For the L and L MGRP

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Hi, my name is Mya, and today I will be teaching you a little about Endangered Species!

But what exactly is an Endangered Species?

Great question Ronnie! An Endangered Species is when there is few left alive of a plant or animal. The population is so low that it is threatened to become extinct. When an animal becomes extinct, that means that every member of the species died .

I never heard of a species that is "Endangered," or "extinct." Can you give a few examples?

Sure, some examples of Endangered Species are Elephants, Bald Eagles, Polar Bears, Pandas, Black Rhinos, and Blue Whales. Some species that currently are extinct include the Woolly Mammoth, Tasmanian Tiger, Passenger Pigeon, and Stellar's Sea Crow. That may not seem like a lot, but dozens of species become extinct everyday.

But how does a species become Endangered? And who gets to decide whether or not a species is Endangered?

There are many reasons for why a species becomes Endangered. Species can become endangered become loss of habitat, lack of genetic variation, climate change, illegal poaching, and wildlife traffic. Habitat loss can occur naturally or due to human activity. Lack of genetic variation is the physical appearance of a species. When a species has little genetic variation it tends to die out quickly. Climate change is one of the main reasons for endangerment and extinction. Climate change brings habitat loss because it increases the earth’s temperature, which changes the earth's natural balance. and can cause natural disasters. Illegal poachers kill Endangered Species to sell their horns, ivory, body parts, and skin. Lastly, wildlife trafficking is a non- domesticated species is a taken away form their habitat and raised under controlled circumstances.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) gets to decide whether or not a species is "Endangered." They put each species into one of eight categories : Least-Concern, Near Threatened, Threatened, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Vulnerable, Data Deficient, and Not Evaluated. To put a species into a category, they use population numbers and the size of the area where they live. They also use how long the species could last without help. Organizations are allowed to petition whether or not a species is Endangered or Threatened. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) allowes organizations are allowed to petition whether or not a species is Endangered or Threatened.