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Common Grass Carp

Common Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon): The grass carp, or white amur, is a very large fish in the minnow family (Cyprinidae). The body is torpedo shaped with moderately large scales, while the head has no scales. They are silver to olive in color. The adults consume aquatic plants and can weigh up to 70 pounds. It is native to southeastern Russia and northwestern China and was brought to Arkansas in the 1960s to control aquatic plants in reservoirs and aquaculture farms. Their herbivorous feeding can dramatically reduce aquatic vegetation and they can harm water quality by increasing phosphorus levels. They have been stocked in waters of other states, escaped or spread to other waters in flood events, and have spread throughout connected river systems.

Cuban Roch Iquana

Cuban Rock Iquana (cyclura nublia): Vulnerable; herbivores with red eyes, a thick tail, and spiked jowls in one of the largest lizards in the Caribbean; distributed throughout the rocky southern coastal areas of mainland Cuba and its surrounding islets with a feral population thriving on Isla Magueyes, Puerto Rico; 955 of its diet consists of leaves, flowers and fruits from 30 species of plants; well-established in public and private collections; many zoological parks and private individuals keep them in captive breeding programs; habitat destruction caused by the overgrazing of farm animals, housing developments and the building of tourist resorts on the beaches where the iguana prefer to build their nests; direct predation from introduced animals such as rats, cats and dogs; feral hogs are resposible for destroying many iguana nest sites for the eggs; ant predation of the iguana eggs is another threat Grand Canyon Iquana (Cyclura lewisi): Endangered; also known as the Blue iguana; from the island of Grand Cayman; prefers dwelling in rocky, sunlit, open areas in dry forests or near the shore, as the females must dig holes in the sand to lay eggs; largest native land animal on Grand Cayman with a total nose-to-tail length of 5 ftand weigh as much as 30 pounds; have a golden iris and red sclera; have excellent vision, which allows them to detect shapes and motions at long distances; primarily herbivores, consuming leaves, flowers, fruits from over 45 species of plants; the population is restricted to the eastern interior of Grand Cayman, where it had been reduced to a critically low level, only three animals had been observed before the survey; habitat destruction is the main factor; land clearance with remnant habitat is occuring for agriculture, road construction and real estate development and speculation; predation and injury to hatchlings by rats, feral cats and roaming dogs

Dusky Gopher Frog

Dusky Gopher Frog (Rana sevosa): Critically Endangered; a rare species of true frog; its natural habitats are temperate, coastal forests and intermittent freshwater marshes; average 3 in long with a dark brown or black dorsal surface covered in warts; once abundant along the Gulf Coastal Plain in lower Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama - from east of the Mississippi River Delta to Mobile Bay; adults face everyday threats from a wide assortment of possible predators, including birds, mammals, and reptiles. Tadpoles face predation from fish, aquatic insects, birds, turtles, and snakes; Chytridiomycosis caused by chytrid fungus, an infectious disease of amphibians, has had a detrimental effect on Mississippi gopher populations; fire suppression, genetic isolation, inbreeding, droughts, and floods Ramsey Canyon Leopard Frog (Rana subaquavocalis): Critically Endangered; east side of the Huachuca Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona, southwestern United States; green and olive-brown in coloration and about 6 inches in length Macaya Burrowing Frog (Eleutherodactylus parapelates): Critically Endangered; from Massif de la Hotte, Haiti; species that inhabits closed forest, males call from shallow, underground chambers. The eggs are also laid underground and it breeds by direct development

Endangered Species Act

Endangered Species Act: The Endangered Species Act ("ESA") is a federal law that was enacted in 1973 to protect endangered and threatened species from becoming extinct. A species or subspecies is endangered if it is "in danger of extinction through out all or a significant portion of its range." A threatened species is one that is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. Three different departments of the federal government administer ESA: the Department of Interior (endangered animals generally), the Department of Commerce (marine mammals), and the Department of Agriculture (plants). Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES): is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Lacey Act: Under the Lacey Act, it is unlawful to import, export, sell, acquire, or purchase fish, wildlife or plants that are taken, possessed, transported, or sold: 1) in violation of U.S. or Indian law, or 2) in interstate or foreign commerce involving any fish, wildlife, or plants taken possessed or sold in violation of State or foreign law.

