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Essay of 300 words on protection of endangered species
Protecting endangered species research paper
Essay of 300 words on protection of endangered species
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Introduction
Australia is home to around 24,000,000 people and almost as many environmental issues. With severely high carbon emissions, drought, and many invasive species, the country is in environmental turmoil. Australian biota has been severely impacted by changes occurring since European settlement began in 1788, with more than 10% of mammal species lost in the past 225 years (Turvey, 2013). There have also been 23 bird species or subspecies, 4 amphibians and more than 60 plant species known to be lost during this period (Shine, 2010). Invasive species are viewed as one of largest threats to biodiversity, however, there are examples of introduced species that have had relatively minor ecological impacts and still others that have even
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It is a member of the genus Rhinella, but was formerly in the genus Bufo, which includes many different true toad species found throughout Central and South America (Tyler and Knight, 2011). The cane toad is very large, reaching an average length of 10–15 cm, with a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years in the wild (Tyler and Knight, 2011). The warty and dry skin of the adult cane toad is toxic (Shanmuganathan et al, 2010). When the toads are threatened, parotoid glands behind their eyes, as well as other glands across their backs, secrete a milky-white fluid known as bufotoxin (Tyler and Knight, 2011). Components of bufotoxin are toxic to many animals, making the cane toad especially dangerous to predators attempting to eat it (Shanmuganathan et al, 2010). The cane toad is a prolific breeder; females lay single-clump spawns with thousands of eggs. Its reproductive success is partly because of opportunistic feeding: in addition to the normal prey of small rodents, reptiles, other amphibians, birds, and even bats and a range of invertebrates, they also eat plants, dog food, and household refuse (Tyler and Knight,
Get ready to learn about the deadliest and smallest poisonous animal in the world. The Strawberry Poison-Dart Frog (Oophaga pumilio) is the most poisonous animal in the world. It’s as big as a finger very colorful. These frogs are native from Central America. In this essay, you will learn what its adaptations are, what process has it used to become what it is now, how it impacts society, how it relates to everyday life and what are the short-term and long-term impacts.
What is the most important element of a good story? Although interesting characters, engaging plot development and didactic story lines certainly embellish the story, one could argue that the setting is the most crucial. Not only does the setting provide a baseline of necessary background information, it can also be used to enhance the story, just like the other elements listed. Edgar Allan Poe certainly takes advantage of this in “Hop Frog”, “The Cask of Amontillado”, and the “Masque of the Red Death”. In each of these stories, gruesome horrors occur, and because of the ingenious way Poe uses and manipulates the setting to his advantage, these stories’ horrors are amplified. In “Hop Frog” and “The Cask of Amontillado”, the main characters
Invasive species as a whole have become a nuisance to many habitats and ecosystems around the world. What defines an invasive species is the following. It must be a species that is foreign to the habitat it resides in, have no natural predators which allow it to reproduce in such a rapid manner, and out compete native animals of food and shelter (Rosenthal 2011). These characteristics are what create such high populations of these invasive species in various habitats around the globe.
Without the horned lizard, the Saguaro desert would fall apart quickly. If you have ever heard someone say, “Hey look! There’s a horned toad!” they are really referring to a horned lizard. They have spines (spikes) to protect themselves from predators. These lizards move slowly, and are patient for their food. They eat mostly insects such as ants, and in the Saguaro desert, they eat kangaroo rats. There are 14 different species of horned lizards. They are different in some ways, but all of their colors resemble their surroundings, and it helps them to stay safer. Horned lizards can survive in many climates and temperatures. If it gets too hot, they burrow with their head sticking out at the surface of the ground. That way, it cools them down without having to go far. Conveniently they can stay in their home for the winter. They survive by burrowing in the ground and hibernating. Horned lizards mostly lay eggs, but for some species, the young are born alive. After the eggs are laid, the parents ...
Ko-kee, ko-kee... are the mating calls of invasive Coqui frogs who have invaded a majority of the Big Island. These Coqui frogs, also known as Eleutherodactylus coqui are native in Puerto Rico and these small frogs are considered their national animal (Singer et al). Coqui frogs were accidentally introduced to Hawaii during a shipment of plants from Puerto Rico to Hawaii in the late 1980's. Coqui frogs are about 2 inches in length and are usually light brown or gray with a stripe down their back. Over the past two decades E. coqui have spread to the four main Hawaiian Islands and other places such as the Caribbean, Florida, and Louisiana (Singer et al). As of today, the Coquis intensive mating calls can be heard throughout every part of the Big Island during the night. While the Puerto Ricans love the sound of the Coquis, many locals in Hawaii dislike them due to the environmental and economic damages they are creating. Coqui frogs are detriment to Hawaii because they are a serious threat to the native insect population, compete for food with Hawaii's native bird population, and cost residents and businesses millions of dollars each year (McAvoy).
The frog’s back is usually textured with coarse tubercles. Its fingers are thinly webbed while the hind foot is more developed. Large disks exist on the fingers and toes to assist with climbing and sticking to objects (Dickerson, 1969). The male and female Grey Tree Frogs are very similar. They are distinguished by the male having a dark underside of his throat. Also the females ears are smaller then the males (Dickerson, 1969).
Cane Toads have had a huge impact upon Western Australian food webs. They have poison glands behind their eyes, which they have used to eliminate their predators, much of which is Australian native fauna. The Quoll is the most affected animal by the Cane Toads, and have become, ‘critically endangered’, according to the Northern Territory Legislation. This has left a large dent upon WA’s natural food web.
