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Best ways to save endangered species
Best ways to save endangered species
Best ways to save endangered species
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Atelerix albiventris, also commonly known as the four-toed hedgehog, is a fascinating organism with a plethora of intriguing characteristics. The hierarchical classification of this organism is as follows: Kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Mammalia, order Insectivora, family Erinaceidae, genus Atelerix, and species albiventris. In the genus Atelerix, there are four other species. The members of this genus include the four-toed hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris), the Somali Hedgehog (Atelerix sclateri), the Southern African Hedgehog (Atelerix frontalis), and the North African hedgehog (Atelerix algirus) (Santana 2010).The two distinctive features of the class Mammalia are the presence of hair and mammary glands. The function of hair is to serve as an insulator while the mammary glands enable females to produce nutritious, calorie-rich milk and nurse their young. Members of the order Insectivora are insect-eating mammals that have a long snout and either covered in fur or spines. Insectivores are seen as primitive mammals because they lack certain advanced characteristics seen in complex mammals, such as the primates. Instead of a ridged brain they have a smooth brain and instead of two separate openings for the genitals and anus, they have a cloaca, which serves as the opening for both the urinary and reproductive tracts. Furthermore, three commonly known mammals in this order Insectivora are the hedgehog, mole, and the. The genus Atelerix contains the African hedgehogs, which are distinguishable spines covering their bodies, a white fur belly, and typically are between six to eight inches in length (Vaughan 1972)
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Atelerix albiventris:
Physiology:
Muscles/skeletal system/locomotion
The four-toed hedgehog ...
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...significant service to the pet market (Cosley Zoo 2014).
Conservation Status:
The likelihood of the four-toed hedgehog going extinct is very improbable. They have an extensive range and are very stable in regards to their wildlife population. They continue to grow in the wild and animal experts have not seen any alarming declines in the population rates. Hence, they have a minimal conservation status. But with the four-toed hedgehog’s development into a popular exotic household pet, there have been some concerns about the threatening of the native populations in Africa. Luckily, there is a breeding stock that is present in the United States that supplies this pet demand. Furthermore, it is prohibited to transport the four-toed hedgehog animals out of Africa to the pet trade market. These regulations allow for the native populations to flourish (Nichols 2014)
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The Pygmy three-toed- sloths are described to have buff-colored faces with dark circles that surround the eye and go outwards to their temples. Like all sloths, they are always in doldrums which can be very unbeneficial to them. They have clay-orange fur that covers their face and their hair is long and bushy. “Long hair hangs forward to the forehead, giving the impression of a hood” (Grzimek 161). Their outer fur has coated an alga that is used as camouflage to avoid predators. If they were attacked, they have a high probability of surviving due to their ability to heal from grievous wounds. These sloths have a total of 18 teeth, 10 coming from their upper jaw. Similar to other sloths their body temperature regulation is imperfect (“Bradypus pygmaeus pygmy three-toed sloth” (a)).
The American Society of Mammalogists, . Mammalian Species: Alces alces. Vol. 154. 1981. 1-7. Web.
Estimates are that at the turn of the twentieth century over two million wild horses roamed free in the western United States. However, having no protection from their primary predator, man, by the 1970’s there numbers had dwindled to less than thirty thousand. In 1971, after a massive public uproar, Congress by a unanimous vote enacted the “Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act” (Act) that characterizes wild horses and burros as national treasures and provides for their protection.
Man is responsible for the extinction of the North American megafauna (Donlan 2005, Rubenstein et al. 2006). Since our ancestors are responsible for the extinction, it’s our duty to fix what our ancestors have destroyed (Donlan 2005). Moreover, according to Donlan (2005) most megafauna species in Africa and Asia are endangered or under threat. Hence, relocating them to North American is a best way of conserving them because the country carries “Global conservation implications” and contrary to that Africa and Asia practice poor conservation strategies (Donlan 2005). He further argues that N...
Weeks, P., & Packard, J. (2009). Feral hogs: Invasive species or nature. Human Organization, 68(3), 280-292. Retrieved from http://wk4ky4tk9h.scholar.serialssolutions.com.library.esc.edu/?sid=google&auinit=P&aulast=Weeks&atitle=Feral Hogs: Invasive Species or Nature's Bounty?&title=Human organization&volume=68&issue=3&date=2009&spage=280&issn=0018-7259
Some captive species even have problematic changes in reproduction such as not be able to reproduce anymore (Lynn 1817). These changes in behavior and high cost are a major factor in whether these programs are sophisticated and whether the animals can be reintroduced into the wild and if it would benefit their
Pit Bull-Beauty or Beast? Are pit bulls the best breed of dogs to keep around the house? Pit bulls are the majority of dog attacks that have been covered by news stations. The news coverage has made people really nervous about these animals. People are afraid to let these dogs be around their families and friends.
The one concept that I feel is most significant in this week’s reading would be the Hedgehog Concept, simplifying a complex world into a single organized idea/principle that guides everything else.
“Yertle the Turtle” created and written by Dr. Seuss is a children’s book with a meaning children will understand. In this story Yertle the Turtle, who is known as the king of the pond, is dissatisfied with a stone he calls his throne. He commands the other turtles to stack themselves below him so that he could see more therefore expanding his “kingdom”. Nonetheless, he stacks these turtles to the point where he claims to “rule from the clouds! Over land! Over sea! There's nothing, no, NOTHING, that's higher than [him]!" (Seuss). Then, a little turtle at the very bottom named Mack, after suffering with the weight and pleading twice with Yertle, gets fed up, burps, making the throne shake leading to Yertle falling. This made this king of the
There are many super heroes I could have chosen to do this report on, but I chose not to. Instead, I chose a super villain we all know; his name is the Green Goblin.
Animals that are brought to the United States and taken to someone’s home are said to have to go through the “exotic pet trade.” These animals are taken from their natural habitat, such as Australia, Brazil, and Africa and are exposed to harsh transport. Some examples of animals that are put in these conditions are parrots. They sometimes have their beaks and legs taped and are stuffed into tubes. Turtles suffer harsh conditions as well. They are trapped with tape inside their shells and shoved into small compartments along with many other turtles. These animals are put in such horrible conditions that many die before arriving at their destinations (“Exotic Animals as Pets”). These animals have to reason to be suffering because if they were left free in their natural habitat as they should be they would not have to
The Honey badger or ratel is a persistent little flesh eater that has a reputation for being,
Gopher Tortoise have been around for over 60 million and they are originated in Western North America (Logan. 1981). In average tortoises are 25cm and can weigh up to 10 lb (Logan. 1981). Gophers are now known almost extinct, ascribe to humans taking over their habitat and building homes, shopping markets, and more.. One of the few homes for the gophers is at Florida Atlantic University preserve. This preserve was created in 1943, however it is decreasing in size. Since the Gophers are being preyed upon by humans, they are forced to seek a new home to reproduce so they won't be extinct.
Sikes, Roberts. and William L. Gannon. "Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists for the Use of Wild Mammals in Research." Journal of Mammalogy 92.1 (Feb. 2011): 235-253. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 5 Oct. 2011.
The exotic pet trade is a vast industry and is one of the largest sources of criminal earnings. These animals are smuggled and sold in stores, auctions, or on the internet. Many animals do not even survive the long journey from their habitats; and the ones that do usually suffer ...