Tiger

Tiger Facts

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Felidae
Genus:	Panthera
Scientific Name:	Panthera Tigris
Type:	Mammal
Diet:	Carnivore
Size:	2.8-3.3m (9-11ft)
Weight:	267-300kg (589-660lbs)
Top Speed:	96km/h (60mph)
Life Span:	18-25 years
Lifestyle:	Solitary
Conservation Status:	Endangered
Colour:	Orange, Black, White
Skin Type:	Fur
Favourite Food:	Deer
Habitat:	Dense tropical forest
Average Litter Size:	3
Main Prey:	Deer, Cattle, Wild Boar
Predators:	Human
Special Features:	Striped fur and powerful body

The tiger is the largest feline in the world, with the tiger growing to around 2.5 metres in length. The tiger is the most powerful of all the big cats, and is native to east and southern Asia. The tiger is feared by most human beings who inhabit settlements within the tiger's territory.
There are six different subspecies of tiger which are the Bengal tiger, tiger, the Indochinese tiger, tiger, the Malayan tiger, tiger, the Sumatran tiger, tiger, the Siberian tiger and the South China Tiger. The white tiger tiger is actually a Bengal tiger tiger and is therefore not a subspecies itself.
The average tiger weighs around 300kg and a tiger can stretch its body (and tail) to roughly 4 metres. Tigers hunt snakes, boar, buffalo, crocodiles, deer, leopards and camels and are extremely effective at catching their prey due to their silent, stalking approach and their powerful bodies.
The tiger can reach speeds of up to 90km an hour, making the tiger extremely fast. Tigers have even been known to conflict with rhinos and elephants with the tiger generally winning.
Tigers are generally orange with black stripes although it's common to get tigers with white and sandy coloured markings. The white tiger tiger is a rare type of tiger, with bright white fur and black stripes, these tigers occur from a genetic mutation when in the mother tiger's womb. It is not certain that these white tigers tigers will produce white offspring, many white tigers tigers have been known to produce orange cubs.
Today the tiger is a near endangered species with only a handful still roaming the Asian jungles. The tiger is still a completely dominant predator in it's environment particularly due to their extreme power, and ability to run, swim, jump and climb trees very effectively.
The tiger is a highly adaptable animal with the tiger's territory ranging from Siberia, to open grasslands and tropical mangrove swamps in central and south-east Asia. The tiger is also an extremely territorial animal and the tiger is generally a solitary animal.
Due to the tiger's size and the tiger's want to be solitary, the tiger often requires large areas of habitat that can support the tiger's prey demands. Because of the tiger's need for a large territory mixed with the fact that the tiger is native to some of the more densely populated places on earth, has meant that there have been significant conflicts between tigers and humans.
Tigers usually mate from November to April and after a gestation period of just over 3 months, the female tiger gives birth to 2 or 3 tiger cubs. When the tiger cubs are first born they are blind and extremely vulnerable. By the time the tiger cubs is around 18 months old, it is able to hunt for itself. Tiger cubs are known to grow rapidly and can put on 100 g of weight every day. The tiger cubs usually stay with their mother until they are between 2 and 3 years old and the tiger cubs are then big enough and strong enough to venture out into the jungle to live a life of solitude.

Lion

Lion Facts

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Felidae
Genus:	Panthera
Scientific Name:	Panthera leo
Common Name:	Lion
Other Name(s):	African Lion
Group:	Mammal
Number Of Species:	2
Location:	sub-Saharan Africa
Habitat:	open woodland, scrub, grassland
Colour:	Tawny, Gold, Blonde, Brown
Skin Type:	Fur
Size (L):	1.4m - 2.5m (4.7ft - 8.2ft)
Weight:	120kg - 249kg (264lbs - 550lbs)
Top Speed:	56kph (35mph)
Diet:	Carnivore
Prey:	Antelope, Warthog, Zebra
Predators:	Human
Lifestyle:	Diurnal/Nocturnal
Group Behaviour:	Pride
Life Span:	8 - 15 years
Age Of Sexual Maturity:	2 - 3 years
Gestation Period:	110 days
Average Litter Size:	3
Name Of Young:	Cub
Age Of Weaning:	6 months
Conservation Status:	Vulnerable
Estimated Population Size:	23,000
Biggest Threat:	Habitat loss
Most Distinctive Feature:	Long and thick hairy mane of the male around the face
Fun Fact:	Lives in small groups called prides!

