10 animals on the edge of extinction you didn't know about no. 8

10 animals on the edge of extinction you didn't know about no. 8 - Vaquita

Hello,

Today, we're talking about the rarest marine mammal. The vaquita is a member of the porpoise family that lives only in the northernmost part of the Gulf of California which is the smallest range of any marine mammal.

Vaquita are easily distinguishable, with small bodies tall triangular dorsal fins and dark patches around each eye and on their lips. They are dark grey with paler, sometimes even white undersides. The females generally have larger heads, wider flippers and are longer than the males.

Vaquita prefer to stay with 25 km of the shoreline and in waters of less than 150m depth, as these contain more prey. They eat a wide variety of different fish species especially floor dwelling ones. They are shy and very secretive, spending their time alone, in pairs or in groups of up to seven individuals. Vaquita do not migrate. They live in warmer waters and can deal with large fluctuations in water temperature which is uncommon among porpoises.

The mating season is in April and May. They are polygynous, meaning that the males mate with multiple females. The gestation period is 10-11 months after which a single calf is born in March. The calf will stay with its mother until its 6-8 months old. Sexual maturity is reached at 3-6 year of age.

Unfortunately, there isn't much hope for the vaquita. They share their habitat with fish that are highly profitable especially on the black market. This leads to them being the bycatch of illegal fishing, often with gillnets. They are critically endangered with some sources saying there are less than 10 individuals left. Most agree that it's below 30. The first official sighting was in 1958 where their population was considered to be 600 individuals meaning that they've lost up to 98% of their population in the last 65 years. They avoid humans and boats which makes them hard to find and therefore study. However there have been sightings of mothers with healthy calves, meaning that they are still reproducing.

Your Green World Blog Team💚

Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/11/tiny-vaquita-numbers-less-than-10-can-they-be-saved
https://porpoise.org/knowledge-base/how-many-vaquitas-are-left-in-the-world/
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/vaquita
https://animals.net/vaquita/
https://animalia.bio/vaquita

Images:
Title image: This image is owned by a blog editor.
Vaquita pair, 2008, owned by NOAA Fisheries West Coast (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Comments

The Climate Book by Greta Thunberg | review & thoughts

Hi Everyone! You may be aware that Wednesday was International Women's Day, so today I wanted to share a book review for a book written by one of the most inspiring women of our generation: Greta Thunberg. She is, of course, the legendary creator of the Fridays For Future movement and has inspired thousands of children to skip school on Fridays to protest for the climate. She recently compiled a book, simply entitled: The Climate Book. Here are my thoughts. This is a compilation of articles and essays from the best climate scientists, activists and high-profile people, which makes up, in my opinion, the climate bible . It quite literally encompasses everything you may want to know about the climate crisis, from the science, to how it affects us, what we've done and have yet to do, and so much more. This book is everything. I have not yet read the whole thing, because let me tell you, this book is HUGE. It's also of course very den...

Deforestation and why it’s a problem

Hi everyone, Welcome back to another post. Today we’ll be talking about deforestation and its impacts on our earth. Deforestation, the widespread clearance of natural forests, has been happening for thousands of years. One example is Western Europe, where, two millennia ago, 80% of the land was cloaked in dense forest cover. However, over time, a significant portion of this green expanse was sacrificed to create room for crops, livestock grazing, and as a source of fuel and building materials. Presently, a mere 34% of Western Europe retains its woodland. Today, the tropics deal with the brunt of deforestation. Activities such as mining, agriculture, road construction, and the establishment of vast cattle ranches drive the mass clearance of tropical rainforests. This results in the release of huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, exacerbating the global climate crisis. The consequences come in two waves: first, the reduced number of...

January 2021 Factfile - a bit of news from the past month and more!

Hi Everyone! Welcome to the first monthly fact file! We are going to share a news article from last month as well as animals and more! News You might have heard that the UK has authorised the use of a pesticide harmful to bees. It has been authorised for use on sugar beet with their excuse being to do with the virus yellows disease. But bees are in serious decline and this is not going to help. It is authorised for emergency use and only in specific conditions but, in our eyes, that doesn't make it okay. Farmers need bees to pollinate crops and now they are killing them with a horrible pesticide. What do you think? We would love your opinions below! For more information on bees in our honey bee post click here . We have also found an article about some Indonesian monkeys from the island of Bali who steal anything expensive, that tourists have because they know they will get a reward! They know which items have the most value and wi...

How much do you know about the greenhouse gas effect? - Quiz

Welcome back to Green World! Today we have a quiz that will test your knowledge about the greenhouse gas effect and its effect on the world. Enjoy! Questions True or False? Carbon dioxide is the only greenhouse gas. Burning fossil feuls mostly emits ... a) methane b) nitrogen c) carbon dioxide True or False? One ppm (part per million) is the same ratio as one drop of water in 13 gallons of liquid. Which one of these is not a greenhouse gas? a) carbon dioxide b) nitrous oxide c) oxygen True or False? Some greenhouse gases are only in the atmosphere for a few years. Which sector has the highest greenhouse gas emissions in the US? a) Agriculture and other land use b) Electricity c) Industry True or False? 94% of global methane emissions come from human activities. Which sector has experienced the highest increase in...