Eskimo Curlew

Eskimo curlew (Numenius borealis): Critically endangered; eats mostly berries; The Eskimo curlew has warm brown feathers with white speckles. Cinnamon-colored feathers line the undersides of their wings. They have long, dark green, dark brown, or dark grey-blue legs and are about 12 inches in length.; Arctic tundra and open grasslands provide habitat for Eskimo curlews.;Eskimo curlews migrate from breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra through the North American prairies to wintering grounds on the Pampas grasslands of Argentina. Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator): Least Concern; is a species of swan found in North America.; The heaviest bird native to North America; all white in plumage; Their breeding habitat is large shallow ponds, undisturbed lakes, pristine wetlands and wide slow rivers, and marshes in northwestern and central North America, with the largest numbers of breeding pairs found in Alaska. They prefer nesting sites with enough space for them to have enough surface water for them to take off, as well as accessible food, shallow, unpolluted water, and little or no human disturbance.;These birds feed while swimming, sometimes up-ending or dabbling to reach submerged food. The diet is almost entirely aquatic plants. They will eat both the leaves and stems of submerged and emergent vegetation. They will also dig into muddy substrate underwater to extract roots and tubers; This species is also unusually sensitive to lead poisoning while young; Swan was hunted heavily, both as game and a source of feathers

False Gharial

False Gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii): Endangered; also known as the Malayan gharial, or false gavial is a freshwater crocodilian with a very thin and elongated snout; poulation is estimated at below 2,500 mature individuals; is dark reddish-brown above with dark brown or black spots and cross-bands on the back and tail; native to Penisular Malaysia, Sarawak, Sumatra, and Borneo; live in rivers, swamps and lakes; feed on proboscis monkeys, long-tailed macaques, deer, water birds, and fruit bats; threatened because of drainage of its freshwater swamplands and clearance of surrounding rainforests; the species is also hunted frequently for its skin and meat and the eggs are ofter harvested for human consumption Ploughshare Tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora): Critically Endagered; also known as the angonoka, ploughshare tortoise, madagascar tortoise or madagascar angulated tortoise; highly domed and light brown in colour with prominent growth rings on each scute; only found in Madagascar, where its endemic to the dry forests in the Baly Bay area of northwestern Madagascar, near the twon of Soalala; the area is made up of savanna, mangrove swamps, and dry deciduous forest; feed on grasses, shrubs, forbs, and herbs; main threat is the fires to clear land for cattle grazing and collection for pet trade

Grey Wolf

African Elephant (Loxodonta africana): Vulnerable; Habitat loss; climate change projections indicate that key portions of elephants' habitat will become significantly hotter and drier, resulting in poorer foraging; poaching for ivory tusks; Diet of grasses, leaves, bamboo, bark, roots, banana and sugarcane; adult elephants eat 300-400 lbs of food per day; found in 37 countries south of the Sahara Desert; inhabit the dense rainforests of west and central Africa Grey Wolf (Canis lupus): Least Concern; In the winter it fur is long and bushy and predominantly a mottled gray in coloud, although nearly pure white, red, or brown and black also occur; wolves eat large hoofed mammals, like elk and deer; also known to eat beaver, rabbitss and other small prey; also scavenge and eat animals that died of starvation and disease; mostly Canada and Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesote, Montana, wisconsin and Wyoming; hunt and travel in pack of 4-7; killed off in the 1930s in most of North America. Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa):Vulnerable; is a cat found from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southest Asia into China; fewer than 10,000 mature individuals; evolutionary link between bog cats and small cats; most talented climbers amoung the cats; many of the remaining forest areas are to small to ensure the long-term persistence of clouded leopard populations; large scale deforestation and commercial poaching; skin, claws and teeth are offered for decoration and clothing; must start breeding when they are younge because of courtship ignorance amond mature ones in the wild.

African Penguin

African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus): Endangered; Also called jackass penguins, they make donkey-like braying sounds to communicate. They can dive under water for up to 2.5 minutes while trying to catch small fish such as anchovies and sardines. They may also eat squid and crustaceans; To keep dry and insulated in cold water, African penguins are covered in dense, water-proof feathers. These feathers are white on the belly and black on the back, which aids in camouflage.;African penguins breed within their colonies; they do not travel to give birth. The penguins nest in burrows they dig out of their own excrement, called guano, or in areas under boulders or bushes.; African penguins can live for an average of 10-15 years, however many do not reach their full life span, and populations have been steadily decreasing. The loss of nesting places due to guano removal has contributed to the population decline as well as a decrease of food due to overfishing and pollution.

