Setting the Scene

Animal species in many countries are becoming endangered. You are one of the
Australian representatives on the world committee of 'Animals in Danger'. You
are going to find out and present a report about endangered animals. You may
work in a group with others to share the load.

Understanding before you begin:

What does 'extinct' mean? What does 'endangered' mean? What does 'species'
mean?
Species means a group of one kind of animal. Extinct means gone forever, there
are none left. Endangered means numbers are dangerously low. Once a species
of animals or plants becomes endangered, they might become extinct unless
something is done to help them survive.
Step 1:
Choose your animals: each person in your group will choose two examples one
mammal and one reptile or bird. You must all choose different animals. Go to the
sites listed in step 3, and together with your group, choose your endangered
animals.

Snow Leopard
Loggerhead turtle

Step 2:
Read the task. List what you already know in each section, and then list what you
need to find out. From this list, complete your research and start finding
information.
The Task
For the endangered mammal and endangered reptile or bird you have chosen,
move to step 3.
Step 3:
Resources
Look at these sites for information, use the Data Chart (Documents Library)
where you will make notes as you research each animal.
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/Austendangered.htm
http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/replinks/index.html
http://www.earthsendangered.com/continent.asp?ID=4
http://australian-animals.net/

You may look for other sites to find out about your chosen animal and you need
to keep a Bibliography. You can use videos, books or DVDs about these animals.

SNOW LEOPARD:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/snow-leopard
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22732/0
http://www.earthsendangered.com/profile.asp?gr=M&sp=237

http://factsanddetails.com/china/
cat6/sub38/item194.html
Appearance
What does it look
like?
Note size,
shape, covering,
special features.
Include drawings
or photos.

Habitat
Where does it live
in the wild?
Include
information about
where they
shelter, how they
find food. Is the
weather hot or
cold, wet or dry?

Behaviour:
What did or do
they eat, how did

White/grey coat with black spots.

Appearance helps the animal to camouflage into
the Asian mountains.
Panthera uncia
25-55 kg
2-5 ft long
Build helps climb mountains easily
Hind legs jump 6x length of body
Long tail balance
Agile
Smaller than normal leopards
Loing thick fur to help shield from the wind and
cold
Wide, fur cushioned paws to helpm grip when
climbing
Good night vision
Cold, high mountains
China, Bhutan, India, Russia, Nepal, Pakistan,
Afghanistan and Mongolia Eastern Himalayas
Prefers high altitudes:2000-6000
Travels to alpine meadows and rocky areas in
summer and lower forest area in the winter to find
prey.
Top of the food chain in most of the places they
inhabit
They in inhabit areas where there are few prey
animals and range over a large area to hunt them.
Blue sheep
Argali wild sheep
Ibex

they protect
themselves, were
they a solitary or
pack animal, did
they care for their
young, if so how?

Marmots
Pikas
Hares
Small rodents
Game birds
A solitary leopard may live on 1 kill a week
Like to hide / camouflage themselves
Generally calm solitary animals
Most active at night and dawn and dusk
1-5 cubs can be produced in 1 litter
2 months before eat solids
3 months follow mother
1 year = on their own

Cause for Loss of

Numbers

Endangered with an estimated 4,080-6,590 in the

wild
Climate change: could result in a 30% decrease of
snow in their habitats
Hunting: illegal trade poaching for their coat and
bones.
Retaliatory Killings: farmers kill them for eating
their livestock
Decrease of food: argali sheep also hunted by
local communities
Habitat fragmentation: human settlement and
agricultural development
Demand from China
Lots of hunting from former Russian republics in
the 1990s.
20% decline over the last 16 years in population
Been classified as endangered since 1972

Why did this

animal species
become
endangered?

Action
Is anything being
done to help them
survive? Suggest
an innovative and
detailed course of
action to ensure
the survival
of each animal?

