1.Vancouver Island marmot
The Vancouver Island marmot is among the world's most endangered and compelling animals—a counterpart,in rarity and cuteness,to China's giant pandas.No wonder an unlikely coalition that includes everyone from schoolchildren to a ski resort is making a last-ditch effort to save it.
The Vancouver Island marmot is a housecat-sized rodent weighing 3 - 6.5 kg (6.6 - 14.3 lb).It prefers sub-alpine open areas above 1000 m (3300'),in south to west-facing meadows.The flowering parts of alpine plants are its preferred food.The Vancouver Island marmot prefers open areas that provide good soil for burrowing,plentiful herbs and forbs to eat,and suitable rocks for lookout spots.It lives in colonies comprised of one or more family groups,and monogamous pairings are the norm.
The Vancouver Island marmot has never been abundant in historic times.It is endemic to Vancouver Island,British Columbia,Canada.By 1990 it had been reduced to 1/3 of its former range in the mountains of Vancouver Island,due in part to habitat disruption caused by logging.
"With a population numbering fewer that 100 animals,Vancouver Island marmots must be considered as one of North America's most critically endangered mammals.Only by increasing both their numbers and distribution can the future of this engaging rodent be secured.For this reason the Recovery Plan emphasizes captive-breeding combined with marmot reintroductions to formerly occupied sites." (Bryant 1998)
2.Kiwi bird
This North Island brown kiwi hatched at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington,D.C.,this week—only the second of these rare birds to hatch during the zoo's 116-year history.
Kiwi chicks hatch fully feathered with their eyes open and begin foraging for small worms and berries after their first week of life,since they receive no help from their parents.
The kiwi hatched on Monday,February 13,weighing in at 9.7 ounces (275 grams) after 64 days of incubation.Zoo staff monitored the egg each day,by weighing it and using a bright light to illuminate the egg's interior.
The National Zoo is one of just four zoos in the world to breed kiwis outside of New Zealand.In 1975 the National Zoo was the first institution outside of New Zealand to hatch a kiwi.That 30-year-old bird is still on exhibit at the zoo's Bird House.
The five recognized species of kiwis are all flightless,nocturnal,burrowing birds that are unique to New Zealand.North Island brown kiwis are listed as endangered by the International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.