Elizabeth's Endangered Earth Blog

Duunnn Dunnn…  Duuuunnnn Duun…  Duuunnnnnnnn Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dunnnnnnnnnnn Dunnnn We all know the ominous music and the haunting images of the Great White Shark, but what do we really know about these animals? Well for one thing we know that they are classified as vulnerable and need to be protected. Although many movies have been made about these creatures and many people have developed a fear for them, not much is known about their biology or their behavior. They grow to be about 16-20 and can weigh anywhere between 4 and 7 tons. There is estimate to be less than 3,500 of these gigantic creatures left and are found in cool coastal waters.  We do know that these amazing creatures are an integral part of the ocean ecosystem. As major predators they are an integral part of the food chain. They are rapidly disappearing because of over fishing and fall prey to by-catch. Many people try to fish these animals for sport and they are sort of like...

Have you hear of Lonesome George? He was the last survivor of a subspecies of giant tortoises on Pinta Island. Sadly, researchers and conservationists never found him a mate and he passed away in 2012. Leaving no more Pinta Island large tortoises. This sad tale may soon be the case for many other subspecies of this majestic animal. With these creatures weighing up to 700 pounds and spanning 4 feet long you would think we would see more of them, but that is not the case. Their population is unknown but they are classified as a vulnerable species. Also known as the Galapagos Tortoise there home lies within the Galapagos Islands. These animals are huge sleepers and nap for up to 16 hours a day. The rest of the time they are basking in the sun or eating leave, grass and cacti. They live the dream tropical lifestyle. So why are they in danger? Their main threats to survival are the introduction of nonnative species like feral pigs, dogs and cows. They threaten these tortoises f...

Follow along on a journey to the bush where we meet the Parma Wallaby. This cryptic creature was thought to be extinct before the 19th century, but with recent sightings they are alive but they are threatened. The population of these mammals are unknown, but they reside on the eastern part of Australia along the Great Dividing Range. Not much is known about these cryptic creatures. This is where geospatial tools can come in. We do not even know the population of these animals, once we have an accurate population number on these species using geographic tools and intensive research we will better be able to tailor our conservation efforts.  These wallabies are the smallest members of the Macropus genus and are a tenth of the size as their cousin the red kangaroo. It is mostly nocturnal and emerges right before dusk to feed on grass and shrubs. Their niche serves as a predator of small vegetation and helps to replenish and care for their forest habitats with their diet. ...

Welcome to the forests south of the Congo River! While many species live in these lush forests, a close relative to humans, the Bonobo has been a long-term resident. When you see a bonobo you may think you have just seen a chimpanzee, but while they look quite similar a bonobo is darker, smaller and leaner. However, both the bonobo and the chimpanzee share 98.7% of their DNA with humans making them our closest relatives.  With approximately only 10,000 to 50,000 bonobos left in the world, you may wonder why our closest relative is disappearing so fast and is endangered. The main reason is due to the poaching of these precious mammals and deforestation. The civil unrest and mass poverty in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has hindered these animals survival even more. The true population of these creatures are unknown, but scientists believe that they have been in decline for the past 30 years and will continue to decline for the next half of the century. Due to the ever pre...

Welcome to my endangered species blog! My name is Elizabeth Piper. I am a current first-year studying marketing and information systems in the Lindner College of Business. I am also minoring in psychology. I decided to take this class because I thought it would be a great opportunity to go outside of my comfort zone and learn something completely different than my normal business and psychology classes. I have always loved animals, but my knowledge about them especially wildlife is lacking. I hope to learn more about these different animals and their environments as well as the conservation efforts that are occurring or need to occur. My favorite animal is definitely the giraffe. I have always had a fondness for them since I was a little kid.