Aruba Island Rattlesnake

Aruba Island Rattlesnake (Crotalus unicolor): Critically Endangered; is a venomous pitviper sunspecies found only on the Caribbean island of Aruba, off the coast of Venezuela; estimates that fewer than 230 adults survive in the wild; moderately sized, this species attains an adult lengthof about 90 cm and weighs about 1 kilograms; it is light brown, tan or almost pink, reflecting the soil clor of its native habitat, with darker brown diamond shaped markings; only exist in thornscrub and desert habitats on the southeastern half of the island; habitat destruction from encroaching humans; diet coonsists of rodents, birds and lizards

Atlantic Salmon

Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar): Endangered; average size of the Atlantic salmon is 28-30 inches long and 8-12 pounds after two years at sea; juvenile salmon feed and grow in rivers for one to three years before undergoing smoltification and migrating to the ocean; threats of acidified water, bird predation, climate change, degration of water quiality, sedimentation; Northern America, Europue, and Baltic; have a spindle-like body shape - rounded, broud in the middle, and tapered at each end. The shape is somewhat flattened toward the sides, which is typical of salmon species; spawning adults darken to a bronze color after entering freshwater and darken further as the spawn. Ater spawning has been completed, they are often referred to a kelts or black salmon. The silver color returns afte rthey re-enter the sea.

Blue Marlin

Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans): Vulnerable; feeds on a wide variety of organisms near the surface; it uses its bill to stun, injure, or kill while knifing through a school of prey, then returns to eat; are distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans; femlaes can grow up to four times the weight of males; maximum published weight is 1,803 pounds and 16.4 feet; have few predators apart from man; highly prized game fish and commercial; predators would be large pelagic sharks such as the shortfin mako and great white shark Inyo Mountains Salamander (Batrachoseps campi): Endangered (1996); limited to about 5 known localities, located in Inyo County of eastern California; Salamander's natural habitats are the temperate Mojave Desert into Great Basin sagebrush ecotone, and freshwater spring riparian areas there; being threatened by habitat loss in size from flash floods, mining, water diversion, and vegetation damage by cattle and quality and declining number of mature individuals

Brown Tree Snake

Brown Tree Snake (Boiga irregularis): is an arboreal rear-fanged colubrid snake native to eastern and northern coastal Australia, eastern Indonesia (Sulawesi to Papua), Papua New Guinea, and a large number of islands in northwestern Melanesia.; invasive species responsible for devastating the majority of the native bird population in Guam; The brown tree snake preys upon birds, lizards, bats, rats, and small rodents in its native range It preys on birds and shrews in Guam.; The brown tree snake is a nocturnal snake that can be very aggressive when confronted.(venom); Shortly after World War II, and before 1952, the brown tree snake was accidentally transported from its native range in the South Pacific to Guam, probably as a stowaway in ship cargo.As a result of abundant prey resources on Guam and the absence of natural predators outside of feral pigs and mangrove monitors, brown tree snake populations reached unprecedented numbers.

Burmese Python

Burmese Python (Python molurus): As part of an ever popular international pet trade market, and incidentally along paths of human travel, many exotic animals have been removed from their native lands and landed where they are not necessarily welcome arrivals. Among these invasive species are a growing number of Burmese pythons, which have taken up residence in the wetlands of Florida, courtesy of overwhelmed pet owners and hurricane-hit animal warehouses. Accidentally or intentionally released pythons and other exotic animals, such as parrots, reptiles, and lizards are inhabiting dry as well as wet habitats, and feeding on or competing with native species. Giant pythons are well-adapted for success in Florida, where the habitat is similar to their Asian home. Although they are non-venomous, pythons are among the largest snakes in the world, reaching up to twenty-six feet long. Their size and power makes them one of the top predators in Florida's Everglades National Park, taking on even the alligators, and posing a threat to many of the indigenous and endangered species.

Cane Toad

Cane Toad (Bufor marinus): also known as the giant neotropical toad or marine toad, is a large, terrestrial true toad which is native to Central and South America, but has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania and the Caribbean as well as northern Australia. Most frogs identify prey by movement, and vision appears to be the primary method by which the cane toad detects prey; however, the cane toad can also locate food using its sense of smell.They eat a wide range of material; in addition to the normal prey of small rodents, reptiles, other amphibians, birds and a range of invertebrates, they also eat plants, dog food and household refuse.; The skin of the adult cane toad is toxic, as well as the enlarged parotoid glands behind the eyes, and other glands across their backs. When the toads are threatened, their glands secrete a milky-white fluid known as bufotoxin.Many species prey on the cane toad and its tadpoles in its native habitat, including the broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris), the banded cat-eyed snake (Leptodeira annulata), the eel (family: Anguillidae), various species of killifish,

