Polar bears are huge bears that live in the Arctic. They are closely related to another bear species, the brown bear. Their conservation status, from the Encyclopedia of Life, is vulnerable because their population is decreasing.

Their lifespan ranges between 20 to 30 years.

Their population numbers range from 22,000 to 31,000, and the scientific name of these bears is Ursus Maritimus. Ursus Maritimus is Latin and it has the meaning of “sea bear” which fits as the principal habitat of this species is the ocean. They are dependent and rely on sea ice for resting, travelling, hunting and other activities. Polar bears are important in the circle of life because they are at the top of the food chain, since they’re apex predators in the Arctic ecosystem. They also have an important role in the health of the marine environment, since they are apex predators who feed on seals, which regulates their population. Additionally, they spend over half of their time hunting, and their principal food source is seals. The average length of these bears is 6 to 9 feet, and their habitats include the Arctic Ocean including sea ice. They are also the planet’s largest carnivores based on land. Other facts about polar bears are that they mainly live and hunt alone, and they’re strong swimmers.

Climate change is causing ice to melt, the habitat of polar bears. The loss of their habitat is causing the polar bears to struggle, because they now must adapt to spending more time on land where they struggle, and it’s causing their population to decline.

A 2018 study estimates that two thirds of the world’s polar bear population could face a decline by 2050. Only 22,000 - 31,000 polar bears remain.

Killer whales, also known as orcas, are the biggest dolphins and are one of the most powerful predators on Earth. Their scientific name is Orcinus Orca. Their conservation status is listed as being an Endangered species.

They are mammals, their diet is carnivorous meaning that they eat meat. They live in small groups with under 40 members called a Pod.

Their average lifespan in the wild is 50 to 90 years. Additionally, the hugest males attain a length of over 10 metres/ 32.8 feet and a weight of about 9000 kg.The largest females attain a length of 8.5 metres/ 27.8 feet, and weigh significantly less. Orcas are very recognizable by their distinctive black and white colouring, they are also social as they hunt in pods, and they make different communicative sounds, the main one being echolocation. Echolocation is a physiological method of finding distant objects.

Orcas have three other ways of communication such as clicks, calls and whistles. Every pod has distinct calls, and clicks are used as a method of echolocation.

Killer whales can be found everywhere from the polar ice caps, the waters off the Equator, Baja in California, Newfoundland and Labrador, Iceland, Norway, Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand and the Galapagos islands.

A sad fact is that many killer whales are kept and are still being held in captivity to be trained as performers, which is extremely unethical.

Climate change:

Orcas are getting affected by climate change because they are forced to change their migration patterns. Another factor that impacts orcas is that climate change is impacting the whole arctic food chain. Climate change is affecting fish populations, which in turn affects narwhal populations, which affects orcas as narwhals are a major food source for orcas.

Only 50,000 orcas are alive worldwide.
A special species called southern resident killer whales only 73 are alive.

Belugas are small toothed whales and they are predominantly found in the Arctic ocean. The scientific name of this species is Delphinapterus leucas, they’re part of the mammalian class and are part of the eukaryotic domain.

These whales are endangered. Beluga whales are very vocal as they can mimic plenty of different sounds. Additionally, the size of these species ranges from 3.5 to 22 metres (8.5 to 22 feet). The average size for males is between 3.4 to 4.6 metres, while the females range between 3 to 4 meters. The weight of these species is between 1500 to 3500 pounds. The arctic species of these whales live in pack ice, but during winter, have to migrate. Their diet consists of crabs, squids, octopus, clams, small fish, Arctic cod and char, and shrimps.

They are covered with blubber which makes up 40% of belugas’ weight. Blubber keeps the belugas warm because they live in the Arctic ocean, and stores energy. Additionally, belugas are at the top of the arctic food chain like killer whales. Plus they are very social animals that do everything in pods from living and hunting to migrating. Distinctive beluga features include that they’re long, distinct necks contribute to their flexibility and diverse range of swimming movements. Their forehead is called a “melon”. Methods of communication include chirps, clicks, squeals and whistles. Another name for belugas are the canaries of the sea. There are 7 different beluga populations in Canada which are the Eastern High Arctic-Baffin Bay, Southeast Baffin Island-Cumberland sound, Ungava bay, St Lawrence River, Western Hudson bay, Eastern Hudson bay, and the Beaufort Sea-Arctic Ocean. Threats to belugas include polar bears, human hunting, and climate change.

Belugas are getting affected by climate change because of the constant changes in food availability, the chances of becoming trapped in ice because climate change is increasing the rate of ice melting, and belugas depend on ice for survival.

Only 150,000- 200,000 Belugas remain worldwide.

