World's Most Uniquely Beautiful Animals
If you LOVE photos of cute, cuddly animals that also happen to be endangered...MOVE ALONG! This blog throws the cuteness test out the window and takes a look at nature’s nitty-gritty side.
These animals are not cute, they are not cuddly and you have probably never heard of them. But, they ARE endangered, and they need you to know about them. So, without further ado, here are five little-known endangered species with camera-cracking complexions:
1. American Burying Beetle
Status: Critically Endangered
Also known as the giant carrion beetle, these colourful critters are the vultures of the insect world, feeding on the flesh of small mammals and birds. That’s admittedly pretty freaky, but American burying beetles are important because they help to recycle decaying materials back into the ecosystem. The beetles also have a nurturing side: They are one of the rare insect species that share parental duties when it comes to feeding and caring for their young. The American burying beetle once lived in 35 U.S. states and in Canada, but now occur in only five states: Rhode Island, Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Dakota and Nebraska. Pesticides may have something to do with their decline, although scientists believe that it also could be because various birds and small mammals the beetle once fed on have also gone extinct.
2. Chinese Giant Salamander
Status: Critically Endangered
The Chinese giant salamander has the distinction of being the largest amphibian in the world — once growing up to 6 feet in length! They don’t grow quite that big now, only up to about four feet. But if their monstrous size doesn’t make you shiver, maybe this will: known in Chinese as the “infant fish,” these giant creatures make vocalizations that sound a lot like a young child crying. Unfortunately, this highly unique (and formidable) salamander is critically endangered chiefly because of habitat destruction and pollution. If a huge underwater monster that sounds like a distraught baby isn’t interesting enough for you, the giant salamander is also considered a delicacy in China and is often harvested for dinner. Between over-harvesting and habitat destruction, the Chinese giant salamander is on the brink of extinction, though it is still bred in captivity.
3. Goliath Frog
Status: Endangered
Cool name, cooler frog. The Goliath frog may not seem to fall into the ‘take it home to your kids’ category, but these massive amphibians are often sold as pets. The enormous size of this species has sadly made it a target for the pet trade, with approximately 300 individuals imported from Cameroon to the United States each year The African native can grow up to 13-inches in length and 7 pounds — the size of a fully grown cat. Aside from being threatened by the number that are caught to be sold, habitat loss is a big issue for this giant. Its native home, the hot, humid riverbeds in the Middle African countries of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, are slowly disappearing because of urbanization, logging and agriculture.
4. Saiga
Status: Critically Endangered
Alright, let’s get it out in the open: The saiga looks a little bit like Alf. The critically endangered antelope is easy to recognize because of its strange, bulbous nose structure, known as a proboscis. All the more reason not to let this odd-looking beast go the way of the dodo. Abundant during the ice age from the British Isles through Central Asia and into North America, the saiga can now only be found in one location in Russia (the steppes of the northwest Precaspian region) and three areas in Kazakhstan. Over-hunting is to blame for its population decline; saiga horns are important and in-demand in traditional Chinese medicine. Various conservation groups study and attempt to protect the saiga, and Kazakhstan reaffirmed a hunting ban in 2011.
5. Red-faced Bald-headed Uakari
Status: Endangered
The bald uakari or bald-headed uakari is a small New World monkey characterized by a very short tail; bright, crimson face; a bald head; and a long coat. While it has the unfortunate appearance of a spanked bottom, perhaps it is actually red-faced with rage because of having its habitat destroyed by logging in the rainforests of Peru and Brazil. On top of this, they are hunted for their meat or to be used as bait to catch bigger animals.