Eleven of the rarest animals on the planet that are on the verge of extinction. The world's rarest animal species (10 photos) Predatory soft-bodied turtle living in Indochina

Among all freshwater soft-bodied turtles, our heroine is the undisputed leader in size. It weighs about two hundred kilograms, and this is with a body length of more than a meter and a width of 200 centimeters. Agree that among similar reptiles this is a real monster. According to local residents, the turtle has the same snout as the pig, with eyes raised up. And incredibly powerful limbs protrude from under the flat carapace. The body of the turtle is painted in olive color tones. However, you cannot call it monochromatic, due to the presence yellow spots and blackheads. As for the plastron, it is painted gray.

So original name The turtle was named in honor of its discoverer, naturalist Robert Svaino. The turtle is one of the incredibly rare species of reptiles that can only be found in Vietnam and China. It lives in lakes, rivers, fresh water bodies and swamps. It is active throughout the day. Can hunt both day and night. Feeds on: fish, crustaceans, snails, frogs, insects. From plant foods it consumes leaves of hyacinth and rice.

It reproduces by eggs. In one such clutch there are about 130 of them. IN wildlife lives about 100 years.

Currently, the population of these turtles has reached a critical level. This is due to poaching and human encroachment into their environment. natural habitat. In order to prevent the complete extinction of turtles, in 2006 the Americans decided to launch a program for artificial breeding soft-bodied turtles Svaino, living in China. The problem was that only two females were found in the Suzhou and Changsha zoos. Males survived only in Vietnam. Transporting animals from one place to another was too risky. Stress could just kill them. In addition, the age of the females was quite respectful, being about 80 years. In such years, reproduction of offspring already becomes a problem. However, scientists decided to take a risk and transported the female from China to the male in Vietnam. The mating was successful, and a month later the female laid 45 eggs, but all of them were empty. In all likelihood, the reason lies in the serious age of the turtles and the low sperm productivity of the male. All that remains is to hope for a miracle. Otherwise, these unique reptiles will disappear from our planet forever.

For the people of Vietnam, the Svaino turtle is a symbol of the struggle for independence. Here it is considered almost a sacred animal. There is even a legend that says that the turtle is a goddess who has magical power, lives in Hoan Kiem Lake. The Vietnamese worship her religiously. So as not to lose so much forever significant symbol, Vietnamese zoologists are working hard on the problem of breeding Svaino turtles, but so far, to no avail.

No zoologist can give an exact answer to the question of how many animals inhabit our planet. Unfortunately, due to the barbaric attitude towards nature, many invaluable species of animals have already disappeared from the face of the Earth and are forever lost to humanity. Many species are on the verge of extinction. What are the rarest animals on the planet?

Gigantic soft shell turtle
The largest freshwater turtle. Its weight reaches 200 kg. She spends most of her life buried in the sand, with only the front of her head exposed. Predator. It feeds on shellfish, shrimp, crabs, and small fish. The attack speed of this seemingly clumsy giant is faster than that of a cobra.

Until 2007 it was believed that this type lost forever. But then 4 turtles were found. Two males live in a Vietnamese zoo, one male and a female live in a Chinese zoo. Scientists around the world look at the couple with hope, expecting offspring.

The giant soft-shelled turtle is the rarest animal in the world.

Chinese river dolphin Baiji
Lived only in China. It was mainly distributed in the Yangtze River, entering the lower reaches of the Qiantang River, and was also seen in Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake.

This graceful animal was not in danger until 1950, but then, due to the stormy economic activity people, its numbers began to decline sharply. By 1980, no more than 400 baiji dolphins remained, in 1997 - 13 individuals, and in 2002 the last male Chinese river dolphin died.

In 2006, zoological scientists conducted a thorough survey of the dolphin's distribution range, but not a single individual was found, and in August 2007 the species was officially given the status of "extinct". However, at the end of the same 2007, a Chinese photographer was able to capture several of these animals, which created a sensation in the scientific world. This fact It is even listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Today, only 10 Baiji dolphins are known to survive.