Amazon Rainforest series - part 2: eco system and food chains

Welcome back to our Amazon mini-series! Today, we're going to talk about the eco system and food chains of the Amazon Rainforest. The eco system is very complex. If you read our last Amazon post you will know the great number of species that call the Amazon Rainforest home. The Amazon Rainforest is a very accurate name for it. Massive amounts of rain fall on the forest every year. Most of that rain is blown in from the Atlantic Ocean. The rest comes from evaporation. The rainforest is known to be full of life. It provides one of the last refuges for jaguars , harpy eagles and pink river dolphins . But the rainforest is home to many more animals than that. Everyone has heard of poison dart frogs right? In fact, the Amazon Rainforest contains 1 in 10 of all known animal species on Earth! That's a lot of animals! The Amazon is home to over 1 000 species of birds, from hummingbirds to eagles. Macaws are probably the most well...

Ways to help make your household environmentally friendly

We have told you a bit about the problems that the environment is facing in previous posts but we haven’t told you how to help the environment around the house. You don’t even need a garden to make a difference! Ways to help stop global warming Tip 1: Turn the lights off when you leave a room. Tip 2: Walk or cycle on short journeys. Tip 3: Don’t have the windows open and the heaters on at the same time. Tip 4: Never leave your engine running Tip 5: If you can, buy an electric car as these produce less Co2. Ways to help stop plastic pollution Tip 1: Buy a water bottle. It seems simple but every year the UK uses an estimated 13 billion plastic bottles. Tip 2: Use a bar of soap and a bar of shampoo instead of shower gel and bottled shampoo. Some say soap can dry your skin out but if you do your research you can find plastic-free high-quality soap, perhaps at a price but it depends on where you get it from. Tip 3: Make...

Eco system Galápagos: Part 1 Geography

Hello and welcome to the first post about the Galapagos Islands. Currents and Winds The volcanic islands of Galápagos started to form 4 million years ago. Where they lie, is unique. They are situated directly on the equator, on the Nazca tectonic plate. The Galapagos Islands are on the crossroads of three currents. The cold South Equatorial Current flows westward towards Galapagos. The warm Panama Current runs in from the north. And finally, the deep sea Cromwell Current runs from the west. The Galapagos Islands are also where the Northeast Trade Wind meets the Southeast Trade Wind. Galapagos Hotspot 21 Volcanoes make up the Galápagos Islands with 13 still active. The reason for this volcanic activity is a giant hotspot under the island. A hotspot is a gigantic column of super heated molten lava, rising up towards the surface. It is immense; at least sixty miles (97 kilometers) across and 1800 miles (2897 kilometers) deep. It connects the islands to ...

13.12.2020 Animal Of The Week: Lark

Hello, Today's post is all about a rather interesting bird I don't know much about and so I can't wait to discover more! Habitat There are many different species of Lark so they are quite widespread. Different websites say different figures but most agree that there are between 90 and 100 different species of Lark. They live in open countryside from deserts to mountains. Their colour is adapted to their environment and so they can vary in appearance. Diet Larks are omnivorous animals and eat many species of insects as well as seeds, leaves, grasses and fruits, especially in Winter as insects are scarce. Some species will also eat snails which they break open on rocks. Lark Song The lark is reputed for its song, especially when it is in flight. This is the reason that they are sometimes represented in poetry. I love poetry and I haven't read any Lark themed poetry yet but writing this has made me want to. However, the wi...

The life of ... an emperor penguin

Hello, Today, we're looking at the fascinating lives of emperor penguins. These incredible creatures have adapted to survive in the extreme conditions of Antarctica, and in this post, we'll explore their incredible lives. In late May to early June just before the Antarctic winter sets in, female emperor penguins lay a single egg. They then leave the colony and go on a two month hunt. The male rests the egg on his feet and covers it with warm, feathered skin called the brood pouch. He will eat nothing for these two months. The chick hatches in August and the female returned to take over. She has spent two months feeding and now regurgitates some food for the newly-hatched chick. The male leaves to feed himself as he has been living off his fat reserves for the past two months. The female keeps the chick in her brood pouch until the sea ice close to the breeding site breaks up as the temperatures warm. The chick is now strong eno...

A Few Apps That May Help You Protect The Environment And Recognise What You See!

Hi Everyone! Today I wanted to share a few apps that have helped me in my mission to be as plastic free as possible and recognising plants and birds. They are all 100% free! The first app we have already mentioned- Refill . It is one of my personal favourites. It was originally made to tell you where you can Refill your water bottle for free when out and about but they have recently expanded to showing shops you can refill your coffee, buy loose products and other functions I haven't got the hang of yet! You can set a reminder to a certain time so you remember to walk out the door with your water bottle. It is all in an effort to reduce the amount of plastic bottles we purchase. At the moment it isn't as useful as usually though as we aren't going anywhere! This is a screenshot of a random place in Taunton. You can see there are three refill stations here! ...

Green World

Search This Blog