What is an Animal’s Purpose?
Animals exist because they have evolved certain
traits that have enabled them to survive the eons
of time. They are all part of some complex food
chain in some very complex ecosystem. Animals
did not evolve to serve a purpose for humans.
Animals are not “evil” or “good” – that’s just the
way they evolved. Serious zoology students
must learn not to apply human moral values to
animal life. All creatures need preserving.
How many are there??
1.8 million named (Estimates are up to 30 million possible)
To understand animals
and make good
management decisions,
you need to know
everything possible about
that animal. This
information, the complete
ecology of the animal, is
called its ecological
niche. Think of its niche
as the animal’s “job
description”. Where the
animal lives is called its
habitat. Think of its
habitat as its “address”.
Characteristics of
Threatened/Endangered Species
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Large Size (Elephants, Whales)
Dietary Specialists (Panda, Koala)
Low Reproduction Output (Sharks)
Habitat Specialists
Small Population Size
Limited Geographic Distribution
Economic/Commercial Value (Beaver, Crocodile,
Elephant)
Panda
Koala
California
Condor
Bald Eagle
Florida Panther
Indiana Bat
Fringed Orchid
Franklin’s Ground Squirrel
Wildlife Management
Techniques
For species that are threatened/endangered:
1. Preserve/Expand Habitat (Best Option!)
2. Captive Breeding Program
3. Major fines/jail if injured or killed
Wildlife Management
Techniques
For “pest” species (population too large, exotic
species, health hazards):
1. Trap/Poison
2. Egg Shaking
- Done to goose eggs
3. Birth Control
- Release sterile ones (moths, flies)
Critically Endangered
- Considered to be more than
a 50% chance of extinction
in 10 years or three
generations.
Endangered
- More than a 20% chance of
extinction in 20 years or 5
generations.
Vulnerable
- Greater than 10% chance of
extinction in 100 years.
Near Threatened
- Species close to qualifying
for a threat category or
judged likely to qualify in
the near future.