Galapagos Penguin

Galapagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus): Endangered; is a penguin endemic to the Galapagos Islands. It is the only penguin that lives north of the equator in the wild. It can survive due to the cool temperatures resulting from the Humboldt Current and cool waters from great depths brought up by the Cromwell Current.; The average Galapagos Penguin is 49 centimetres (19 in) long and 2.5 kilograms (5.5 lb) in weight. It is the second smallest species of penguin; The Galapagos Penguin occurs primarily on Fernandina Island and the west coast of Isabela Island, but small populations are scattered on other islands in the Galapagos archipelago.; hey eat small schooling fish, mainly mullet, sardines, and sometimes crustaceans. They search for food only during the day and normally within a few kilometers of their breeding site. They depend on the cold nutrient-rich currents to bring them food.; Because of the Galapagos Penguin's smaller size, it has many predators. On land, the penguins are preyed upon by crabs, snakes, rice rats, cats, hawks, and owls. While in the water they are preyed upon by sharks, fur seals, and sea lions.; hazards due to humans, as well as the hazards of unreliable food resources and volcanic activity. Illegal fishermen interrupt the penguins' nesting trees, and they are often caught in fishing nets by mistake.

Giant Madagascar Leaf-tailed Gecko

Giant Madagascar Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus fimbriatus): Least Concern; found in eastern Madagascar and on the islands Nosy Bohara and Nosy Manabe; live in tropical rain forests; they reach a total length of 330 mm; nocturnal; during the day it plasters itself to a small tree trunk and rests head down. If disturbed it will raise its head and tail, open its mouth and screamp; habitat destruction and deforestation in Madagascar is the primary threat as well as collection for the pet trade Philipine Crocodile (Crocodilus mindorensis): Critically Endangered; also known as the Mindoro crocodile or the Philippine freshwater crocodile; relativerly small; have a relativerly broad snout and thick bony plates on its back (heavy dorsal armor); golden-brown in color, which darkens as they mature;roughly 250 left in the wild as of sept. 2011; threat is mainly from removal of suitable habitat for agricultural purposes to satisfy a rapidly expanding human population

Gopher Tortoise

Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus): Vulnerable; native to the southeastern united States; it digs burrows that provide shelter for 360 to 400 other animal species; threatened by predation and habitat destruction; possesses forefeet well adapted for burrowing and elephantine hind feet; dark brown to grayish black in overall color with a yellow bottom shell; they are herbivore scavengers; usually get enough water from the plants they eat; only drink standing water in times of extreme drought; humans eat gopher tortoises, was seen as the poor mans chicken; kept as pets keeping them from reprodusing in their local populations; increase temperature and rainfall bring in invasive species that drive out the gopher tortoise by eating its food; known to contract upper respiratory tract diseases. American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis): Least Concern; grow between 11 to 15 feet and can weigh 999 pounds; broader snout, with overlapping jaws ad darker coloration, and is less tolerant of seawater but more tolerant of cooler climates; found in the southeastern United States; they inhabit swamps, streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes; feed in invertebrates, fish, birds, turtles, snakes, amphibians, and mammals; feed on nutria (an invasive species with exploded)

Greater Bamboo Lemur

Greater Bamboo Lemur (Prolemur simus): Critically Endangered; about 5 pounds; Madagascar; found fewer than 75 individuals; severly degraded habitat; threatened by slash and burn farming, mining and bambood and other logging and slingshot hunting. Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis): Critically Endangered; native to eastern and central africa including Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Angola; brown to gray; herbivore; eats leafy plants, branches, shoots and thorny wood bushes, and fruit; main threat is being poached for their horns; parks and reserves have been created with armed gaurds, yet poachers still find a way in; thought of dehorning so the poachers dont kill them, however the process is expensive, the rhinos then can not protect themselves and their younge and the poaching has not decreased; in a 2014 auction a permit to hunt African black rhinos was sold for $350,000 at a fundraiser to raise money for consernation efforts; other threats are habitat changes, competing species and civil wars happeing in the areas

Indigo Snake

Indigo Snake (Drymarchon melanurus): Threatened; also known as the texas Indigo snake is native to Taxas and Mexico; are predominantly black in color, with a high sheen; their underside is often a salmon pink; they are large snakes regularly attaining total lengths beyond 6 ft; prefer lighly vegetated areas not far from permanent water sources, but are also found in mesquite savannah, open grassland areas, and coastal sand dunes; den in burrowns left by other animals; diurnal; consume mammals, birds, lizards, frogs, turtles, eggs and even other snakes; can release a foul smelling musk; main threat is habitat loss due to human development; each snake requires a large home range to forage; roads bisect their territtory and many snakes each year are run over by cars

