Endangered Animals: Resource Book by Teacher Superstore

Special School Photocopy Master Edition

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r o e t s Bo r Endangered e p ok u S Animals Resource Book

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by Jane Bourke

About Ready-Ed Publications Ready-Ed Publications was established in 1984 with the purpose of creating practical classroom blackline master activities. At the time, the role of the teacher was becoming ever more diverse with an increasing range of duties and responsibilities within the school and school community. Since then, the role of the teacher has continued to evolve with an escalating range of tasks and obligations, ensuring a reduction in time available to prepare work for the daily instructional program.

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Throughout these past 21 years, Ready-Ed Publications has built a reputation as publishers of Australian made, high quality, innovative, timesaving materials for teachers of primary and lower secondary levels. In addition, all materials are based on state or national curriculum guidelines or specific age-related interest areas and subjects.

Acknowledgements: i.

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Ready-Ed Publications aims to assist busy professionals by making available contemporary classroom materials that contain relevant and stimulating work to support the requirements of the curriculum.

Clip art images have been obtained from Microsoft Design Gallery Live and are used under the terms of the End User License Agreement for Microsoft Word 2000. Please refer to www.microsoft.com/permission.

ii. NOAA credits: Images courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce.

iii. IMSI credits: Where credited the images used were obtained from IMSI’s Masterclips/MasterPhotos collection, 1895 Francisco Blvd, East San Rafael, CA 94901-5506 USA. www.imsisoft.com iv. COREL credits: Where credited the images used were obtained from Corel Corporation collection, 1600 Carling Ave., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1Z 8R7.

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Cover images: i.

Tortoise – Image courtesy of NOAA

ii. Bilby – © Robert Dockerill

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iii. Leafy sea dragon, panda, rhino – IMSI Collection

Published by: Ready-Ed Publications PO Box 276 Greenwood WA 6023 www.readyed.com.au info@readyed.com.au

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v. Photos from individual sources have been acknowledged where applicable. While every attempt has been made to acknowledge the ownership of photos used herein, in some instances this has not been possible. If you know of the photographers for these images, please contact the publisher so that proper acknowledgement can be given.

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ISBN: 1 86397 645 0

COPYRIGHT NOTICE FOR THIS SPECIAL PHOTOCOPY MASTER EDITION Permission is granted for the purchaser to photocopy sufficient copies for non-commercial educational purposes. However, this permission is not transferable and applies only to the purchasing individual or institution.

ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Contents Helping the Honeyeater ................ 35

Threats to Survival .......................... 6

Western Swamp Tortoise ................ 36

Introduced Species .......................... 7

Threats to the Tortoise ................... 37

Animal Alert! .................................. 8

Komodo Dragon ........................... 38

Animal Alert! .................................. 9

Dragons Dying Out ....................... 39

Protecting Endangered Species ...... 10

Galapagos Giant Tortoise .............. 40

Classifying Threatened Species ...... 11

Trouble for Tortoises ...................... 41

Meet the Animals .......................... 14

Pygmy Blue Tongue Lizard ............. 42

Malayan Sun Bear......................... 15

Long Live the Lizards..................... 43

Saving the Sun Bear ...................... 16

Tuatara ......................................... 44

Polar Bear ..................................... 17

Tuatara Turmoil ............................. 45

Polar Bears’ Plight ......................... 18

Harlequin Frog .............................. 46

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Giant Panda ................................. 19

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Animals Dying Out .......................... 5

Rhinos Remaining ......................... 22

Humboldt Penguin ........................ 50

Endangered Elephants .................. 23

Hard Life for Humboldts ................ 51

Elephant Emergency ..................... 24

Leafy Sea Dragon ......................... 52

Big Cats ........................................ 25

Dragons in Danger........................ 53

Tiger Treatments ........................... 26

Meet a Manatee ........................... 54

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Frogs and Fungus ......................... © ReadyEdP ub l i c at i ons 47 Philippine Eagle ............................ 48 Panda Problems ............................ 20 •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Rapt about Raptors ....................... 49 Black Rhinoceros .......................... 21

. Manatees Under Threat ................ 55 te o Humpback Whale ......................... 56 Potoroos in Peril ............................ 28 c . cWombat e r Whales and Whaling ..................... 57 Northern Hairy-Nosed h ..... 29 e o t r s....................................... 58 su r e Glossary Wombat Worries............................ 30p Gilbert’s Potoroo ........................... 27

Greater Bilby ................................. 31

Glossary ....................................... 59

Bringing Bilbies Back ..................... 32

Endangered Species Sites for Kids .... 60

The Numbat: No Longer Endangered ... 33

Animal Species – Online Links ....... 61

Regent Honeyeater ....................... 34

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ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Animals Dying Out

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Habitat Loss Clearing the land: •For buildings and houses •For farming Natur al Disasters Natural •Bushfire •Drought •Flood

There are millions of animal species that live in Australia and New Zealand. Most of these species are unique to each country and are found nowhere else in the world except in captivity. The species may live in aquatic (water) environments or ter terrrestrial (land) environments.

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Threats at a Glance

Introduced Species Pests – compete with native animals for food sources Weeds – compete with plants which are a food source for native animals Predators – prey on native animals Cattle – even though cattle are a food source for humans, they have damaged the natural environment

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Over the years, many things have changed the way animals and plants interact with their environment and some of these things have changed the balance in the Check out the GLOSSARY ecosystem ecosystem. Sometimes, the animals are on page 58 for any words able to adapt to the changes but quite you are not sure about. often the changes have meant that the animals are not able to survive.

o c . che e r o t r s s r u e p DID YOU KNOW?

Since European settlement 200 years ago, hundreds of species have become extinct. This means they are no longer existing in any part of the world. Australian scientists say that at least fifty bird and mammal species, four frog species, and more than sixty plant species have disappeared – and these are only the ones they know about! Some species are in more danger than others.

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Threats to Survival Habitat Loss

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Imagine if you came home from school one day and your home was gone and possibly your family too! Well, this is the problem that millions of living things are facing everyday. Many animal habitats are lost or destroyed to make room for new buildings or houses. Forest habitats can disappear when trees are cut down, when bushland is cleared, when areas are prepared for mining and other industrial activities, and when weeds and pests take over an area.

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Habitat Change Changes to an animal’s habitat can occur after a natural disaster such as fire, flood, drought or storm. After a while, these areas may return to what they used to be like, but in the meantime many animals will have nowhere to find shelter or may have even been killed during the disaster. Aquatic habitats, such as rivers, lakes and oceans, can be affected by industrial activity such as run off into waterways. The run off can contain harmful pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers, sewage, oil, toxic chemicals and sediments. These things can kill marine species or make them very sick. They also damage the natural environment that aquatic animals depend on for food and shelter.

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ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Introduced Species Meet the Animals

r o e t s Bo r e p Cats, okdogs, goats, u cows, sheep, rabbits, S foxes, camels, pigs,

z Some species have been used for far ming, e.g. chickens, sheep and cows. farming, z Some species have been used in sporting events, e.g. horses and gr eyhounds. greyhounds. ought her e z Some animals have been br brought here as pets, e.g. cats and dogs.

Early settlers bought these animals with them:

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Many animal and plant species have been brought to Australia and New Zealand from other parts of the world. These animals are known as intr oduced species as they are not introduced native to the area. Different animal species were brought here by early settlers for a number of reasons.

foxes, deer and more. Oh, and they accidentally bought along mice and rats!

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Pest Parade

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lot of damage to the environment. For example, many animal species have upset the ecosystem by preying on the eggs and young of native species. Other animals compete with native species for food and space while some types of fish, such as the European carp, muddy waterways and upset other species’ habitats that exist within a natural ecosystem.

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Click here to see a school project on Australia’s pests: www.teachingtreasures.com.au/

science-projects/pests.htm

ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Animal Alert!

Marine Invaders

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Introduced pr edators aren’t just restricted to predators land. Many ships have brought fish, crustaceans, molluscs and worms into Australian waters through their ballast water, which is the water that ships fill their tanks with before a voyage. An example of a marine invader is the Northern sea star, a type of starfish. This starfish came all the way from the Northern Hemisphere in the ship’s ballast water and has caused some native species lots of problems!

Animals such as rabbits, goats, pigs, sheep, buffalo, donkeys, horses, camels and cattle have caused damage to the environment. The hooves of some animals compact the soil which stops new plants growing in areas of revegetation. Without these plants, the soil is eroded and the amount of salt is increased, which means many animal habitats are ruined.

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Animal Poachers

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Farming Damage

Animal poachers are people who hunt and kill animals so that they can sell animal products like leather, ivory, horns and skins. It is illegal to hunt and kill these animals, yet people all over the world continue to buy products made from them such as fur coats, and leather shoes. Poachers can make a lot of money killing animals and selling them for these precious materials.

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ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Animal Alert!