Lion Classification and Evolution
 
The Lion is one of the largest, strongest and powerful felines in the world second only in size to the Siberian Tiger. They are the largest cats on the African continent and are unique among felines in a number of ways but the biggest difference between Lions and other cats is that they are incredibly sociable animals that live together in family groups known as prides. Lions are also part of the big cat family meaning that both males and females are able to roar. Despite having once roamed across much of Africa and even parts of Europe and Asia, the world's remaining Lion population now resides in sub-Saharan Africa. However, with Lion numbers thought to have dropped by 30% over the past 20 years these enormous predators are sadly becoming more and more vulnerable in their decreasing natural environment. 


Lion Anatomy and Appearance

Lions have a short coat of tawny or golden fur with a long tail that has a tuft of longer fur at the end. The markings on their coats are much fainter than the bold stripes and spots displayed on other felines which helps these large carnivores in going unseen when stalking prey in the long grasses. The Lion is one of the largest cats in the world with males being taller and heavier than females and displaying a mane of long hair around their faces (in fact, it is the only case in the feline world where males and females actually look different). Thought to be connected with testosterone levels, the mane of the male Lion ranges from blonde, to red, brown and black in colour and covers their head, neck and chest. Lions have strong and powerful jaws that contain 30 teeth in total which includes four fang-like canines and four carnassial teeth that are perfectly designed for slicing through flesh.

Lion Distribution and Habitat

Historically, Lions would have been found throughout much of Africa and even in parts of Europe and Asia as well. Today however, they have been pushed into more isolated pockets of their once vast natural range with the remaining African Lion population now only found in countries in sub-Saharan Africa. There is also still a small population of Asiatic Lions found inhabiting a remote part of the Gir Forest in India where there are an estimated 300 individuals remaining. Despite their dwindling numbers, Lions are actually incredibly adaptable animals that can and will inhabit very dry climates as they get most of the moisture they need from their food. They prefer areas of open woodland, scrub and long grasslands where there is not only plenty over cover but also a wide variety of prey. They are only not found in areas of rainforest or far into deserts.

Lion Behaviour and Lifestyle

Lions are unique among cats as they live together in strong social groups. A pride is made up of 5-15 related females and their cubs along with a generally single male (small groups of 2 or 3 though are not uncommon). Male Lions patrol a territory of around 100m² marking trees and rocks with urine and roaring to warn off intruders. Although male Lions can defend their pride to great effect, their position in the pride is constantly under threat from other males who try to take over their patch and if successful, they will kill any cubs that were sired by the previous male. Despite their enormous size, male Lions actually do hardly any of the hunting as they are often slower and more easily seen than their female counterparts. The Lionesses in the pride hunt together meaning that they are not only more successful on their trips, but they are also able to catch and kill animals that are both faster than them and much bigger.

Lion Reproduction and Life Cycles

Both male and female Lions are able to reproduce
 between the ages of two and three but despite this, they will often not breed until the pride has been firmly established. After a gestation period that lasts for nearly four months female Lions give birth to between one and six cubs that are born blind and are incredibly vulnerable in their new surroundings. The fur of Lion cubs is covered in darker spots that help to camouflage them into their den to protect them whilst the adults have gone out to hunt. Sadly however, less than half of cubs make it to be a year old and four out of five have died by the time they are two, generally either from animal attacks or starvation. Remarkably though, the female Lions in the pride will have their cubs at around the same time and will help to suckle and care for the cubs of other females. Lion cubs suckle on milk until they are about six months old and although they won't begin actively hunting until they are about a year old, Lion cubs start to eat meat after 12 weeks or so.