Japanese Giant Salamander

Japanese Giant Salamander (Andrias japonicas): Near Threatened; known as Osanshouo meaning giant pepper fish; length of almost 5 ft, the second largest salamander in the world; restricted to streams with clear, cool water, it is entirely aquatic and nocturnal; ust breach their heads above the surface to obtain air without getting out of the water; when threatened can excrete a strong-smelling, milking substance with an odor resembling Japanese pepper; has very poor eyesight, and possesses special sensory cells covering its skin; threatened by pollution, habitat loss (by the silting up of the rivers) and overcollection; can be found on the islands of Kyushu, Honshu, and Shikoku; used to be fished out for streams and rivers for food Table Mountain Ghost Frog (Heleophryne rosei): also known as Rose's frog; critically endangered; a moderatley sixed frog, with the larger females up to 60 mm and the smaller male up to 50 mm in length. The coloration of adults is striking, often a pale green background with purple to brown clotches. The fingers and toas have large, triangular terminal discs; the feet are half webbed; location in the othern, eastern and marginally western slope of table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa; habitat includes moist, forested gorges, with vertical rock faces; the tadpoles require year-round supply water whereas adults can stray away from streams, even to be found in caves; eat a range of small insects and other forest arthropods; threatened by the plantations of pines on the mountains that cause the streams to dry up

King Cobra

King Cobra (Ophiophagus Hannah): Vulnerable; the world's longest venomous snake with a length up to 18.5 to 18.8 ft; preys mostly on other snakes including ratsnakes, small pythons and even other venomous snakes; found predominantly in the forests from India through Southeat Asia; the skin is either olive-green, tan, or black, and it has faint, pale yellow cross bands down the length of the body; the belly is cream of pale yellow; the scales are smooth; received chemical information via its forked tongue, which picks up scent particles and transfers them to a special sensory receptor located in the roof of its mouth; In India, a person guilty of killing the snake can be imprisoned for up to 6 years; main threat is people kiling them and deforestation, which ckain=ms large tracts of its rainforest habitat to supply timber and to create space for agricultural land and expanding human sttlements

Least Tern

Least Tern (Sterna antillarum): Least Convern; breeding in north and south america; development of coastal areas destroys breeding habitat and recreational activities can disrupt reproduction; increase in populations of gulls have led to competition for nesting sites

Lionfish

Lionfish (Pterois volitans): The 50,000 exotic species in the U.S. cost an average of $138 billion per year in damages, losses, and control measures. They threaten nearly half of the species protected under the Endangered Species Act. Invasive species are biological pollutants, capable of having similar impacts to coastal ecosystems as chemical pollutants.; Native: Indo-Pacidic and Red Sea; Lionfish are a predatory reef fish. They eat native fish, which can reduce native populations and have negative effects on the overall reef habitat and health as they can eliminate species that serve important ecological roles such as fish that keep algae in check on the reefs. Lionfish also compete for food with native predatory fish such as grouper and snapper. Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus): Norway Rats have been present in North America for so long that many people forget they are invasive. Despite the name, Norway Rats are not native to Europe either. Their native range is in Asia. They have been in close association with humans throughout history, following them as stowaways on ships for centuries. They do well both in the wild and in close association with humans. Plant material, especially grains, comprise most of their diet, however they may also consume garbage, eggs, and even young chickens, lambs, and pigs. Quick gestation and large litter sizes make these rats very successful breeders. Unfortunately, they are destructive, and are vectors for many diseases. Introduction: 1700s

Little Brown Bat

Little Brown Bat (Myotis spp.): Least Concerned; fur is uniformly dark brown and glossy on the back and upper parts with slighly paler, greyish fur underneath; found throughout much of north america; more common in the norther half of the united states and southern cananda; insectivore; moths, wasps, beetles, gnats, mosquitoes, midges, and mayflies; live about 6 to 7 years; nocturnal; threatened against disease called white nose syndrome, caused by a fungus; messes with wing membrane which deals with water balance, so during hibernation they wake becuase of thirst and hunt during the winter

Mountain Yellow-legged Frog

Mountain yellow-legged frog or southern mountain yellow-legged frog (Rana muscosa): Endangered; a species of true frog endemic to California in the United States; located in the mountain ranges of Southern California up to the southern Sierra Nevada; 4 to 8.9 centimeters long; color and patterning vary; yellowish, brownish, or olive with black and brown markings; it may have light orange or yellow thighs; when handled, the frog emits an odor reminiscent of garlic; frog occurs in mountain creeks, lakes and lakeshores, streams, and pools, preferring sunny areas; rarely strays far from water; tadpoles require a permanent water habitat for at least two years while they develop; trout was introduced to the lakes and fed on the tadpoles; pesticide drift from agricultural areas