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PredatorsperstoreBoo u k S on Patrol

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Plant Pests

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Some species, such as foxes and cats, prey on many native species. The numbat, western quoll (chuditch), woylie and Weeds are plants that invade an area many species of wallaby © ReadyEind Psame ubl i ca t i o ns the way that some animals are a food source for haveu invaded areas. “invasions” •f orr ev e r pos esThese onl y• such predators and soi itw p upset the natural balance of an is difficult to release ecosystem. Weeds are able to grow in these Australian species places where they would not normally back into the wild where grow – they can usually grow the spread of foxes and ANYWHERE! When they do this, they cats cannot be compete with native plants for space, controlled. water and nutrients from the soil. Check out Weedbusters~! Weeds can invade disturbed sites such as land that has been cleared www.weedbusterweek.info.au or used for mining. Weeds are not Learn all you need to know able to be of any use to native about weeds and how to get animals as they are not a food rid of them! source or form of shelter. In fact, the Also visit: only animals likely to benefit from www.weeds.org.au weeds are feral animals.

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to identify a particular weed.

ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Protecting Endangered Species

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Each country, including Australia and New Zealand, has its own environmental laws which protect endangered animals.

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Threatened and endangered species are found all over the world. Many of these species live only in a tiny area while others are still found – in small numbers – scattered in a number of locations. Some animals are in more danger than others and so scientists have come up with a number of categories to agree on which animals are most at risk.

©R eadyEdP ubl i cat i ons Red Alert! What is CITES?

•f orr evi ew pu r postands sesfor on l y• CITES the

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Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. With this long name, it’s easy to see why most people just call it CITES.

. te o c The CITES agreement helps The World Conser Conserv vation Union . c e herfrom to protect r the trade of helps to protect animals o t sspecies. Over 30,000 su animal er all over the world. This group p has a RED LIST which has the names of all threatened animal species.

You can look up this list at .r edlist.or g www www.r .redlist.or edlist.org 10

animal and plant species are protected by this agreement. You can learn more about what CITES does at www.cites.org

ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Classifying Threatened Species Endangered or threatened species fit into one of these groups: Extinct in r o e t s Extinct: B r ooWild: the A species is saidp toe be extinct

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when there are no living Sometimes a species is only individuals in existence. found in captivity (i.e. a zoo Extinctions can be hard to program) or as a naturalised prove and a limit of 50 years population outside its past with no official sightings of range. Examples include: the species is now used. Around 65 million years ago, z Saudi gazelle - Saudi Arabia dinosaurs became extinct. ow - Hawaiian z Hawaiian cr crow © Rea yEdPu bl i cat i ons Other examples ofd extinct Islands species include: •f odr-r evi ew pur pozoos ses oset nl yto•look Many are up Dodo bir zDodo bird after endangered species. Last seen in These zoos have special 1681 (Mauritius). breeding programs which aim Thylacine zThylacine to increase the numbers of the Last seen in species. 1936 (Australia) - also known as the Tasmanian Tiger. Steller ’s sea cow - Last zSteller Steller’s recorded sighting in 1768 (Pacific Ocean). Each day, more and more species are becoming extinct. Many of the species that were roaming about the earth millions of year ago are now extinct.

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok endangered: Critically u S Endangered: Species that are considered

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endanger ed are likely to endangered become extinct in the “near” future unless the threats and dangers to their survival are removed. Animal species in this category are still facing a eadyEdP ub l i c at i o ns in very high risk of extinction Examples© of R critically endangered animals include: •f or r evi ew puthe r pwild. osesonl y• Examples of endangered Sumatran orang-utan zSumatran species include: Indonesia Asian elephant - India and zAsian Black rrhinocer hinocer os - Eastern, zBlack hinoceros Asia central and southern Africa Blue whale - Most oceans, zBlue however only 1500 of these whales still exist

A species is critically endanger ed if it is facing an endangered extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the “immediate” future.

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ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Vulnerable:

Species classed as near thr eatened have been threatened studied but are not considered to be critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable. However, at some time in the future they are likely to be classified as eatened species. a thr threatened Species that are considered “near threatened” include: Maned wolf - South zManed America

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Species that are considered vulnerable include:

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A species is classified as vulnerable if it is facing a risk of extinction in the “medium-term” future. These species are likely to be classified as endangered or threatened within the next 25 years if no action is taken to preserve the species.

Near Threatened:

zGr Great Gr eat white shark Southern and Pacific ©R ea dyEdPubl i cat i ons Oceans Least Concern:

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• f o rr e vi ewarm w pur posesonl y• turtle zGr Green - Most Gr een Animals that are still roaming oceans of the world around in great numbers are classified as being of least Chuditch, W ester n quoll zChuditch, Wester estern concer n. This means that concern Western Australia there is no written evidence that the numbers of this species are changing. An example of a species of least concern includes: Br own bear zBr Brown Europe, Asia and Learn more about endangered Northern animals: America www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/

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esa.html

ENDANGERED ANIMALS

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Well, now that you know all about how animals can become endangered, let’s have a look at some of the animals that we need to protect. Endangered animals are found EVERYWHERE – in the ice and snow, in the desert, in the ocean, in the rivers, in the rainforests, in the bush and in the mountains. All of these animals are facing different © ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons problems and while people are doing good things tow p •f orr evi e ur posesonl y• Have you heard of a … protect these endangered species, there are many zleafy sea dragon? endangered animals that no zpygmy blue tongue lizard? one has even heard of. zKomodo dragon? Some of the animals in this zregent honeyeater? book are very popular animals, such as pandas, NO? Well, read on and learn rhinos and elephants. how you can help these endangered creatures. Everyone knows that these animals are endangered and there are a lot of special funds set up to help them. But what about some of the more unknown animals that are facing the same future?

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Image courtesy of NOAA

Meet the Animals

ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Malayan Sun Bear Scientific Name: Helarctos malayanus

The Malayan sun bear is the smallest of all of the eight bear species found throughout the world.

The sun bear feeds on a range of foods, such as fruit, tips from palm trees, small mammals, birds and roots.

on the prowl

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r o e t s Bo r e Where do they live? p o u k Sun bears live in the tropical forests of S Poachers South East Asia.

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The demand for bear products is What are the threats? the greatest ¾ Logging of the forest habitat that the threat to bears’ © R e a d y E d P u b l i c a t i o n s sun bear lives in. survival. Poachers ¾ Clearing the fori farming. •f o rland r ev e w pur poseso nl y•for hunt bears ¾ The logging roads also allow poachers to products like bear capture the bears more easily. As natural fat, blood and food sources disappear, the sun bears are bones, paws, spinal driven by hunger to forage for food on chord and gall. farms and plantations, where they are These things are often shot or trapped by angry farmers. used in traditional Asian medicines. Malayan sun bears are also kept for pets – the mother bears are killed so that cubs can be taken young enough to tame.

ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Saving the Sun Bear The Bear Facts!

The Malayan sun bear has ed been listed as an endanger endangered species, however, many people would rather use this animal’s unique products for medicines than worry about the number of bears left in the world.

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Project:

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The sun bear has many special adaptations that suit its habitat: ¾ Very skilful climber. Because it can climb the sun bear is able to dig for honey and grubs, which it licks up out Some countries have banned of tree trunks using its long trade in these bear products, tongue. but in South Korea and ¾ Its jaws are extra large so Taiwan – the greatest users of that it can break open hard bear products – they are still fruits© like R coconuts. e a d y E d P u b l i c a t i o n s able to be bought. ¾ The sun bear is able to tear In China, scientists have •f orr ev i e w pu r p ose sonl y• trees apart with its long developed a way to curved claws to get to the extract a substance called bile insects under the bark. from bears without killing them. Bile is used in many of the traditional medicines in China.

o c . che e r o t r s super Sun Bear

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The Perth Zoo has a special program set up to help sun bears. Read all about it at this website:

ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Polar Bear Scientific Name:

Ursus maritimus

More Bear Facts

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Another endangered bear species is the famous polar bear. Scientists believe that the “sea bear”, evolved about 200,000 years ago from its brown bear ancestors. Polar bears live in the Arctic region and will pad across the ice all How polar bears the way from Russia to survive in the cold Alaska, from Canada to ¾ They have a thick layer of Greenland and even over to blubber up to 11 centimetres Norway! These bears are the thick which keeps them warm. world’s largest predator © Rland ead yEdPu bl i cat i ons ¾ Two layers of fur which and feed mainly on seals.

•f orr evi ew pur p ose s on l y• consist of hairs that Polar Bears Alive:

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conduct solar energy to their www.polarbearsalive.org heat-absorbing skin. Polar Bear Tracker: www.panda.org/ ¾ Compact ears and a small about_wwf/where_we_work/arctic/ tail that also helps stop heat polar_bear/index.cfm loss. On bitterly cold days with fierce winds, polar bears dig out a shelter in a snow bank and curl up in a ball to wait out the storm. While curled up, the bears sometimes cover their muzzle with one of their thickly covered paws. Polar bears even overheat! Even in freezing cold conditions they can still overheat.