Lion Diet and Prey

The Lion is a large and carnivorous animal that survives only by eating other animals in order to sustain itself. Unlike other felines, Lions are not solitary hunters but instead the Lionesses work together in order to chase down and catch their prey with each female having a different strategic role. This strategy allows them to kill animals that are both faster and much larger than they are including Buffalo, Wildebeest and even Giraffe. Depending on the abundance and variety of prey species within their territory, Lions primarily catch Gazelle, Zebra and Warthog along with a number of Antelope species by following the herds across the open grasslands. They will not turn their noses up though at hunting alone should the situation arise and will happily steal the kill of another animal. Once the animal has been caught though, circumstances change as the females will allow the male Lion to eat first before indulging themselves. The cubs however are at the bottom of the pile and have to be content with what remains once the adults have finished.

Lion Predators and Threats

The Lion is the most dominant predator within it's environment meaning that other animals pose little or no threat to them, with the exception of Hyena packs that can cause fatal damages to Lions particularly when they are on their own and food is about. Lions are seen as a great threat by many other species including both Giraffes and Elephants which are easily capable of fatally injuring a Lion to try and warn it off. The biggest threat to Lions though is people who not only kill them out of fear (and historically as trophies), but have caused severe declines in Lion population numbers due to growing Human settlements and the clearing of land for agriculture. Lion numbers have also been severely affected by diseases passed through Hyenas from Wild Dogs, with more than 1,000 Lions having died from canine distemper between 1993 and 1997.

Lion Interesting Facts and Features

Young Lion cubs spend a great deal of time playing together which actually helps them to develop their hunting techniques. This method of role-playing in cubs also helps females to determine whether or not they would be suited better to chasing and cornering prey, or catching and killing it. Although Lions are able to make a number of different sounds it is their roar that is most distinctive and not only serves to warn off strange males, but also allows members of the pride to find one another as it's sound can travel up to six miles! The Lion has large paws with soft pads underneath and sharp retractable claws on the end of each toe which aid them in running, climbing and catching their prey along with also being good defence mechanisms. The structure of their feet and legs means that they are also able to jump distances over 10 meters.
 
Lion Relationship with Humans

Lions have been admired and feared by people for centuries but due to both hunting and growing Human settlements, Lions have been wiped out from a vast portion of their historical natural range. Although they do not naturally see people as prey, African Lions have been known to sneak into villages (sometimes of great size) to find food, and are known to attack up to 700 people every year, with Lions being responsible for 100 human fatalities annually in Tanzania alone. In 1898, two Lions in Kenya (known as Tsavo lions - a species of mane-less Lion) became famous for killing and eating over 130 rail-road workers over a period of around 9 months. These powerful predators are largely feared by people who once hunted them as trophies and have also always done so out of fear.

Lion Conservation Status and Life Today

Today, the Lion is listed by the IUCN as an animal that is Vulnerable from extinction in it's natural environment in the near future. Although population numbers would have been vast in comparison to what they are now, over the past 20 years we have lost around 30% of the Lion population from sub-Saharan Africa with estimated population numbers ranging between 16,500 to 30,000 individuals (half of what they were in the 1950s). The main reason for the rapid demise of Africa's remaining Lion population is thought to be due to habitat loss as they are not only loosing big chunks of their native ranges, but are also often then forced onto farmland or into settlements to find food meaning they are often killed.

Endangered Species By The Numbers

Unless otherwise noted, all endangered species status information and population figures are taken from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Listings are alphabetical, by common name. 

 

Bears

 

Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)

Population: 20,000 to 25,000 Status: Threatened Species
Trends: Very likely declining due to habitat loss brought on by climate-change-induced melting of Arctic sea ice and shelf ice.

Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

Population: 1,000 to 2,000 in the wild. Status: Endangered Species
Trends: Still decreasing due to habitat loss

Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)

Population: More than 500 in the US Lower 48, most in the greater Yellowstone National Park region. Status: Threatened Species under the US Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Trends: Increasing. At its low point several decades ago, the grizzly population was down to 140. ESA protections were removed from grizzlies in 2008, but restored in 2009 following a lawsuit by conservation organizations.

