FINAL PROJECT: WRITTEN WORK
Student: Atoche Mena Oscar Aron.
Teacher: Julio Miguel Mogollón Mogollón.
Semester: General studies.
Animals in danger of extinction
Introducction
Millions of species are and have been threatened by extinction. Although
species extinctions have existed since the beginning of life on Earth, a
significant increase is now occurring that threatens not only single
species, but also entire [Link] is mainly due to human activity
(mining, agriculture, urban sprawl, garbage, sewage pollution, improper
handling of hazardous chemicals, etc.). In addition, accelerating climate
change prevents species from adapting to more hostile environments,
leading to significant mortality and subsequent extinction. Aware of the
magnitude of the problem, the work presented aims to raise awareness
among the vast majority of the population, for which five animals in
danger of extinction will be exhibited.
Five animals in danger of extintion
Blue whale
Technical data
• Scientific name: Balaenoptera musculus
• Animal size: Between 25 and 30 meters, is considered the
world's largest mammal.
• Weight: Between 100 and 170 tons
• Life expectancy: 80 years of life
• Habitat: This species inhabits all the world's oceans.
• Feeding: It is mainly based on the ingestion of krill, although
they also consume zooplankton.
• Reproduction: Viviparous sexual reproduction. In winter they
migrate to warmer waters where they mate and give birth to
their young. The gestation period lasts approximately one year
and they usually give birth to a calf every two or three years.
Why is it in danger of extinction?
• Marine pollution with toxic chemicals or plastics, which
whales consume by mistake, is the most common cause
of these mammals stranding on beaches.
• Hunting for subsequent marketing in countries such as
Japan, Norway and Iceland.
• Incidental fishing occurs with large industrialized vessels.
• Accidents with boats, since many of them use powerful
sonars that disorient the whales.
• Climate change, in recent years there has been an
increase in the global temperature of the oceans, causing
a shortage of their main food.
Monarch butterfly
Technical data
• Scientific name: Danaus plexippus
• Animal size The wingspan can reach 10 centimeters.
• Weight: Between 4 and 10 grams
• Life expectancy: nine months
• Habitat: This species mainly inhabits North America (USA,
Canada and Mexico).
• Feeding: Purely herviborous
• Reproduction: Reproduction is sexual oviparous. The female
lays her eggs on the leaf of a milkweed plant and glues them
with a secretion she produces herself.
• Growth: It has a holometabolous development (complete
metamorphosis), a larva hatches from the egg, followed by
the pupal stage, in which the internal systems are formed
and the wings of the adult are completed.
Why is it in danger of
extinction?
• The massive logging of forests greatly
affects this species, the defender
Homero Gómez Gonzáles was
opposed to this practice, however, he
was mysteriously murdered and his
case has not been solved.
• Pesticide exposure, these lepidoptera
are important pollinators. When
exposed to human crops, they are also
exposed to pesticides and insecticides.
Giant frog of the Titicaca lake
Technical data
• Scientific name : Telmatobius Culeus
• Animal size: It’s variable, depending on the location.
Some can reach 15 centimeters, while there is a
documented case of this species over 50
centimeters, making them the largest frogs in the
world.
• Weight: Between 150 g and one kg
• Habitat: The entire Lake Titicaca basin
• Feeding: Shellfish and crustaceans
• Reproduction: The female only lays the eggs, it is the
male that raises the tadpoles.
Why is it in danger of extinction?
• Faced with food shortages, this frog
may even adopt cannibalistic behavior.
• Illegal trafficking of the species is
considered an exotic dish in several first
world countries.
• Water contamination from illegal mining.
• It’s very susceptible to temperature
changes.
Andean condor
Technical data
• Scientific name : Vultur gryphus
• Animal size: The wingspan can reach three meters.
• Weight: approximately 15 kg
• Life expectancy: 50 years in the wild and 75 in captivity
• Habitat: This species lives in the Andes, near mountain
ranges where there are strong gusts of wind.
• Feeding: It’s a scavenger bird.
• Reproduction: Its reproduction rate is very low (one egg
every two years), and it nests between 1,000 and 5,000
meters above sea level, in very inaccessible areas.
Why is it in danger of extinction?
• Its low reproduction rate (one egg every two years
approximately), considering the number of chicks
that hatch and become adults.
• Carrion poisoning, this practice is carried out by
some ranchers, since some condors attack
livestock.
• Deforestation of its natural habitat.
• Urbanization of rural areas forces condors to
move to more hostile places.
Vaquita
Technical data
• Scientific name : Phocoena sinus
• Animal size: Between 1,5 and 2 m
• Weight : Between 50 and 60 kg
• Life expectancy: Approximately 20 years
• Habitat: Endemic to the Gulf of California, it
tolerates warm waters (over 20 °C).
• Feeding: Fish and squids
• Reproduction: They can reproduce from three years
of age. They have seasonal reproductive cycles,
with a gestation period of eleven months (in March
2022, only 22 live specimens were recorded).
Why is it in danger of extinction?
• Illegal fishing of their main food source (totoaba
fish), with little food, forces them to move from
their natural habitat.
• Difficulties in the reproduction of this species,
only some of them reproduce.
• Climate change that forces them to move to
environments with other more aggressive and
competitive species.
• Climate change, in recent years there has been
an increase in the global temperature of the
oceans, causing a shortage of their main food.