The WWF is stopping poaching and working with

local communities to develop a better relationship
with the leopards. They are also running an
adopt an animal program which allows the
public to help the species survival by donating to
them.
The Ukok Plateau natural park provides critical
habitat for the snow leopard and many other
endangered species, including the argali mountain
sheep, dzeren antelope, black stork and steppe
eagle.

ACTION PLAN:
- Charity trek to base camp on Everest
- Website for donations/snow leopard fund to help fund
research and captive breeding programs for the snow

leopard and prey

- organic snow cub toys
- increase awareness through social media etc.
- introduce new laws to protect the snow leopard and its
prey living in Asia
- Preserve their natural habitat

PANAMANIAN GOLDEN FROG

http://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/amphibians5.html
http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/panamanian-golden-frog
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Panamanian_golden_frog
http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/18/can-probiotic-bacteriasave-an-endangered-frog/

Appearance
What does it look
like?
Note size,
shape, covering,
special features.
Include drawings
or photos.

Habitat
Where does it live
in the wild?
Include
information about
where they
shelter, how they
find food. Is the

Gold with black splotches

Small
Atelopus zeteki
Critically endangered
Females grow to 5.8 cm and males to 4 cm.
Considered lucky
Bright colour: warn potential predators they are
dangerous and toxic if eaten and touch
Live for 12 years
Tadpoles are dark brown to camouflage
Youth are brown/green with gold specs
Change colour as they mature
Beecome more toxic with age.

430-900 m elevation
Panama, south america national animal =
symbol for good luck
1600 km range
Forested mountains wet rainforests
High rainfall areas
Warm and wet

weather hot or
cold, wet or dry?
Behaviour:
What did or do
they eat, how did
they protect
themselves, were
they a solitary or
pack animal, did
they care for their
young, if so how?

Cause for Loss of

Numbers
Why did this
animal species
become
endangered?
Action
Is anything being
done to help them
survive? Suggest
an innovative and
detailed course of
action to ensure
the survival
of each animal?

Active day and night

Eat small insects
Tadpoles eat algae
Female frogs lay eggs: takes 9 days to hatch into
tadpoles with 200 620 eggs laid
Mature into a frog at 2 years
Can communicate by making whistling noises and
waving with their feet.
Protect themselves by camouflage in the early
years until they are able to produce enough toxins
and thhen change bright yellow to ward off
potential preedators.
Rising temperatures
Habitat destruction
Deadly fungus spreading through habitat
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis,
Almost extinct in the wild
Over collection (lucky)
Held in the San Diego zoo
Captive breeding programs in zoos = successful
Researchers have found that some of the frogs
have developed a resistance against it, and are
trying to give the suffering frogs the same
resistance using the discoeved anti-probiotic. This
failed and did not work.

Action Plan:
- Raise money: Charity yellow fun run through/near a
rainforest track. - - Set up a charity/fund and/or get the
WWF to help this species as they are not already.
- Raise awareness through media.
- educate the public of Panama so that they dont try to
take any remaining healthy frogs as collectors/lucky
items.
- Instead of trying to heal the frog, though research
should continue, new research should be started to see
if the fungus can be stopped.
- Create amphibian zoo in Panama so locals can see the
lucky frogs : the frogs will be able to breed and set back
into a wildlife reserve where the fungus hasnt spread/
create a habitat for them.

Step 4:
Rough Draft
Use your notes to write a rough draft of your report about the two animal species
you chose. Remember that you will be presenting the report to other world
animal experts, so make sure you include details. Check the draft to make sure
spelling and grammar is correct, and then make your final copy. You will need to
hand this in with your n which must include a bibliography.

