Ever wonder about the animals that don't make the cover of conservation posters and commercials? Meet some of nature's not-so-gorgeous creatures and learn about the threats to their existence to find out if you can help! Even just raising awareness can go a long way for these unique animals. Some may be too small to see, deformed looking, unnatural to us, or downright ugly but still deserve as much love as the fuzzy and sweet animals on the screens. Listed below are several websites and my information sources where you can learn more or even get involved.
1. The Gharial
What a smile! This handsome fella is critically endangered due to damming and hunting for tribal medicine purposes. Habitat loss makes it difficult to find food and shelter. Fun fact: They cannot walk on land! All the more reason to lend them a hand!
2. The Humphead Wrasse
Like his haircut? The humphead wrasse is a coral reef fish that can get up to six feet long and live about 30 years! It has been over-hunted for many years in a region called the Coral Triangle, in the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The WWF has been urging leaders in the area for many years to stop or decrease the fishing of these dapper ocean creatures.
3. The Purple Pig-Nosed Frog
Want to kiss this frog? Maybe not! This happy friend lives in India and dwells underground most of the time. I would too if I looked like that! But in all seriousness, burrowing species like bugs and moles almost always get left out of conservation efforts, as they are not often noticed. But in reality, they face significant habitat loss and disruption.
4. Yangtze Finless Porpoise
Up and down the rivers of Asia glides no, not a dolphin, not a beluga, not a manatee, but a Yangtze Finless Porpoise! Known for it's sly grin, the porpoise faces extinction as pollution and over fishing threaten it's habitat. According to the WWF, they may have intelligence levels similar to a gorilla!
5. Bald-HEade Uakari
He gets a little red in the face when he's shy, but he's a great friend! This south American monkey is a friendly forager and only breeds once every two years, making it hard to keep up to population size. It is part of the group of many creatures of the Amazon threatened by deforestation.
To find out more about how to help "mother nature's aesthetically challenged children" you can visit websites like Ugly Animal Preservation Society, or the WWF and too many more to name!