Red-footed ibis
This is the most rare bird in the world. Today, only one colony is known in China, which numbers only 17 individuals. In the late 1990s, several chicks from this colony were placed in a nursery in the hope that the birds would begin to breed in captivity. But the red-footed ibises all died. Since then, ecologists have not touched the birds, only protecting them from predators and poachers and monitoring the cleanliness of the habitat of this rarest bird on Earth.

Far Eastern (Amur) leopard
Lives in the Far Eastern taiga forests in Russia, China and North Korea. A total of 68 Far Eastern leopards have been recorded. The lithe and graceful wild cat is on the brink of extinction. It is extremely difficult to breed it in captivity, since the males Amur leopard extremely picky. They spend a very long time looking at the female and often reject brides.

Who is to blame for the extinction of the Far Eastern leopard? The answer is laconic - man is the biggest threat to all life on Earth.

Kakapo parrot
Another rare bird, endemic to New Zealand. Some ornithologists claim that this parrot is the most ancient bird in the world. The only parrot that leads night look life, cannot fly and has a polygamous reproductive system (one male and several females). Unique property kakapo - emit a strong but pleasant odor, reminiscent of a flower.

Today there are only 70-75 birds in the wild. In captivity they feel good, but do not reproduce. The New Zealand Department of Nature Conservation considers restoration of the population of this unique species one of its main tasks. ancient looking birds.

Javan rhinoceros
These unique and very rare animals are found only on the island of Java (hence the name). Scientists have determined that their number is no more than 80 individuals. It is extremely difficult to restore the population due to physiological characteristics animals.

Snow leopard. Snow Leopard
This wild cat called the icon of the mountains. Mongols still worship the snow leopard today, considering it a mystical animal. It lives only in Asia, its distribution area in Russia is extremely small - only 3-5% of common territory a habitat.

It is extremely difficult to track them in the wild, so it is difficult to say exactly how many snow leopards roam the slopes Altai mountains, scientists cannot. According to rough estimates, a little more than a hundred. Such a small number is the result of increased demand for magnificent, very warm and soft snow leopard skins. Fortunately, Snow Leopard breeds well in captivity, so there is hope for a complete restoration of the population.

Chatham petroica
The story of this bird is amazing. Its habitat is very small. It is found only in the Chatham Archipelago, located south of New Zealand. In 1976, only 7 of these birds remained in the world. New Zealand ornithologist Don Merton carried out a risky and labor-intensive campaign to save these birds from extinction. He removed from the nest fresh eggs petroiki and placed them for another bird to incubate. The female, deprived of clutches, immediately laid new eggs, which the scientist also removed. So in one season we managed to increase the bird population several times. Today there are 200 individuals of this rare bird in the world.

Sumatran rhinoceros
This is the smallest rhinoceros in the world. Today it can only be found in Sumatra, Borneo and the Malay Peninsula. According to environmentalists, their number is 250-280 individuals.

The Sumatran rhinoceros is one of the least studied animals on the planet. In captivity it lives little and does not produce offspring. Therefore, this species can be preserved only by restoring it natural environment habitat and stopping poaching.

Red wolf
The predator previously inhabited almost the entire territory of the United States. He was severely persecuted by the population for attacks on livestock. In 1967, there were no red wolves left in the wild, and 14 individuals lived in captivity. This subspecies was declared endangered, and active efforts began to save it.

Today, all red wolves are descendants of the last 14 predators. There are a total of 280 individuals, 100 of which were released into the wild in the North Carolina area.

River gorilla
The rarest subspecies of gorillas. Today it can only be found in Cameroon and Nigeria (Africa). In total, no more than 300 mammals live in natural conditions. In the limited space of the zoo, river gorillas do not feel well, so the only way to prevent the complete extinction of the subspecies is to preserve their natural habitat. For the safety of river gorillas on the border of Nigeria and Cameroon, a National Park, where 115 animals live.