SNOW LEOPARD
The Snow Leopard, or Panthera uncia is a small leopard compared to its other
African relatives. A fully grown leopard is 25-55 kg and 2-5 ft long. The cat has an
amazing white/grey coat with black spots which helps it camouflage into the
snowy mountains of Asia. They are able to climb mountains with ease due to
their build. Their long tail is used for balance, they are agile, can jump up to 6
times the length of its body, and have wide, fur cushioned paws to help them
grip when climbing. Another special feature includes its long, thick fur which
helps the animal shield itself from the wind and cold.
Snow Leopards habitat ranges from alpine meadows and rocky mountains in
summer to lower forest area in winter to find prey. They live in a cold, dry
climate, and prefer high altitudes of 2000-6000m. The animal inhabits parts of:
China, Bhutan, India, Russia, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Mongolia in the
Eastern Himalayas; and are at the top of the food chain in most of the places
they inhabit. They also like to live where there are few prey animals and range
over a large area to hunt them. Snow Leopards have good night vision and are
therefore most active at night and dusk and dawn.
Panthera uncia prey on blue sheep, argali wild sheep, ibex, marmots, pikas,
hares, small rodents and game birds. They are a generally calm, solitary animal
and 1 leopard may live on 1 kill a week. They like to hide and camouflage
themselves in the mountains and rocky outcrops. 1-5 cubs can be produced in 1
litter. It takes 2 months before the cubs transition from their mothers milk to
solids, and takes a further 3 months will follow mother to learn how to hunt.
The Snow Leopard has been classified as endangered by the IUCN since 1972,
and a 20% decline in their population has been recorded over the last 16 years.
There are many causes to the animals loss of numbers and there researchers
fear there may be a further increase in years to come due to new threats.
Hunting and poaching is a large factor in this cause, with a large demand from
China for their bones and coats. In the 1990s, the leopards also had many
casualties from the hunting by former Russian Republics. Their habitat has been
fragmented due to human settlement and agricultural development. The local
communities now sharing the land with the leopards also hunt one of its main

sources of food: the Argali Sheep, causing in a decrease in their food supply. This
then causes the leopards to find a substitute, and have started hunting the
farmers livestock. It then comes a full circle with retaliatory killings conducted
by farmers to stop the leopards eating their produce. Scientists fear that with the
effects of climate change heating the planet, there could be a 30% decrease in
the amount of snow in the Snow Leopards habitats. Without intervention, the
endangered Snow Leopard could soon be facing extinction, with an estimated
4,080-6,590 remaining in the wild.
The WWF is stopping poaching and working with local communities to develop a
better relationship with the leopards. They are also running an adopt an animal
program which allows the public to help the species survival by donating to
them. There is also a natural park: the Ukok Plateau; which provides critical
habitat for the snow leopard and many other endangered species, including
those of which are the Snow Leopards main sources of food: the Argali sheep.
The action plan I devised involves raising money to fund research and help put in
place conservation methods. I suggest that there should be a charity trek to base
camp on Everest or something similar done close to where the Snow Leopards
live. To increase public awareness, the Snow Leopards plight should be told
through media such as the news and on social media. A website for donations
and a Snow Leopard fund should be set up to help fund research and captive
breeding programs for the snow leopard and prey such as the Argali sheep. We
should also send conservationists to Tibet and parts of Asia where there is a high
conflict between the local communities so that they are educated. Some of these
countries are fairly poor, and the fund could help the communities as well, by
employing them to do certain jobs needed for the protection of both the Snow
Leopards and themselves. It would be hard to introduce new laws to protect the
snow leopard and its prey living in Asia as there are so many separate countries
in which the Snow Leopard roams, but we could preserve some of their natural
habitat and have the leopards bred in captivity released somewhere safe.