Walruses are a type of mammals and they’re related to seals and sea lions. Their scientific name is Odobenus Rosmarus, and they belong to the domain of eukaryota, and the animalia class. Their scientific name of Odobenus Rosmarus has the meaning of the “one that walks with teeth”, which perfectly explains the walrus. The main different species of Walruses are the pacific, atlantic, and laptev walruses. The Pacific subspecies is larger than the Atlantic one and migrates more. Walruses are known by their distinctive tusks. Their tusks are actually elongated teeth, but the males’ tusks are longer than the females’ ones. Their tusks can reach the length of over 3 feet (one meter),and they’re used to avoid predation, to demonstrate and assert dominance.

Walruses are predators and their diet consists of shellfish, worms, crabs, and fishes. They feed on the ocean floor near shallow waters as the sea ice provides sources of food. They’re also around the middle of the food chain, because polar bears and killer whales are known to be predators of walruses.They are also very social animals and tend to gather in small to large groups.

Walruses have a lifespan of up to 40 years. Threats to this species though include climate change, the loss of sea ice which takes away their habitat, and oil spills causes by humans, and human disturbances as a result of gas development.

The impacts of climate change is that it is taking away from the habitat of these animals which has negative repercussions on walruses, because their home is being taken away from them.

Lynxes are cats, part of the family Felidae, and their scientific name varies depending on the species. The 4 different types of lynx are the Canadian lynx (scientific name: Lynx canadensis), the Eurasian lynx (Lynx Lynx), the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), and the Bobcat (Lynx rufus).

Lynxes are big cats, with long legs, large paws, and a small head. The coat of this species is cream coloured and their tails and eyes are black, and they’re predators. The lifespan of these cats varies between 10 to 20 years.

The range of weight varies between 10 to 22kg, 22 to 44 pounds, but the Eurasian lynx is larger.

Lynxes are nocturnal, meaning that they are awake during the night and they are solo creatures. Canadian lynxes are distinguishable from the Bobcat because of their longer legs and wider feet. While the Canadian lynx’s conservation status is of the least concern by IUCN, they’re still majorly affected by climate change.

The habitat of these cats is boreal forests, and they are found in those areas across Canada except for Nova Scotia. Their length ranges from 67 to 107 centimetres, while their weight ranges between 8.0 to 17.3 kilograms. The diet of the predator Canadian lynxes consists mainly of the snowshoe hare as the main prey, but also different rodents and birds such as voles, squirrels, grouse, sparrows, and carrion. Even though this species is a large predator and is around the top of the food chain, they still have some predators themselves such as wolves, bobcats and coyotes.

The lynx is affected by climate change. Their habitat is getting impacted because of the rise in temperatures, and their prey, hares, are affected as well. They are affected because since the hares populations are declining, lynx populations are also declining.

The Jaguar is a big cat species, and they are the largest New World member of the family of cats. They are known by their orange tan-ish fur, with black spots, and they closely resemble leopards. Jaguars distinguish themselves from the leopards because they are bigger larger animals. The Jaguar is a symbol of power in South American cultures and they are the protectors of the rainforests.

The scientific name is Panthera onca. The conservation status of this cat is “Near Threatened” by the IUCN, which means that their population is constantly declining. Their lifespan, in the wild, is 12 to 15 years.

They inhabit tropical lowlands, which are areas close to rivers and wetlands, in forests. Their main habitat is the Amazon rainforest and 50% of them are found in Brazil, while the other half live in the other South American countries (Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador,Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela). Jaguars are important to their ecosystem because they are apex predators, so they contribute to the circle of life by eating other prey, which controls the populations of the other species in the food chain. The diet of these cats is extremely varied and comprises capybaras, deer, opossum, rabbits, caimans, livestock and birds.

The weight of (adult) Jaguars is extremely varied as it ranges from around 36 to 158 kilograms.

The major threats to this species include deforestation and aspects of climate change. Human activities such as deforestation is a major threat because it destroys their habitat, which are forests. Additionally, the rising temperatures impact the and could diminish the water availability and this has negative ramifications on not only jaguars but their prey as well, which impacts their food source.

Amazon River Dolphins are a species of dolphins. Dolphins are toothed whales belonging to the mammal family and they are marine creatures meaning their habitat is the ocean. They are a part of the family Delphinidae and the Platanistidae and Iniidae family for river dolphins. The Amazon River Dolphins’ scientific name is Inia geoffrensis and the class is Mammalia.

Their conservation status is endangered, by the IUCN, due to their population numbers being in the tens of thousands.

Their lifespan is around 10 to 30 years in captivity, and in the wild is unknown.

