Hi All, A unique list of species facing imminent extinction was released by the Zoological Society of London at the recent (September, 2012) World Conservation Congress in Jeju, South Korea. Included were a number of reptiles, amphibians and a tarantula. As a former member of several IUCN Species Survival Commissions, I was eager to learn the current thinking on the world’s most threatened creatures. I’ll summarize below…any opinions you may have concerning “passed over” species would be most appreciated (please post below). I’ve worked with several animals given the dubious honor of “World’s Rarest”, including the Batagur Turtle and Jamaican Iguana, and was heartened to see that zoos and private individuals are still contributing mightily to their protection. However, many of listed species are poorly-studied, and draw few supporters. Unfortunately, two such creatures that I’ve cared for in the past – the Chittenango Ovate Amber Snail and the Tanzanian Spray Toad – are now extinct in the wild. Read article here Reptiles, Amphibians, Tarantulas among ?World?s 100 Rarest Species? That Reptile Blog. Comments and questions appreciated. As I do not place notices here each time I post a new article on That Reptile Blog, you may wish to check in periodically or subscribe; you can do so here That Reptile Blog. Please also check out my posts on Twitter Twitter. Thanks, Frank My Bio, with photos of animals I’ve been lucky enough to work with That Pet Place welcomes Zoologist/Herpetologist Frank Indiviglio to That Reptile Blog | That Reptile Blog That Reptile Blog Face Book Frank Indiviglio | Facebook
For those who are interested, I did a list of the world's 25 rarest animals some time ago. I have not kept it as up to date as I had planned to, nor are there many links, but maybe it is of interest to somebody? The Recently Extinct Plants and Animals Database cubit: The World's Rarest Animals: On the Edge of Extinction
It would be quite interesting to know how many species in that top 25 have been seen by members of this site; offhand I'm pretty sure 7 of them have been (Northern White Rhino, Hainan Black Crested Gibbon, South China Tiger, Spix's Macaw, Eastern Black Crested Gibbon, Kakapo and Iberian Lynx) but couldn't say about the others.
Of Surroundx's list I've seen Northern White Rhino, Partula faba and Cat Ba Langur. I've come ever so close to seeing Yangtze Giant Softshell (well, the Hoan Kiem individual, listed separately) but failed - missed it by about an hour!
Excellent list, thank you. We have better data on mammal/birds than other groups, but even so your list contains some that do not appear on most other lists. Best, Frank
Had a sudden moment of self-doubt re: P. faba - checked my photos and yes, they are indeed on show at Bristol, albeit at the back of the Partula room (other species can be seen much closer-to). Photo of the tanks attached.