Asiatic lion
Beautiful proud cat. At the beginning of the 20th century, these predators almost became extinct. There are only 15 of them left. But the Indian authorities took action, and today there are already 523 Asiatic lions living in the Girsky Nature Reserve. To increase the population, several pairs of animals were transferred to European zoos. Unfortunately, the animals did not survive acclimatization and died. Today, the Asiatic lion lives exclusively in the Indian reserve.

Burmese snub-nosed monkey
These amazing animals live only in northern Burma. The view was opened quite recently, in 2010. They got their name from their characteristically upturned nostrils. This is the most rare view primates in the world. Their number does not exceed 300 individuals. Breeding in captivity has not yet given the desired results, so the rare monkey faces extinction within the next 20 years.

Northern right whale
This unusual animal plows the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It reaches a length of 20 meters, weighs approximately 100 tons, 40% of which is blubber (whale oil), which constitutes a kind of record among cetaceans.

Previously, thousands of right whales swam near the coast. Now, due to hunting, there are no more than three hundred animals left in the whole world. Scientists are making every effort to restore the population, but the number of these marine animals is falling.

Tarsier
A small animal from the order of primates is common in Asia. The uniqueness of the animal is that its eyes are the same size as its brain. Its height is only 10-16 cm, and its hind legs are twice as long as its body.

Tarsiers are small predators. They hunt not only insects, but also lizards, snakes, bats and birds.

Their number today does not exceed 400 individuals, which is sad, since babies die very quickly in captivity.

California condor
A very rare bird, one of the largest. Previously, the condor was found in the USA and Mexico. In 1987 there was last time recorded in the wild. At that time, 27 birds of this species were kept in captivity. They were placed under enhanced protection, and a population restoration program was launched. Today, the total number of condors is 405 individuals, including 179 birds released into the wild.

Blue macaw parrot
Lives exclusively in the forests of Brazil. The last male disappeared from the wild in 2000, but the birds breed well in captivity. Although today there are no more than 500 individuals of the species in the world, a partial restoration of the population is planned by 2050.

Rothschild's giraffe
A very rare animal. Ecologists note that there are no more than 500-600 individuals of this subspecies left on the entire planet. They differ from other giraffes by special wide patterns on their skin in the form of spots, bordered by solid white stripes with curves. Rothschild's giraffe is also the tallest among its relatives. His unique difference- presence of five horns on the head. Two large and noticeable horns are located in the center of the head, a third small horn is located in the center of the forehead, and two more small horns are located behind the ears.

Humanity is obliged to take care of the safety of our planet, its amazing flora and fauna, otherwise irreversible changes to the animal and plant gene pool of the Earth are coming.

Most people are well aware of the dangers posed by crocodiles and snakes, but much less aware of the dangers that can come from turtles and lizards. Our list includes monsters of the reptile class, meeting which does not bode well:

Big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum)

It is the only species of the genus of the same name from the family of snapping turtles. It got a rather strange appearance due to its long, snake-like tail, almost as long as its body. Habitat: Southeast Asia. The freshwater reptile cannot retract its large head into its shell, which is compensated by its very powerful jaws, so it is better to keep your distance from it. Able to climb trees, sitting on branches as a perch. Unfortunately, this species of reptile is endangered due to poaching.

Venomtooth (Helodermatidae)

The only poisonous lizard in the animal world is the largest in North America: usually reaches a length of more than 0.6 m. When disturbed, the reptile can fend for itself: the venomtooth grabs the legs or arms of its enemy, then sinks its teeth into them and quickly releases its extremely neurotoxic venom. Several things happened deaths after an encounter with the poisonous teeth, until scientists were able to develop a treatment. These lizards do not have fangs, so they use great strength by slowly chewing human hand and leaving behind flesh soaked in poison. If you immerse a reptile in water, there is a chance that it may release its prey. Representatives of the family of vultures are endangered and protected by law.