American Bison

(Bison bison)
Population: 19,000 plains bison and 11,000 woods bison exist in conservation herds. Status: Near-Endangered Species. Note: Bison kept in commercial herds are not included in these numbers.
Trends: The bison was hunted to near-extinction in the 19th Century before conservation measures were put into place. It’s Near-Endangered status is based on the fact that the species’ survival requires management of bison (aka buffalo) herds.

Camels

Wild Bactrian (two-humped) Camel (Camelus ferus)
Population: 600 in China; 350 in Mongolia. Status: Critically Endangered Species.
Trends. Declining due to illegal hunting for food. In the mid-1980′s, the Mongolian population was above 600.
One-Humped Camel (Camelus dromedarius)
Population: Extinct in the wild. Thriving feral populations exist in Australia.

Cheetah

(Acinonyx jubatus)
Population: Between 7,000 and 10,000. Status: Vulnerable Species.
Trends: Decreasing due to habitat loss

Chimpanzees

Common Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)
Population: Between 150,000 and 250,000. Status: Endangered Species
Trends: Declining Rapidly due to habitat loss and illegal hunting. Chimps are used for food in Africa. An estimated 1 million to 2 million chimps lived in African forests a century ago.
Bonobo (Pan paniscus)
Population: Between 30,000 and 50,000. Status: Endangered Species.
Trends: Declining due to habitat loss and illegal hunting.

Condors 

California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)

Population: 130. Status: Critically Endangered Species
Trend: Increasing due to captive breeding programs
Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) Note: Widest wingspan of any bird in the world
Population: Unknown but declining due to human persecution based on claims that it kills livestock. Status: Near Threatened Species.

Dolphins

South Asian River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica)
Population: Fewer than 1,000. Status: Endangered Species.
Trend: Decreasing due to dams, water projects and water pollution.
Baijo, or Yangtze River Dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer)
Population: Not seen in years. Probably our first cetacean to have gone extinct.

Elephants

Asian Elephant (Elephus maximus)
Population: 40,000 to 50,000. Status: Endangered Species
Trends: Decreasing due to habitat loss and illegal hunting
African Elephant (Loxodonta africanus)
Population: Between 470,000 and 690,000 (World Wildlife Fund figures). Status: Near Threatened Species
Trends: Until recently, population numbers were increasing. But a recent upsurge in poaching may have ended this positive trend. African elephants are also threatened by habitat loss.

Gorillas

Total Population in the Wild: around 107,000
Subspecies:
Eastern Gorillas
Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei)
Population: Fewer than 700 Status: Endangered Species
Grauer’s Gorilla (Gorilla beningei graueri)
Population: Fewer than 16,000 Status: Endangered Species
Western Gorillas
Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
Population: 90,000 Status: Critically Endangered Species
Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla dielli)
Population: Fewer than 300. Status: Critically Endangered Species
Trends: Due to intensive conservation efforts, the population of the mountain gorilla appears stable for now. The other gorillas are vanishing quickly due to intensive illegal hunting and habitat loss.

Leopards

Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) Status: Critically Endangered Species.
Population: Few than 40 individuals left of this leopard subspecies that shares its frigid habit with the Siberian tiger.
Trends: Decreasing due to habitat loss and illegal hunting. Also threatened by a lack of genetic diversity due to its small population.
Snow Leopard (Panthera unica)
Population: 4,000 to 6,600. Status: Endangered Species
Trends: Declining due to declining prey base and loss of habitat.
Clouded Leopards (Neofilis nebulosa) sp.: several subspecies
Population & Trends: Numbers unknown, but the numbers of this small Asian rainforest leopard species are known to be declining due to illegal hunting and habitat loss.

Lions

African Lion (Panthera leo)
Population: Est. 30,000 to 50,000. Status: Vulnerable Species.
Trends: Downward due to a declining prey base and killing by humans in defense of livestock herds. Size of the African lion population three decades ago was probably double what it is now.
Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica)
Population: 350 Asiatic lions remain in one area of India. Status: Endangered species.
Trends: Stable.

