Terrestrial Mammals - Imperiled Terrestrial Mammals Around The World

As of March 2006 the FWS listed 257 foreign species of terrestrial mammals as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. (See Table 8.3.) Many of the species are from groups also imperiled in the United States, such as bats, bears, big game, canines, felines, rabbits, and rodents. In addition, there are exotic animals not native to this country, particularly elephants, pandas, primates, and rhinoceroses.

The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species of the World Conservation Union listed 1,101 mammals as critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable. Approximately 960 of these mammals could be considered terrestrial mammals. Orders with large numbers of listed animals are as follows:

• Rodentia (rodents)—315 species
• Chiroptera (bats)—247 species
• Insectivora (moles, shrews & hedgehogs)—124 species
• Primates—114 species
• Artiodactyla (big game, camels, hippos, etc.)—72 species
• Carnivora (bears, big cats, etc.)—56 species

Together, these orders comprise nearly 90% of the terrestrial mammals on the 2004 IUCN Red List. Among the remaining listed species are some animals that garner high levels of public interest—elephants, koalas, and rhinoceroses.

The habitat types occupied by the largest numbers of threatened mammal species are lowland and tropical rainforests, both of which are being rapidly degraded.

Bears

Bear species are imperiled worldwide. They are killed in large numbers by poachers, who sell bear organs and body parts in the illegal wildlife trade. These organs usually end up in Asia, where they are valued as ingredients in treatments for ailments or illnesses, or to delay the effects of aging—although there is no evidence that such treatments are effective. In North America bears are threatened by loss of habitat and are eliminated for posing a danger to humans and livestock. In 2000 biathlete Mary Beth Miller was mauled to death by a black bear as she ran along a wooded path during her training routine in Quebec, Canada. The tragedy ignited controversy over attempts by Canadian officials to protect the species, including the cancellation of an annual bear hunt.

Big Cats

Wild tigers are found exclusively in Asia, from India to Siberia. Although the world tiger population surpassed 100,000 in the nineteenth century, experts fear that fewer than 10,000 remained in the early 2000s. In addition to habitat loss, countless tigers fall victim to the illegal wildlife trade every year. Many tiger body parts are used as ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine, and the big cats are also prized in the exotic pet industry.

In 1999 the Wildlife Conservation Society reported a rebound in the world tiger population, in part because of a worldwide moratorium on tiger hunting imposed by listing in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) treaty. However, ecologists warn that tigers, which hunt deer, wild pigs, cattle, antelope, and other large mammals, are threatened seriously by loss of prey, much of which consists of nonprotected species being eliminated by hunters.

THE SIBERIAN TIGER

The Siberian tiger (see Figure 8.10) is the largest cat in the world and one of the world's most endangered species, with only 500 individuals estimated to exist in the wild. There are also several hundred Siberian tigers in captivity. The Siberian tiger, also known as the Amur tiger, once occupied TABLE 8.3 Foreign endangered and threatened terrestrial mammal species, March 2006mixed deciduous and coniferous forest habitats in the Amur-Ussuri area in Siberia, as well as in northern China and Korea. It is now believed to be extinct, or nearly extinct, in China and Korea. Individuals reach lengths of eight to ten feet and weigh up to 800 pounds. They eat wild boars, Sika deer, and elk. Siberian tigers are territorial and require large home ranges of some 500 to 600 square miles.