Leathery sea ​​turtle(Dermochelys coriacea)


The largest of all turtles: its length can reach 2.5 m and weight – 900 kg. Unfortunately, the population of these omnivorous creatures is declining. It is not recommended to disturb the tranquility of these rather gentle giants, as they are capable of breaking bones with one crushing blow. There was a case when one turtle barely broke away from the sharks pursuing it and sank a small boat that got in its way, perceiving it as a threat.

Common turtle (Macroclemys temminckii)


The largest freshwater turtle on Earth, and by far the most dangerous. The more than 90-pound reptiles are covered in a spiked shell much like dinosaur skin and have a massive beak that can be used to bite off any part of the body. A swimmer who accidentally steps next to you can easily lose part of his leg. Individuals of this species grow throughout their lifespan (which can reach 200 years), so adult snapping turtles can reach a weight of about 180 kilograms.

Large softshell turtle (Pelochelys bibroni)


What it lacks in shell it makes up for with a powerful bite. The most terrible individuals - giant soft-bodied Cantor turtles - are common in China. Hiding in the sand, they wait for their prey and then hit it with their sharp teeth. Due to its enormous size and bite force it is real threat for the unwary person. Unfortunately, this reptile species is endangered.

Common iguana, or green iguana(Iguana iguana)


Despite the fact that this reptile is a herbivore, it nevertheless has sharp razor teeth and can be quite unpredictable. A number of cases have been recorded when owners keeping “tame” iguanas at home received rather severe injuries: when excited, the animals rushed at their faces, tearing the skin with their claws and teeth. Some representatives of this class of reptiles can reach 18 kilograms in weight and 2 meters in length, thereby representing a creature that it is better to try to avoid meeting.

Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus)


Some individuals can reach 3 meters in length. The creepy lizard feeds on young crocodiles, mammals and birds, hunting them with the help of its powerful poisonous bite. If it feels (from a person or animal) a threat of attack, it grabs it in a vice with crushing force, then reluctantly releases its prey.

Fringed turtle, or Mata-Mata (Chelus fimbriatus)


These creatures live in South America, in river basins from the Orinoco to the Amazon, sharing water space with river dolphins and piranhas. What will happen to a person who is unlucky enough to step on it is unknown, but this reptile with a bizarre appearance has an elongated snake-like neck and a strange mouth filled with two sharp plates reminiscent of fused human teeth. The unusually creepy carnivores hunt waterbirds, fish and other reptiles.

Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis)


It lives on the beaches, plateaus and woodlands of the Indonesian islands, being a threat to almost every living thing, like prehistoric predator. Komodo dragons reach a length of 3 meters and weigh about 136 kg, being the most large lizards on the planet. This type of reptile feeds on buffaloes and can attack and eat people: knocking down large prey, these monsters then attack, tearing off large pieces of flesh. With their toxic saliva and bacteria, they weaken the prey, which does not die immediately. According to scientists' assumptions, komodo dragons evolved to feed on the now extinct pygmy elephants of Komodo Island.

Malayan water monitor (Varanus salvator)


The second heaviest lizard on the planet. Lives in the deep waters of rivers and swamps in the territory South-East Asia. The reptile has curved teeth and will not refuse to eat corpses, in addition to a wide variety of invertebrate and vertebrate animals. A person falling into water in which several monitor lizards are feeding at once can awaken their hunting instinct and provoke their attack. Typically, Malayan water monitors reach a length of up to 3 meters, while weighing about 70 kilograms.

In most species of turtles, all soft parts of the body, with the exception of the head, legs and tail, are permanently hidden in the shell. Frightened or disturbed, the turtle will immediately hide its head, legs and tail under the edges of the shell and, protected by it like armor, becomes inaccessible for many animals. The shell, flat at the bottom and convex on the dorsal side, consists of bone formations - scutes, fused together, with ribs and vertebrae of the animal. It is so strong that it is difficult for a predator to bite through it, otherwise you will not get to the soft parts of the turtle.

