Eli's Endangered Species Blog

Welcome back to my blog! This week I will cover the largest wild canine in the sub-Saharan desert, the African wild dog. This beautiful creature, scientifically known as the Lycaon pictus, has been classified by the IUCN as endangered in their native land of sub-Sahara Africa. This species can be distinguished from a domestic canine by its long legs and rounded ears. The long legs help with running up to 44 mph, and the rounded ears help hear other dogs in the distance. Both domesticated dogs and the African wild dog descended from wolves, however, the African wild dog cant interbreed and cant be domesticated. Many people will refer to this creature in Africa as a  “painted hunting dog” and “cape hunting dog." According to Canids.org, there are approximately an estimated 6,600 adults in 39 subpopulations, of which only 1,400 are mature individuals. An interesting fact about this species is that the packs live in a matriarchal structure, meaning that there are up to 30 members in a...

The Mariana Fruit dove, also known as also known as mwee’mwe in the Carolinian language, totot on Guam or Paluman totut in Northern Marianas Islands, is in danger of extinction. This species is the official bird of the Northern Mariana Islands. Due to limited range and habitat loss, the Mariana Fruit Dove is listed as Engangered on the IUCN Red List. This small creature only reaches about 24cm long and has a red forehead; greyish head, back, and breast; and yellow belly patch and under-tail coverts. According to recent surveys on datazone.birdlife.org, the Mariana fruit dove's population is estimated at about 16,230 birds. Of this proportion, 9/723 are reported to live on Saipan, the largest island in the North Mariana Islands. An interesting thing about this bird is both the mother and father will sit on the eggs to keep them protected and warm. Adult females resemble males, however, they are slightly smaller with a greener neck. The fruit dove is primarily a canopy frugivore but ...