Orangutans

Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelii)
Population: Around 7,000 Status: Critically Endangered Species
Trends: Decreasing rapidly due to habitat loss
Borneo Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)
Population: Between 40,000 and 65,000. Status: Endangered Species
Trends: Decreasing rapidly due to habitat loss

Panther

(Florida)
(Puma concolor coryi)
Population: Around 80. Status: Listed as an Endangered Species under the ESA
Trends: Decreasing. This is a rare and beleaguered Southeastern subspecies of the mountain lion (AKA cougar or puma), which is thriving in the western half of the US in the wake of federal protections. Threats to the Florida panther include habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as mortality due to automobile strikes.

Rhinoceros

White Rhinoceros (Africa) (Ceratotherium simum)
Population: 17,000 Status: Near-Threatened Species
Black Rhinoceros (Africa) (Diceros bicornis)
Population: 3,500 Status: Critically Endangered Species
Indian Rhinoceros (Asia) (Rhinoceros unicornis)
Population: 2,500 Status: Vulnerable Species
Sumatran Rhinoceros (Southeast Asia; Indonesia) (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)
Population: 300 or fewer. Status: Critically Endangered Species
Javan Rhinoceros (Vietnam; Indonesia) (Rhiniceros sondaica)
Population: 60 Status: Critically Endangered Species
Trends: Populations of African and Indian subspecies appeared stable, perhaps even increasing slightly, until recently. But an upsurge in poaching in recent years has placed all species in renewed jeopardy.

Tasmanian Devil

(Sarcophilius harrisii)
Population: Around 80,000. Status: Endangered Species.
Trends: In the mid 1990′s, there were between 130,000 and 150,000 tasmanian devils in the wild. But an epidemic of Devil Facial Tumor Disease, a cancer specific to these Australian mammals, has reduced the population by over 60 percent since then.

Tiger

Total Population in the Wild: around 3,500
Subspecies:
Bengal tiger (Pantera tigris tigris)
Population: Fewer than 2,000 Status: Endangered Species
The Indochinese tiger (Pantera tigris corbetti)
Population: Fewer than 500. Status: Endangered Species
Malayan Tiger (Pantera tigris jacksoni)
Population: Fewer than 500 Status: Endangered Species
Sumatran tiger (Pantera tigris sumatrae)
Population: Fewer than 500 Status: Critically Endangered Species
Siberian Tiger (Pantera tigris alataica)
Population: Around 500 Status: Endangered Species
South China tiger (Pantera tigris amoyensis)
Population: No sightings in years. May be 0. Status: Critically Endangered Species
Trends: The Siberian tiger is the only subspecies whose population is stable. The others are declining. Main threats are illegal hunting and habitat loss.

Whales

Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
Population: 10,000 to 25,000. Status: Endangered Species.
Trends: Increasing. The whaling industry, which drove the largest animal earth has ever seen toward extinction, ceased to operate decades ago—but not before the blue whale’s population had fallen by more than 90 percent.
Northern Right Whale (Eubalena glacialis)
Population: Around 350. Status: Endangered Species
Trends: Unknown. Driven to the brink of extinction by the whaling industry; now enjoys international protection.
North Pacific Right Whale (Eubalena japonica)
Population: Fewer than 1,000. Status: Endangered Species.
Trends: Unknown. Driven to the brink of extinction by the whaling industry; now enjoys international protection.
Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
Population: Probably fewer than 400,000; down from well over 1 million at the turn of the 20th Century. Status: Vulnerable Species
Trends: Unknown.
Narwhal (Monodon monoceros)
Population: Over 80,000 worldwide. Status: Near-Threatened Species.
Trends: Decreasing due to hunting, climate change and industrial activities.
Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) AKA White Whale
Population: Above 150,000 worldwide. Status. Near-Threatened Species.
Trends: Decreasing due to hunting, climate change and industrial activities.