But there are turtles whose shell is not as strong as other turtles. The bones of the shell do not fuse together, and the entire top is covered with soft dark skin. This turtle is called a soft-bodied turtle.

Most of the time she sits at the bottom of the reservoir. It buries itself in the silt or sand, only sticking out the tip of its nose and watching with its bulging eyes to see if a fish swims by. The front part of the muzzle of these turtles is elongated into a long movable proboscis, at the end of which the nostrils open. This proboscis plays the role of a diver’s snorkel, allowing the turtle lying at the bottom of shallow water to breathe without surfacing.

In the throat of a turtle, on the mucous membrane there are special outgrowths - villi, abundantly supplied with blood vessels. They act as gills, and thanks to them, a turtle can sit in the water for up to fifteen hours without appearing on the surface. Amazing feature Soft-bodied turtles are capable of cutaneous respiration, which is ensured by the skin richly supplied with capillaries.

The soft-bodied turtle is an edible animal. The meat and eggs of many three-clawed turtles are readily consumed by the local population or exported to other countries. Chinese Trionix is ​​specially bred in ponds in Asia for these purposes and introduced to Hawaii and some other oceanic islands.
Some species of three-clawed soft-bodied turtles play a certain role in the culture of local residents and are considered sacred animals (for example, dark trionix). Chinese trionics were depicted on katan hilts ( samurai swords), perhaps due to the defensive nature of these aggressive turtles. In some Japanese temples, trionics are kept in ponds as sacred animals.

Currently, to obtain meat and eggs in Japan, China and Indochina and many other Asian countries, Chinese trionix is ​​bred on special farms in ponds and canals. In western Japan, approximately 300 tons of turtles are produced every year. According to a survey of 684 Chinese tortoise farm owners conducted in 2002, the number of Chinese Trionics on their farms exceeds 300 million, and they sell almost 125 million turtles of this species annually. Thai turtle farmers (as of the late 1990s) raised about 6 million of this turtle species annually; there it is also the main breeding species.

Most species are predators, feeding on aquatic invertebrates and fish. Large individuals can attack chicks of waterfowl crossing a pond small mammals. Some species are omnivores.

Most species have a carapace (dorsal shield) length of 20-60 cm, but, for example, in the large soft-bodied Cantora it can reach two meters.

According to eyewitnesses, these turtles attack faster than any other animal, including cobras.

Distributed in Africa, Asia and North America. In the north, their range reaches the south of the Palaearctic: from the west - southeast Turkey, from the east - south Far East Russia. Found in fresh and slightly salty waters.

Nubian lobed turtle

Senegal lobed turtle

Indian bladed turtle

Red-backed turtle

Gray-backed (Zambezian) lobed turtle

Ceylon lobed turtle

Burmese bladed turtle

Asian softshell turtle

Evil (Florida) Trionix

Smooth Trionix

Spiny Trionix

Indian narrow-headed turtle

Asian narrow-headed turtle

Burmese narrow-headed turtle

Doganiya (Malay)

Beautiful (Burmese) trionics

Gangetic Trionix

Ocellated (peacock) trionyx

Dark trionic

Nagpur soft-shelled turtle or Trionyx Leith

Fringed softshell turtle

New Guinea large soft shell turtle

Cantor's large soft-shelled turtle

Northern New Guinea large softshell turtle

Chinese (Far Eastern) soft-shelled turtle

Lesser's soft-shelled turtle

North China softshell turtle

African or Nile trionics

Euphrates Trionix

Giant Trionix Yangtze

Two-clawed pig-nosed turtle

The diversity of flora on the planet is impressive, but the number of certain species is very small.

The International Union of Conservation of Flora and Fauna determined the percentage of endangered species, which amounted to about 40% of the total number of existing animal organisms based on many structural units, spread across globe.

