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2012 Endangered species Iguana iguana COMMON NAME: Green iguana TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION: Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Family: Iguanidae The green iguana is one of the best known reptiles due to its popularity in zoos and with private reptile keepers. It has a very distinctive appearance, with a large head and a pronounced dewlap (a fold of loose skin hanging below the throat). It has an impressive crest of comb-like spines that runs down the centre of the back and tail. While, like its name suggests, this iguana is usually a shade of green (from dull, grassy green to vivid turquoise), bright orange individuals may occur in the northern parts of its range and the colour may also vary with temperature, particularly when young, being bright green when hot and dull and dark when cold. The green iguana has a wide distribution ranging from the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Veracruz, through Central America and into South America as far south as Peru, Paraguay and northern Argentina. Green iguanas most commonly inhabit tropical forests close to water. They are primarily a tree-dwelling reptile and specialized leaf-eaters, consuming the tender green leaves and flowers of a selection of trees, shrubs and herb vegetation. For over 90 per cent of the time, green iguanas are inactive and often, when they do move, they travel slowly. However, if required, green iguanas are capable of running fast and will dive into water to escape predators. The green iguana is hunted in some countries for its beautiful, commercially valuable skin, prized flesh, and eggs. It is also frequently hunted for food. They are also captured live and exported for the pet trade. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES. Propithecus tattersalli COMMON NAME: Golden-crowned sifaka TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION: Class: Mammalia Order: Primates Family: Indriidae The goldencrowned sifaka is the smallest of the sifakas. Its coat is creamy white, and its common name is derived from the bright golden-orange crown. The shoulders, upper arms, chest and rump may also be tinged with this colour. The hairless, black face is drawn into a pronounced muzzle and the eyes are a bright orange colour. White hair frames the face and the ears are tufted, giving the face an almost triangular appearance. Their legs are powerful and considerably longer than their arms, which are adapted for upright leaping from tree to tree. Endemic to Madagascar, the goldencrowned sifaka is found in fragments of forest centred on the village of Antanimarazoko. They inhabit dry, deciduous or semi-evergreen remnant forest patches and feed on a variety of unripe fruit, seeds, shoots and leaves and bark. Their entire range is just over 88,000 hectares. Of all lemurs, the golden-crowned sifaka has one of the most limited distributions. Vast tracts of their habitat have been cleared and the isolated patches of forest that remain are under pressure from logging and bush fires. The species is also hunted in some areas, and the recent discovery of gold in the region has resulted in an influx of miners, causing further habitat loss and the hunting of lemurs for food. It is listed on Appendix I of CITES. Vienna (€ 0.70) Panthera uncia COMMON NAME: Snow leopard TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION: Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae The beautiful snow leopard is a white to smokygrey colour, with yellow tinged fur and patterned dark-grey to black rosettes and spots. The snow leopard has many adaptations for its cold habitat including long body hair and thick, woolly belly fur, large paws and a well-developed chest and enlarged nasal cavity that warms the cold air as it is breathed in. The long, thick tail is almost a metre in length and is used for balance and as added insulation when wrapped around the body and face at rest. The short forelimbs and long hind limbs enable this leopard to be particularly agile in its steep and rugged habitat. The majority of snow leopards are located in the Tibetan region of China. Extremely fragmented populations are found in the harsh, remote, mountainous areas of central Asia. Most active at dawn and dusk, snow leopards are opportunistic predators capable of killing prey up to three times their own weight. Their prey consists mainly of wild sheep and goats, although livestock will also be taken. These cats will kill an average of one large animal twice a month. The natural prey of the snow leopard has been systematically hunted out of many areas of the high central Asian mountains and leopard numbers have declined as a result. These big cats often turn to domestic stock as an alternative source of food and this can incite retaliation from local farmers, which has also contributed to its decline. The species is listed on Appendix I of CITES. http://unstamps.un.org 26
