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It is really alarming to know that 50% of the species that inhabit the Earth may be in danger of extinction if climate change is not stopped in time. Once the so-called 'point of no return' has been reached, animals affected by climate change they will continue to increase year after year, reaching extinction processes faster than those that have been happening in recent decades. Beyond the melting of the poles, the risk that the consequences of climate change (current and future) poses for the survival of all living beings puts the habitat and natural resources of any region of the planet at a crossroads.
In this Green Ecologist article you will be able to know in detail those animals endangered by climate change, as well as discovering the importance of conserving the planet's ecosystems and protecting them from the consequences of climate change.
Polar bears
We begin by commenting on the melting of the North Pole and the loss of the polar bears. The current melting of the North Pole is one of the most direct consequences of climate change. Melting from the elevated temperatures of global warming, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) they fail to catch their prey, suffering severe periods of famine and dying on many occasions.
For this reason, polar bears are one of the animals that are in danger of extinction most affected by climate change, according to the IUCN's 'Red List of Threatened Species' (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Currently, there are only 22,000-31,000 specimens of this species left, grouped into a total of 19 subpopulations, 3 of which are in serious decline due to the high risk of loss of individuals to which they are due to climate change.
You can read more in this other post about: Is the polar bear in danger of extinction?
Snow Leopard
One of the most iconic cats in the mountains of Central Asia, the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia), is found in serious danger of extinction due to the impacts that climate change cause in their natural habitat. The snow leopard population already has a 20% decline in the last 20 years, and, according to the WWF organization (World Wildlife Fund), climate change will continue to accelerate the rate of loss of these predators, as they are forced to survive in conditions of altered temperature and a very limited availability of prey.
Read more about Why the Snow Leopard is Endangered here.
Platypus
The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), emblem of Australian wildlife, is found in road to extinction due to the risks of loss of their natural habitat caused by climate change. This strange duck-billed, beaver-tailed monotreme is suffering a drastic population decline due to the extreme weather conditions current events, which are seriously endangering their lives.
Various international environmental organizations agree on the need to promote the protection of platypus in order to prevent their disappearance.
Bees
The survival crisis of many pollinators, including the bees (order Antophila), is a direct consequence of climatic changes. Currently, the impact of climate change on the risk of extinction of these insects is extreme, putting the probability of their survival in the coming decades at a crossroads. As stated by different research groups, 'bees are going extinct at rates equivalent to those of the mass extinctions that have already taken place on Earth, so that, if this loss of biodiversity continues at such a rate, many species of bees could be gone forever in a few decades. '
This data is very alarming, since bees are responsible for the pollination of millions of plant species, without which the planet's natural habitats would be seriously affected.
We encourage you to also read this post about Why bees are in danger of extinction.
Other animals in danger of extinction due to climate change
The list of endangered species As a consequence of the environmental risks derived from climate change, it includes animals of all faunal groups. In the following list we collect many of them:
Mammals
- Blue whale
- Narwhals
- North American Puma
- South china tiger
- Bengal tiger
- Multicolored tamarin
- American pike
- Orangutan
- Panda bear
- Kangaroo
- Asian elephant
- African elephant
- African wild dog
- Koala
- Lemurs
- River dolphin
- Monk seal
- Ringed seal
- Reindeer
- Iberian Desman
Birds
- Emperor penguin
- Capercaillie
- Imperial parrot
- Hummingbirds (various species)
- Cerrojillo flycatcher
- Monterita de Cochabamba
Fish
- Sharks (various species)
Reptiles
- Sea turtles (various species)
Amphibians
- Axolotl
- Tree frog
- Temporaria frog
- Common toad
Invertebrates
- Coral reef polyps
- Mediterranean butterflies
- Monarch butterflies
- Bumblebees (various species)
In the images below you can see these species of animals affected by climate change in the same order as these lists.
How climate change affects the extinction of animals
Climate change is responsible for many animal species living on the edge. Beyond the increase in temperatures due to global warming, there are various consequences of climate change that affect the extinction of animals, either directly or indirectly. These consequences include:
- The lack of water caused by long-term and / or multi-year droughts, which tends to prolong the destabilization of animal populations even years after the end of the drought.
- Changes in the dynamics of mating, migrations and refuge due to climate change lags, thus causing the alteration of the natural rhythms and cycles of animal behavior.
- Alterations in food chains directly related to seasonal climate changes. That is, there are gaps when at a certain time of year the species of organisms (invertebrates and vertebrates) that used to do not proliferate, which serve as food for other higher animals, according to the trophic chains.
- Others extreme weather events such as snowfalls, fires, tsunamis and the melting of the poles destroy the life of the autochthonous animals, which constitute the fauna wealth of each region, affecting the interspecific animal relationships (between different species) in the same way.
- Furthermore, due to the consequences of climate change, animals are threatened by new risks, such as the approach of human populations, the existence of new predators, movements by invasive species and even the appearance of diseases that increase the risk of extinction.
If you want to read more articles similar to Animals in danger of extinction due to climate changeWe recommend that you enter our category of Endangered Animals.
Bibliography- Drafting EFEverde (06/08/2021). WWF warns that the Mediterranean is turning into a tropical sea. EFE: Green, Biodiversity and Climate Section. Recovered from: https://www.efeverde.com/noticias/wwf-alerta-mediterraneo-mar-tropical/
- Uquillas, L. (09/22/2019) Climate change and loss of space, threats to the snow leopard. EFE: Green, Biodiversity Section. Recovered from: https://www.efeverde.com/noticias/cambio-climatico-amenazas-leopardo-nieves/
- Writing team (01/20/2020) The platypus on its way to extinction due to climate change. EFE: Green, Biodiversity and Climate Section. Recovered from: https://www.efeverde.com/noticias/ornitorrinco-camino-la-extincion-culpa-del-cambio-climatico/
- Rodríguez, H. (02/06/2020) What bumblebees tell us about the next great extinction. National Geographic Spain, Climate Change section. Recovered from: https://www.nationalgeographic.com.es/naturaleza/que-nos-cuentan-abejorros-sobre-proxima-gran-extincion_15161