PANAMANIAN GOLDEN FROG:

The Panamanian Golden Frog, or Atelopus zeteki, is a small, rare toad. It is listed
as critically endangered frog by the IUCN but some believe it has been extinct in
the wild since 2007. It is covered with a spectacular gold/bright yellow embossed
with black splotches. The frogs change colour as they mature and become more
toxic. The tadpoles are dark brown to camouflage, and change to a brown/green
with gold specs in their youth. When they are mature, the blossom into their
amazing signature yellow colour. Dont be fooled by the pretty colours though, in
the animal and plant kingdom, bright colours symbolise danger, as they warn
potential predators they are toxic if eaten or touched. Their poison has actually
proved to be fatal. The frogs are very small with females growing to 5.8 cm and
males to 4 cm. A healthy frog will live for a total of 12 years. In Panama, the frog
is considered lucky because of its colour and the fact that it is so rare.
The golden frogs prefer a warm and wet climate and high rainfall areas, as
typical amphibians. They live in Panama, South America where they are the
national animal and symbol for good luck. These frogs inhabit wet rainforests and
forested mountains, comfortable at 430-900 m elevation.
Panamanian Golden Frogs can be active day and night. As a tadpole, they feed
on algae, but as frogs they eat small insects. A female frogs lay eggs which takes
9 days to hatch into tadpoles with 200 620 eggs laid. They fully mature into a
frog at 2 years. Protect themselves by camouflage in the early years until they
are able to produce enough toxins and then change bright yellow to ward off
potential predators. What is unique about these amphibians is that they
communicate by making whistling noises and waving with their feet.
It is not known how many of the frogs are left in the wild. Initially, their threats
were rising temperatures due to climate change and habitat destruction due to

urban development. Another major factor is over collection; with locals collecting
them for good luck. Their rarity and symbolic representation also interested
poachers. The rapid decrease in their numbers at present is due to a deadly
fungus which has spread through their habitat called: Batrachochytrium
dendrobatidis, which effects the frogs body temperatures.
Since 2003, some Panamanian Golden Frogs have been held in the San Diego zoo
for protection and breeding. These captive breeding programs in the zoos have
been successful but the frogs cant really be released into their old habitat with a
deadly fungus. Researchers have found that some of the frogs have developed a
resistance against the fungus, and were trying to give the suffering frogs the
same resistance using the discovered anti-probiotic, unfortunately, the remedy
did not comply with the frogs skin.
My action plan is as follows:
Firstly, money must be raised before we can do anything. This could be through a
charity yellow fun run through/near a rainforest track. Also, a fund would need to
be set up and we need to get the WWF on board to help this species as they are
not already. Raising awareness is also important and can be done so through
media. I also suggest that we need to educate the public of Panama so that they
dont try to take any remaining healthy frogs as collectors/lucky items, and try to
stop any poaching activity. Instead of trying to heal the frog, though research
should continue, new research should be started to see if the fungus can be
stopped. I think that if an amphibian zoo in Panama was set up it would be a
positive experience for the locals as they can see the lucky frogs. In this zoo, the
frogs will be able to breed and be released back into a wildlife reserve where the
fungus hasnt spread. Other alternatives is to find the resistant frogs and try to
breed them or create an enclosed and quarantined environment similar to their
original habitats.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Amphibians 2011, Endangered Species International, accessed 6 September
2015, <http://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/amphibians5.html>.
Hayes, J 2013, Snow Leopards, Facts and Figures, accessed 6 September 2015,
<http://factsanddetails.com/china/cat6/sub38/item194.html>.
Panamanian Golden Frog 2014, BBC, accessed 6 September 2015,
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Panamanian_golden_frog>.
Panamanian Golden Frog 2015, San Diego Zoo, accessed 6 September 2015,
<http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/panamanian-golden-frog>.
Panthera Uncia 2015, IUCN, accessed 6 September 2015,
<http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22732/0>.
Snow Leopard 2015, Earth's Endangered Creatures, accessed 6 September 2015,
<http://www.earthsendangered.com/profile.asp?gr=M&sp=237>.
Snow Leopard 2015, WWF, accessed 6 September 2015,
<http://factsanddetails.com/china/cat6/sub38/item194.html>.
Yong, E 2015, Can Probiotic Bacteria Save an Endangered Frog, National
Geographic, accessed 6 September 2015,
<http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/18/can-probiotic-bacteriasave-an-endangered-frog/>.