Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Post

🎉 Today is World Pangolin Day! 🌍 The armoured-plated pangolin is a truly remarkable animal, yet sadly, it's believed to be the most trafficked mammal on Earth! 🛑 Their skins, scales, and meat are illegally traded for fashion, medicine, and food. 🌱 Now, six out of eight pangolin species are Endangered or Critically Endangered. We're committed to reducing demand for pangolin products and restoring their wild populations. Learn more from the legendary Sir David Attenborough here 🔗 https://loom.ly/NqTAL9A [Although seizure data is a vital source of information, it may not provide a complete picture of illegal wild species trade. Also, keep in mind that information may vary across places, species, or over time.] #WorldPangolinDay #SaveThePangolins #Pangolins #SirDavidAttenborough IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group

Myrcia variabilis is an endemic species, found in the Cerrado and Mata Atlântica. Fig. Cross section of Myrcia variabilis, note the diffuse to diffuse in aggregates axial parenchyma.

The Rhampholeon subgenus Rhinodigitum is endemic to montane forests in east and central Africa. There are 19 species of Rhampholeon (Rhinodigitum) and 4 are assessed as Critically Endangered (more than any other (sub)genus) plus 2 Endangered, while 6 species are so recently described that they have not yet been assessed by the IUCN Red List. #InternationalChameleonDay #ShowYourColors #ChameleonDay2024 #ChameleonDay #ChameleonDayMay9

😃 Ants and Aphids Some ant species herd aphids in order to have a constant supply of honeydew that the aphids produce. In exchange, the aphids are protected by the ants from other insect predators. Some ant species farm aphids and other insects that feed on sap. The ants herd the aphids along the plant, protecting them from potential predators and moving them to prime locations for acquiring sap. The ants then stimulate the aphids to produce honeydew droplets by stroking them with their antennae. In this symbiotic relationship, the ants are provided with a constant food source, while the aphids receive protection and shelter. https://lnkd.in/dsDnY_gY 📷 Alex Wild

DID YOU KNOW? World Hippo Day on February 15 celebrates the extraordinary hippopotamus and encourages people to take action to prevent its extinction. Did you know that before 1909, scientists placed hippos in the same group as pigs? Despite their outward similarities with pigs or wild boars, hippopotamuses are closely related to whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Hippos are thought to have originated from a group of semiaquatic animals called Whippomorpha. This group later split into two branches around 54 million years ago. The first branch, which includes whales and dolphins, evolved to become complete aquatic cetaceans. The second branch became anthracotheres, a close ancestor of the common hippo. Hippos are currently identified as vulnerable species, with about 115,000 to 130,000 remaining in the wild. Their declining population is attributed to poaching, loss of access to fresh water, mechanized farming, and urbanization. #morethanworkWEAREFAMILY

There are about 20,000 species of bees in the world, and while honeybees are the best known, there are hundreds of other species of bees – mostly ground nesting species like this Green sweat bee (Agapostemon virescens) – that pollinate food crops as well as the hundreds of thousands of other flowering plant species. Bees live on every continent except Antarctica, and in nearly every habitat on the planet. #WorldBeeDay

Protection and sustainable utilization of the Chinese endangered and endemic species Primula filchnerae R. Knuth.

 The simplest aspect to consider is species. About 1.7 million species of animals, plants and fungi have been recorded, but there are likely to be 8-9 million and possibly up to 100 million. The heartland of biodiversity is the tropics, which teems with species. In 15 hectares (37 acres) of Borneo forest, for example, there are 700 species of tree – the same number as the whole of North America. https://lnkd.in/d5jgtwC4

This is a simply EXTRAORDINARY piece of behaviour to rediscover in the wild. This proves just how important the gene pool is in traditional breeds of cattle, which often aren't too far removed from their wild ancestors, and often still carry the behavioural responses to their main predators. In this example, horned cattle not only FORMED A DEFENSIVE RING to protect themselves against wolves, but some free-roaming horses also took advantage of this defence. Traditional breeds like this also carry in their genes a whole suite of native *behaviours*, from tree thrashing, to wallowing, to dust bathing, to scrape creation, and many more. All of these behaviours performed by large animals in the wild created NICHES FOR LIFE. Any large land holding that wants to see a recovery in biodiversity needs to see these species carefully reintroduced, at the right time in the floral recovery and in the right places to create the right conditions for life to thrive. That's exactly what we are doing at RESTORE https://lnkd.in/eEFmdBjR

June is Invasive Species Action Month in Wisconsin! Here's one invasive plant to look out for in wetlands this summer, and some tips for how to identify it on our blog: https://lnkd.in/gzK-YmT3