o o Conservation Status The Asian elephant is listed under Appendix I of CITES. The Asian elephant is listed as “endangered’ in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Its population has declined by more than 50% over the last 45 years. The subspecies Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) is listed as “critically endangered”. It […]

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Taxonomy Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Animalia Chordata Mammalia Carnivora Ursidae Ursus Ursus thibetanus 0 0 Name Common Name: Asiatic black bear, Asian black bear, Himalayan Black bear, Tibetan black bear, moon bear. Scientific Name: Ursus thibetanus Distribution and Habitat The Asiatic black bear has a wide distribution. Its range covers southeastern Iran, […]

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Blue Whale are the largest animals to have ever existed on earth, due to its size there are no Blue Whales in captivity. These animals are also the loudest animals on earth. During the 20th century the species was almost exterminated due to commercial whaling. Blue Whales can be found in all major oceans of […]

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Taxonomy   0 Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Animalia Chordata Mammalia Carnivora Ursidae Ursus  Ursus arctos   0 Name Common name: Brown bear, grizzly, grizzly bear. Scientific name: Ursus arctos. Distribution The brown bear has a circumpolar distribution historically covering most of North America, northern Asia, Europe, the Atlas Mountains of North Africa […]

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  0 Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Genus: Acinonyx Species: Acinonyx Jubatus 0 Name Common name: Cheetah, hunting leopard. Scientific name: Acinonyx Jubatus. Physical Features Cheetahs have coarse short tan fur with black one inch black spots that serve as camouflage. They are distinguished from other big cats by their smaller size, spotted […]

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  Taxonomy Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Animalia Chordata Reptilia Crocodilia Alligatoridae Alligator Alligator sinensis o o Name Common name: Chinese alligator, China alligator, Yangtze alligator. Scientific name: Alligator sinensis. Distribution and Habitat The Chinese alligator is one of two species of alligators found in the world, the other one is the American […]

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Taxonomy Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Animalia Chordata Amphibia Caudata Cryptobranchidae Andrias Andrias davidianus , There are 3 species of the Cryptobranchidae family: Chinese giant salamander, Japanese giant salamander and North America Hellbender.  Name Common name: Chinese giant salamander. Scientific name: Andrias davidianus. Distribution and Habitat The Chinese giant salamander is an amphibian […]

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  o o Name Common name: Baiji, Yangtze River Dolphin, Chinese river dolphin, white-fin dolphin, white-flag dolphin. Scientific name: Lipotes vexillifer. Population The total population in the early 1990s was believed to be less than 100 individuals in the wild. The last documented sighting was in 2002. In 2006 an acoustic and visual survey failed […]

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Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Cetacea Suborder: Odontoceti Family: Delphinidae, Inidae, Lipotidae, Plantanstidae, Pontoporiidae. 0 0 Distribution and Habitat There are 42 species of dolphins found around the world. Of those, 38 are marine dolphins and 4 are river dolphins. Dolphins are found worldwide and thrive in shallow seas where weather is […]

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Taxonomy Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genera Animalia Chordata Mammal Proboscidea Elephantidae Loxodonta Elephas 0 0  Distribution and Habitat There are two subspecies of elephants:  and Asian elephant (Eliphas maximus). are distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa and found in 37 countries. Asian elephants are found throughout South Asia and Southeast Asia. Elephants need a vast habitat […]

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o o Population and Conservation Status Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) – Near Threatened. The Chilean flamingo breeds erratically and irregularly. The IUCN estimates a total population of 300,000 individuals. Caribbean flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber) – Least Concern. This species has a large range with an increasing population. Lesser flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) – Near Threatened. Decreasing […]

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Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae Genus: Ailuropoda Species: o o Name Common name: Giant panda, panda bear, panda. Scientific Name: Ailuropoda melanoleuca Distribution and Habitat Historically the giant panda occupied most of southern and eastern China. Today its distribution has been reduced by 92% from its original range. Currently […]

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0 Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Order: Lamniformes Family: Lamnidae Genus: Carcharodon Species: Carcharodon carcharias   Name Common name: Great white shark, white shark, white pointer or great white. Scientific name: Carcharodon carcharias. 0 Physical Features The white shark has a dorsal fin on top of its body, two pectoral fins at the bottom […]

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0 Taxonomy Family: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Testudines Family: Cheloniidae Genus: Chelonia Species: Chelonia mydas 0 Name Scientific name: Chelonia mydas Common name: Green turtle, green sea turtle, black sea turtle.  Habitat and Distribution Its habitat extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas. They stay along the coast and islands between 30 degrees north and […]

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Interesting Facts The Hawsksbill Sea Turtle is the most endangered of all the turtle species. Its population has declined over 80% in a century. One of the most important reasons for the global decline of the Hawksbill Sea Turtle has been the high demand for its richly patterned shell. It is used in a variety […]

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o o  Name Scientific name: Megaptera novaenanglia. Megaptera is derived from the Greek mega for “large” and pteron for “wing”. Novaeangliae for New England where the humpback was first described scientifically. Common name: Humpback whale, hump whale, hunchbacked whale. Conservation Status The humpback whale is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Its status was […]

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Taxonomy Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Animalia Chordata Reptilia Squamata Varanidae Varanus Varanus komodoensis , .  A Komodo dragon in the Komodo National Park in Indonesia. Name Scientific name: Varanus komodoensis Common name: Komodo dragon, land crocodile. Habitat and Distribution Komodo dragons are native to the archipelago of Indonesia to the islands of […]