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ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Polar Bears’ Plight

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eatened Polar bears are classified as a thr threatened Cool species. In 1973, a special agreement Swimmers was signed by the United States, Russia, Canada, Norway and Denmark. This agreement aims to protect polar bears by placing restrictions on what people can do with bear products. There are special organisations like Polar Bears Alive www.polarbearsalive.org)) that teach people ( Did you know that about the polar bear’s uncertain future. polar bears are This group also helps to protect these excellent swimmers beautiful bears from being hunted and have been known unfairly. to swim up to 35 © R e a d y E d P u b l i c a t i ons Bear Talk kilometres without a

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zPolar bears communicate with each other rest? through a mix of body language and noises They even have called vocalisations ocalisations. A deep growl serves as forepaws that are a warning or to defend a food source. partially webbed. zThey also like to play and are known to wag These features and their head from side to side or stand on the massive size of their hind legs with their front paws their paws (up to 30 hanging by their side. centimetres in zHissing, snorting, a lowered head and ears diameter), help polar laid back are ways that lets other bears bears to swim know they are angry!

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have excellent underwater vision and can spot food up to eight metres away. 18

ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Giant Panda Scientific Name: Ailuropoda melanoleuca

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Panda cam

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The cuddly giant panda has become a symbol for endangered species all over the world. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has used the panda’s name for its official website www.panda.org). The panda image is ( the official WWF symbol since 1961.

www.sandiegozoo.org The San Diego Zoo is world famous for its panda breeding program. The third panda cub was born on 2 August, 2005. You can view the pandas live at the website above. If you’re clever, you should also be able to find: zApe cam

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Where Does the Panda Live?

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Once upon a time giant panda populations were found all through southern and northern China, as well as in northern Myanmar (formerly Burma) and northern Vietnam. Today, the giant ed and panda is classified as endanger endangered is only found in the wild in mountainous forest areas of central China near the Yellow River. It is believed that there are less than 1600 pandas left in the wild.

zPolar bear cam

ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Panda Problems

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The panda bear feeds on bamboo only and its forest habitat in China is in danger of being destroyed. The pandas live in a number of small groups scattered around the forest regions. Each of these panda groups – known as populations – is fairly isolated and the clearing of their forest home is the main In the past, pandas were hunted by problem facing the animals. The forests poachers so that are logged for their wood and also so their fur could be sold that the land can be farmed. Bamboo on the black market. regions also die off at certain times, Sometimes pandas reducing the amount of bamboo were killed by accident available for the pandas. In the past, © ReadyEdPubl i c at i o ns set when poachers this wouldn’t have been a problem as traps meant for deer. pandas• would simply move another f or r evi ewtop ur pose s o n l y • Today pandas are area full of bamboo. However, now that protected in special the populations are scattered about, it is reserves and so the hard for them to move in search of food amount of poaching as the areas in between have been has been reduced. cleared. Saving the Panda The Chinese government has set up more than 30 reserves for pandas which protect them from poachers. Only the pandas that live in these reserves – which is about 60% of all pandas – are protected. In 1998, the Chinese government banned the logging of the forests to protect the panda habitats.

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ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Black Rhinoceros Scientific Name: Diceros Bicor nis Bicornis

Thousands of years ago, rhinoceros species were founds in all shapes and sizes and on nearly every continent. Today many of these species are extinct and rhinos are only found in a few locations.

Did you know that the word rhinoceros actually means “horn-nosed”? The rhino’s horn is used to shovel the ground for mineral salt and to defend itself against enemies. Rhinos have been hunted for hundreds of years because of their horn. Some people in ancient times believed that the horn was able to turn poisons into harmless substances. The horns are also used to make precious daggers that only the rich can afford. Farmers and hunters poached the rhinos as the money they could get for the horns was too good an offer to resist. This practice also happens with the ivory from elephant tusks.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Rhino Horn

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Rhinos have been roaming the planet since prehistoric times and are the second largest land mammals left on earth. Rhinoceros species have existed for over 60 million years! Today, there are five rhino species left and all of them are ed with the considered critically endanger endangered black rhino being the most well-known.

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The rate at which the black rhino has become endangered ise frightening. •f orr evi w pur posesonl y• Usually, the reason for large mammals being classed as threatened or endangered is because of habitat loss. However, for the black rhino, it’s the result of poaching.

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ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Rhinos Remaining ¾White Rhino

(Ceratotherium simum):

The white rhino is not even white in colour – it’s a brownish grey! Its name is thought to be a mix-up with the Dutch word wijde which means “wide” and not “white”.

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(Rhinoceros sondaicus):

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These rhinos are found in Nepal and India and current rhino numbers have nowe grown from © R a d y E d P u b l i c a t i o n s less than 200 to around 2400 f o rr evi ew pur posesonl y• due to • rhino conservation programs. Conservation Efforts: ¾Javan Rhino Trade in

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rhino horn – This is the rarest of the rhino and also species with fewer than 60 elephant animals left. There is a tusk ivory – is now banned. population in Indonesia and one Sadly, it is still sold illegally for in Vietnam. high prices. Today, because there are so few black rhinos left, they ¾Sumatran Rhino are literally under armed guard (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis): in protected reserves! Even when This hairy rhino species is the rhinos go foraging for food, a possibly the most endangered of guard with a rifle goes with all rhinoceros species, although it them. Tragically, there have been competes with the Javan rhino armed guards killed by poachers, for this title. Poaching has just so they can get the valuable reduced the numbers by 50% to rhino horn.

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less than 300.

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(Rhinoceros unicornis):

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Nor thern white rhinos of northNorthern central Africa are critically endangered – only about 30 are left. Southern white rhinos rhinos,, found in the southern parts of Africa, are considered the least endanger ed of the rhinoceros endangered species. ¾Indian Rhino

White Rhino

ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Endangered Elephants

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Elephants are the largest land Scientific Name: animals that roam the earth Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) today. There are two species of oxodonta (Loxodonta these great mammals and they African Elephant (L africana) are both classified as endanger ed endangered ed. Uncontrolled Tusk Trouble hunting has reduced elephant Poachers kill numbers and elephants have elephants for also faced the loss of their ory their iv ivory natural habitat because their tusks. Ivory is a forest homes have been hard, white cleared. substance that The different types of elephants makes up the tusks of elephants and other mammals such as vary in appearance and size ©types Re ady EdPuhippopotamus, bl i cat i o nsand walrus with some being heavier, mammoth species. Ivory has been having• af different coloured orr e vi ew pur posesonl y• used to make snooker balls and skin, or having ears and trunks piano keys as well as dagger of different shapes and sizes. handles and other ornaments. The Elephants are plant eaters sale and trade of ivory has been herbivor es (herbivor herbivores es) and can eat in a banned since 1989 to help save elephant populations. number of ways. Their trunks can bend around and pull up grass, pick up peas and tear off tree limbs. The elephants’ tusks can also pry bark loose and dig pits, while their rasplike teeth grind up the toughest grasses, reeds, barks and branches.

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Elephant Emergency

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human populations of this region have increased more than anywhere else on the planet. This has meant that the land which was once the elephant range has now been converted to either farms, business or housing.

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There are three types of Asian Angry Elephants elephant and two types of Elephants display an African elephant. Some of interesting variety of these types are more behaviours that let you know endangered than others. The how they feel. Asian elephants are at more risk than the African elephants. An angry elephant will stand tall with its tail raised, ears Around 100 years ago there spread and its trunk hanging. were about 200,000 Asian It may even make a rapid elephants, while today there are thought to be no more than approach and trumpet loudly. An elephant that is 40,000 left in the wild. submissiv submissivee will flatten its Habitat ears, arch back and © ReLoss adyEdP ub l i cits at i on sraise Elephants need a large habitat area its tail. It might also sway, f o rhuge r ev i ewofpuswing r po se sor on l y because• they eat amounts its foot back up• and food. Because the population of turn away. humans in Africa and Asia has If elephants are in pain they exploded, the humans compete with will scream or growl. the elephants for living space. The

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Big Cats

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There are 36 species of wild cat. Many of Scientific Name: these species are classified as critically Family F elidae Felidae endanger ed endangered ed. Big cats are found in the wild in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. Cats are carnivorous (meat-eating) mammals and belong to the family Felidae. All cats are hunters and have special features to help them hunt. They have large, forward-facing eyes, excellent How Have Big Cats hearing, sharp teeth and strong limbs ime? Time? armed with sharp claws for catching their Survived Over T Cats have changed little prey. They move silently with unusual since they first grace and all of them purr – even the appeared on earth over largest members of cat family. © Re athe dy E dPubl i c30,000 a t i oyears nsago. This Threats to Big Cat Survival: fierce family of animals • f o r r e v i e w p u r p o s e s onl y• Hunting. Cats are hunted for their fur zHunting. has survived so long and sometimes body parts that can be because their diet consists of meat. Their used in traditional medicines. food is not found on Lack of F ood. Due to a lack of food, zLack Food. trees and so the big cats sometimes attack farm animals and are then shot or poisoned clearing of forests and wooded areas isn’t a by farmers. major concern to their Loss of habitat. There is not enough zLoss survival. Nature supplies space and too much competition for the cat with the live prey. intelligence, courage

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the hunter it needs to be to survive. The similar diet of all cats might also explain why the 32 species of the family of cats closely resemble each other. 25

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Tiger Treatments Scientific Name: Panthera tigris

One of the biggest threats that tigers face is being hunted for body parts. There are thought to be only 5000 tigers left in the wild as the illegal trade in their body parts has meant that many tigers are killed. The picture below shows the parts that are used in traditional Asian medicines.