Their habitat is, as the name implies, the Amazon River and they only live in freshwater. They are found throughout the Amazon and Orinoco river of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and Guyana.

The diet of the Amazon River Dolphin is carnivorous. They eat more than 40 different species of freshwater fish, shrimps, squids, jellyfish, octopi. As they are carnivores, they are at the top of the Amazonian river food chain. The length of these dolphins are up to 9.2 feet, and they weigh up to 352 pounds which is 160 kilograms.

Climate change is impacting these species a lot through rising ocean temperatures, changes in ocean noise, habitat loss and melting ice caps. Rising ocean temperatures are impacting their species because many of them can get stuck and die. Changes in ocean noise affect them as well because it affects how dolphins’ sounds travel through water. Some die due to being entangled by commercial fishing operations.

Additionally, climate change causes habitat loss due to the bleaching of coral reefs, and because runoff could land into their habitats, as shown in 2023, where runoff landed into the ocean, which negatively impacts their habitat, because it causes the water to be unsanitary and contaminated.

Anteaters are toothless mammals who, as the name implies, eat ants. The scientific name of the Giant anteater is Myrmecophaga tridactyla, and they are part of the Vermilingua suborder. Their class is Mammalia. These animals are recognized by their long tails, tubular snout and coarse black and white fur.

The conservation of status by the IUCN is listed as Vulnerable as there are only 5000 anteaters remaining in the wild.

The lifespan of these mammals is around 15 years in the wild, but can live up to double of that in captivity.

Anteaters’ habitat varies as they can be found in multiple areas such as wetlands, grasslands, tropical savannas and forests in American countries such as Mexico, Paraguay, Venezuela, northern Argentina, Honduras, Bolivia, and of course the Amazon rainforest.

Anteaters have a peculiar diet as they are insectivorous and their main source of food is ants and they also eat termites, which allows for the termite population to not overgrow and the anteaters help the food chain.

Anteaters are important to their ecosystems because they maintain the balance of it due to their ability to control the ant and termite populations and prevent damage to vegetation. They also help the soil due to them having to dig to find the ants, which aerates the soil and so it enhances overall soil health.

The Giant Anteaters’ length is about 1.8 m and they can weigh up to 40 kg (88 pounds).

Climate change affects these animals through habitat loss, rising temperatures which causes increased forest fires. Habitat loss occurs due to deforestation as forest fires are destroying their habitat, and degradation.

The capybara is the biggest rodent on Earth and they are mammals. They are semi-aquatic mammals that are short haired, have brown fur, short legs and no tail.

The scientific name of these creatures are Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris. The conservation status of this species is listed as Least concern, however this does not diminish the fact that they are threatened by climate change.

The lifespan of the Capybaras is up to 7 years in the wild according to National Geographic and around 2 years longer in captivity.

These rodents are native to Northern and Central South America and so they are found throughout this continent as they live in the Amazon Rainforest, and areas in Venezuela, and northern Argentina.

Another important aspect of these animals is their diet. The diet of these vegetarian rodents includes aquatic plants, grasses, melons, grain, and squash.

These animals are small as they have a length of up to 4.6 feet long but they have a weight range as they can weigh up to 77 to 143 pounds which is around 34.9 to 64.8 kilograms.

The role of these animals in their ecosystem is also important to consider. They aid in modifying their ecosystem to benefit other species because they create ecological niches which support other animals which in turn helps the ecosystem. It helps the ecosystem because the niche that they create helps other animal populations, which enables the predators to eat them.

There are many threats to this species. The threats include: habitat loss/deforestation, hunting, and illegal poaching because of humans . Habitat loss occurs due to forest fires which is a consequence of climate change and deforestation which is a product of human activity as well. This impacts them because their habitat, the forest, is getting cut down or burned out by forest fires. Two other threats to this rodent are hunting and illegal poaching because humans hunt them and do it illegally as poaching.

The Green Sea Turtle is amongst the many species of turtles. Turtles are reptiles with shells that primarily live in the water. They also must come up to the surface from the water to breathe and they lay their eggs on lands.

There are many different species of Turtles. More specifically, there are 356 species of turtles. Their scientific name is Chelonia mydos, and they belong to the family of Cheloniidae, which is the family of green turtles, flatback sea turtles, loggerhead sea turtles, and others). The other turtle family is the Dermochelyidae which only is the family of the leatherback sea turtles.

Their conservation status is Endangered, because their population is declining.

They have a lifespan of at least 70 years or more because these turtles are long lived.

The Green Sea Turtles are found globally in all of the oceans but their main habitats are the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

The length of these turtles is relatively small, with them having a length of 3 to 4 feet, but they weigh between 300 to 350 pounds.

