12.15.2009

Cute Endangered Animals

We love cute animals! We're crazy for Aaaaw creatures.. Too bad, soon they may be totally wiped out on the face of this planet. Sad.

Only distantly related to the Great Panda, Red Pandas share a close lineage with both the raccoon and bear family. Although the unarguably adorable animal has been protected by law, its numbers continue to decrease due to deforestation and poaching.
Snow Leopards can be found in the mountain ranges of Central Asia, where they roam anywhere from 9,800 to 18,000 feet above sea level. Though the this snowy cat has been listed as “endangered” since 1972, there are still less than 6,500—at a generous estimate—found in the wild. Incidentally, they are unable to roar.
The itty-bitty Egyptian Tortoise is one of the world's smallest and most endangered animals. The largest of which measure 5 inches, Egyptian Tortoises are getting harder and harder to see; their population has been decimated due to habitat loss and their popularity as pets.
Tree Kangaroos make their home in the rainforests of New Guinea as well as Australia and the islands near the northeast of Queensland. More or less marsupials that have adapted to living in trees, they're generally grow no larger than the length of their 34 inch tails. Unfortunately for these cuddly-looking climbers, their numbers are threatened due to hunting and habitat loss.
This cartoony-looking critter is the Axolotl Salamander, also known as the Mexican Walking Fish. Critically endangered due to overfishing, pollution, and urbanization, among other things, the population of this amphibian has dwindled from 1500 per square mile in 1998 to 25 per square mile in 2008 in the waters of central Mexico that it calls home.
Full gallery here.
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