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mondaica) - Last tiger seen in 1979 on the island of Java, Indonesia. Extinct as a result of hunting and habitat loss. z Caspian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata) - Last official sighting in 1968. This tiger was once found roaming Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia and Turkey. z Balinese tiger (Panthera tigris balica) - This tiger, which was only ever found on the island of Bali, was hunted to extinction with the last one thought to have been killed in 1937.

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The tiger is one of the most critically endanger ed endangered members of the big cat family. All five tiger species live in Asia and the largest cat in the world is the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica). Already many tiger sub species have become extinct: an tiger (Panthera tigris z Jav avan

www.5tigers.org

o c . che e r o t r s WHISKERS: Used super for toothaches.

HOW TIGER PARTS

TAIL: Used to treat skin diseases.

Want More?

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body are said to be elongated spots.

BRAIN: Used to treat pimples!

EYEBALLS: Used to treat epilepsy.

BONES: Used to treat bone diseases.

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Gilbert’s Potoroo Did you know that this tiny mammal is classified as critically endanger ed and is endangered one of the rarest mammal species in Australia?

Did You Know? John Gilbert recorded in his notes that the potoroo was often seen with another small native marsupial called the quokka quokka. Quokkas are now only found on Rottnest Island off the coast of Western Australia. Unlike the potoroo, the quokka is still found in great numbers in its native habitat.

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r o e t s Bo r e ok A potoroo looks ap little bit like u a bandicoot S but is actually a

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variety of rat kangaroo. Most potoroos weigh less than one kilogram. This species of potoroo was named after John Gilbert, who discovered these creatures in 1840 at © Re ady EdPubl i cat i ons King George’s Sound onthe south coast of Western •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Australia. It is estimated that there are less than 30 of these animals left in the wild. Sadly, there have been no An Amazing sightings of this animal Discovery anywhere else in the world. Since 1870, it was believed

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that the potoroo was extinct as it had not been sighted for many years. In 1994, it was rediscovered at Two People’s Bay near Albany in Western Australia. A nature reserve was set up in this region, however, no other populations of this mammal have been found. 27

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Potoroos in Peril Many of the threats to the survival of Gilbert’s potoroo are the same factors that threaten most of Australia’s endangered animal species. They include:

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zBushfire: One bushfire could wipe out the remaining population of Gilbert’s potoroo. Many potoroos have already been killed in this way. zPopulation Spread: Steps are being taken to ensure zFeral Predators: Because of that the potoroo population their size, the Gilbert’s does not become broken up potoroo species is perfect into small groups of potoroos, prey for feral cats and foxes. leaving them more open to Steps have been taken to feral predators. control the number of foxes in zRelease into the Wild: the region by using poison Potoroos bred in captivity are baits. At present, suitable © R e a d y E d P ubl i ca i onsinto a unable to bet released bait for feral cats is still being wild area unless it l isy free tested make sure ite won’t •tof o rr evi w pur po se son •from all of the above threats. harm the potoroos. zDisease: An introduced fungi species causes disease and sometimes death to a variety of native plant species. It is a native to South East Asia and is thought to have reached Western Australian soil around 100 years ago. This disease kills many native species of plants including the truffle food sources that the potoroo feeds on.

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Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat Scientific Name: Lasiorhinus kreff tii krefftii

Terrific Teeth

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This interesting marsupial has species of wombat is the largest burrowing mammal in the world. a backward facing sodP ©R eapouch dyE ubl i cat i ons that dirt stays out when it •f ofood. rr e vi ew puWhere r pose sthe onWombats? l y• are burrows for Its funny name comes from its unusual The northern hairy-nosed wombat is classified as critically snout which is covered in endanger ed endangered ed. While there have short, brown hairs. never been high numbers of wombats, fossil records show that they used to live in a wider area of Australia, ranging from across Victoria to central Queensland. Today there is only one population of this wombat species left and it is restricted to the 300 hectares in the Epping Forest Epping Forest National Park National Park in Queensland.

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Image courtesy of Foundation for Australia’s Most Endangered Species (FAME)

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The northern hairy-nosed wombat is sometimes known as the Queensland hairynosed wombat to distinguish it from the southern hairy-nosed Did you know that the northern hairy-nosed wombat has teeth wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons), that NEVER stop growing? Even in which is found mainly in the old age, it is still able to grind southern areas of South away on native grasses and Australia. eucalyptus and acacia leaves. This

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Wombat Worries

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The northern hairy-nosed wombat lives along an ancient Helping the Wombat In 1971, Epping National Park was waterway where the soil is set up to protect the habitat of sandy and dry. There are a the northern hairy-nosed number of reasons for the wombat. Only park rangers and drop in wombat numbers. researchers are allowed into the Clearing the wombat’s natural park, which is protected from habitat for buildings and bushfires by firebreaks and farming have caused lots of controlled burning. Cattle were removed from the park in 1982 problems. Introduced animal and wombat numbers soon species such as sheep, cows increased by 50% and are still and rabbits compete with the on the rise. wombats for food and shelter. Even some introduced grass © forced Reaout dy EdPubl i cat i ons species have the native • grasses that f or r ethe vi ew pur posesonl y• wombats like to feed on. This meant the wombats needed to move south to find more food but instead they came across Did You Know? more predators. And as if that isn’t enough, the drought in There are only three species of wombat: • southern hairy-nosed wombat; the wombat’s natural habitat nor thern hairy-nosed wombat and; northern has also spelled trouble for the •• common wombat. wombat. The northern hairy-nosed wombat is

o c . che e r o t r sof the three yet the rarest. sup r the largest e

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Common wombats breed at any time of the year, southern wombats breed from September to December and the northern hairy-nosed wombat breeds from April to November. The northern hairy-nosed wombat is the only wombat species that is in danger of extinction.

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Greater Bilby Scientific Name: Macrotis lagotis

Weight eight: Males up to 2.5 kg, Females up to 1.2 kg.

r o t ¾eB s r e oo p u k S ¾

Diet Diet: Feeds on snails, fungi, insects, bulbs and sometimes small mammals and reptiles. Length Length: 30-45 cm in length (including about 25 cm tail).

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The greater bilby is sometimes known as a rabbit-eared bandicoot, pinki, dalgyte, ninu or a walpa. This very cute Australian marsupial is the largest species in the bandicoot family.

About the Bilby

Fur ur: Soft, silky blue-grey coat with tan markings and a white belly with rabbit-like ears. The bilby’s long grey tail is carried upright like a flag when it runs.

bush and desert. However, during the day time the bilby mostly spends time in its burrow, venturing out at night for feeding.

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Bilbies used to roam at least 70% of the Australian mainland. They are classified as a vulnerable species and it ¾ Snout: Bilbies have a long, © ReadyEdP uSnout b l i c at i on s is now believed that they live hairless, pink snout. •than f or r e vi ew ur pSenses: ose sonl y• on less 20% of the landp ¾ Senses Bilbies have an excellent today. The lesser bilby sense of smell and good hearing, however, their eyesight is poor. (Macrotis leucura) has not been seen since the 1930s ¾ Camouflage Camouflage: The bilby’s colouring usually blends into the Australian and is classified as extinct.

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Bringing Bilbies Back There are a number of reasons for the decline in the number of greater bilbies.

Easter Bilby

In the past, bilbies have been hunted r o e t s Bo r by humans for their precious fur pelts. e © Darrell Lea

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Another threat facing the bilby is the loss of its grasslands habitat. Land has been cleared for farming and cattle have spoilt the habitat with their grazing habits. The bilbies have also had to compete for their burrows with rabbits and other introduced species.

Already moves are underway to give the bilby a higher profile in Australian culture with the introduction of chocolate bilbies at Easter time, to replace the traditional Easter Bunny. Not only does this increase the awareness of the plight of the bilby but part proceeds from Easter bilbies go to a Sav avee the Bilby fund.

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The good news is that there are a number of conservation programs in place that have helped to make sure the bilby doesn’t end up on the critically endanger ed list. endangered

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Predators© such foxes and cats Rasea dy Eferal dP ubl i cat i ons are also a main concern for the bilbies’ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• survival.

. t e Bilby Back South - www.easterbilby.com.au o Bringing the c . ch e A Conservation Program r e o t r s suBilby per In 1994, the South Australian Recovery Team was set up to help bring the bilby back to South Australia. It was decided that if the bilby is to survive, then it should be reintroduced in captivity to the areas in which it once used to thrive.

Learn more about this unique breeding program:

www.environment.sa.gov.au/ biodiversity/bilby.html

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The Numbat: No Longer Endangered Scientific Name: Myr mecobius fasciatus Myrmecobius

The numbat is native to Western Australia – and its story is a happy one.

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critically endanger ed ed. Their endangered main threats to survival were predators such as foxes and cats which were responsible for a severe drop in numbers.