Nile Monitor

Nile Monitor (Varanus niloticus): The Nile Monitor (Varanus niloticus) is one of the many non-native invasive species plaguing Florida. These reptiles are a serious threat to native animal species in all state habitats. The first of these aggressive and powerful lizards was found in the wild in 1981, followed by the discovery of an established (breeding) population in 1990. Since then, their numbers in the wild have been increasing steadily throughout the state. their diet includes invertebrates, endangered burrowing owls, insects, carrion, fish, young alligators, young American crocodiles, snakes, turtles, and any terrestrial or aquatic vertebrate they can overpower. They are especially a threat to native egg laying animals such as birds, turtles, and alligators. Nile Monitors dietary preference is a nest filled with eggs or new born young.

Paddlefish

Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula): also called Mississippi paddlefish or spoonbill; lives in slow-flowing waters of the Mississippi River drainage system; can grow up to 7 feet and 220 pounds; distinctive snout, which is greatly elongated and flattened into a paddle shape; uses electroreceptors on its paddle to detect prey as well as navigate; feeds on zooplankton and crustaceans and bivalves; overfishing and habitat changes have caused major population declines; dams and other barriers prevent recolonization; zebra mussels have reduced the number of zooplankton in the great lakes Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (thunnus thynnus): endangered; also known as the northern bluefin tuna and the giant blue fin tuna; can exceed 990 pounds; has been of one the world's most lucrative commerical fisheries; targeted for the japanese raw fish market; led to severe overfishing; has a roust and rhomboidal profile; the head contains a "pineal window" that allows the fish to navigate over its multiple thousands of miles; the color is dark blue above and gray below with a gold coruscation covering the body and bright yellow caudal finlets

Panamanian Golden Frog

Panamanian Golden Frog (Atelopus zeteki): Critically Endangered; a rare toad that inhabits the streams along the mountainous slopes of the Cordilleran cloud forests of western-central Panama; light yellow-green to bright gold, with some individuals exhibiting black spots on their back and legs; females range for 45-63 millimeters and males between 35-48 millimeters; ability to secreting poison to help protect itself from predators; a water-solule neurotoxin called zetekitoxin; life span of 12 years; major threat is chytridiomycosis, the deforestation of habitat for both agriculture and general infrastructure development, water pollution, and over collection for the pet trade Puerto Rican Crested Toad (Atelopus zeteki): Critically endangered; found in Puerto Rico; only species of toad native to Puerto Rico; endangered because of habitat loss and introduced species (giant toad); unique by their turned up snout and bony head crest; females are larger than 4 inhes and weigh 3-6 ounces, while males are smaller than 3 inches and weigh about 2 ounces; brown to yellow-brown in color and densely covered with warts and blackish spines; live in low lying areas with rocky crevices or well-drained soil; diet consists mainly of snails, beetles, and other bugs; toads mate in seasonal pools called leks formed during the rainy season and have up to two years before breeding based on rainfall patterns

Panther Chameleon

Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis): Least Concern; rather large for a chameleon varying from 13 inches to 22 inches; males have noticeable ridges on their heads which make up their ornamentation; colors vary regionally; Nosey Be tend to be blue-green with patches of rey and yellow on the head; Madagascar tend to be green with bertical bars of red and/or blue the head and tail are generally red, yellow, or orange; Sambava are dark green to black with no vertical bars have lateral stripes in a lighter shade and they sometime have a lighter dorsal crest; eats crickets, mealworms, wax worms, and newborn mice Giant Garter Snake (Thamnophis gigas): Vulnerable; is the largest species of garter snake; live in the central valley wetlands of california; active in water temperature are at 20 degrees or more and are dormant underground when its aquatic habitat is below temperature; fish and frogs are a large portion of the diet; destruction of wetland and habitat; introduction of predators such as the American bullfrog may also be suppressing recovery; attempts are underway to restore artificial wetlands to provide quality habitat

Piping Plover

Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus): Near Threatened; a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird; habitat: plovers use wide, flat, open, sandy beaches with very little grass or other vegetation. nesting territories often include small creeks and wetlands; eat insects, spiders and crustaceans; breed in the northern united states and canada. Shoreline of the great lakes, shores of rivers and streams in the northern great plains and along the atlantic coast; habitat loss and degradation; beaches for nestinf have been made into commercial, residential and recreational developments; nestinf distrurbacne and predation, too much distrurbance from humans can cause the parents to abandon their nest