These animals are also recognizable by their dark brown, grey or olive colored shells.

Green Sea turtles are herbivores and so they eat plants. Their diet consists of algae, seagrasses, and sponges. Their role in the ecosystem is to help maintain the seagrass beds because they eat seagrass and algae which helps maintain the health of the seagrass beds and coral reefs.

Climate change is affecting the turtles that live in South America through multiple aspects. Rising sea levels, rising sand temperatures, and stronger storms are all negatively impacting sea turtles. The rising sea levels and stronger storms are negatively impacting turtles because they are eroding beaches which makes it harder for the turtles to find safe places to lay their eggs. Rising sand temperatures are negatively impacting the reproduction of these turtles because the warmer temperatures enable more females to be born, and less males which causes a threat.

The African Wild dog is a carnivorous dog species native only to Africa. They are recognizable by their distinctive appearance because they have patches of yellow, black and white on their fur, and their broad flat head and short muzzle. Their scientific name is Lycaon pictus, and it means “painted wolf” in Latin, which suits these dogs as their fur pattern is a mix of multiple different colours.

Their conservation status is listed as Endangered by the IUCN and have been listed as such since the 1990s.

The lifespan of these dogs is estimated to be approximately 11 years in the wild.

These dogs’ habitat was once the huge Sub-Saharan Africa, but now they only live in dense forests and the plains and woodlands of a select few African countries. They can be found in Botswana, western Zimbabwe, eastern Namibia, and western Zambia.

The African wild dogs are carnivores, which means that their diet primarily consists of meat. They hunt antelopes, warthogs, wildebeest, birds, and their hunting success rate is about 80%. They hunt in packs of 15 to 60 dogs, which enables them to have a high hunting success rate.

The average length of this species ranges from 76 to 102 centimetres (30 to 41 inches), and their weight range is from 16 to 23 kilograms.

These animals have an important role in the African ecosystem as they are carnivorous predators. They hunt multiple animals and so they eliminate sick and weak animals which keeps the natural balance of the ecosystem.

The threats to this species are targeted or accidental killings by humans, habitat loss, and competition with other predators like lions. These threaten the dogs because they can get killed by humans, have their habitat be lost by different factors such as humans destroying forests to create settlements. Disease outbreaks also kill them.

Climate change has effects on these dogs as well. The higher temperatures are causing a limit to the hunting abilities of these dogs and thus can cause them to be suffering from malnourishment.

The African elephant is a type of elephant. Elephants are the largest living land animal on Earth, and they are recognized by their long tusks. There are three different species of elephants. These different species are the African savanna elephant, the African forest elephants, and the Asian elephant. The scientific name of the African elephants in general is Loxodonta. The African savanna elephant’s scientific name is Loxodonta africana, the African forest elephants’ scientific name is Loxodonta cyclotis, and the Asian elephant’s scientific name is Elephas maximus.

The conservation status of the African savanna elephant is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.

They have a good lifespan of around 60 to 70 years which is a significant amount of time.

African savanna elephants are found in different locations. Such as savannas and some deserts and forests in many different southern and eastern African countries. They are found in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Namibia, Zambia and South Africa.

African savanna elephants have an herbivorous diet, which means that they eat plants. They eat grasses, leaves, shrubs, fruits, and roots.

Elephants have a maximum height of 3 metres, they have a length of up to 24 feet and they weigh up to 11 tons, which is 11000 kilograms.

This species has an important role of helping other animals in their ecosystem. They do this by breaking down the branches which enables them to lower food sources that wouldn’t have been easily accessible to other animals otherwise.

Elephants are being poached for ivory and body parts.

Their habitat loss impacts their survival. Habitat loss is by humans.

They are being affected by an aspect of climate change which is droughts, and this severely impacts elephants. Elephants have to drink a lot of water for their health, and because of the prominence of droughts in African savannahs, the elephants are really getting impacted.

These animals are iconic and play a vital role in their habitats.

Cheetahs are a type of big cat, a mammal, famous for its fast speed of up to 114 km/h. They are also recognizable by their yellow fur with black spots. The Cheetah's scientific name is Acinonyx jubatus, and they are part of the Felidae family. Additionally, there are 5 species of cheetahs. The conservation status is also important to consider, as they are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, because their population is declining. This status is quite severe as they have a vulnerability to facing extinction in the wild if they don’t get help.

The lifespan of these big cats is estimated to be around 7 years in the wild, but goes up to 14 and their lifespan is longer in captivity. The range of their lifespan in captivity is 8 to 20 years.