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Only a few years ago S numbats were listed as

Numbat Rescue

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In Western Australia, where © ea EdPub l i c at i o ns the numbat lives, the The R numbat isd they state Department of Conservation mammal emblem forw Western •f o rr e vi e puand r po se sonl y(CALM) • Land Management Australia. This marsupial is put a plan into action to save sometimes known as the the numbats from extinction. banded anteater or by the Aboriginal name of walpurti walpurti. They set up baits for foxes who were preying on the numbats The numbat’s recovery is a and created nature reserves good example of how and forests to protect the conservation groups can numbat’s native habitat. make a difference. This New populations of numbats animal is still classified as a have been set up in nature vulnerable native species but reserves and a colony has is no longer in the danger it even been set up in South was in a few years ago. Read Australia. about the captive breeding program at Perth Zoo: Learn more about the work of

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www.perthzoo.wa.gov.au

CALM: www.calm.wa.gov.au/schools/ 33

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Regent Honeyeater

•f orr evi ew pur p seson l y• AoUseful Bird

The birds like to live near wet and fertile soils usually along river beds and valleys. They pollinate species such as mulga ironbark, white box and Blakely’s red gum trees. The honeyeater relies on these plant species for food and shelter. This is a good example of how plants and animals in an ecosystem need each other to survive.

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Honeyeaters mainly eat plant nectar from eucalypt species. The honeyeater plays an important role in the reproduction of many flowering plants, acting as a pollinator by carrying pollen from the anther of one plant to the stigma of another flowering plant.

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It is believed that there are between 800-2000 honeyeaters left and it is listed ed as endanger endangered ed.

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The regent honeyeater is Scientific Name: known for its striking black, Xanthomyza phr ygia phrygia white and yellow feathers. This colourful bird was once very common throughout New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. Today it is only found in forest areas of the Great Dividing Range (New South Wales). The honeyeater is now restricted to ironbark forest habitats which have thr eatened also become threatened ©R e adyEdPubl i cat i ons communities communities.

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Helping the Honeyeater

ALERT! Firewood collection is threatening the future of the regent honeyeater!

r o e t s Bo r e p othink they are u Many people k S helping the environment when

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The main threat for the honeyeaters is the loss of their woodlands habitat. Many other animal and plant species native to this region are also threatened as a large amount of forest area has been cleared. Today the regent honeyeater lives in what is described as boxir onbark woodlands ironbark woodlands.

they collect firewood from the bush. Instead, they are often doing more harm than good! The dead trees and fallen timber that many people remove from forests and bush regions actually play an important part in the survival of the forest ecosystem as many fungus species live on the dead wood. The fungi are a food source for a number of small woodland species. At least 20 bird species are affected by the reduced amounts of these fungi.

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Today only 17% of Australia’s original box-ironbark forest © ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons still stands. In the last 200 years,• the box-ironbark f o rr evi ew pur posesonl y• woodlands have been cleared to make room for housing, businesses or farms. Some of the areas have been cleared to mine for gold.

. te the Regent Honeyeater o Saving c . c e r The main focus at h thee moment is to o t r s upe preserve the disappearing s habitats of r the regent honeyeater. Conservation programs have been set up to protect and restore these natural habitats. Learn more about what is being done to save woodland species: www.wilderness.society

ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Western Swamp Tortoise The Western swamp tortoise is the smallest of the Australian tortoise species – it also is the most endanger ed reptile in Australia. endangered

Scientific Name: Pseudemydura umbrina

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zThis species of tortoise spends 6 to 9 months of the year buried in soil The Western swamp and leaves. tortoise was first sighted by European settlers in zThe tortoise lives only in a 1839 but was not seen particular swampy habitat in two aa very long time after locations© in Western Australia. Read yEdPubfor l i c t i o n s that, leading people to During winter and spring when the believe it had become •f or r e vi ew pur pos eso nl y • swamps are quite full, the tortoises extinct. However, in 1954, live in the water. When the swamps a schoolboy found one and start to dry out in summer and proudly displayed it at a autumn, the tortoises lie still in a pet show, not realising the ation (a bit state known as aestiv aestivation importance of his find! like the way some animals hibernate in winter). zTortoises do not interact with each other and prefer to live solitary lives, although they are happy to mix and swim with other tortoises. zThese reptiles are carnivorous and feed on small crustaceans and insect larvae. However, during their aestivation in summer and autumn, they don’t eat a thing!

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A Rare Find! r o e t s Bo r Tortoise Trivia e p o u k zA male adult reaches about 12.5 cm in length. S

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Threats to the Tortoise There are only around 400 to 500 of these tortoises alive today and while these numbers are low, there was a time when there were only 30 swamp tortoises in existence!

Predators on the Prowl

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Introduced species such as Swampy Home

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foxes, dogs, cats and rats, have been responsible for preying on this tortoise species. In addition, natural predators such as lizards, birds and snakes are competing with adyEdPu bl i c at i on sfood Natural © Re these predators for events such sources and are also hunting • f o r r e v i e w p u r p o s e s o n l y • as drought and the Western swamp tortoise bushfires have also caused a decrease in tortoise numbers You can find out all about the as well as adding to habitat tortoise rescue program at loss. The main threat to the Western swamp tortoise is that much of their swampy habitat has been drained for farming purposes.

.perthzoo .wa.gov .au www www.perthzoo .perthzoo.wa.gov .wa.gov.au

. Click on Breeding Programs t e o In 1988, Perth Zoo set up a c . captive br eedingc breeding program for e her r o this species. As a result the zoo t s super A Zoo to the Rescue

has successfully bred around 500 tortoises. Since 1994, at least 320 of these tortoises have been placed back into the wild at four swampy habitats not far from Perth.

ENDANGERED ANIMALS

Komodo Dragon

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of nearby animals and prey. ¾ A dragon’s mouth contains very poisonous bacteria, so even if prey survives an attack, it is almost certain to die from an infection shortly after. ¾ Young dragons live in trees. ¾ Sometimes these dragons are known as “land crocodiles”.

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Look out! This fierce reptile is Dragon Details: the largest living lizard left on ¾ They live between 20 and 40 the planet and is also the years. world’s heaviest lizard. It is ¾ Male dragons defend a territory found on Komodo Island in of up to two kilometres which they Indonesia and also a few patrol each day. smaller islands nearby that ¾ Occasionally the dragons will swim belong to Komodo National long distances between islands. Park. Growing to over three ¾ During breeding season, a female metres and weighing in at dragon will lay up to 30 eggs. about 70 to 90 kilograms, the Hatchlings are approximately 40 endanger ed Komodo dragon endangered centimetres long. ¾ Adult dragons have about 60 is actually quite fast moving, teeth which they replace regularly. given its size. This dragon is ¾ They have long forked tongues also very © skilled ata climbing R e d y E d Pu bl i ca i o ns which they uset to detect trees and makes an excellent chemicals in the air, warning them swimmer. •f orr evi ew pur p osesonl y•

down, had managed to swim to Komodo Island where he was confronted by the scary dragons! Creep around this site to learn more about these deadly but endangered dragons: www.zoo.org/komodo 38

. te o Komodo dragons weren’t known c . chcame about until a report in e r o shortly after World Ware I inr 1920. t s super A pilot, whose aircraft had gone

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Dragons Dying Out There are less than 5000 Komodo dragons left in the wild. These dragons are facing a number of threats to their survival.

Cannibal Dragons!

r o e t s Bo r e pon the islands that ok ¾Volcano eruptions u Sdestroy the dragons’ they inhabit habitat and also wipe out a lot of the prey that these dragons rely on for food.

¾Poaching of prey by humans has also reduced the dragons’ food supply.

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What are the Threats?

Komodo dragons are meat eaters and are known for eating smaller dragons. They are able to kill very large prey such as water buffalo, pigs and small deer. These dragons hunt anything that they can overpower and have even taken a fancy to injured humans in the past! The quantities of food that a dragon can eat are quite amazing. For example, witnesses have seen a 46 kilogram dragon eat a pig weighing 41 kilograms in less than 20 minutes! If we compare this to what humans eat, this is like a person weighing 46 kilograms eating approximately 320 hambur gers – and all hamburgers in 20 minutes!

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Check out Komodo National Park: www.komodonationalpark.org/

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©R eadyEdP ubl i cat i ons Some travel guidebooks suggest that you bring your own goat for a dragon to •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• eat and tour organisers charge a high fee for you to watch the gruesome display of the Komodo dragon in action. The money raised from tourism goes towards protecting the Komodo dragon.

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Galapagos Giant Tortoise Scientific Name: Geochelone elephantopus

Tortoise or Turtle? r o e t s B r Tortoises areo turtles that live only e p odifferent on land. They have features u k to the turtles that live in the ocean: S ¾Their feet are more like those of

Galapagos islands

South America

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The Galapagos giant tortoise is the largest species of turtle and is classified as critically endanger ed endangered ed.

an elephant as they are quite stumpy. ¾Their shell forms a high dome. ¾The tortoises of the Galapagos Islands are the world’s largest land turtles. Some may weigh up to 270 kilograms and they can be up to 1.5 metres long.