Red River Soft Shell Turtle

Red River Soft Shell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei): Critically Endangered; also known as the Yangtze giant softshell turtle; found in Vietnam and China; only four living individuals are known; notes for its deep head and pig-like snout and eyes dorsally places; holds the title as being the largest freshwater turtle in the world; one caught in Vietnam weighs 440 pounds; male is generally smaller than the female and has a longer, larger tail; known to inhabit the Yangtze river and Lake Taihu situated in the border of jiangsu and Zhejiang; eats fish, crabs, snails, water hyacinth, frogs and leaves; brink of extinction due to habitat loss, hunting subsistence and local consumption, and the use of the carapace and bones in medicine; skulls are often kepts as trophies; a recent plan to build hydropower cascade of 12 dams on the Red River in China may flood all of its habitat and change the ecosystem of lower vietnam; Conservation efforts are concentrated on breeding aptive turtles in china and searching for live specimens in the wild

Ring-necked Pheasant

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus): The Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is unfortunately one of American's favorite non-native species. It originates from Asia but was purposely introduced to the United States in 1857. Is it in fact so beloved that South Dakota made it its state bird. It thrives on agricultural lands, feeding off of cultivated grains and corn. This makes Vermont a perfect place for the species to survive. They were introduced into the Champlain lowlands in 1892. Their range today in Vermont is the lowlands, green mountains, eastern foothills, north central, east central, northeast highlands, and Taconic Mountains. The case of the ring-necked pheasant is special though. While it is a non-native species it is not considered to be an invasive species. The ring-necked pheasant is widely bred in captivity and released for hunting purposes. It brings in a large amount of revenue for states that keep it stocked. It is, however, considered a pest because of its booming numbers due to releases by breeders and wild population breeding.

Sea Turtle

Sea turtle: Endangere; super family: Chelonioidea); found in waters over the continental shelves; marine turtles are cought worldwide, although it is illegal to hunt most species in many countries; parts of the world have considered sea turtles as fine dining; importance to botth ocean and beach/dune ecosystems; sea turtles eat sea grass that needs to be constantly cu to keep it growing across the ocean floor; threats include bycatch due ti imprecise fishing; long-lining causes accidental sea turtle deaths; black market demand for tortoiseshell; the need to surface to breath, when cought in a fishmans net they cannot surface and then drown; Fibropapillomatosis diseas causes tumors in sea turtles Jamaican Boa (Epicrates subflavus): Vulnerable; is golden yellow around the head and along the front part of the body with black zigzag crossbars, becoming black toward the posterior end of its body; can grow up to 6 feet 7 inches in length; found in Jamaica, including Goat Island; live in moist limestone forests; natural habitat is being destroyed, which is forcing them into inhabitated areas, where they are captured and killed

Sharks

Sharks: a group of fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head; estimated that 100 million sharks are killed by people each year to to commercial and recreational fishing; often killed for shark fin soup; fisherman capture the sharks aline, remove the fins with a hot metal blade, and dump the finless animals back into the water, resulting immobile shark soon dies from suffocation or predators. Other threats include habitat alteration, damage and loss from coastal development, pollution and the impact of fisheries on the seabed and prey species Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua): vulnerable; is a well-known benthopelagic fish belonging to the family Gadidae widely consumed by humans; it can grow to 2 meters and weigh up to 212 pounds; can live for 25 years; colouring is brown to green, with spots on the dorsal side, shading to silver ventrally, a lateral line in clearly visible

Spectacled Caiman

Spectacled Caiman (caiman crocodiles): he common caiman is indigenous to southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, including Trinidad and Tobago, as far south as northern Argentina; Caimans eat a variety of invertebrates such as insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. Larger caimans eat fish and water snails; This species benefits from overhunting of competitive species which occupy the same home range. This allows them access to resources normally lost to these other species.[18] Their skin is not wanted for leather production because it contains osteoderms. The only skin on their bodies which does not contain osteoderms are their sides. Feral Pigs (Sus scrofa): While feral pigs may look similar to domestic pigs, they are much more destructive. They were brought to the United States as domestic pigs from Europe and Asia. Over time, some have escaped or were released intentionally, creating free-ranging feral swine populations. Feral swine are aggressive animals that can be extremely destructive to fields, fences, and facilities. Their wallows can affect ponds and wetlands, muddying the water and destroying aquatic vegetation. They can strip a field of crops in one night and pose a threat to ground-nesting birds and some endangered species. Feral swine also can transmit diseases and parasites, such as pseudorabies, brucellosis, and tuberculosis, to livestock and people.

