Endangered Animals in Mexico

Mexico, an exotic country, has a large number of different regions. It is inhabited by several different species of animals. Many of them are endangered, and are facing habitat loss due to human destructive activities. The rapid development and expansion of human population have made them homeless. Moreover, pollution and climate change have reduced their food sources.

Here, we discuss about some endangered animals in Mexico:

Vaquita: They are one of the smallest cetaceans in the ocean, weighing about thirty to forty pounds. They are grey-colored, and have a stripe running from their snouts to their flippers. They feed on fish, squid, and aquatic plants.

They are found in the shallow waters of Mexico's Gulf of California, and off the shorelines in the lagoons. Sometimes, they are found in the ocean around the Baja peninsula. Their population is declining because of large-scale commercial fishing. They get entangled in the fishing-nets, and are killed in large numbers.

Scarlet Macaw: They are found throughout the jungles of Mexico, Central America, and in Brazil. These beautiful parrots are rare endangered animals because they are hunted and killed in large numbers for their feathers. They have feathers of bright, beautiful colors, and some adults can have tails up to two feet.

They are intelligent creatures because they have the ability to mimic human voices, and learn words and speech patterns. They have a life-span of about 60 years. Laws have been enacted by the government of Mexico to protect their species.

Omiltemi Rabbit: It is a small species of rabbit, which is found only at the higher altitudes in Mexico. Not much is known about them as they are spotted rarely and infrequently. They can camouflage themselves in underbrush, and can remain motionless for up to 15 minutes to confuse their predators. Deforestation and clearing of forests for cultivation has destroyed their habitat, which is the main cause of their declining numbers.

Monarch Butterfly: They are migratory creatures, which travel long distances and reach the forests of Mexico to find shelter from cold weather during winter. They are bright orange-colored having contrasting black vein stripes and bright white spots. They can reproduce while they are migrating, which is an amazing and unique feature of this species.

Deforestation and logging industry have endangered their existence. This phenomenon of environmental deterioration could completely threaten the migration of monarch butterflies. Moreover, spells of wet and dry weather due to climate change, and over-crowding of genetically modified crops around the milkweed, the plant on which they lay their eggs, have increased their difficulties.

Therefore, conservation efforts to protect the endangered animals in Mexico have been initiated in the form of framing of legislations. Biosphere reserves and nature parks have being designed to safeguard them. Moreover, many wildlife organizations are actively involved in the preservation of natural habitat of the endangered animals. They are educating the local villagers and spreading awareness among people about the benefits of living animals and life in a balanced ecosystem.