hoot’s next?
RED WOLF
Canis Rufus
Likes: dining on rabbits, rodents and raccoons; the letter “R.”
Dislikes: idiotic hunters who mistake them for coyotes, idiotic drivers who speed through their habitat, and idiotic natural disasters.
Hobbies: trying not to become extinct again – yeah, we’re looking at you 1980.
Fun Fact: they are an apex predator meaning they have no natural predator. (Not-so-Fun Fact: humans are the reason they are critically endangered.)
The Nitty-Gritty: There are approximately 207 Red Wolves in captivity with only 100 living in the wild. Let’s change that.
SNOW LEOPARD
Uncia uncia or Panthera uncia
Likes: ambushing prey from above, mating in the winter, and very high altitudes.
Dislikes: reduction of viable habitats due to global warming, pot-shots from poachers, and being confused with Apple’s Operating System.
Hobbies: being crepuscular – it either means spectacular at making crepes or being most active at dawn and dusk.
Fun Facts: they cannot roar, their nasal cavities are unusually large to aid in breathing thin air, and its closest relative is Tony the Tiger.
The Nitty-Gritty: The Snow Leopard population has declined by 20% over the last 16 years, with only 3,500-7,000 estimated to be living in the wild today. Not cool.
GIANT PANDA
Ailuropoda melanoleuca
Likes: bamboo, more bamboo, and even more bamboo.
Dislikes: their homes being destroyed by farming, development and forest clearing.
Hobbies: clawing trees, enjoying long sumptuous (but solitary) bamboo feasts, and vacationing in warmer locales during winter months.
Fun Fact: their scientific name literally means “black and white cat-foot.”
The Nitty-Gritty: Only 1,600 Pandas live with the wild due to loss of habitat and lack of renewable food sources.
CALIFORNIA CONDOR
Gymnogyps Californianus
Likes: frequent baths (bubble preference not specified), preening their feathers, and large mammal carcasses.
Dislikes: man-made materials mixed with food – fish and bottle caps is not as appetizing as it sounds.
Hobbies: reminding other North America birds that the Condor has the largest wingspan.
Fun Fact: the skin color of the Condor’s head changes from yellowish to bright red depending on mood (so awesome).
The Nitty-Gritty: after a dramatic intervention by the US Government in 1987, the Condor population (thankfully) increased from 22 to 394 but there are still many hurdles to re-establishing the population.
SPANISH (IBERIAN) LYNX
Lynx Pardinus
Likes: solo hunting trips, cruising open grasslands and using trees as personal scratching posts.
Dislikes: speeding cars, hunters, and epidemics depleting the rabbit population (their prey of choice).
Hobbies: lying in wait for prey and beard growing contests.
Fun Fact: the lynx was a symbol of strength in ancient Iberian and Roman cultures.
The Nitty-Gritty: With an estimated population of around 200, if the Iberian Lynx goes extinct, it will be the first cat species to do so in over 2,000 years. We can’t let that happen.
TIGER
Panthera Tigris
Likes: living in dense vegetation, swimming and eating any kind of prey.
Dislikes: poachers, elephants and people assuming they like Frosted Flakes.
Hobbies: stalking prey and making fun of Siegfried and Roy.
Fun Fact: 2022 is the next Year of the Tiger (Not so fun fact: they may be extinct by then)
The Nitty-Gritty: As few as 3000 Tigers roam the earth; previous conservation steps have worked and we need to make sure the effort continues.
SLENDER HORNED GAZELLE
Gazella Leptoceros
Likes: chilling in the Saharan desert with 9 of their closest friends and using their large ears and good hearing to detect danger.
Dislikes: habitation loss, warfare and recreational hunters.
Hobbies: extracting water from plants for nourishment (there’s not that much to do in the desert).
Fun Fact: their pale coats reflect the hot desert sun.
The Nitty-Gritty: Conservation efforts have been hampered by a lack of awareness and financial support.
PACIFIC POCKET MOUSE
Perognathus Longimembris Pacificus
Likes: Soft soil and long evenings burrowing in the sands of Baja, California.
Dislikes: Almost being extinct and habitat degradation and destruction.
Hobbies: Stuffing seeds into their fur-lined cheeks.
Fun Fact: At only 4 inches big, these cutie-pies are the smallest mammal that hibernates.
The Nitty-Gritty: For almost 20 years the little pocket mouse was assumed to be extinct until a single population of
only 40 mice was discovered in 1993. 18 years later, there are still only 300 little pocket mice alive today. Stand up for
these tiny creatures!
GRÉVY’S ZEBRA
Equus grevyi
Likes: Hanging out in semi-arid grasslands with their closest 200 friends.
Dislikes: Poorly regulated ecotourism, illegal hunting and human disturbances at watering holes.
Hobbies: Chewing on grass and rolling around in water.
Fun Fact: They can weigh over 900 pounds (wow!) and are the largest wild member of the horse family.
The Nitty-Gritty: A few decades ago, more than 15,000 Grevy Zebra inhabited Africa; today, fewer than 2,500
remain. Each of these zebras are unique and beautiful, let’s keep them around for a long time!
WHITE-FACED OWL
Sceloglaux albifacies
Likes: Eating whatever they could catch in their talons from beetles to birds to fish.
Dislikes: Being hunted by humans and the introduction of predator animals (also by humans unfortunately).
Hobbies: Chilling on the north island of New Zealand.
Fun Fact: Because of its very specific hoot, the owl was nicknamed the “Laughing Owl.”
The Nitty-Gritty: Last seen in the early 1900’s, the Laughing Owl is now extinct. Let’s honor the White-faced Owl’s
memory.
AFRICAN ELEPHANT
Loxodonta africana
Likes: Eating a vegetarian diet and communicating at a low frequency unable to be heard by humans.
Dislikes: Their tusks being used for jewelry and piano keys, their heads mounted as trophies and their land being taken
away.
Hobbies: Using their enormous ears to fan themselves and turn their trunks into hoses for some good ol’ fashioned
water fights.
Fun Fact: The species lives up to 70 years and it the largest living terrestrial animal!
The Nitty-Gritty: Between 1979 and 1989, their population dropped in half, from 1.2 million to 600,000. Today, only
about 470,000 to 700,000 of these endangered animals remain.
2 Comments
8:02 pm
Arooj Sheikh
Wow, that’s a lot of animals. How can I help?
10:13 am
Erin
Notice most of the damage to these animals is caused by humans?