Backyard Endangered Species
The bulk of the endangered mammals I've been drawing in the past year come from Africa or Asia, while chances are that most the people who read this blog will come from either the United States or Europe. These latter regions, however, do have their own imperiled species as well.
Black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes)
Current Range: Pockets of Canada, Mexico, and the western United States
Conservation Status: Endangered (c. 1,200 as of Fall 2013)
This mustelid used to be the primary predator of prairie dogs, but went into severe decline during the 1800s and 1900s due to fur-trapping and the culling of their main prey.
Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus)
Current Range: Pockets of the Mediterranean and mid-Atlantic, including Madeira, the coast of Croatia, and the Aegean Sea
Conservation Status: Endangered (less than 700 as of 2015)
The world's rarest seal, this backyard beast was hunted extensively as early as the days of the Roman Empire, and in more recent times has been killed by fishermen who regard them as pests.
Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii)
Current Range: Central and South America, from the Yucatán Peninsula to western Colombia)
Conservation Status: Endangered (less than 5,000 as of 2008)
While much further from American or European readers than the other two species in this post (outside of zoos, of course), the Baird's tapir still inhabits a wide though sparsely-populated area. And though much smaller than an elephant or even the smallest rhino species, this bizarre animal is the largest mammal indigenous to Central America.
The bulk of the endangered mammals I've been drawing in the past year come from Africa or Asia, while chances are that most the people who read this blog will come from either the United States or Europe. These latter regions, however, do have their own imperiled species as well.
Current Range: Pockets of Canada, Mexico, and the western United States
Conservation Status: Endangered (c. 1,200 as of Fall 2013)
This mustelid used to be the primary predator of prairie dogs, but went into severe decline during the 1800s and 1900s due to fur-trapping and the culling of their main prey.
Current Range: Pockets of the Mediterranean and mid-Atlantic, including Madeira, the coast of Croatia, and the Aegean Sea
Conservation Status: Endangered (less than 700 as of 2015)
The world's rarest seal, this backyard beast was hunted extensively as early as the days of the Roman Empire, and in more recent times has been killed by fishermen who regard them as pests.
Current Range: Central and South America, from the Yucatán Peninsula to western Colombia)
Conservation Status: Endangered (less than 5,000 as of 2008)
While much further from American or European readers than the other two species in this post (outside of zoos, of course), the Baird's tapir still inhabits a wide though sparsely-populated area. And though much smaller than an elephant or even the smallest rhino species, this bizarre animal is the largest mammal indigenous to Central America.
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