The Endangered Species Act, often referred to as the ESA or simply “the Act,” is America’s strongest conservation law. In South America plants and flowers of the bromeliad family used to be fairly common. As commercial demand for these flowers grows, irresponsible sourcing is putting numerous species at risk. However, every single one is either endangered or threatened. South America’s wild habitats house large fractions of our planet’s biodiversity and this includes ten species of wild cats found in the continent. The bird is only found on a single island, meaning both its … Learn where these animals live, what threatens their existence, and what is being done to save them. The giant otter is also the longest member of otter family of the Amazon River and one of the most endangered mammal in South America. Endangered Animals of South America Chinchillas, golden poison frogs, and spectacled bears are just a few of the colorful species discussed in Endangered Animals of South America. Animal/fauna and plant/flora species listed by the IUCN Red List and/or NatureServe as critically endangered / critically imperiled . They are a peaceful herd animal, with a naturally slow, rabbit-like hop, but when alarmed, they are able to move rapidly across land or through water. Disclaimer: This list combines species from several endangered species lists. Mammals dwelling in the Amazon Basin. The South America section of this site lists the folllowing mammals appearing on select endangered species lists: Mammals that dwell in or migrate to any part of the South American continent and nearby islands. An endangered species is a species which has been categorized as very likely to become extinct. North America's fauna is rapidly crumbling. The Leopardus jacobita is a wild cat living at high elevations in the Andes of South America. We have compiled a list of endangered species from the region that are vital to the eco-system in order to raise awareness. Latin America is known for its impressively unique wildlife. The region’s landscapes host large numbers of endemic species and biodiversity threatened by habitat loss and degradation due to one of the highest land degradation and deforestation rates in the world, driven by increased demands of a growing global population for food, forest products, land minerals, and energy. They are found at elevations ranging from 5,900 ft to 13,000 ft. The starting point for this diversification was inherited from the supercontinent Gondwana, which consisted of South America attached to Antarctica (which was forested at the time) and Australia for about 150 million years. Endangered, as categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is the second most severe conservation status for wild populations. Learn where these animals live, what threatens their existence, and what is being done to save them. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Critically endangered biota of South America. The whaling industry, in which giants are slaughtered for oil and meat, has led many whale species to the threshold of extinction ( 2 ) . Endangered Animals of South America. Some of the extinct animals that lived in South America categorized as marsupials include Thylacosmilus, a saber-toothed marsupial predator, and the borhyaenids, otter/wolverine shaped marsupial predators. South America is home to some of the most biologically rich sites in the world. Fish and Wildlife Service to list 12 of the world's penguin species under the Endangered Species Act­ — including South America's Humboldt penguin, which lives along the coasts of Chile and Peru, and the southern rockhopper and macaroni penguins, found at the southern tip of the continent. protecting rare south american birds The Center has been working to secure Endangered Species Act protection for 33 imperiled South American bird species — some of the rarest and most beautiful in the world — found in Columbia, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and the … Endangered Species: Tahiti Reed-warbler The Tahiti reed-warbler (Acrocephalus caffer) is a songbird found on the Pacific island of Tahiti. Originally passed by Congress in 1973, the ESA is jointly administered by the U.S. Golden Moles rank surprisingly high on the list of most endangered animals in South Africa; with five different species reaching the top ten most endangered mammals in the country. As of November 1, 2009, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed approximately 1,200 animals and 750 plants as endangered or threatened in North America.. Below is a partial list: IUCN Critically endangered … More and more of the continent's beautiful and dynamic wildlife are now critically endangered . Andean Mountain Cat . Here is a list of the wild cats of South America: 10. Eyelash Viper This yellow colored venomous pit viper species is also the most dangerous and deadly snake lives in the rainforest of America. It is an endangered species because it has a very small population. Virtually full households of workss such as cactus, orchids and cyads are considered threatened or endangered because of over-collection for commercial intents ( 2 ) . Bromeliads. On top of the threat of deforestation, orchid hunting is becoming a significant issue.