Endangered Specices

The Endangered Eskimo Curlew and Threatened Cheat Mountain Salmander

Kaplan University

SC225-01 Environmental Science

October 15, 2011

The first animal selected for research is the Eskimo Curlew. The Latin name given to this animal is Numenius borealis.

The Eskimo curlew, Numenius borealis Forster is a medium-sized shorebird (about 30 cm long) with a slender, slightly down curved bill; dark crown and rather indistinct pale crown stripe; cinnamon tone above with whole under parts washed cinnamon; heavy v-shaped black marks and barring on breast and flanks; under wings and axillaries bright cinnamon with brown barrings; and legs bluish-grey with reticulated scales posteriorly. (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 2011)

(U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 2011)

The Eskimo Curlew eats three main foods: insects, snails, and berries. This bird is known to live in open tundra’s and tidal marshes. The Eskimo Curlew is an endangered species. This animal is past being threatened and on the verge of being extinct. The Eskimo Curlew was placed on the endangered species list on March 11, 1967. Researchers have not been able to come up with an exact reason that these birds are endangered, but have made two educational guesses. Many of these researchers believe that hunting during migration season may be the blame for this endangerment, but the most popular guess is that disease and other predator animals have caused this move towards extinction. At this point in time there really is not much being done to save these animals. The main reason for this is because these birds migrate in the winter months to lands that are not occupied by human civilization. American Ornithologists have studied the flights of this rare bird, and recovery teams are just now being planned to help try to protect this precious bird. Humans do not typically have impact on this bird, because they are rarely seen and are not found near human territory. This bird was endangered way...