Slowly, the disruption of these delicate balances are taking their toll on the native habitats and transforming small temporary changes into permanent problems. The area of environmental modification that will be emphasized in this paper is the introduction of non-native species to new habitats and the resulting effects on that habitat; specifically, the introduction of the European Rabbit to Australia.
Both the toad and the donkey are Mercerism’s most important animals, the former being a bit more valuable. But why these ordinary creatures? Firstly, a donkey is often used as a carrier. In other words, they are the ones who do the heavy lifting. They don’t really complain and are often portrayed as being overloaded. Secondly, a toad is known for is survivability. Even though it is not one of the prettiest animals, toads are great at living in hostile environments. They dig themselves into the ground and live of scraps to get by. Together they represent humans. Hardworking people that are willing to do what it takes to survive. By working together, humans managed to create spatial colonies. And those that stayed behind on Earth, even though it is slightly radioactive, learned to live with their dangerous
The intended impacts of the cane toad were to remove beetles and cane grubs from farmers sugarcane crops. In the 1930's sugar was one of Australia's major exports. In Northern Queensland farmers have had a problem with their crops known as the cane grub. The cane grub would eat away at the farmers sugarcane and surrounding trees until there was nothing left. This was a major issue with the country's number one exporting good. To try and solve the issue the Australian government brought in a foreign species of frog from Hawaii known as the cane toad. A total of 102 cane toads were released in Australia on June 22nd 1935.
Their findings contributed to a further explanation of the definition of an invasive species. It was concluded that invasive species are detrimental to the environment that they are invading. Jackson (2015) mentioned that negative relationships among invaders are a particular concern since it is possible that both of the invasive species would need to be controlled in order for an area to rebound after invasion. Hoopes et al. (2013) concluded that native species on island refuges are more likely to be come extinct during an invasion compared to those of mainland refuges. These results also help to confirm the importance of understanding invasive species from a conservation point of view since invasive species are a major threat to native populations in their
Australia is home to the great barrier reef which is the world's largest coral reef system, and home to the kangaroo. Australia is the driest continent in the world. The outback is the part of Australia that few live in because it’s a vast desert (“Australia”). The great dividing range is a long chain of mountains that runs along the Pacific Coast of Australia (“Australia”). Australia is the driest inhabitable country in the world (“Australia”). The great barrier reef of Australia is the largest in the world (“Australia”). Australia is already a dry country and if the temperature rises anymore due to climate change than Australia could suffer from more severe forest fires and be doomed.
In Australia feral cats cover up about 99.8% of the Great Sandy Desert. The research shows that the total amount of feral cats in the desert is much lower than the previous years of feral cats in the Great Sandy Desert. Agencies are responsible for managing cat populations and would enable better planning for baiting, trapping, shooting or other eradication programs (Legge). A recent researcher announced a plan to kill around two million feral cats in the Great Sandy Desert, and plan on killing more as the years go on and the population of feral cats gets higher. Feral cats are responsible for the extinction of about 20 native Australian species. They are the single biggest threat to our native animals,
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura. The order Anura is broken down into 22 different families of frogs and toads. Although they belong to the same order, frogs and toads are different in a lot of ways. Some of the more distinct differences are their skin and where they live. Frogs usually have smooth moist skin and toads usually have dry watery looking skin. Frogs spend most of their lives in or near water and toads spend more time on land. Amphibian means "double life." Frogs and toads each have two parts to their lives: when they live on water and when they live land. A frog's life starts in the water when it is hatched from an egg as a tadpole. A tadpole looks very different from an adult frog. A tadpole has a tail, no limbs, and breathes through gills. After a while the tadpole goes through metamorphosis. During the change the frog grows limbs, the tail disappears, it uses lungs to breathe, and it doesn't have to live in water anymore. As a tadpole, the frog feeds mostly on vegetation. The tadpoles have a small rasping mouth suited especially for scraping algea from the bottom of ponds. Depending on the species, it can take a few weeks to a year or more for the tadpoles to become fully grown. Not all frogs hatch as tadpoles. Some species of frogs hatch as froglets. Froglets look just like adult frogs but are a lot smaller. Froglets don't go through a metamophosis. Most species that hatch as froglets are found in dry places. Frogs who live in dry places where rains are seasonal have to grow up quickly because a tadpole will die if their temporary pond dries up. Adult frogs can live in water or on land, but it always needs to be near water so its respiratory organs don't dry out.
Invasive species, (also known as invasive alien species or simply alien species) are defined as any organism (plant, animal, pathogen, or other living thing) that is alien (non-native) to an ecosystem, which can cause adverse economical, ecological, or health effects to native species and/or humans. The roots of these problems all stem from the massive negative ecological impact these organisms are having on the environment (CBD, 2009). For all animal extinctions where the cause is known since the 1600’s, invasive alien species have been a contributing factor 40% of the time (CBD, 2006); the second most contributing factor to extinctions after loss of habitat (GC, 2013). By eliminating native species through competition for resources, predation, and transmittal of disease, invasive species continue to reduce biodiversity in almost all ecosystems around the world (CBD, 2009). In the future, this problem may worsen, and if no action is taken, could lead to a cascading ecological problem so large that whole communities or even ecosystems could collapse.