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are only found in the Galapagos Islands, which were discovered in the 1500s by Spanish explorers. When See Tortoises on the Web: the Spanish first explored the www.thebigzoo.com/Animals/ area they found so many Galapagos_Giant_Tortoise.asp giant tortoises that they named the islands “Galapagos” which in Spanish means “shell” and refers to the tortoise shell. Back then there were an estimated 250,000 tortoises that lived on the islands. Sadly, today only about 15,000 remain.

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r o e t s Band r e oo Volcanoes other natural events p such as bushfires, have also been u k S responsible for killing large numbers

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Trouble for Tortoises

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of the giant tortoises. There are a number of different sub species of the Protecting giant tortoise. These tortoises the Tortoise are found on most of the In 1959, the Charles Darwin Research Galapagos Islands yet their Centre ( www.darwinfoundation.org/)) appearance varies from island was setl up on of n thes Galapagos ea dy EdP ub i c aone t i o to island.© At R least three sub species are extinct and another Islands. It is here that tortoise eggs •f orr evi ew pur p seso l y•are incubated areo andn hatchlings has only one tortoise left! raised until they are four or five years Successful efforts to protect the old. This process protects eggs and tortoises are underway on the newborn tortoises from being some islands but it is unlikely eaten by the introduced animals animals. the tortoise numbers will ever More than 3500 giant tortoises have been bred in this way. return to 250,000.

. teGiant tortoises can live for a very long time.o c . c e It’s possible thath many of these tortoises are r over 150 years old! er o st super Threats to Survival

In the 1800s, many sailors in the area actually relied on the tortoises as a food supply. The sailors discovered that the animals could live on their backs for months without food or water, providing a source of fresh meat during their long voyages. The tortoises have also been prey for introduced animals to the area such as rats, pigs, dogs and cats. Spanish settlers bought these animals to the islands and they went on to feast on small tortoises as well as tortoise eggs. 41

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Blue tongue lizards are a critically endanger endangered ed species. They are the largest lizards in the skink family and yes – they really do have blue tongues! Like their name suggests, the “pygmy” blue tongue is the smallest of these lizard species. It is still of a medium size when compared to other skink and lizard species.

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Scientific Name:

Tiliqua adelaidensis

These lizards can only exist © R e a d y E d P u b l i c at i ons ¾Head is relatively large in areas that compared to its body. •f orr evi ew pu r po se sonl y• have not been ¾Very short, narrow limbs. ploughed. The ¾Rarely grow to more than 20 native grasslands that used to centimetres in length. extend south onto the ¾Is very secretive and only Adelaide Plains once provided ventures out of its burrows habitats for several lizard for food. It seeks refuge in its populations. However, this burrow and the only burrows area has been cleared and they use are empty spider ploughed for farming. holes. ¾Only one adult is ever found in Ploughing destroys the lizard burrows and also kills lizards a burrow. in the process. Any lizards that ¾Feeds on native plants and medium-sized insects such as do manage to survive the cockroaches, beetles, ants, plough are left without shelter grasshoppers. Also eats and become an easy target spiders. for predators.

Creature Features:

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Image courtesy of www.bluetongueskinks.net

Pygmy Blue Tongue Lizard

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Long Live the Lizards The Lizards That Came Back To Life

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The pygmy blue tongue lizard species was first discovered in Australia sometime in the 1800s. It then disappeared from sight and was believed to be extinct. In 1992, several small populations were discovered in the Burra region of South Australia and it is thought that up to 5000 of these lizards are in existence today. Not much is known about where the pygmy lizard lived back then but some researchers suggest that it was found in areas ranging from the Adelaide Plains to the North Mount Lofty Ranges.

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The only population of pygmy blue tongue lizards in captivity is kept at the Adelaide Zoo in a special habitat exhibit. This exhibit has been running since the pygmy blue tongue lizard was “rediscovered”. Recovery Plans

The breeding program at the Adelaide Zoo started from a group of just six lizards. One of the problems with the program isa that the lizards are © ReadyEdP ubl i c t i o ns

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kept on display for the public and have shown aggressive behaviour. In 1996, a larger display enclosure was created that was heat controlled.

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The Adelaide Zoo highlights the dangers that the pygmy blue tongue lizard species is facing. Not many people get to see a pygmy blue tongue lizard in the wild so the zoo’s program is able to show people the lizards as well as letting them know about the threats to the lizards’ survival. 43

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off the coast of

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The tuatara is the most unique reptile left roaming the earth. Millions of years ago the tuatara lived side by side with dinosaurs at a time when the earth’s continents were Scientific Name: joined as one. These amazing creatures also Sphenodon punctatus & Sphenodon guntheri survived the events that Tuatara are found only in New Zealand but it is thought that in prehistoric led to the dinosaurs times they were found all over the becoming extinct world. One of the reasons that they across the globe – have survived inl New Zealand ©R eadyE d P u b i c a t i ons many people believe is possibly because there are that a meteor crash no p native mammal species. •f orr evi ew ur pose sonl y• was responsible, Tuatara are found creeping occurring around 65 around on about 30 small, million years ago. hard-to-get-to islands

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Ancient Reptiles New Zealand. Their habitat is Tuatara are the last cold and damp with temperatures surviving members of often approaching freezing. an ancient reptilian family that dates back 248 million years ago. A Third Eye! Not only are tuatara an parietal Yes, it’s true. Tuatara have a “parietal ancient species, they eye eye” on the top of their head! This eye can also live to a ripe contains a retina and functions in the old age – even past same way that normal eyes do. However, 100 years old. Now a scale grows over the top of the eye that is ancient! when a tuatara reaches adulthood.

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Tuatara Turmoil

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Both of the species of tuatara are classified as vulnerable vulnerable. There used to be a lot more tuatara slithering about the place, but sadly their numbers have gone down in the last 1000 years.

Rat-Free Islands

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Natural events such as wildfires have wiped out a lot of tuatara In recent years, conservation efforts have included the but their biggest threat is the creation of rat-free islands in clearing of their habitat for New Zealand such as Tiritiri farming and logging. Tuatara Matanga and Stephen’s oduced are also hunted by intr introduced Island Island. These islands are © R e a d y E d P u b l i c a t i o n s mammals such as cats, dogs, unique, as they are filled with rats and even birdo life and •f orhumans. r evi ew pur p se sother onwildlife l y•that

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would normally have become extinct in mainland New Zealand forests. As these islands are also free of other introduced mammals, they are rich in plant life which provides food for a variety of lizard, insect and bird species.

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There are only about 400 members left of the Sphenodon guntheri species, which is facing extinction in the future. The other species, Sphenodon punctatus is not in as much danger and there are several to be found on Stephen’s Island in Cook Strait. This island has no rats and provides a safe habitat for tuatara.

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Harlequin Frog Scientific Name:

Atelopus varius

This brightly coloured frog is critically endanger ed endangered ed.

Frog Names The harlequin frog is sometimes referred to as the Panama golden frog or golden harlequin toad toad. It is found only in Western Panama, Central America, and is a national symbol for that country.

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that these frogs “vocalise” in order to communicate with other frogs, particularly around breeding season.

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r o e t s B r e oo It is very rare and p not much u k is known about its natural S history. Scientists do know

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The harlequin frog is a Rspecies eady EdP u b l i c a t i o n s poisonous© frog and Back From the Dead! feeds on tiny insects. These •f orr evi ew pu r po se son y • There are about 70l Atelopus interesting frogs actually frog species, all very similar to only grow to five centimetres the harlequin frog. The in length. harlequin frog was actually

thought to be extinct for many years and the species was only recently rediscovered in a Central American rainforest reserve. Atelopus frogs are only one of a number of amphibian families around the world that are in danger of becoming extinct. Scientists believe that in the last ten years, more than 50% of the Atelopus frog species have become extinct.

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Frogs and Fungus

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Harlequin frog research and conservation efforts are slowly making a brighter future for this endangered amphibian species. Several programs have been set up to build up frog population numbers. Frogs that have the fungal disease can be treated but they need to be caught first for this to happen.

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amphibian species that are left are facing an uncertain future. One of the reasons they are in more danger than other groups of animals may be because they have a very sensitive skin that is easily affected by changes in the air and water.

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Even though habitat loss is a Amphibian Alert! concern for the harlequin Amphibians are thought to have frog, the main threat is evolved from fish around 300 actually a disease with a very million years ago. There are difficult name to pronounce about 4000 different kinds of and spell: chytridiomycosis. amphibians on the planet which This nasty fungal disease is a include frogs, toads, worldwide problem and affects salamanders and caecilians. Scientists claim that the a whole range of amphibians. world’s amphibian species are in The fungus grows on the danger of dying out because of surface layers of the frog’s environmental thr eats such as threats skin. It is thought that this may loss of habitat, acid rain, stop the harlequin frog from thinning of the ozone layer and taking in water and oxygen, as fungal diseases. © ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons frogs drink and breathe At least 122 amphibian species through their skin. •f or r evi ew pur po ses onl y• have become extinct since 1980 and at least a third of the Help for the Harlequin

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Ribbit! Project Golden Frog www.ranadorada.org 47

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Philippine Eagle Scientific Name:

Pithecophaga jeffer yi jefferyi

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You may not know anything about this bird of prey, yet it is the second largest eagle in the world. In fact, the Philippine eagle holds the world record for wingspan – more than 2.5 metres! This bird was first thought to be on the path to extinction around the 1960s. ed It is now classified as critically endanger endangered ed.