Polyplectron schleiermacheri COMMON NAME: Bornean peacock-pheasant TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION: Class: Aves Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae The highly threatened Bornean peacock-pheasant is a strikingly beautiful but elusive species. The upperparts and tail of the male Bornean peacock-pheasant are reddish-brown and liberally decorated with distinctive blue-green markings resembling eyes, known as “ocelli”. The male also has a pure white throat and upper breast, with a stunning metallic blue edge, and an orange, featherless face. The female Bornean peacock-pheasant is smaller and less colourful than the male. Vocalizations of both males and females are loud, harsh cackles. The Bornean peacock-pheasant is endemic to Borneo (Indonesia and Malaysia). The range of the bird is not entirely understood due to the birds elusive nature, but it is thought to extend across the entire island. The greatest threats to the Bornean peacock-pheasant are habitat loss and hunting. The forests of Borneo have been devastated by logging and clearance for plantations, particularly rubber and oil palm plantations. From 1985 to 1997, Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) lost around 25 per cent of its evergreen forests. Forest fires also pose a significant threat to the habitat of the Bornean peacock-pheasant. The species is listed on Appendix II of CITES. Tyto novaehollandiae COMMON NAME: Masked owl TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION: Class: Aves Order: Strigiformes Family: Tytonidae The masked owl, also known as the Australian masked owl is a medium-sized owl (40-50 cm long) with dark eyes set in a prominent flat, heartshaped facial disc that is encircled by a dark border. It has a stocky, often crouched posture, strong, heavy feet and feathered legs. This species exists in several colour forms, with wide variation in plumage. The upperparts are grey to dark brown with buff to rufous mottling and fine, pale spots. The underparts are white to rufous brown with variable dark spotting. The palest birds have a white face with a brown patch around each eye; the darkest birds have a chestnut face. Masked owls live in dry eucalypt forests and woodlands from sea level to 1,100 metres. They roost and breed in moist eucalypt forested gullies, using large tree hollows or sometimes caves for nesting. Their typical diet consists of tree-dwelling and ground mammals, especially rats. Its nocturnal and secretive behaviour pattern includes long periods at night without calling during the non-breeding season, and aversion to light, making it a difficult species to detect and study. Major threats to the masked owl include the loss of trees which contain hollows and loss of habitat for its prey species, which in turn deprives the owl of its natural food source. Other threats include clearing of habitat for grazing, agriculture, forestry or other development. The species is listed in Appendix II of CITES. Ambystoma mexicanum COMMON NAME: Axolotl TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION: Class: Amphibia Order: Caudata Family: Ambystomatidae The remarkable axolotl is part of the family of “mole salamanders”. It exhibits an unusual and extreme trait known as neoteny, or paedomorphosis. This is the retention of larval stage characteristics throughout its life, so axolotls usually never fully resemble an adult salamander. Unlike other amphibians, most axolotl fail to metamorphose, living permanently in water. Although it does develop lungs, the axolotl’s most bizarre feature is its retention of its branch-like gills, which are external projections from the neck on each side of the head. Each side has three branches covered with feathery filaments which increase the surface area for gas exchange. The axolotl has a long, slim and darkly coloured body, and short legs, with four digits on the front feet and five digits on the hind feet. The axolotl is native to the ancient water channel system of Mexico City, preferring deep salty water with plenty of vegetation. It is inactive during the day, resting with its gills splayed. They move slowly and may surface occasionally to take a breath of air. Young axolotl feed on algae, but older individuals will eat aquatic invertebrates. The axolotl is primarily preyed upon by herons. While there are large numbers of axolotls in captivity around the world, particularly in biomedical and physiological research laboratories, numbers of wild axolotls are very low. Previously, capture of this species for the international pet and research trade contributed to population declines, but the axolotl now breeds well in captivity, alleviating this threat. The most significant threat to the axolotl is the increasing pollution of the lakes and canal system as Mexico City continues to grow. The axolotl is listed on Appendix II of CITES. 2012 ENDANGERED SPECIES 27 http://unstamps.un.org
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endangered species - United Nations Postal Administration - ONU

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