The Importance of Jaguar Conservation

As many nature-lovers taking a Jaguar tour will be aware, the Jaguar is a 'near threatened' species, with the possibility of becoming 'threatened' in the future. Factors contributing to this status include hunting for its skin, shooting by farmers to protect livestock, and deforestation. With the Jaguar preferring large territories - up to 40 square kilometres for females and up to twice as much for males - the loss or fragmentation of its habitat has a serious impact. Not only are individual animals affected by reduced habitat and hunting ground, but the population suffers from loss of connection between individual animal's ranges, reducing the breeding pool. Despite the problems it faces, the animal is a protected species in several countries, and sustained efforts are being made across the Americas in protecting habitat, re-connecting ranges and educating ranchers.

Why Protect the Jaguar? For the Planet...

Encountering the Wildlife of Cambodia

Many who have visited Cambodia - tours, solo holidays, or otherwise - will fondly recall the diverse, unique and interesting array of wildlife they encounter. The country's wildlife represents an important part of the animal kingdom, as many are recognized by the World Conservation Union as being endangered species. Due to such damaging occurrences as deforestation, the population of many of Cambodia's most beloved animals - such as elephants, tigers, bears and buffaloes - is sadly dwindling.

Mammals

There are about 212 species of mammal which are native to Cambodia. Tours of the country are provided by many destination specialists, and will allow you to glimpse some of these magnificent beasts in their natural habitat. These mammals include the Asian Elephant [which is the largest living land animal in Asia], the endangered Hog Deer, the Asian Black Bear [described by writer Rudyard Kipling as 'the most bizarre of the ursine species'], and the leopard, the smallest of the four big cats.

Red-Eyed Tree Frog: Amphibian or Reptile?

Some people mistakenly believe that reptiles and amphibians are one and the same or they simply do not know how to tell the difference. Amphibians are born as soft eggs in water and then hatch into tadpoles. Living out the start of their life in the water they then grow legs, lose their tails, and become frogs.

On the other hand reptiles are born as shelled eggs laid on land and hatch as a smaller version of what they will eventually become at maturity. Reptiles never morph into a new form as do amphibians. There is another way of telling the difference between an amphibian and a reptile: reptiles are capable of living in dry areas whereas amphibians cannot.

Belize has many tree dwellers with the Red-Eyed Tree Frog being unique and definitely the most interesting. This beautiful green frog has extremely large bright red eyes, hence its' name. Agalychnis callidryas is the scientific name for this fascinating little creature. 

Wildlife of Treasure Island Florida

Treasure Island, Florida is a beautiful beach teeming with wide variety of wildlife. From the sea life to the reptiles, there is an abundance of creatures for the nature-lover to enjoy. Whether you are in the mood to simply view the beach's animal community or want to hook some of the local fish, Treasure Island is a great place to feed your desires. Many of the species can be observed without ever having to leave the shore, but those who venture out on boats run into an even wider range of amazing creatures.

Fish - With Treasure Island being a beach community, there are obviously quite a variety of species lurking around the waters. The Gulf of Mexico is one of the best places to spend a day either snorkeling and looking at all the underwater creatures or sitting with your pole catching some of these delicious fish. Some of the species of fish that are normally found in these waters include:

Are Whales at Threat of Extinction?

It is common knowledge that rampant overfishing (whaling) in the 18th - 20th centuries nearly drove many whale species to extinction. While whaling certainly existed prior to this, technological improvements allowed the industry to become much more efficient in harvesting whales. Now that the global whaling industry has nearly disappeared, whale populations have been able to slowly recover. Conservation efforts and eco-tourism (centered around whale watching cruises or dolphin interaction tours) are working to fund recovery efforts, but is it too late?

The majority of the great whale species are still on the endangered species list. The United States Endangered Species Act (ESA) still lists the northern right, southern right, bowhead, fin, blue, sei, humpback, and sperm whales as endangered species. The population of the northern right is reported to be less than one thousand animals remaining. One big problem is that, even without a major impact from commercial whaling, many interactions between humans and whales mean further losses in the population.