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Endangered

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As the title of this first web site says, Endangered Means There's Still Time. It defines endangered species as those in immediate danger of becoming extinct and needing protection in order to survive. Species can mean plants, animals or insects.

How is it determined if a species is placed on the endangered species list? The World Conservation Monitoring Center's site lists the criteria used. The site goes on to list why animals or plants become endangered, with loss of habitat topping the list.

Illegal killing of animals and overcollecting of plants, pollution, disease and predation may all figure into species' becoming endangered. The site gives examples of the spotted owl, whooping crane and black-footed ferret, all of which have become endangered by loss of habitat. The tiger is endangered because of both loss of habitat and illegal killing.

To find out more about endangered species, visit EE Link Endangered Species. This is a comprehensive site providing links to lists of endangered species in the United States and internationally.

A good site to look up information on a specific species is Animal Info - Information on Rare, Threatened and Endangered Mammals. This up-to-date site allows you to access the information in three different ways. The animal-profile for each species includes a profile, tidbits or interesting facts, status and trends, population estimates, distribution history and reason for decline. The status and trends shows the year in which the species first became vulnerable or threatened (as the case may be) and if its status has changed over the years.

How do naturalists and conservationists gather information about endangered species? To learn about one method, visit Satellite Tracking Endangered Birds & Animals. It explains how satellites are used to track animals and what can be learned from the data gathered. Go on to read about how satellite tracking was used to follow elephants that were relocated or to investigate birds' migratory patterns. This site also provides Internet links for further study. Another site on the same topic that you might want to look at is Sea Turtle Migration-Tracking Education Program.

The mission of Traffic (the trade monitoring program of WWF) is to "ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature." It is involved in the monitoring and investigation of wildlife and endangered species trade. The site states that trade in wild plants and animals is big business worth billions of dollars and involves hundreds of millions of plants and animals every year and, unfortunately, some of it is illegal. Take a look at this site to see what is being done to protect endangered animals from illegal trading.

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