Location The Philippines are a group of 1700 islands The world’s known as the Philippine Archipelago. The largest eagle is eagle is found on only four of those islands: the harpy eagle Leyte Leyte, Samar Samar, Luzor and Mindanao Mindanao. It is in Central and believed that there are less than 200 of these South America. © ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons birds left in the wild in the whole world! The Philippine

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taller than the harpy.

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The Monkey-eating Eagle This eagle is classified as a raptor – a bird of prey. Other raptors include hawks, falcons, owls and vultures. Raptors are known for their cunning hunting skills, seizing their prey with their taloned claws and tearing the meat with their sharp beaks.

tall with a large curved beak and warlike headdress of spiky feathers, it presents a fierce and scary image. Along with monkeys, these eagles will also hunt small mammals such as dogs, pigs and goats and they are very clever at snatching birds from trees. 48

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o c . chise e The Philippine eagle also famous for r o t r s eating monkeys! Standings over one r up emetre

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Rapt about Raptors There are basically two reasons why the Disappearing Philippine eagle is critically endangered. Rainforests One is that the eagle is hunted by Like so many other humans to protect smaller species and endangered species, the the other reason is that the eagle’s Philippine eagle was rainforest habitat is being destroyed. facing total extinction

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u SEagle Hunting the due to a severe loss of

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habitat. At one time, Raptors are hunted all over the world. As well as being hunted to save smaller approximately 94% of the Philippine islands animals, the eagle is also a prized were covered in lush hunting trophy, in fact, hunting these tropical rainforests. eagles became a sport and many Today, scientists important people paid a lot of money to estimate that ©Young Rea dyEd Publ i c at i on sonly 25% participate! Philippine eagles of these forests have also been stolen from nests by •f o rr evi e w their pur po ses onThis l yloss • of remain. collectors who hoped to make money by habitat has meant selling the eagles to the highest bidder. extinction for a whole

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range of rainforest animal and plant species.

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The Philippine Eagle Foundation This organization is found on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao and was set up to protect the Philippine eagle from extinction. Not only does this group care about the eagle, it also draws attention to other endangered species in the region. You can learn more at:

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This Philippine Eagle Foundation also has special breeding programs in place to increase the numbers of this species.

www.philippineeagle.org

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Humboldt Penguin

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Scientists (called palaeontologists palaeontologists) who have studied penguin fossils think that penguins that lived on earth millions of years ago were able to fly. They suggest that penguins stopped flying over 70 to 60 million years ago as they preferred a life in the sea. Since then, their wings olv ed into flippers that are much have ev evolv olved more suited to moving around in the water. Many early explorers thought that penguins were some kind of fish or marine mammal rather than a bird!

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Did You Know?

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There are 17 penguin species Scientific Name: and all of them live in the Spheniscus humboldti southern hemisphere. Most of these penguin species are not in Hunting Humboldts Along with other penguin any immediate danger of extinction, particularly species, Humboldt penguins those penguins that have been hunted for their inhabit the chilly meat, oil and skins. In early continent of Antarctica. whaling days around 150 Amazingly, penguins years ago, sailors thought can live in some of the of penguins as a tasty harshest conditions meal! experienced on the Many adult penguins and planet. The Humboldt their chicks have been penguin lives in the warm © RofePeru adyEdPubl i cat i o s and captured forn zoos coastal regions private collectors and a and Chile ino South • f r r e v i e w p u r p o sesonl y• number of people have America. collected penguin eggs.

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Hard Life for Humboldts There are so many different threats to the Humboldt penguin’s survival.

Penguin Poo?

Sadly, humans are to blame for many of these things.

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r o e t s B r e ooenough, penguin Strangely p u k faeces – known as guano – S became highly popular as

Fishing – Many penguins have been caught up in fishing nets and have drowned. The amount of fishing in the Humboldt’s natural habitat has also left the penguins with little fish to eat.

fertiliser. Unfortunately, people took little care when they went to collect it and damaged the nesting areas of the penguins in the process. This meant that many eggs were damaged and reduced the birth rate of Humboldt penguins.

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Natural Causes – One environmental factor that spells danger for the humble Humboldt penguin is El Niño Niño. This is the name for the warming of the ocean’s temperatures off the western coast of South America. This effect has a huge impact on weather patterns and natural living ecosystems. When El Niño occurred in 1982-3, approximately 65% of the Humboldt penguins living off the coast of Peru perished.

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Oil Spills – From time to time, a massive tanker in the Pacific Ocean has an oil spill that finds its way tou © R e a d y E d P bl i cat i ons the penguins’ habitat. Thousands •f or r e vi e w pur posesonl y• of penguins and other marine species have been killed or become sick as a result of these oil spills.

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Leafy Sea Dragon Scientific Name: Phycodurus eques

Camouflaged Creatures Their unusual appearance aims to protect them from predators. By camouflaging themselves among marine plants, the sea dragons become very difficult to find in their natural habitat and so there are very few predators hunting them. The sea dragon’s disguise also helps it to prey on smaller fish.

Is it a plant? r o e t s Bo r Is it a fish? e p o

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Leafy sea dragons are unique marine creatures that have fascinating bodies covered with leaf-like structures. They look a lot like floating pieces of seaweed and can grow up to 35 centimetres long.

The leafy sea dragon is very © ReadyEdP ubl i cat i ons rare and is classified as •f orr evi ew pu r pose sThey onl yfound • endanger ed endangered ed. are

o c . che e r o t r s s per The leafy sea u dragon is a member of the seahorse family and is also closely related to the weedy sea dragon.

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only in Australia’s warm coastal waters and there have been sightings of them in southern coastline waters from Kangaroo Island (South Australia) to Rottnest Island (Western Australia). These colourful sea creatures prefer to live in sand patches near kelp-covered rocks and rarely swim deeper than 50 metres. They are also found around rocky reefs, seaweed beds and seagrass meadows in shallow coastal waters.

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Dragons in Danger Polluted Waterways The main threat to the leafy sea dragon is the loss of habitat. Many coastal habitats have become polluted from run-off caused by farming fertilisers and drains from factories. This run-off can be poisonous to the leafy sea dragon.

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As they are such a rare and beautiful species, many leafy sea dragons are captured to be used in aquariums. Collectors will pay high prices for these dragons, however, they are usually unable to provide the sea dragons with the right food and environment and this often leads to the sea dragon dying soon after capture.

Believe it or not!

Did you know that sea dragons are one of the few animal species in this world where it is the job of the male to give birth to the young? It’s true – the female sea dragon gives the eggs to the male to carry. About 4-6 weeks later the male hatches two batches of eggs. Amazingly, once a sea dragon is born, it needs no help whatsoever from its parents and is straight away able to fend for itself, eating phytoplankton until it is large enough to hunt for small marine creatures.

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Sea dragons have also been eady EdPubl i cat i ons killed in © largeR numbers during sea storms. Their fragile • f o r r e vi ew pur posesonl y• bodies are unable to cope with sudden changes in water pressure which can occur in stormy weather and they are often found washed up on the beach after storms.

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Meet a Manatee Scientific Name: Trichechus manatus (W est Indian Manatee) (West

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Manatees spend up to eight hours a day eating while the rest of the day is spent sleeping or travelling around.

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BIG Eaters The massive manatees are Where do they live? herbivores, feeding on marine Manatees are usually found in plants and eating as much as shallow and slow moving rivers, © ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons 15% of their total body weight estuaries, saltwater bays and •f oraverage r evi e w pu r poareas. sesThey onl y• to each day! The weight coastal migrate of the manatee is around 450 warmer coastal waters during kilos so that is a fair amount summer months and rest. The of food to munch West Indian manatee through. is found in the waters off the coast of North America and down to the coastal regions of Brazil.

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The Manatee’s Relatives Did you know that manatees are closely related to elephants? They are also related to the dugong (Dugong dugon), and the extinct Steller’s sea cow, which was last seen in 1768. 54

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Manatees are classified as an endanger ed species. These endangered rather ugly but fascinating marine mammals are thought to have evolved from wading plant-eating mammals.

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Manatees Under Threat ¾Canal Canal locks - A large number of manatees have been caught and drowned in canal locks and flood control structures. Habitat loss - Housing along ¾Habitat rivers and waterways has damaged the natural habitat that manatees live in and polluted the water they feed in.

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¾Red Red tide - this occurs when there is a higher than normal amount of marine algae in the water. In regions where manatee populations live, most red tides are caused by micro-algae that produces a toxin which can poison manatees and other marine life. Cr ab tr ap and fishing lines ¾Cr Crab trap Manatees often get their tails and fins caught up in nets in shallow water, which cause gashes that become infected. They have also been killed after swallowing fish hooks. Human activities - Accidents in ¾Human shallow waters involving speed boats have killed many manatees. These boats are one of the main threats to manatees. Many surviving manatees have scars on their bodies from collisions with boats.

