Mantled Howler Monkey

Scientific Name:
Alouatta palliata

Other Names and/or Listed subspecies:

Golden-mantled Howling Monkey

Group: Mammals

Status/Date Listed as Endangered:

EN-US FWS: June 14, 1976

Area(s) Where Listed As Endangered:

Mexico to South America

The mantled howler monkey is found in southern Mexico and Central and South America. It is
named for its fringe of long, golden-brown hair along the sides, called a "mantle." It also gets its
name from the roaring howl that it makes when communicating or alerting others of a
disturbance. Adults are very large and stocky with black fur. Most individuals have long, yellow or
brown fur saddles. The average weight of an adult is around 12 to 13 lbs, and males are larger
than females.

This species can be found in lowland and montane rainforests at altitudes as high as 2000
meters. They prefer to remain in the trees since they do not move well on the ground. They are
often seen walking or climbing through the trees or suspending themselves below branches,
hanging by their arms or tails while feeding. Diet consist of fruit, leaves, and flowers. They are
very social and live in groups of 10 to 20 individuals with one alpha male. Breeding occurs
throughout the year, and females give birth to one young after a gestation period of six months.

This species is threatened by habitat destruction, rainforest fragmentation and natural disasters. It
is legally protected, and about 1300 individuals can be found in protected areas.

African Wild Dog

Scientific Name:
Lycaon pictus

Other Names and/or Listed subspecies:

Cape Hunting Dog, African Painted Wolf, Painted Hunting Dog

Group: Mammals

Status/Date Listed as Endangered:

EN-US FWS: January 23, 1984

EN-IUCN: 2008

Area(s) Where Listed As Endangered:

Sub-saharan Africa
Also known as the Cape hunting dog, the African wild dog is found in the savanna woodlands of
sub-suharan Africa. It is a medium-sized canine with a head and body length of 30 to 40 inches
and a white-tipped tail that can grow as long as 16 inches. Adults weigh between 40 and 80 lb.
Their coats vary in color with blotches of black, white and orange or yellow. These pack hunters
are thin and muscular and they have strong and powerful jaws with sharp teeth. They are
excellent runners and have excellent vision for catching their prey.

African wild dogs live in packs of up to 15 adults together with the young. Each pack has two
dominant adults, one male and one female. Usually only the two dominant pair will mate, but all
members of the pack take care of the young. These dogs are often regarded as merciless and
cruel killers and have a bad reputation, therefore they are frequently killed by humans. Wild dogs
breed in the middle of the dry season and females give birth to litters of 7 to over 20 pups. The
young remain in underground burrows (previously occupied by warthogs and other animals) and
are guarded at all times by one or more of the adults while the others go out and hunt. When the
pack returns, the young are fed regurgitated meat by any of the hunters. Diet consists mainly of
medium-sized antelopes like impala and gazelles, but wild dogs have also been seen taking on
larger mammals such as wildebeest.

The population of African wild dogs has declined mainly due to being killed by farmers who
consider them a nuisance. African wild dogs sometimes prey on small livestock, therefore
resulting in death from being shot or poisoned by the owners. The species is now protected, and
it is illegal to kill a wild dog unless allowed by a necessary permit.

Sand Cat

Scientific Name:
Felis margarita

Other Names and/or Listed subspecies:

Sand Dune Cat, Pakistan Sand Cat (F. m. scheffeli) US FWS

Group: Mammals

Status/Date Listed as Endangered:

NT-IUCN: 2008

EN-US FWS: January 23, 1984

Area(s) Where Listed As Endangered:

Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East

The Pakistan sand cat is a subspecies of the sand cat found in the deserts of Pakistan. It is the
size of a domestic cat and the smallest of wild cats. Adults reach up to 22.4 inches in length and
weigh up to 7.5 lbs. Males are larger than females. The most distinctive characteristic of this cat
is its noticeably broad head, with large and pointed ears. Its fur color is sandy yellow with very
pale stripes. The tip of the tail is black with black rings, and the paws are covered with long hairs
which help to protect the skin against the hot sand. The sand cat is considered sacred by some,
and archeologists believe that the sand cat may have been domesticated and kept as a pet in
ancient Egypt.

Sand cats are only known to occur in sandy and stony deserts, and they are able to survive in
extreme conditions with sand temperatures reaching over 225 degrees (F). In the daytime, they
are able to keep cool by hiding under rocks or digging burrows, emerging only at night to hunt.
Diet consists of rodents and other small mammals, lizards, and insects. Pakistan sand cats are
able to survive for long periods of time without drinking water and most of the water in their diet is
derived exclusively from food. Little is known about the behavior of this species. Its mating call is
said to be very loud and similar to the sound of a small barking dog. Females may give birth to
two to four kittens after a gestation period of 59 to 63 days.

