350 thousand blue whales were killed. The current world population of blue whales is estimated at three to four thousand, that species is in the lists of endangered species since the '60s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsvWfuM6kkE

Elephants

Elephants are the largest land animals of the Earth weighing to 12 tonnes and measuring 4 metres. Elephants are herbivore from eating of herbs, fruits and leaves of trees. They have few predators due to their size. They live about 60 years and die when their teeth fall, which prevents it from eating plants.

During the mating season, the males become aggressive and about 400 people are killed by elephants each year.

The hunting of elephants, mainly caused by its ivory, is generally illegal in all African countries. Currently all species of elephants are considered endangered, they are threatened by poaching and habitat loss.

Chinese Panda

Chinese panda or Ailuropoda melanoleuca is a very smart mammal. It’s extremely docile, shy. It is very respected by the humans, China has a law that protects pandas. A farmer was arrested for shooting a panda.

It lives on the isolated mountains of Gansu, Shaanxi and Sichuan, but just 20% of these areas are its habitat. The quickly expansion of agriculture contributed for the decline of its habitat.

Panda eats about 30 species of bamboo (99% of its diet), but also insects and eggs.
Normally they have two children but the mother just takes care of one child so one of them is abandoned at birth. Its expectation of life is about 13 years.

Only 10 % of captive pandas can cross on nature.
Only 30% of females can have babies.
More than 60% of captive pandas don’t show sexual desire.

ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THE WORLD
North America
American Bison, American Crocodile, Bats, Black Footed Ferret, Black Bear, Bobcat, Burrowing Owl, Butterflies, Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Cerulean Warbler, Cook Inlet Beluga Whale, Dolphins, Eastern Timber Wolf, Fisher, Florida Black Bear, Gray Wolf, Grizzly Bear, Hawaiian Monk Seal, Hummingbird, Lynx, Killer Whale, Manatee, Mexican Spotted Owl, Mexican Wolf, Northern Spotted Owl, Ocelot, Panther, Peregrine Falcon, Puma, Prairie Dog, Red Wolf, Sea Otter, Sea Turtle, Snakes, Snowy Owl, Swift Fox, Whale, Woodpecker

South America
Armadillo, Bats, Burrowing Owl, Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Dolphins, Hummingbird, Jaguar, Killer Whale, Mexican Spotted Owl, Ocelot, Peregrine Falcon, Snakes, Whale, Wolf

Europe
Bats, Dolphins, Killer Whale, Peregrine Falcon, Snakes, Whale, Wolf

Africa
African Wild Dog, Bats, Cheetah, Chimpanzee, Dolphins, Elephant, Giraffe, Grevy's Zebra, Killer Whale, Lemur, Leopard, Lion, Mountain Gorilla, Peregrine Falcon, Rhinoceros, Snakes, Whale, Wolf, Zebra, Middle East, Bats, Dolphins, Snakes, Tiger, Whale, Wolf

Asia
Bats, Clouded Leopard, Dolphins, Elephant, Giant Panda, Killer Whale, Leopard, Oragutan, Peregrine Falcon, Rhinoceros, Sea Otter, Snakes, Snow Leopard, Tiger, Tortoise, Whale, Wolf

Australia
Bats, Dolphins, Kangaroo, Killer Whale, Koala, Peregrine Falcon, Snakes, Whale, Wolf

Arctic and Antarctic
Killer Whale, Penguin, Peregrine Falcon, Polar Bear, Wolf

Iberian Lynx

The Iberian lynx or lynx pardinus is the feline species most critically endangered. It habit in Iberian Peninsula, but it is already extinct in the Portuguese territory. There are only about a hundred lynx living in freedom.

Its diet is composed of rabbits, but when these are missing it eats deer, mice, ducks, partridges and lizards. It is essentially active at night and a climber.

When they have too many babies, there is a competition between them and just only 1 or 2 can reach adulthood.

Their main threats are:
reducing the population of rabbits;
pedestrians;
poaching.