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Manatees face a number of threats to their survival. They have a very high mortality (death) rate as well as a low breeding (birth) rate. It is believed that there are less than 2600 West Indian manatees left. Threats include:

Manatees or Mermaids?

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Manatees belong to the order of animals classified enia as Sir Sirenia enia, which is a Latin word for “siren” or “mermaid”. It is believed that many early sailors mistook manatees for mythological mermaids.

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Humpback Whale

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Image courtesy of NOAA

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The humpback whale is one of the most Scientific Name: endanger ed of the larger whale species. In endangered Megaptera the last 100 years the numbers of these novaeangliae whales have dropped at an alarming rate. Did You Know? Around 1870 it was believed that there were at least 125,000 humpback whales swimming the world’s oceans. However, today it is thought that there are less than 7000 of these whales left. Whales: Where have the whales gone? ¾are marine Whaling is the main reason for the mammals. reduced numbers of whales. The humpback whale was hunted for its meat ¾can live to about 95 years of age. which was© used asa pet food. Re dy EWhen dPubl i c a t i o ns ¾can weigh up to 65 whaling first began, humpbacks were tonnes. o rr evi ew ur pthat oses onl y• hunted• forf their valuable bonyp plates were up to two metres long. These plates ¾grow to lengths of up to nearly 15 were known as whalebone or baleen and metres long. could be sold for thousands of dollars at ¾have large front the time. Baleen was used as ribbing in flippers that can things like dress corsets and umbrellas. grow to over 4 metres. Today plastic is used instead. ¾migrate annually

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from the tropics to polar regions. ¾eat up to 4000 kilos of fish a day. ¾are very well-known for leaping out of the water (breaching). ¾make vocalisations known as “songs”.

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Whales and Whaling Save the Whale The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is a special organisation that protects whales all over the world from extinction. The IWC was set up in 1946 and had members from many countries who helped set up rules about whaling. In 1986 they agreed to ban all whaling. Unfortunately, some countries have started up whaling again for a number of reasons.

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Today, steps have been taken to stop whaling, although illegal whaling still occurs in some countries. Whales have also died in fishing nets and in polluted marine areas. The Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary creates a safe environment for the remaining whales.

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Glossary Community:: Describes all living things (plants and animals) that exist in an environment.

Environment: The surroundings in which a plant or animal lives is called its environment. It includes habitat, climate, weather and even human activities. An animal or plant adapts to its natural environment in order to survive. For example, polar bears have a thick layer of blubber which keeps them warm in freezing temperatures.

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Ecosystem: Includes all living things and how they interact with the non-living things in the environment such as air, water, light and soil. If anything upsets the delicate balance the whole ecosystem can be affected.

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Special adaptations: Animals make adaptations to their environment to allow them to survive and reproduce. Some of these adaptations may be behavioural things they do (behavioural behavioural) while others, which develop over long periods of time, may be physical features of their body (physical physical). Species: All animals and plants are grouped according to their features. A species is the basic unit of classification for all members of the animal and plant kingdoms. Animals are grouped together according to their common features. For example, there are two species of elephants, meaning that there are two types of elephants: Asian and African. Sub species: Sometimes within a species, there may be a number of different types. This usually occurs when animals of a species live in different places. When a species is separated, a group may develop special adaptations suited to that region. For example there are four sub species of Asian elephant:

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Habitat: Where an animal or plant lives. For example, the toucan lives in a rainforest habitat and the camel lives in a desert habitat.

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Predators: Predators are carnivorous (meateating) animals that hunt and kill other animals for food. For example, lions are predators of deer and rabbits; frogs are predators of beetles and insects and humans are predators of dairy cattle, fish and chickens.

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Indian elephant Sri Lankan elephant Sumatr an elephant Sumatran Borneo (or Pygmy) elephant

Each of these sub species can be identified by small differences or adaptations that suit each environment. The elephants have developed these differences over thousands of years.

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Endangered Species Sites for Kids www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/information/20-tips.html - How You Can Help! www.schoolworld.asn.au/species/species.html - School World Endangered Species Project

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www.science.org.au/nova/010/010key.htm - Australia’s Threatened Species from NOVA

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www.museum.qld.gov.au/features/endangered/ - Queensland Museum Endangered Species Online

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www.rainforestinfo.org.au/spp/ - The Endangered Species Project

www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/Austendangered.htm - Endangered Australian Animals www.spx.nsw.edu.au/src/Links/endanganim.html - Endangered Animals Links www.calm.wa.gov.au/plants_animals/watscu_splash.html - Saving Our Threatened Wildlife

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/information/factsheets/index.html www.australianwildlife.org/ - Australian Wildlife Conservancy - World Wide Fund for Nature

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users.netconnect.com.au/Easter_Bilby/ - Read the Easter Bilby Story www.museum.vic.gov.au/bioinformatics/mammals/images/thumblmar.htm - Mammal Images

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www.extinctanimal.com/extinct/extinct_mammals.htm - Extinct Mammals

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rainforestinfo.org.au/spp/Schouten/ - Extinct Australian Species

www.calm.wa.gov.au/plants_animals/feeding_wild_animals.html - Feeding Wild Animals

www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/information/factsheets/index.html - National Threatened Species Day edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/endangsp.html - Excellent Links Page www.allaboutmammals.com/subjects/mammals/Iceagemammals.shtml www.calm.wa.gov.au/schools - Conservation and Land Management School Section

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Animal Species – Online Links Big Cats

www.chaffeezoo.org/animals/ sunBear.html – About the Sun Bear www.honoluluzoo.org/sun_bear.htm – Honolulu Zoo Polar Bear www.polarbearsalive.org – Polar Bears Alive www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/ creature_feature/0004/polar.html – Kids’ Creature Feature

www.savethetigerfund.org/Directory/ kids.htm – Save the Tigers dialspace.dial.pipex.com/agarman/bco/ ver4.htm – Big Cats Online www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/ mammals/smilodon – Smilodon: An Extinct Big Cat

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Malayan Sun Bear

home.vicnet.net.au/~potoroo/ – Friends of the Potoroo Panda www.abc.net.au/southcoast/stories/ www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/ s490598.htm – Potoroo Conservation mammals/panda/ www.calm.wa.gov.au/plants_animals/ – Enchanted Learning: Giant Panda mammal.quokka.html – Quokka Info nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/ and giant-panda.com/

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www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/ creature_feature/0205/rhinos.html – Black Rhino Creature Feature www.rhinos-irf.org/rhinoinformation/ index.htm – About the Five Rhino Species

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home.iprimus.com.au/readman/wombatn.htm – Unique Animals www.wombania.com/wombats/northernhairy-nosed-wombat.htm – WOMBANIA

Greater Bilby

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Black Rhinoceros

o c . c e her r www.worldalmanacforkids.com/explore/ o t s super animals/elephant.html – World Almanac: Elephants www.bornfree.org.uk/ elefriendsindex.html – Elefriends nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ AsianElephants/elephantfacts.cfm – Elephant Facts

www.arazpa.org.au/ Education_FactSheets_Bilby.htm – Bilby Fact Sheets users.netconnect.com.au/Easter_Bilby/ default.html – Easter Bilby Story

Numbat

australian-animals.net/numbat.htm – Unique Australian Mammals

Regent Honeyeater www.birdsaustralia.com.au/birds/ regent.html – Birds Australia

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Animal Species – Online Links Philippine Eagle www.dvrconline.org/phileagle.html

www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elnino/ – About El Nino www.zoo.org/educate/fact_sheets/penguin/penguin.htm – Penguin Fact Sheets

Western Swamp Tortoise www.perthzoo.wa.gov.au/ index.html?wildlife_facts_au_wst.html – Perth Zoo www.wwf.org.au/ News_and_information/Features/ feature18.php – World Wildlife Fund

Tuatara

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Humboldt Penguin

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www.amonline.net.aufactsheets/ blue_tongue_lizard.htm Try your hand at drawing a blue tongue lizard. Use a photo to help you – there are plenty on the Net. Submit your artwork to this amazing blue tongue skinks website: www.bluetongueskinks.net Go to the Fun Facts area.

www.terranature.org/tuatara.htm www.panda.org/news_facts/education/ middle_school/species/tuatara.cfm

Harlequin Frog

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www.zoo.org/educate/fact_sheets/ kom_dragon/komodo.htm – Fact Sheets www.isidore-of-seville.com/komodo/ and www.zoo.org/komodo/komo_flash.html

Toads

Leafy Sea Dragon

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Komodo Dragon

www.divegallery.com/ Leafy_Sea_Dragon.htm – Images

Manatee . t e o www.bagheera.com/inthewild/ www.kidzworld.com/site/p366.htm c . van_anim_manatee.htm – Kidzworld c e her – Bagheera:r The Manatee www.gct.org/tortoise.html o t s supe r www.savethemanatee.org Galapagos Giant Tortoise

Pygmy Blue Tongue Lizard

www.abc.net.au/science/scribblygum/ February2000/gallery.htm bluetongueskinks.netbpygmy.htm www.amonline.net.aufactsheets/ blue_tongue_lizard.htm

– Save the Manatee www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/ info_services/publications/dugong/ – Facts about Dugongs