Endangered Earth Blog

  1. Green turtles are one of the largest sea turtles weighing in at anywhere from 150 lbs to 400 lbs, and about 31 - 47 inches in length. Their scientific name is Chelonia mydas and there are about 85,000 to 90,000 left in the wild. Despite common misconceptions, green turtles get their name from the color of their cartilage and fat, not their shells.  2. Green Turtles are mostly found in tropical and subtropical waters. They migrate long distances from where they were hatched to the feeding grounds and back to new hatching grounds. Anywhere from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans as well as the Mediterranean Sea. They have also been spotted near shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Pretty much anywhere near the equator.  3. They are the only herbivores among the different species of sea turtles. Leatherback sea turtles are known for eating jellyfish and of recently green turtles have started eating jellyfish but the hypothesis is because of the lack of sea greens in some areas of the

  1. Platypus; species name Ornithorhynchus anatinus , there are an estimate 300,000 left in the wild. Male platypus are about 50cm long and weigh around 1.5kg. Female platypus are about 40 cm long and weigh around 1kg. They have a soft, wet, rubbery bill that they use to find food. They have small furs that usually range from light brown to dark brown. Believe it or not, platypus are venomous. While there are no recorded deaths from platypus bites, they have enough venom to kill a human.  2. Platypus homeland is the continent of Australia, mostly eastern Australia. In fact, there are only two platypus that live outside of Australia, both of those being located at the San Diego Zoo.  3. Platypus are what's known as a bottom-feeder so they tend to pick off the insects and organisms at the bottom of the food chain. Their diet mainly consists of insects, shellfish, and worms. They have many natural predators, some of which including snakes, water rats, goannas, crocodiles, Tasmanian d

1. Red pandas are the smallest of the panda family and look nothing like with giant panda counter part. They are smaller, more agile, and have red and black fur. Their head-to body length ranges from 20-25 inches and their tale can be anywhere from 11-19 inches. They tend to weigh between 7 and 30 lbs. It is know that there are less than 10,000 in the wild, some estimates suggest there could be around 2,500 left.  2.  3. Red pandas are herbivores that mostly eat bamboo. They also munch on roots, fruits, insects and bugs as well as succulent grass. Some have been know to kill smaller mammals and birds. Their main predators are the snow leopard (also endangered) and the martens.  4. As with many other animals, red pandas have become endangered due to the over abundance of deforestation and forest fires. Poaching for their fur and the pet trade market have also fragmented their population.  5. Because they eat so much bamboo, they keep it in control. If they were to go extinct, bamboo cou

1. Bengal Tigers are one of the largest big cats in the world. They can be up to 3 meters long and weigh upwards 250 kgs.  2.  3. Bengal Tigers are obligate carnivores meaning they eat meat however, they have been known to eat fruits and berries. They are the main predator of their area and are at the top of the food chain.  4. Deforestation and the poaching from humans have caused their population decline.  5. Because the Bengal tiger is the top apex predator in it's area, the impact if they went extinct would be catastrophic. When a key component of an ecosystem is removed, the entire ecosystem is affected, and when that key component is at the top or bottom, there could be cataclysmic repercussions. Tigers are known for eating all sorts of mammals such as wild boar, deer, monkeys, buffalo, and crocodiles. They have no natural predators so they are at the top of the food chain. Along with keeping the animals in check they also keep fruits and berries from getting out of control.