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Extinction Countdown

Extinction Countdown


News and research about endangered species from around the world
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    John R. Platt Twice a week, John Platt shines a light on endangered species from all over the globe, exploring not just why they are dying out but also what's being done to rescue them from oblivion. Follow on Twitter @johnrplatt.
  • Deadly Snakes, Ugly Critters, Leonardo DiCaprio and Other Links from the Brink

    Bothriechis guifarroi

    A deadly but critically endangered snake, one of the world’s rarest birds and a heavily guarded flower are among the endangered species in the news this week. A New Snake with a Sad Story: A gorgeous but extremely dangerous new snake species has been discovered in Honduras. The new palm pit viper has been named [...]

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    What Do Tigers and Kiwi Have in Common? The Answer Lies in Their Genes

    bengal tiger

    At first (and probably second) glance you wouldn’t think that tigers and kiwis have all that much in common. Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) live in India and the surrounding countries, where the predators can weigh more than 220 kilograms. Little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii) live exclusively in New Zealand, where the flightless birds weigh [...]

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    Desperately Seeking Cichlid: Fish Species Down to Last 3 Males, No Known Females

    Mangarahara cichlid

    The last three males of an all-but-extinct fish species would really, really, really like to meet a female. Once upon a time the Mangarahara cichlid (Ptychochromis insolitus) lived in a single habitat: a river in Madagascar from which the species gets its name. That river has now been dammed and the habitat has dried up. [...]

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    Massacred Elephants, Found Frogs and Other Links from the Brink

    Dzanga Bai elephants

    Elephants, turtles, grizzly bears and some of the world’s rarest frogs are among the endangered species in the news this week. Worst News of the Week: Armed gunmen entered the Dzanga Bai World Heritage Site in the violence-plagued Central African Republic this week and slaughtered at least 26 elephants. The site is known as the [...]

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    The 5 Most Endangered Canine Species

    Ethiopian wolf

    Domesticated dogs are some of the most popular animals on the planet, but their cousins in the wild aren’t always as beloved. For thousands of years humans have persecuted wolves, jackals, dingoes, foxes and other members of the family Canidae, pushing many species into or close to extinction. Here are five of the most endangered [...]

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    How Poachers Stole 10 Percent of an Entire Tortoise Species…and What Happened Next

    ploughshare tortoise

    On Friday, March 15, authorities in Thailand intercepted two wildlife smugglers trying to carry hundreds of endangered tortoises through Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Among the animals recovered were 54 critically endangered ploughshare tortoises (Astrochelys yniphora) from Madagascar. The entire wild population for this species is estimated at just 400 to 600 tortoises, meaning this seizure represented [...]

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    Hammerhead Sharks, Houston Toads, Heavy Metal and Other Links from the Brink

    great hammerhead shark

    Rare sharks, toads, rhinos and bears are among the endangered species in the news this week. Hammer Time: David Shiffman offers 10 reasons why great and scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna mokarran and S. lewini) deserve Endangered Species Act protections and encourages people to take direct action in support of a move to do just that. [...]

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    After 13-Year Quest, Clouded Leopards Confirmed Extinct in Taiwan

    formosan clouded leopard

    Thirteen years, 1,500 infrared cameras, hundreds of catnip-baited hair traps and an almost incalculable number of hours in the field have confirmed what scientists have long feared: the Formosan clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa brachyura) is in all likelihood extinct. The subspecies, endemic to Taiwan, was wiped out by poaching, trade in its pelts during the [...]

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    Just 35 Devils Hole Pupfish Remain—Does Extinction Loom?

    devils hole pupfish

    One of the world’s rarest fish species just got a lot rarer. The latest twice-annual count of tiny Devils Hole pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis) at their sole habitat in Nevada has revealed just 35 of the critically endangered fish remain, down from 75 this past fall. This is the lowest count since the species was federally [...]

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    Slaughtered Rhinos, Vanishing Cheetahs, the Lonely Dodo and Other Links from the Brink

    cheetah

    Rhinos, cheetahs, gray wolves and frogs are among the endangered species in the news this week. Worst News of the Week: All of the rhinos in Mozambique’s Limpopo National Park have been completely wiped out by poachers, who are now turning their effort to the park’s elephants. The 1.1 million hectare park is the size [...]

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