The habitats of Cheetahs vary. They are found in African grasslands, savannahs, dense vegetation, and mountains. They are found in a few African countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, and Botswana.

These cats are carnivorous, have a diet of meat, and they are apex predators. Their main sources of food are small antelopes such as gazelles, springbok, steenbok, impalas, and rabbits and hares. However, they also eat some large animals’ offspring. Cheetahs eat warthog, and oryx.

Their length ranges from 3.7 to 4.6 feet depending on the length of their tail as well which ranges from 2 to 2.7 feet. Cheetahs weigh approximately, within the range, of 77 to 143 pounds.

Cheetahs have an important role in their ecosystem, since they are apex predators. Their role in their ecosystem is to, by eating other animals, keep their prey populations under control, which aids their ecosystem. Sadly though, this species faces a threat from habitat loss, human conflict and illegal trade.

This cat species is negatively impacted by climate change as well. Droughts caused by climate change are negatively impacting them because it limits their ability to hunt, as their prey are forced to deal with higher temperatures and it is killing the food chain.

The Black Rhino is a species of Rhinoceros, and they are the 3rd largest rhinoceros species. There are 5 different rhinoceros species. The two African species of Rhinoceros are the Black and White rhinoceroses. The other 3 species of Rhinoceroses live in Asia. These species are: the Greater one-horned rhino, the Javan rhino and the Sumatran rhino.

The Black Rhinoceros is recognized by their two horns. Additionally, they are the world’s second largest mammals. Their scientific name is Diceros Bicornis.

The conservation status of the black rhino, as listed by the IUCN, is Critically Endangered, but their population is increasing which is a good sign.

The lifespan of these Black Rhinos ranges between 35 to 50 years in their wild habitat.

Black rhinoceroses are found in savannahs, forests, wetlands, and woodlands in Africa. They are found in Angola, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. Additionally, populations of black rhinos have been reintroduced into the African countries of Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Rwanda, and Zambia.

Black rhinos, like all other rhinoceroses, are herbivores, which means they have a diet of plants. They eat twigs, branches, leaves, shrubs, grass, and bark.

They have a length of up to 3.5 metres which is around 11.5 feet.

Black Rhinos are heavy as they are large animals. Their weight ranges between 700 to 1300 kilograms, which is approximately between 1500 to 2900 pounds.

These animals have an important role in the ecosystem as they have a role of being environment engineers in their habitats. The Black Rhinoceros aids their environment by rolling in the mud which creates water holes. These water holes aid their ecosystem because it helps the other animals.

Climate change has negative ramifications on these rhinos. Habitat loss and climate change threaten the Black Rhino populations. Rising temperatures, an aspect of climate change, is affecting rhinos. Rhinoceroses don’t sweat, and so they are dependent on their water or mud holes. However, the rising temperatures threaten their survival.

The African elephant is a type of elephant. Elephants are the largest living land animal on Earth, and they are recognized by their long tusks. There are three different species of

Gorillas are a type of ape (a monkey), and they are mammals. Also, they are the closest living relative to us humans. Mountain Gorillas, a subspecies of the eastern gorilla, specifically, are recognizable by their jet black appearance. There are two species of gorillas: the eastern and the western ones.

The scientific name of this monkey is Gorilla beringei beringei.

The conservation status of these monkeys is important as well. Their status, as listed by the IUCN, is Endangered. The lifespan of the mountain gorilla is approximately around 50 to 60 years.

These monkeys can be found in mountains within Africa. More specifically, they can be found in the Virunga mountains, and populations of these mountain gorillas can be found in Democratic Republics of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Mountain gorillas are omnivorous, which means that they eat both plants and meat. However, their diet is 85% vegetarian/ herbivorous, as stated by WWF. Their diet primarily consists of leaves, shoots, stems, but occasionally can eat ants, snails, and larvae.

Mountain gorillas, in general, have an approximate length of 2 to 2.7 feet.

Female mountain gorillas have a weight of approximately 90 kilograms, while the males weigh more as they weigh between 120 to 191 kilograms.

These monkeys have an important role in their ecosystem. They play a role in keeping the balance of the vegetation as their diet is very predominantly plant based.

The threats to this species include habitat destruction, poaching and climate change. Climate change affects the mountain gorillas. Habitat loss, which is exacerbated by climate change, is negatively impacting them because forest fires or droughts can affect their habitats.

The droughts also negatively impact their food sources, as their diet is predominantly plants.

Snow Leopards are big cats, recognizable by their thick white-gray coat spotted with huge black rosettes. They are also known as the “ghost of the mountains”. Snow leopard’s are very powerful due to their hind legs, enabling them to leap six times the length of its body, which aids them in climbing the Himalayas.

