Attenborough chose 10 more unusual/lesser known species facing extinction. "There are a lot of animals today that face the same fate as the dodo."
"I could choose those that grab the headlines - the majestic tiger... polar bear... snow leopard... mountain gorilla. They are all animals that I wouldn't want to lose."
"But there are many other extraordinary creatures out there not in the limelight. These few five a glimpse of the outstanding diversity of nature"
The Black Lion Tamarin
There are believed to be just 1,000 of these creatures left in the wild. They had thought to have gone extinct, until a small population was found in a forest near São Paulo in 1970.
The Sumatran Rhino
The Sumatran Rhino is the smallest and most endangered of all of the 5 species of rhino. There are thought to be only 200 left.
The Solenodon
The solenodon is a direct descendant from some of the first mammals to roam the Earth. These nocturnal creatures are one of the few mammals to have a venomous bite, but in the Dominican Republic in which they live, they are threatened by cats and dogs that have been slowly introduced by humans.Attenborough thinks that "Solenodons are unique... if we lost these little creatures, we would not see anything else quite like them on earth".
The Olm Salamander
The Marvellous Spatuletail Hummingbird
Darwin's Frog
Attenborough says that "It is a very remarkable frog because the male gives birth to its young. It does so out of its mouth".
"The layer of ash from the volcano is drying out and killing vegetation that the frog relies upon. It is pushing Darwin's frog to the edge of extinction".
The Sunda Pangolin
These creatures are similar to anteaters, but have hard scales made of keratin. They are heavily hunted for use in black market medicine in Vietnam and are highly prized for meat.
"It is one of the most endearing animals I have ever met... Huge numbers of them are illegally exported, mainly to China. In the last 15 years, over half of the population of sunda pangolins have disappeared" - Attenborough.
Priam's Birdwing Butterfly
The Northern Quoll
Scientists are now trying to train captive quolls to avoid cane toads by feeding them toads that have the poison removed but instead contain a substance that makes them feel ill, rather than kill them.
Venus's Flower Basket
Attenborough says "This complex glass structure is a marvel of design. What is remarkable is that the sponge grows its glass structures and does not need a red hot furnace that human glass makers use"
"For me, these are some of the most beautiful and some of the most remarkable living organisms"
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9637972/Sir-David-Attenborough-picks-10-animals-he-would-take-on-his-ark.html
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