TABLE 8.3
Foreign endangered and threatened terrestrial mammal species, March 2006
Status*	Species name	Status*	Species name
E	Addax (Addax nasomaculatus)	E	Deer, Ryukyu sika (Cervus nippon keramae)
E	Anoa, lowland (Bubalus depressicornis)	E	Deer, Shansi sika (Cervus nippon grassianus)
E	Anoa, mountain (Bubalus quarlesi)	E	Deer, South China sika (Cervus nippon kopschi)
E	Antelope, giant sable (Hippotragus niger variani)	E	Deer, swamp (Cervus duvauceli)
E, T	Argali (Ovis ammon)	E	Deer, Visayan (Cervus alfredi)
E	Armadillo, giant (Priodontes maximus)	E	Deer, Yarkand (Cervus elaphus yarkandensis)
E	Armadillo, pink fairy (Chlamyphorus truncatus)	E	Dhole (Cuon alpinus)
E	Ass, African wild (Equus asinus)	E	Dibbler (Antechinus apicalis)
E	Ass, Asian wild (Equus hemionus)	E	Dog, African wild (Lycaon pictus)
E	Avahi (Avahi laniger (entire genus))	E	Dolphin, Chinese River (Lipotes vexillifer)
E	Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis)	E	Dolphin, Indus River (Platanista minor)
E	Babirusa (Babyrousa babyrussa)	E	Drill (Mandrillus (=papio) leucophaeus)
T	Baboon, gelada (Theropithecus gelada)	E	Dugong (Dugong dugon)
E	Bandicoot, barred (Perameles bougainville)	E	Duiker, Jentink's (Cephalophus jentinki)
E	Bandicoot, desert (Perameles eremiana)	E	Eland, western giant (Taurotragus derbianus derbianus)
E	Bandicoot, lesser rabbit (Macrotis leucura)	T	Elephant, African (Loxodonta africana)
E	Bandicoot, pig-footed (Chaeropus ecaudatus)	E	Elephant, Asian (Elephas maximus)
E	Bandicoot, rabbit (Macrotis lagotis)	E	Fox, northern swift (Vulpes velox hebes)
E	Banteng (Bos javanicus)	E	Fox, Simien (Canis simensis)
E	Bat, Bulmer's fruit (=flying fox) (Aproteles bulmerae)	E	Gazelle, Arabian (Gazella gazella)
E	Bat, bumblebee (Craseonycteris thonglongyai)	E	Gazelle, Clark's (Ammodorcas clarkei)
E	Bat, Rodrigues fruit (=flying fox) (Pteropus rodricensis)	E	Gazelle, dama (Gazella dama)
E	Bat, Singapore roundleaf horseshoe (Hipposideros ridleyi)	E	Gazelle, Mhorr (Gazella dama mhorr)
E	Bear, Baluchistan (Ursus thibetanus gedrosianus)	E	Gazelle, Moroccan (Gazella dorcas massaesyla)
E	Bear, brown (Ursus arctos arctos)	E	Gazelle, mountain (=Cuvier's) (Gazella cuvieri)
E	Bear, brown (Ursus arctos pruinosus)	E	Gazelle, Pelzeln's (Gazella dorcas pelzelni)
E	Bear, Mexican grizzly (Ursus arctos)	E	Gazele, Rio de Oro Dama (Gazella dama lozanoi)
E	Beaver (Castor fiber birulai)	E	Gazelle, sand (Gazella subgutturosa marica)
E	Bison, wood (Bison bison athabascae)	E	Gazelle, Saudi Arabian (Gazella dorcas saudiya)
E	Bobcat, Mexican (Lynx (=felis) rufus escuinapae)	E	Gazelle, slender-horned (Gazella leptoceros)
E	Bontebok (Damaliscus pygarus (=dorcas) dorcas)	E	Gibbons (Hylobates spp. (including nomascus))
E	Camel, Bactrian (Camelus bactrianus)	E	Goral (Naemorhedus goral)
E	Cat, Andean (Felis jacobita)	E	Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)
E	Cat, Asian golden (=Temmnick's) (Catopuma (=felis) temminckii)	E	Hare, hispid (Caprolagus hispidus)
E	Cat, black-footed (Felis nigripes)	E	Hartebeest, Swayne's (Alcelaphus buselaphus swaynei)
E	Cat, flat-headed (Prionailurus (=felis) planiceps)	E	Hartebeest, Tora (Alcelaphus buselaphus tora)
E	Cat, Iriomote (Prionailurus (=felis) bengalensis iriomotensis)	E	Hog, pygmy (Sus salvanius)
E	Cat, leopard (Prionailurus (=felis) bengalensis bengalensis)	E	Horse, Przewalski's (Equus przewalskii)
E	Cat, marbled (Pardofelis (=felis) marmorata)	E	Huemul, North Andean (Hippocamelus antisensis)
E	Cat, Pakistan sand (felis margarita scheffeli)	E	Huemul, South Andean (Hippocamelus bisulcus)
E	Cat, tiger (Leopardus (=felis) tigrinus)	E	Hutia, Cabrera's (Capromys angelcabrerai)
E	Chamois, Apennine (Rupicapra rupicapra ornata)	E	Hutia, dwarf (Capromys nana)
E	Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)	E	Hutia, large-eared (Capromys auritus)
E, T	Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)	E	Hutia, little earth (Capromys sanfelipensis)
E	Chimpanzee, pygmy (Pan paniscus)	E	Hyena, Barbary (Hyaena hyaena barbara)
E	Chinchilla (Chinchilla brevicaudata boliviana)	E	Hyena, brown (Parahyaena (=hyaena) brunnea)
E	Civet, Malabar large-spotted (Viverra civettina (=megaspila c.))	E	Ibex, Pyrenean (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica)
E	Cochito (Phocoena sinus)	E	Ibex, Walia (Capra walie)
E	Deer, Bactrian (Cervus elaphus bactrianus)	E	Impala, black-faced (Aepyceros melampus petersi)
E	Deer, Barbary (Cervus elaphus barbarus)	E	Indri (Indri indri (entire genus))
E	Deer, Calamianes (=Philippine) (Axis porcinus calamianensis)	E	Jaguarundi, Guatemalan (Herpailurus (=felis) yagouaroundi fossata)
E	Deer, Cedros Island mule (Odocoileus hemionus cerrosensis)
E	Deer, Corsican red (Cervus elaphus corsicanus)	E	Jaguarundi, Panamanian (Herpailurus (=felis) ya gouaroundi panamensis)
E	Deer, Eld's brow-antlered (Cervus eldi)
E	Deer, Formosan sika (Cervus nippon taiouanus)	E	Kangaroo, Tasmanian forester (Macropus giganteus tasmaniensis)
E	Deer, Indochina hog (Axis porcinus annamiticus)	T	Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)
E	Deer, Kuhl's (=Bawean) (Axis porcinus kuhli)	E	Kouprey (Bos sauveli)
E	Deer, marsh (Blastocerus dichotomus)	E	Langur, capped (Trachypithecus (=presbytis) pileatus)
E	Deer, McNeill's (Cervus elaphus macneili)	E	Langur, Douc (Pygathrix nemaeus)
E	Deer, musk (Moschus spp. (all species)	E	Langur, Francois' (Trachypithecus (=presbytis) francoisi)
E	Deer, North China sika (Cervus nippon mandarinus)	E	Langur, golden (Trachypithecus (=presbytis) geei)
E	Deer, pampas (Ozotoceros bezoarticus)	E	Langur, gray (=entellus) (Semnopithecus (=presbytis) entellus)
E	Deer, Persian fallow (Dama mesopotamica (=dama m.))	T	Langur, long-tailed (Presbytis potenziani)
		E	Langur, Pagi Island (Nasalis concolor)