Their scientific name is Panthera uncia, part of the mammalia class, the Eukaryota domain, and they’re part of the Felidae family. They’re carnivores as described by the Encyclopedia of life. Their weight differs between 60 to 120 pounds, and they range between 2 to 5 feet in length. Their status is listed as vulnerable. The lifespan of these cats, in captivity, is longer than 22 years, and in the wild it’s between 10 to 12 years.

Snow leopards live in really harsh environments such as the steep mountains in central Asia. They live in the vast range of steep mountains of the Himalayas, amongst other mountains. They’re found in the mountain ranges of 12 countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, which ranges to 772,204 miles. 60% of the snow leopard habitat is in China, but 70% of their habitats haven’t fully been discovered yet.

These animals are able to kill animals which are up to three times their size, and they eat deer, blue and Argali sheep, marmots, pikas, and other small mammals.

Snow leopards are an apex predator, and so they are amongst the top of the food chain in the mountains. Additionally, their population is estimated to be 4000 to 6500.

The biggest threats to snow leopards are habitat loss, loss of their prey due to overhunting, poaching, and climate change. Climate change is the biggest threat to these animals due to 30% of their habitat in the Himalayas being threatened by it.

Pangolins are mammals, and armor plated anteaters who have the ability to roll themselves as a ball as a method of defense. They are covered in tough overlapping scales which is a distinguishing characteristic of pangolins. There are 8 species of pangolins, 4 of which are native to Asia. The Asian species are the Indian, Chinese, Philippine, and the Sunda pangolins. All pangolins are critically endangered.

The scientific name of the Chinese pangolin specifically is Manis pentadactyla, but the scientific name of pangolins in general is Pholidota. They’re part of the Eukaryotic domain, and the Animalia kingdom.

The Chinese pangolin's lifespan in the wild is unknown but in captivity it is 20 years. The Chinese pangolins are found in multiple locations, mainly the Himalayan foothills in Northern India, Eastern Nepal, Bhutan, North-East Bangladesh and found throughout China. They are found in tropical, limestone, riverine, bamboo forests, agricultural lands, grasslands, savannahs, and mangroves. Their main habitat includes primarily forestlands because of the plenty of hollow trees, termites mounds and freshwater.

Their diet is mostly insectivorous so they eat ants, termites, worms, flies, and crickets. These pangolins have a length of between 48 to 58 centimetres, with a weight of 1.8 to 7 kilograms. Their role in the food chain is important because they protect forests and eat termites which maintains a balanced ecosystem.

The biggest threats to pangolins are illegal hunting by humans and climate change.

Climate change is a major threat to this species because it affects their habitat. Deforestation leads to habitat loss and urbanization threatens their survival. They lose access to food sources and shelter and they are prone to starvation. Poaching and illegal trade is common and is a threat to their pangolin populations in the wild.

Bengal tigers are a type of tiger, therefore a member of the big cat family. The scientific name of the Bengal tigers are Panthera tigris tigris, and the scientific name of all tigers in general is Panthera tigris. Tigers are carnivorous apex predators, which means that they are at the top of the food chain. Their conservation status is endangered because their population is decreasing. The lifespan of Bengal tigers in the wild is around 13 to 15 years, because old age causes them difficulty to catch their prey, but in captivity it is around 20 years.

The Bengal tigers live in the humid and hot forests and the wetlands of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

Their diet consists of plenty of different animals such as deer, antelope, wild boars, gaurs and in certain very serious rare cases, kill humans.

The weight and length of these tigers is also important to note. The weight of male tigers is around 295 kilograms which is 650 pounds while the length of the biggest of the males is approximately 13.8 feet including their tails, which is around 4.2 metres. Female tigers weigh around 181 kilograms which is 400 pounds and have a length of approximately 9 feet.

The main threats to this tiger species are its illegal poaching by humans, habitat loss due to deforestation and climate change.

There are six ways in which this phenomenon is affecting Bengal tiger beings: forest fires, drought, loss of habitat, deprivation of food sources, conflicts due to human interactions, and the increasing sea levels.

Forest fires affect Bengal tigers as forests are their habitat.

The increase of droughts have negative ramifications on these tigers because they move from the forests to villages in search of water. Habitat loss is occurring due to climate change. The Sundarbans region of India had a lot of trees but due to the rising sea levels, as a result of climate change, it’s killing trees, which is in turn destroying the habitat of these tigers, and it also leads to the depletion of food sources. They’re forced to move to higher grounds to find food.