Wolves

Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)
Population in the US Lower 48: About 1,600 in the northern Rockies, including the Greater Yellowstone area, and about 5,000 in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Status: Recently removed from Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection in Montana and Idaho. Conservation groups are contesting the removal. Reinstated as a Threatened Species in the US Midwest under the ESA in 2009 following lawsuits by conservationists who contested the delisting of the species.
Trends: Increasing. Threats include removal of ESA protections in Montana and Idaho, which has led to hunting seasons on the species, and may lead to more killing by humans overall.
Red Wolf (Canis rufus)
Population: About 100. Status: Endangered Species.
Trends: Increasing. The red wolf was declared extinct in the wild in 1980 after the last 17 animals were captured on the Gulf Coast of Texas. After captive breeding increased their numbers, the animals were reintroduced to North Carolina. Largest threat to the species is hybridization with coyotes.

Zebras

Grevy’s Zebra (Equus grevyi)
Population: Around 2,000. Status: Endangered Species.
Trends: Stable. Threats include reduction of water resources and habitat degradation.
Cape Mountain Zebra (Equus zebra)
Population: Around 1,500. Status: Vulnerable Species.
Trends: Increasing. Threats include crossing with Hartmann’s mountain zebra, a much more numerous (but also Vulnerable) subspecies of mountain zebra that was introduced into the cape mountain Zebra’s southern African range.

Animal Profiles - An A to Z List of Common Names

The following is an A to Z list of animal profiles available at this site, sorted alphabetically by common name

A

 African elephant - Loxodonta africana
American beaver - Castor canadensis
American bison - Bison bison
American black bear - Ursus americanus
American moose - Alces americanus
Amphibians - Amphibia
Amur leopard - Panthera pardus orientalis
Animals - Animalia
Arctic wolf - Canis lupus arctos
Arthropoods - Arthropoda
Asian elephant - Elephas maximus
Atlantic puffin - Fratercula arctica
Atlantic white-sided dolphin - Lagenorhynchus acutus
Aye-aye - Daubentonia madagascariensis

B

Badger, European - Meles meles
Baleen Whales - Mysticeti
Bar-headed goose - Anser indicus
Barn owls - Tytonidae
Bats - Chiroptera
Beaver, American - Castor canadensis
Birds - Aves
Birds of prey - Falconiformes
Bison, American - Bison bison
Black rhinoceros - Diceros bicornis
Black-footed ferret - Mustela nigripes
Blue-footed booby - Sula nebouxii
Blue whale - Balaenoptera musculus
Bobcat - Lynx rufus
Bornean orangutan - Pongo pygmaeus
Bottlenose dolphin - Tursiops truncatus
Brown bear - Ursus arctos
Burchell's zebra - Equus burchellii

C

Caecilians - Gymnophiona
California sea hare - Aplysia californica
Canada goose - Branta canadensis
Canids - Canidae
Caracal - Caracal caracal
Caribou - Rangifer tarandus
Carnivores - Carnivora
Cartilaginous fishes - Chondrichthyes
Cats - Felidae
Cetaceans - Cetacea
Cheetah - Acinonyx jubatus
Chordates - Chordata
Cichlids - Cichlidae
Cnidaria - Cnidaria
Common dolphin - Delphinus delphis
Common seal - Phoca vitulina
Crocodilians - Crocodilia

D

Dugong - Dugong dugong
Dusky dolphin - Lagenorhynchus obscurus

E

Echinoderms - Echinodermata
Eland antelope - Tragelaphus oryx
Elephants - Proboscidea
Eurasian lynx - Lynx lynx
European badger - Meles meles
European common toad - Bufo bufo
European robin - Erithacus rubecula
Even-toed ungulates - Artiodactyla