The sand cat is the only wild cat that is not threatened with loss of habitat since it is found in the
desert. But this species is threatened by hunting and collection for the pet trade. Some are killed
by humans who consider them a threat to their livestock. Because sand cats live is such vast,
desert locations, they are hard to study and keep track, and population estimates are not
available.

Gray Wolf

Scientific Name:
Canis lupus

Other Names and/or Listed subspecies:

Timber Wolf, Tundra Wolf, Arctic Wolf

Group: Mammals

Status/Date Listed as Endangered:

EN-US FWS: March 11, 1967

Area(s) Where Listed As Endangered:

Mexico, United States

The gray wolf is the largest of the canines and can reach a weight of 80 lb and 5 to 6.5 feet in
length. It can live for up to 13 years. In the eastern woodlands, the gray wolf is also known as the
"timber wolf," and in the arctic, the gray wolf is sometimes called the "arctic wolf." In the tundra,
the gray wolf is sometimes called the "tundra wolf." The gray wolf has a gray fur coat with long
tawny-colored legs, a narrow chest, and tawny-colored flanks. Males are larger than females. The
gray wolf can reach up to 45 mph in a short sprint but can also run up to 25 mph for several
miles. They have an excellent sense of smell and hearing.

The gray wolf is an excellent hunter seeking animals and preying on them using their scent.
When in packs they can seek large prey, such as moose, elk, bison, or deer. When alone they
hunt smaller animals such as hare or beavers. Wolves can travel up to 30 miles a day searching
for prey. Wolves are also known for their howling. Wolves howl for several reasons. Howling
helps members of the pack keep in tough and to communicate in thick forest area or over great
distances. Howling also helps to summon pack members to specific locations, declaration of
territory, or claiming of fresh kills.

Wolf packs consists of two parents, their offspring, and a few other non-breeding adults. Females
give birth to five or six pups that depend totally on their mother's milk for seven months. After the
seven months, they begin hunting with the adult wolves. The pups may remain with the pack for
up three years, later leaving to search for their own life-long mates and to try and develop their
own packs.

There are an estimated 7000 to 9000 wolves in Alaska and more than 3500 in the lower 48
states. In earlier times there were over 2 million in 57 countries, but now there are only an
estimated 200,000. In the 1970s the gray wolf was placed on the endangered species list. The
main threat to the survival of the gray wolf was mainly due the hunting and trapping of the wolf
because it was thought of as a nuisance and habitat loss due to human encroachment into wolf
territories. The gray wolf population was almost completely wiped out, but the gray wolf is now
legally protected and is said to be thriving and may even be taken off the endangered species list.

Chimpanzee

Scientific Name:
Pan troglodytes

Group: Mammals

Status/Date Listed as Endangered:

EN-US FWS: October 19, 1976

EN-IUCN: 2008

Area(s) Where Listed As Endangered:

Africa

Chimpanzees are found in the tropical forests of western and central Africa, from Gambia in the
west to Uganda in the east. Adult males can grow up to six feet tall and can weigh up to 154 lb.
Females are smaller and weigh up to 116 lb. Their arms are longer than their legs, and they
usually walk using all four limbs (knuckle-walking). Coloration varies from brown to black, and the
hair around the face grays as they get older. Some chimpanzees even go bald in old age,
especially females. Although chimpanzees are lighter than humans, they are five to six times
stronger than humans because of their stronger muscles. There are three subspecies (all
endangered): the central chimpanzee (P. t. troglodytes) found in Central Africa, the western
chimpanzee (P. t. verus) found in west-central Africa, and the eastern chimpanzee (P. t.
schweinfurthi) found in east-central Africa.

Chimpanzees are found in a variety of habitats, such as open savanna woodland, grasslands,
and rainforests. They are very social animals and live in communities with 20 to 100 individuals.
They are active mainly in the day and sleep in nests that they build in the trees at night.
Chimpanzees are omnivorous and feed on fruit, leaves, flowers, seeds, insects, and bird eggs.
They are also known for their organized hunting of small animals like leopard cubs and monkeys
for their meat. Breeding occurs year round, and females give birth to usually one (sometimes two)
offspring after a gestation period of 202 to 260 days.

The exact population of chimpanzees in the wild is unknown, but experts believe that there may
be 190,000 left in the wild as of 2008. Threats to the species include habitat destruction due to
human expansion, hunting, and commercial trapping for the animal trade. Chimpanzees have
been studied for over 30 years and have been the focus of conservation activities both nationally
and internationally. Some chimpanzees can be found in protected areas, such as national parks.