Sumatran Orangutans are a type of orangutans. Orangutans are big monkeys, whose name translates to “man of the forest”, in the Malay language. They are orange long-haired primates, meaning that they are “any mammal of the group that includes lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, apes and humans”, according to Britannica. Orangutans are only found in Sumatra and Borneo, but there are 3 species. The scientific name of this species is Pongo Abelli.

The conservation status is determined as critically endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), as their population is 14,613.

The lifespan of these monkeys for females is around 44 to 53 years and for males it’s around 47 to 58 in the wild.

These monkeys have a huge arm span, as a male can stretch their arms around 7 feet, and they also spend 90% of their time in the trees.

Their diet consists of fruits, leaves, flowers, seeds, termites, and ants. According to Britannica, they predominantly “eat ripe fruits and consume more than 400 different types of food, including invertebrates.”

The habitat of this species are the canopies of the trees in rainforests, swamp forests and they only live in the Sumatran island of Indonesia. They spend over 90% of their time in trees and they are the largest arboreal animals, a word which means “living in trees”, according to the Oxford dictionary. The weight of these species is, for a female, between 30 to 50 kg. The weight for a male ranges between 50 to 90 kg. The male orangutans’ height ranges from 4.5 to 6 feet, and the females’ height ranges between 3 to 4 feet tall.

The main threats to the Sumatran Orangutans is hunting, habitat loss due to climate change and deforestation. The increased rates of forest fires, which is caused by climate change, is causing their habitat loss. Hunting of this species by humans is a major threat as well, along with the cutting down of their habitat (forests).

Giant pandas are a type of bear species. They are known because of their white and black colouration and they are native to China.

The scientific name of this bear is Ailuropoda melanoleuca.

They are classified as endangered animals according to the IUCN, as there are fewer than 1900 of these animals in the wild.

The lifespan of pandas, in the wild, is estimated to be around 15 to 20 years, but scientists are unsure, as they live longer in zoos than in the wild, and the maximum is 35 years.

They live in mountainous regions across China. They inhabit the Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces of China.

Their diet consists primarily of the various parts of bamboos, such as the leaves and shoots, but they do eat other things such as eating garden fruits, cereals and vegetables in captivity.

Male pandas weigh up to 113 kilograms, while females weigh up to a maximum of 104 kilograms.

The major threats to this species are habitat/forest loss, and climate change. Habitat loss is a major threat because deforestation is cutting down their habitat which is trees.

Climate change is affecting these animals because it’s killing bamboo, which is pandas’ major food source.

European brown bears are a species of bear, with brown fur, that are native to Europe. Bears are four legged mammals. However, there are two other types of brown bears, the two native to Asia and North America.

The scientific name of brown bears in general is Ursus arctos. The scientific name of the European brown bear species is Ursus arctos arctos.

The conservation status of brown bears in general is listed as “least concern” by the IUCN, however the European brown bear is endangered. Their lifespan, in the wild, ranges from about 20 to 30 years.

These bears are found in many areas. Their habitat is forests and mountains in Europe. They are found in different countries in Europe such as the Carpathian Mountains which is a part of Ukraine, Slovakia, Poland, Romania. They can also be found in Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the Baltic states.

European brown bears are classified as carnivorous, however they are actually omnivorous. Their diet consists of berries, grasses, nuts, roots, herbs, and meats such as insects, elk, and deer.

This species of bear has a length of around 120 to 130 centimetres, which is a range of 48 to 83 inches. They also have a weight of up to around 135 to 250 kilograms, which is around 300 to 550 pounds.

These bears have an important role in their ecosystem. Brown bears have an important role because they are predators and they help their ecosystem by controlling the other animal populations and cleaning up the dead animal carcasses.

This species is getting impacted by climate change.

Lynxes are cats, part of the family Felidae, and their scientific name varies depending on the species. The 4 different types of lynx are the Canadian lynx (scientific name: Lynx canadensis), the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), and the Bobcat (Lynx rufus). Lynxes are big cats, with long legs, large paws, and a small head, and they’re predators. The lifespan of these cats varies between 10 to 20 years.

The range of weight varies between 10 to 22kg, 22 to 44 pounds, but the Eurasian lynx is larger.

The Iberian lynx’s scientific name is Lynx pardinus.

The conservation status of these cats was listed, by the IUCN, as Endangered. However, this changed last year, in 2024, when it was reclassified as Vulnerable. The lifespan of these Iberian lynxes is about up to a maximum of 13 years in the wild.

These cats are found in different areas. They primarily live in the mountainous scrublands regions of southern Spain.

Since lynxes are predators, their diet is carnivorous. It consists of rabbits, ducks, and deers.

The length of these lynxes varies between 80 to 130 centimetres which is approximately ranging from 31 to 51 inches. Also, adult Iberian lynxes can weigh between approximately 10 to 15 kilograms, which is a range of 22 to 33 pounds.

