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Endangered Species Endangered Species in Sri Lanka Green Turtle • Out of the seven species of sea turtle found worldwide, five can be found right here in Sri Lanka. • The green turtle is one of them and is the most widespread of the turtle species. • As one of the largest sea turtles these monsters often grow up to 1.5m in length and weigh up to 200kg – that about the same weight as 3.5 adults. • A female green turtle will journey back to the same beach every 2-5 years to lay her eggs, often thousands of kilometres. • She can lay up to 9 clutches each containing around 100150 eggs. • Using her back flippers to dig a deep hole in the sand, she buries them for protection. • After 45 – 70 days the babies hatch and make a dash for the sea. Unlike other turtles, all adults are herbivores, feeding mostly on marine grasses and algae. Their young however are omnivores – meaning they eat both plants and other sea life, including jellyfish and molluscs. • Green turtles are an endangered species. • They are relentlessly hunted for their meat and eggs and often die when caught up in fishing nets. • The destruction and pollution of their habitats and nest sites also reduces their numbers. • Sri Lankan Frogmouth • This animal is actually a bird found in the dense tropical forests of Sri Lanka and parts of India. • The name frogmouth describes the bird’s wide head and gaping mouth which it uses to catch insects. • The females are often a red colour with white freckles, and the males are greyer with even more white freckles. • They are nocturnal, meaning they only come out at night. • During the day they sleep perfectly camouflaged upon forest branches, as a result they are notoriously difficult to spot. • Sri Lankan frogmouths build their nests in the forked branches of trees anywhere between 2 and 12 m off the ground. • A very unusual characteristic of this bird is that it only lays one egg! The single white egg is incubated by both parents, with the male sitting on the egg during the day and the female at night. Once hatched the chick is looked after by the parents for three weeks before flying the nest. • The main threat to these birds is habitat loss. The forests they live in are being destroyed to make way for tea and crop plantations. Endangered Species in India • White-bellied heron • The white-bellied heron (Ardea insignis), also known as the imperial heron or great whitebellied heron, is a species of large heron found inthe foothills of the eastern Himalayas in India,north eastern Bangladesh, Burma, Bhutan and Nepal . • It is mostly dark grey with a white throat and underparts.. • This heron is mostly solitary and is found on undisturbed riverside or wetland habitats. • The global population has declined and the species is threatened by disturbance and habitat degradation. • The species is currently listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN • This large heron is plain dark grey above with a long neck. • The crown is dark and there are no black stripes on the neck as in the grey heron. • In breeding plumage, it has a greyish-white nape plume and elongated grey breast feathers with white centers. • The bill is black, greenish near the base and tip and the face is greenish grey. • Red Panda • The red panda (Ailurus fulgens), also called lesser panda, red bear-cat, and red catbear, is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China that has been classified as endangered by the IUCN[1 as its wild population is estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals. • The population continues to decline and is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and inbreeding depression, although red pandas are protected by national laws in their range countries. • The red panda is slightly larger than a domestic cat. • It has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs. • It feeds mainly on bamboo, but is omnivorous, and also eats eggs, birds, insects, and small mammals. It is a solitary animal, mainly active from dusk to dawn, and is largely sedentary during the day. Endangered Species in China • Pere David's deer • Pere David's deer, the rare animal, was first found in China more than 2,000 years ago. This wetland species was known for its unique appearance. • It had a camel's neck, a donkey's tail, cow-like hooves and stag antlers. Chinese often called this strange creature Sibuxiang - Four Unlikes. • According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), Pere David'deer is extinct in the wild. • All present population live in captivity. • Captive Pere David's Deers now number more than 1600 in China. • The deer became extinct in China at the turn of the 20th century and it wasn't until 1985 that 22 of them returned from Britain. • They had been kept at Woburn Abbey by the dukes of Bedford. • The Pere David's deer originally inhabited