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  o o Name Common name: Leatherback, Leatherback Sea Turtle, Leathery Turtle, Trunkback Turtle, Coffinback, Luth. Scientific name: Dermochelys coriacea Conservation Status by Subpopulations East Pacific Ocean subpopulation: Critically Endangered. Nesting females and nests declined by 97.4% during the past three generations. Northeast Indian Ocean subpopulation: Data Deficient. There is insufficient reliable trend data of […]

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Taxonomy Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Animalia Chordata Mammalia Carnivora Felidae Panthera Panthera pardus o o Name Scientific name: Panthera pardus. Panthera is derived from the Latin word panthera or the Greek word panther meaning “panther, leopard”. Pardus is derived from the Latin pardus or from the Greek pardos meaning “male panther”. Common […]

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Interesting Facts The two species of orangutan, Sumatran Orangutan (pongo abelii) and Borneo Orangutan (pongo pygmaeus), genetically diverged about 1.5 million years ago. Orangutans have 32 teeth, the same amount as humans. It is believed that humans and apes had a common ancestor 15 million years ago. They share 97% of their DNA with humans. Orangutans are […]

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0 Name Scientific name: Orcinus orca Common name: Orca whale, killer whale. Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Cetacea Suborder: Odontoceti Family: Delphinidae Genus: Orcinus Species: Orcinus orca 0 Physical Features The orca whale is the largest member of the dolphin family. They have large black body with white belly and a grey […]

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Interesting Facts There are three types of bluefin tuna: Pacific, Atlantic and Southern. Tokyo Tsukiji Market is the largest wholesale market of bluefin tuna. In 2013 a 222 kl tuna was sold for $1.8 million or $8,000 a kilogram (2.2 lb). About 80% of the Atlantic and Pacific Bluefin Tuna is consumed in Japan. As […]

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The red lionfish (Pterois volitans) belongs to the pteroinae genus which has 10 species of lionfish. Two of them, Pterois volitans and Pterois miles, are invasive species in the North West Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean. Of the two species Pterois volitans makes up 90% of the total. 0 Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii […]

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Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae Genus: Enhyndra Species: Enhyndra lutris o o Name Common name: Sea otter. Scientific name: Enhyndra lutris. Enhiyndra comes from the Ancient Greek word for “water” and lutris from the Latin word for “otter”. Habitat Sea otters live in coastal areas, primarily in the ocean but they […]

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Taxonomy Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Animalia Chordata Mammalia Carnivora Ursidae Melursus Melursus ursinus 0 0 Name Common name: Sloth bear. Scientific name: Melursus ursinus Sloth bears are not related to sloths. George Shaw, a European zoologist, believed they were related. He named this species for features they share with tree sloths such […]

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0 Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Мammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Subfamily: Pantherinae Genus: Panthera Species: Panthera Uncia 0   Physical Features Despite their name, snow leopards (Panthera Uncia) are not the color of the snow. Their fur color varies from smoky gray to yellowish brown with black spots and rosettes. They stand out against […]

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Conservation Status The snowy owl (Bobus scandiacus) has a wide distribution and healthy population numbers, though its trend is declining. According to the IUCN  its global population is estimated at more than 300,000 individuals. It does not meet the criteria for Vulnerable and it is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List of Endangered […]

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  Population and Conservation Status The South China Tiger is the most critically endangered species of tiger in the world. There are about two dozen in world in reserves in China and South Africa. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature this subspecies may be functionally extinct as it has not been observed […]

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  Name Common name: Sperm Whale, Spermacet Whale, Cachelot, Pot Whale. “Spermaceti”, the organ in the head of the whale which contains an oily liquid once believed to be sperm. Scientific name: Physeter macrocephalus. Physeter is derived from the Greek word for “blowpipe or blowhole” Macrocephalus is derived from Greek meaning “big head”. Conservation Status […]

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Name Scientific Name: Platinista gangetica. Common Name: South Asian River Dolphin, Blind River Dolphin, Ganges Susu (Ganges River Dolphin subspecies), Bhulan (Indus River Dolphin subspecies). Conservation Status The South Asian River Dolphin is listed as Endangered by the Internation Union for the Conservation of Nature. It is listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International […]

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Interesting Facts Tokyo Tsukiji Market is the largest wholesale market of Southern blue fish tuna. In 2013 a 222 kl tuna was sold for $1.8 million or $8,000 a kilogram. This species was previously considered as a subspecies of the or the Recreational and game fishers of Southern Bluefin Tuna is allowed in Australia and […]

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Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phyllum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae Genus: Helarctos Species: Helarctos malayanus     oName Scientific name: Helarctos malayanus. Common name: Honey bear, sun bear. Named for its distinctive sun like colored chest patch. Distribution and Habitat Its range covers the countries of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, […]

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Interesting Facts A calf born in the Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio was the first Sumatran Rhinoceros born in captivity in over 100 years. There are fewer than 250 Sumatran Rhinoceros in the wild, they are so endangered that they are one of the rarest large mammals in the world. There are five types of rhinoceros: […]

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Taxonomy Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Animalia Chordata Mammalia Carnivora Felidae Panthera Panthera tigris 0   0 Name Scientific name: Panthera tigris. Common name: Tiger. Distribution There are 8 recognized subspecies of tigers living in 13 Asian countries: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam, Russia and North Korea. […]

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Population According to the IUCN as of 2004 there were 600 wild Bactrian camels in China and 350 in Mongolia. Population trend is decreasing. Name Scientific name: Camelus ferus. Camelus from the Latin camelus and the Greek Kamelos for “camel”. Ferus from the Greek word ferus meaning “savage” or “wild”. Common name: Mongolian wild camel, wild […]

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