F

Firefish - Pterois volitans
Frigatebirds - Fregatidae
Frogs and toads - Anura

G

Galapagos land iguana - Conolophus subcristatus
Galapagos tortoise - Geochelone nigra
Gastropods, slugs and snails - Gastropoda
Gavial - Gavialis gangeticus
Giant anteater - Myrmecophaga tridactyla
Giant panda - Ailuropoda melanoleuca
Giraffe - Giraffa camelopardalis
Golden-crowned sifaka - Propithecus tattersalli
Gorilla - Gorilla gorilla
Gray whale - Eschrichtius robustus
Great white shark - Carcharodon carcharias
Greater flamingo - Phoenicopterus ruber
Green poison dart frog - Dendrobates auratus
Green sea turtle - Chelonia mydas

H

Hammerhead sharks - Sphyrnidae
Hares, rabbits and pikas - Lagomorpha
Hawksbill sea turtle - Eretmochelys imbricata
Herons, storks, ibises and spoonbills - Ciconiiformes
Hippopotamus - Hippopotamus amphibus
Hummingbirds - Trochilidae
Hyenas - Hyaenidae

I

Insects - Insecta
Irrawaddy dolphin - Orcaella brevirostris
Ivory-billed woodpecker - Campephilus principalis

J

Jellyfish - Scyphozoa

K

Koala - Phascolarctos cinereus
Komodo Dragon - Varanus komodoensis

L

Lava lizard - Microlophus albemarlensis
Leatherback sea turtle - Dermochelys coriacea
Lemurs, monkeys, and apes - Primates
Leopard - Panthera pardus
Lion - Panthera leo
Lionfish - Pterois volitans
Lizards, amphisbaenians and snakes - Squamata
Lobe-finned fishes - Sarcopterygii
Loggerhead turtle - Caretta caretta

M

Mammals - Mammalia
Manatees - Trichechus
Marine iguana - Amblyrhynchus cristatus
Marsupials - Marsupialia
Meerkat - Suricata suricatta
Mollusks - Mollusca
Monarch butterfly - Danaus plexippus
Moose, American - Alces americanus
Mountain lion - Puma concolor
Mustelids - Mustelidae

N

Neandertal - Homo neanderthalensis
Nene goose - Branta sandvicensis
Newts and Salamanders - Caudata
Nine-banded armadillo - Dasypus novemcinctus
Northern cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis
Northern gannet - Morus bassanus
Northern bottlenose whale - Hyperoodon ampullatus

O

Ocelot - Leopardus pardalis
Odd-toed ungulates - Perissodactyla
Orca - Orcinus orca
Ostrich - Struthio camelus
Owls - Strigiformes

P

Panda - Ailuropoda melanoleuca
Panther - Panthera onca
Pelicans and relatives - Pelicaniformes
Penguins - Sphenisciformes
Pigeon guillemot - Cepphus columba
Pigs - Suidae
Polar bear - Ursus maritimus
Primates - Primates
Pronghorn - Antilocapra americana
Przewalski's wild horse - Equus caballus przewalskii

R

Rabbits, hares and pikas - Lagomorpha
Ray-finned fishes - Actinopterygii
Red-eyed tree frog - Agalychnis callidryas
Red fox - Vulpes vulpes
Reindeer - Rangifer tarandus
Reptiles - Reptilia
Rhinoceros, black - Diceros bicornis
Rhinoceros, white - Ceratotherium simum
Rhinoceros iguana - Cyclura cornuta
Rodents - Rodentia
Rodriguez flying fox - Pteropus rodricensis
Roseate spoonbill - Platalea ajaja
Ruby-throated hummingbird - Archilochus colubris

S

Scarlet ibis - Eudocimus ruber
Sharks, skates and rays - Elasmobranchii
Shoebill - Balaeniceps rex
Siberian tiger - Panthera tigris altaica
Skates and rays - Batoidea
Skunks and stink badgers - Mephitidae
Snails, slugs and nudibranchs - Gastropoda
Snow leopard - Panthera uncia
Somali wild ass - Equus asinus somalicus
Southern tamandua - Tamandua tetradactyla
Sponges - Porifera
Spectacled bear - Tremarctos ornatus
Squamates - Squamata