in northeastern and east-central China, but it apparently became extinct in the wild at least 1000 years ago. Hunting is thought to have been the main reason for the decline of the wild Pere David's deer. • Black-Necked Crane • The scientific name of Black-Necked Crane is Grus Nigricollis (Latin), and belongs to the Gruidae family of Gruiformes order. • Black-necked Crane is a large-size wading bird, with a full body-length of around 120 centimeters. • The color of its body ranges from silver gray to approximately white, with dotted brown brims. • Black-Necked Crane has been listed as vulnerably endangered by International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) in 1994. • In China, there are 3,562 birds in Yunnan and western Guizhou in 2003 and 6940 of them in Tibet in 2007. • Black-necked Crane usually hibernates in Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, and breeds in Tibet, Qinghai and Gansu provinces in China and the bird can also be found in countries including Bhutan, India and Vietnam. • It is the only crane species growing and breeding in tableland, inhabiting in plateaus at an elevation of 2,500 to 5,000 meters. Endangered Species in Australia • Woylie • Endemic to Australia and super-rare, woylies were once spread across 60 percent of the mainland, found commonly in eastern Australia, South Australia, north-west Victoria and central New South Wales during the early to mid-19th century. • Soon after the turn of century, things went pear-shaped for these furry little macropods, and the species was reportedly extinct across most of its range by 1920. • By the 1990s, just a handful of woylies were left, and today they now inhabit just 1 per cent of the mainland, persisting in six little pockets of land in Western Australia, two in South Australia, and on three little islands just off the coast. They are currently on the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered. • Short nosed sea snake • The short-nosed sea snake grows up to 60cm long, is relatively slender and has a small head. • The species is brown in colour with purple to brown patterns, and scales on the body overlap one another. • The sea snake sheds its skin every two to six weeks, and rids excess salt from the sea water through a gland that is located under the tongue. • Like other sea snakes, the species must come to the surface to breathe; • However, it can spend up to two hours under water. • Gas (oxygen/carbon dioxide) exchange is managed by the snake's single lung, which is nearly the length of its body. • It is thought the species has a life span of 8-10 years, with a generation length of around five years. • The snake gives birth to live young, with a gestation period of six to seven months. • Eels and small fish make up the sea snake's diet. Endangered Species in Africa • Addax Antelope • The addax is a large antelope with long and thin spiral horns with two and sometimes three twists. • Its coat is grayish brown in the winter and changes to nearly white in the summer. • There is a patch of black hair on its forehead and it has a black tuft on its tail. • The average length of the addax is around 5 feet and it has a shoulder height of around 3 feet. • The addax is a desert creature and hardly ever needs water except from the drops of water it gets from eating plants. • The addax prefers to travel through the desert at night in search of sparse vegetation in the desert that manages to grow during rainfall. • They are able to thrive in the desert with no water source. • They are only found in northeastern Niger, northern Chad, and along the Mauritanian/Mali border. • Little is known about its reproductive biology in the wild. • It is believed that the female gives birth to one calf after a gestation period of 8 to 9 months. • Excessive hunting for its flesh and hide seems to be the main cause of decline for the addax. • Black Rhinoceros • The black rhinoceros is one of the two species of rhinoceros found in Africa. • The skin of the black rhinoceros is gray and not black as its common name may suggest. • Its skin may sometimes appear black after its daily mud bath in black or brown marshy areas. • The mud helps keep insects off and keeps the rhinos cool in the hot African climate. • The black rhino can weigh from 2000 to 4000 lb, though it can move very quickly (up to 35 mph) when ready to charge, and can reach a body length of 9 to 12 feet. • Rhinos have poor vision but a good sense of smell. • The black rhinoceros eats mostly leaves, young shoots and twigs. • Breeding occurs year-round, but most births occur during the rainy season. • Males wonder alone until it is time to breed or when wallowing in waterholes with other rhinos. • The female gives birth to only one calf after a gestation period of 15 to 18 months. The calf remains with the mother for up to three years. •These are few Endangered Species in 5 countries.