Rothschild's giraffe

Science does not know of cases where mammals reached the size of this giraffe; an adult male is over five meters tall, the female is much shorter, about four and a half. A giraffe weighs about ten tons, and the female weighs a little more than a ton.

It is worth noting that the color of the animals is much brighter, the number of horns is not two, like other representatives of the species, but five. The habitat of animals is East Africa. Environmentalists state that, unfortunately, there are about seven hundred Rothschild giraffes on the planet.

Northern right whale

The northern whale is up to 21 meters long (males) and weighs about one hundred tons. Almost half of the total mass is whale oil. The northern whale lives in Atlantic Ocean, mostly in the northwest, while in the east it has been completely exterminated.

No more than three hundred northern right whales have survived throughout the entire globe. It can currently be found in New England waters and the Gulf of Mexico. About three hundred individuals have survived.

White Lion

The species was discovered relatively recently - in 1975. It numbers about three hundred individuals, which now live not in the wild of Africa, but in the conditions necessary for the conservation of the species, which exist in special reserves in South Africa. Length white lion is more than three meters, and the weight can reach 310 kilograms.

The white lion is a unique representative of the cat family

Tonkinese rhinopithecus

You can meet this animal from the order of primates only in the north of Vietnam, near the Song Koi River. They belong to the monkey family. They live in trees where they create harems. They feed on leaves, bamboo and fruits. To date, less than 250 individuals have survived. Life expectancy reaches twenty years. Females are capable of giving birth to one baby per year.

Small monkeys are very mobile and deftly climb trees.

Kakapo parrot

The only parrot in the world that has lost the ability to fly during evolution lives in New Zealand. This was probably due to the lack of predators that could harm the parrot. Maximum height, with which the bird can glide is 25-30 meters.

The kakapo parrot has a rich green color and silky plumage.

He spends most of the day passively in the nest, and at night he begins to hunt to get food for himself. Kakapo live a long time, on average nine decades. On this moment There are less than a hundred kakapo parrots left.

Tarsier

The animal belongs to the order of primates. Tarsiers existed on the planet 55 million years ago. They have a rather funny appearance, big cute eyes, as well as facial wrinkles that allow them to change their facial expression depending on the situation.

Tarsier is one of the few animals that has facial expressions

At the same time, they are very small and fit in the palm of your hand. Tarsiers live in the forests of the Philippine Islands. They spend most of their lives in trees. At night they go out to hunt in search of prey.

Red-footed ibis

Ibis has big size for individuals of its species, reaching 78 cm. The bird has plumage white, which acquires a grayish tint during the breeding season. Previously, the red-footed ibis numbered huge number individuals in different countries peace.

The red-footed ibis has a beautiful light orange color.

However, less than twenty individuals have survived to this day, and they are protected from predators and poachers. During the day, the ibis lives in river valleys and rice fields, and at night - in tall trees.

Peters's proboscis blenny

It's hard to say why this animal is called a dog. All that it has in common with the familiar dog is an excellent sense of smell, which helps the small black and orange animal look for opponents on its land, as well as determine where the female is.

Peters' proboscis blenny looks more like a mouse

Peters' dog lives in Kenya, Tanzania and the islands close to Tanzania. During the daytime, the dog looks for insects on which it feeds, and at night it rests in small holes, in which it independently makes a nest from branches and grass.

Giant soft shell turtle

A unique species of turtle, which has a few representatives. It is found exclusively in fresh water, and the weight reaches two hundred kilograms. The turtle has no shell, and its body is covered with soft skin, which is unusual for most turtles in the world.

You can barely discern a turtle in this reptile

Snow Leopard

The representative of the cat family has a light gray color and thick fur. They live in the mountains of Asia: in the Himalayas, Tibet and Altai. Leopards have a solitary lifestyle. They feed on goats, roe deer, rams, and deer.

Since 2016, hunting snow leopards has been banned worldwide

The mating season for white leopards occurs in February-March, and they can produce offspring after reaching three to four years of age. The female can give birth twice a year.