10 Most Endangered Mammals
Being a mammal, myself, I find myself having an interest in their survival. Really, I'm just a fan of animals in general, especially rare ones. It's too bad that humans are the cause of much of this rareness. Here are, in no particular order, 10 of the rarest mammals on Earth.
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- 10 years ago by NathanHutchcraft
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1 - Saola
The Saola is one of the rarest mammals on Earth. It isn't known exactly how many there are, and in the last 20 years of searching, none have ever been spotted in the wild by a scientist. In 1999, a Saola was captured on a camera trap set up in the forest, but other than this, no Saola has ever been seen in the wild. There are likely only a few dozen of them in existance.
Source2 - Hirola
The remaining hirola live in Africa on the border between Kenya and Somalia. They have large glands under their eyes that they use to mark their territory. This feature has given them the nickname “four-eyed antelope”. There are none kept in captivity, and only about 400 alive in the wild. Their population has been consistently declining.
Source3 - Pygmy Three-Toed Sloth
This small sloth lives on an island of the coast of Panama. The Island separated from the mainland over 8000 years ago, and the sloths living their became isolated, slowly shrinking over the years through insular dwarfism. In 2011, a study found that there were only 79 of the dwarf sloths left on the island.
Source4 - Northern Muriqui
The northern muriqui (or wooly spider monkey), is one of the most endangered primates on Earth, with only about 1000 alive in Brazil. The muriqui has a fascinating social structure. Unlike most primates (including humans), they have an egalitarian based social structure. All members of the group -males, females, and children- have equal power and say in group decision making. We could learn a lot from them...
Source5 - Hainan Black-Crested Gibbon
This species of gibbon is only found on the Chinese island, Hainan. Their population has decreased exponentially over the last few generations. There were over 2,000 members found over the island in the 1950s, however, a 2003 study found only 13 remaining in the wild. Even worse, these 13 gibbons are split into two different groups, severely limiting their ability to reproduce, making their extinction very imminent.
Source6 - Sumatran Rhinoceros
The Sumatran Rhino is the smallest of the five remaining species of rhino. They are also covered in thick fur, giving them the nickname, woolly rhinoceros. Because of how solitary the animal is, it is hard to get an exact number of how many remain, but it is estimated to be less than 100.
Source7 - Javan Rhinoceros
The Javan Rhino is another of the five species of Rhino left on Earth. They are also the most endangered large mammal on Earth, with only about 40 remaining in the wild and none in captivity. The Javan rhino, like all rhinos, have been driven to near-extinction from the poaching of their horns, which are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine.
Source8 - Elephant Shrew
The Rhynchocyon is a type of elephant shrew that faces extinction. They live in South Eastern Africa, and it isn't known how many remain in the wild, but they are reportedly spotted less and less often each year.
Source9 - Santa Catarina's Guinea Pig
There are fewer than 100 members of this rare species of guinea pig living on the island of Moleques in Brazil. It's geographical distribution of 4 hectares is one of the smallest of any mammal on Earth.
Source10 - Seychelles Sheath-Tailed Bat
This bat lives in the island country of the Seychelles, far off the Eastern coast of Africa. The bats have gone completely extinct on many of the islands, and there are less than 100 of them remaining.
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NathanHutchcraft
Nathan Hutchcraft is the creator and co-host of the YouTube web series, NathanAndRose. He also writes for several online sources, as well as having a nearly insatiable love for jalapeno pizza.
