Threatened, Endangered and Extinct
From top left: Hawaii Oo, Golden Toad, Passenger Pigeon
From bottom left: Tecopa Pupfish, Caribbean Monk Seal
What did all of the animals you just saw have in common? They are all extinctextinct. Every animal of their kind has died.
Scientists estimate that there are millions of different species species of animals on Earth. Many species have stable populationspopulations and are doing fine. Their numbers fluctuate from year to year but overall there are enough new animals being born to replace the animals that die.
For some animals, this is not true. Animals whose numbers decrease consistently are in danger of becoming extinct. Scientists call these animals endangeredendangered. Animals that are likely to soon become endangered are called threatenedthreatened.
Sometimes animals become extinct or endangered for natural reasons, without humans having anything to do with it. And sometimes, humans cause changes that lead to a population or species' decline.
Teacher Note
Let your class know that they will be studying endangered animals in this lesson. Go over any new vocabulary and make sure students understand what the words extinct, endangered, threatened and species mean.
Essential Questions
- What does it mean for an animal to be extinct, endangered or threatened?
Did You Know?
The Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973 to protect animals and plants that are in danger of becoming extinct. The law gave our government the power to designate certain species as endangered or threatened. The law also made it illegal to destroy endangered species.