They have an important role in their ecosystem as they are predators. Their role is to help maintain the balance of the other animals.

Climate change impacts the Iberian lynxes through causing their main prey, the European rabbit’s population to decline as well.

The Common frog is one of the many species of frog. Frogs are amphibians which means that they have an ability to live on land, and sea. They are also known as the European common frog. The scientific name of the common frog is Rana temporaria, and they are part of the Amphibia class. The conservation status of this species is listed as Least concern because their population is stable. However, they still do face challenges.

The lifespan of these amphibians is short as it’s estimated to be around 5 to 10 years.

The common frog is native to Europe and can be found in many regions such as grasslands, wetlands, woodlands, and freshwater. They are found throughout Europe, and are known as the grass frog and the russet frog.

This frog species is carnivorous. Their diet consists of worms, snails, and slugs which are invertebrates.

The length of this amphibian is small as it is around 8 to 13 centimetres, and they weigh approximately 22 grams which is 0.022 kilograms. The common frog has an important role in their ecosystem as they help manage other animal (insects) populations by feeding on them.

Climate change is negatively affecting these animals. Rising temperatures, due to climate change, is negatively affecting them. The breeding phenology of these frogs is changing, due to the rising temperatures, and is increasing their risks. Additionally, the rising temperatures are causing a deadly frog disease to occur, which is deadly to their populations.

Puffins are amongst one of the many types of bird species found on Earth. Puffins are known by their ability to dive to get their food. They are able to dive into the water from a height of around 60 metres, which shows their great ability to dive. They are also recognized by their large multi coloured (yellow, black and orange) beaks. The scientific name of the common/ Atlantic puffin is Fratercula arctica, and they are part of the family Auk or Alcidae.

The conservation status of these birds as listed by the IUCN is Vulnerable because their populations are declining.

This Puffin species has an approximate lifespan of 20 years.

The common/ Atlantic puffin can be found in multiple countries around the northern part of the Atlantic ocean. 90% of their populations are found in different European countries such as Iceland, Norway, Ireland and Britain. Within those countries, their habitat consists of rocky islands and cliffs. Puffins are carnivorous, which means that their diet includes meat. Therefore, their diet consists of fish, mollusks and crustaceans. They eat many different varieties of fishes such as sand eels, herring, cod, and capelin. They also eat mollusks and crustaceans. The Atlantic puffin has a length of around 26 to 39 centimetres. Also, they have a weight of approximately between 320 to 480 grams. Puffins have an important role in their ecosystem. Their role is to prey on fish, and crustaceans which control their populations.

A study in the journal Science reported that North America has lost more than 3 billion birds since 1970, primarily due to climate change. 30% of migratory bird species alter their migration pattern due to climate change, that has impacted their food availability.

Climate change has negative ramifications on these birds. Extreme weather, which will only get worse with climate change, threatens their survival.

Arctic foxes are a type of fox that are found living in the Arctic. Foxes are four-legged mammals that are part of the Canidae dog family. They are recognized by their white fur, which also helps them camouflage in their Arctic snowy habitats.

The scientific name of these foxes is Vulpes lagopus.

While the conservation status of this species is listed as “Least concern” by the IUCN, this doesn’t diminish the importance that arctic foxes are still suffering from other threats.

The lifespan of these foxes, in the wild, is 3 to 6 years. In captivity, their lifespan is longer with it being up to 14 years. The Arctic fox can be found in different countries. The habitat of the Arctic fox is in the tundra habitat. They are found in the tundra or mountainous regions in Europe (Greenland and Iceland). They are also found in the tundra regions in the northernmost parts of other continents such as Asia and North America.

Arctic foxes are omnivorous, which means that their diet includes meat and plants.

The diet of these animals comprises small mammals such as lemmings, mice, rabbits, and birds. They also eat different types of fruits.

Arctic foxes can have a length ranging between 18 to 27.5 inches long, without including their tail. Their tails can be as long as 13.75 inches.

These animals also weigh approximately 6.5 to 17 pounds, which is approximately around 3 to 7 kilograms.

These animals, as omnivores, have an important role in their ecosystem. Their role is to regulate their prey’s populations, especially that of lemmings. They control the lemming populations by eating them, which aids the arctic ecosystem.

Climate change has important consequences on these animals. Since they live in the Arctic, an area majorly impacted by rising temperatures. Rising temperatures are affecting the habitat of these foxes because the snow and ice are melting at increased rates due to the increase of the temperatures. Food availability and predation are leading to a decline in their numbers. Predators are also responsible for their decline.