Tiger

Tiger: Endangered; native to much of asia, from cold regions to rainforests; they are the top predator in every ecosystem they inhabit; threatened due to illegal hunting for their pelts, meat and body parts (used in fold medicine) as well as habitat loss that results from logging and other forms of deforestation Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla and G. beringei) G.G: Critically Endagered; is a great ape and the most populous species of the genus Gorilla; western africa; diets are high in fiber, including leaves, stems, piths, floers, bark, invertebrates and soil; Ebola virus is depleting them to where their recovery may be impossible; Poaching, logging and civil wars are other threats G.B: Endangered; eastern part of Africa, only about 700 individuals; lowlans of the eatern democratic republic of Congo and Uganda; hunting and loss of habitat and the development of agriculture in the area; not often found in zoo Orangutan (Pongo abelii and P. pygmaeus):PA: Critically endangered; 6,600 left in wild; found only on the island of Sumatra, in Indonesia; threatened by both illegal and legal logging, wholesale conversion of forest to agricultural land and oil palm plantations, and fragmentation by roads; illegally hunted and captured for international pet trade; killed as pests when they raid fruit rops at the forest edge PP: Endangered; deforestation, palm oil plantations and hunting, live in the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests in the Bornean lowlands; diet of mostly fruits, seeds and leaves; about 54,500 individuals in the wild

Topeka Shiner

Topeka Shiner (Notropis topeka): Near Threatened; Does not grow longer than a few inches; Shiny silver color and a black colored stripe runs along the side of the body; found in prairie streams with stable stream channels and in off-channel oxbows with sandy or gravel; South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska; degration of stream habitats, stream channelization, construction of small impoundments, and introduction of predator fishes like bass and northern pike Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus: Endangerd specier of ray-finned fish; Waters of Missouri and lower Mississippi River; Named for its pale coloration; average between 30 and 60 inches and 85 pounds; takes 15 years to mature; can live up to a centuryoriginated during the cretaceous period 70 million years ago; believe pallid sturgeon populations in Montana will be extinct by 2018; have a flattened snout, long slender tail and are armored with lengthwise rows of bony plates instead of scales; their mouth is toothless and positioned under the snout for sucking small fishes and invertebrates; commercial fishing and environmental contaminants may have also played a role in the pallid sturgeon's decline

Whooping Crane

Whooping Crane (Grus Americana): Endangered; the tallest North american bird, about 437 wild individulas; life span is 22 to 24 years; threatened by unregulated hunting and loss of habitat; Wood Buffalo National Park, Alberta, Canada and surrounding areas; predators include American Black bear, gray wolf, red fox; omnivorous; feed on crustceans, mollusks, fish, berries, small reptile; declared endangered in 1967; believed to be naturally rare

Wyoming Toad

Wyoming Toad (Bufo baxteri): Extinct in the wild; also known as Baxter's toad; extremely rare that only exists in captivity and within Mortenson Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming in the United States; dark brown, grey or green color with small dark markings on the underside; also carries small round blotches warts on its dorsal surface as well as blurry light line; male toads have a dark throat; toads grow up to 2.2 inches in ength and females grow slightly larger than males; has sensitive skin that has low aadaptability, it is easily infected with chytrid fungus (strong threat to the Wyoming Toad) cannot handle the rapid climate change, and connot adapt different amounts of water irrigation or diverged irrigation; the toad is mainly active at night and has very poor eyesight, only relies on the movement of the prey to hunt; toad frequents floodplains and the short grass edges of ponds, creeks, and lakes

Black-footed Ferret

black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes): Endangered; native to central North America; roughly the size of a mink and differs from the European polecat by the greater contrast between its dark limbs and pale body and the shorter length of its black tail-tip; largely noctural and solitary, except when breeding and rasing litters; most of its diet is composed of prairie dogs; life span is 1-5 years; were harvested for fur trade; Sylvatic plague has also contributed to the die-off of the prairie dog; inbreeding depression caused low levels of genetic variation Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus): Vulnerable; is a carnivorous bear whoe native range lies largely within the artic circle. for thousands of years, the polar bear has been a key figure in the materical, spiritual, and cultural life of Artic indigenous people, and polar bears remain important in their cultures; spends many months at sea; habitat is the annual sea ice covering the waters of the continental shelf and the Artic inter-island archipelagos; commerical harvesting; global warming