T

Tapirs - Family Tapiridae
Tiger - Panthera tigris
Tinamous - Tinamiformes
Toothed Whales - Odontoceti
Tuataras - Sphenodontida
Tufted titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor
Turtles and tortoises - Chelonia Tytonidae - Barn owls


W

Wandering albatross - Diomedea exulans
Waterfowl - Anseriformes
Whale shark - Rhincodon typus
White rhinoceros - Ceratotherium simum

X

Xenarthrans - Xenarthra

Wildlife management

Wildlife management attempts to balance the needs of wildlife with the needs of people using the best available science. Wildlife management can include game keeping, wildlife conservation and pest control. Wildlife management has become an integrated science using disciplines such as mathematics, chemistry, biology, ecology, climatology and geography to gain the best results.
Wildlife conservation aims to halt the loss in the earths biodiversity by taking into consideration ecological principles such as carrying capacity, disturbance and succession and environmental conditions such as physical geography, pedology and hydrology with the aim of balancing the needs of wildlife with the needs of people. Most wildlife biologists are concerned with the preservation and improvement of habitats although reinstatement is increasingly being used. Techniques can include reforestation, pest control, nitrification and denitrification, irrigation, coppicing and hedge laying.

Types of wildlife management -

There are two general types of wildlife management:

• Manipulative management acts on a population, either changing its numbers by direct means or influencing numbers by the indirect means of altering food supply, habitat, density of predators, or prevalence of disease. This is appropriate when a population is to be harvested, or when it slides to an unacceptably low density or increases to an unacceptably high level. Such densities are inevitably the subjective view of the land owner, and may be disputed by animal welfare interests.

• Custodial management is preventive or protective. The aim is to minimize external influences on the population and its habitat. It is appropriate in a national park where one of the stated goals is to protect ecological processes. It is also appropriate for conservation of a threatened species where the threat is of external origin rather than being intrinsic to the system. 

Management of hunting seasons -

Wildlife management studies, research and lobbying by interest groups help designate times of the year when certain wildlife species can be legally hunted, allowing for surplus animals to be removed. In the United States, hunting season and bag limits are determined by guidelines set by the US Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for migratory game such as waterfowl and other migratory gamebirds. The hunting season and bag limits for state regulated game species such as deer are usually determined by State game Commissions, which are made up of representatives from various interest groups, wildlife biologists, and researchers.
Open and closed season on deer in the UK is legislated for in the Deer Act 1991 and the Deer Act (Scotland) 1996

Open season

Open season is when wildlife is allowed to be hunted by law and is usually during the breeding season. Hunters may be restricted by sex, age or class of animal, for instance there may be an open season for any male deer with 4 points or better on at least one side.

Limited entry

Where the number of animals taken is to be tightly controlled, managers may have a type of lottery system called limited. Many apply, few are chosen. These hunts may still have age, sex or class restrictions.

Closed season

Closed season is when wildlife is protected from hunting and is usually during its breeding season. Closed season is enforced by law, any hunting during closed season is punishable by law and termed as illegal hunting or poaching.

Type of weapon used

 In the wildlife management one of the conservation strategy is that the weapon used for hunting should be the one that cause the least damage to the individual and that it should be an advanced weapon so that it may not miss the target and may not hit another individual. This is very important if the trophy hunting is the case. Given State and Local laws, types of weapon can also vary depending on type, size, sex of game and also the geographical layout of that specific hunting area.

Wildlife

A Royal Bengal Tiger

Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative.
Wildlife can be found in all ecosystems. Deserts, forests, rain forests, plains, grasslands, and other areas including the most developed urban sites, all have distinct forms of wildlife. While the term in popular culture usually refers to animals that are untouched by human factors, most scientists agree that wildlife around the world is impacted by human activities.
Humans have historically tended to separate civilization from wildlife in a number of ways including the legal, social, and moral sense. This has been a reason for debate throughout recorded history. Religions have often declared certain animals to be sacred, and in modern times concern for the natural environment has provoked activists to protest the exploitation of wildlife for human benefit or entertainment. Literature has also made use of the traditional human separation from wildlife.