Love you for life: Monogamous species celebrate Valentine?s Day
Love you for life: Monogamous species celebrate Valentine’s Day
Gland, Switzerland (PRWEB) February 10, 2012
Gibbons: Love is in the air for these tree-dwelling primates, but for the Western Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) there are greater concerns than finding the perfect mate. According the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Western Hoolock Gibbon is listed as Endangered, as there is reason to believe the species has declined by at least 50% over the past three generations. In the upcoming 40 years, this decline is likely to reach similar proportions due to continuing habitat loss.
Swans: Known around the world as a universal symbol for love, swans form a monogamous bond with their mate that often lasts for life. The Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides), native to the border area between Russia, Mongolia and mainland China, is listed as Vulnerable because of its decreasing population trend in recent years, which is attributed to drought and considerable pressure from habitat loss.
Wolves: These furry mammals are howling in love—for their life-long partner. Wolves are the largest member of the dog family and very family-oriented; their pack consists of a male, female and their offspring. The Red Wolf (Canis rufus) is currently listed as Critically Endangered, and in the 1980’s was deemed Extinct in the Wild. Very little is known about Red Wolf because the species’ range was severely reduced by the time scientific investigations began. Given their wide historical distribution, Red Wolves probably utilized a large suite of habitat types across North America at one time. Hybridization with coyotes is the primary threat to the species persistence in the wild.
French Angelfish: Rarely caught without their mate by their side, French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru) will fight for love. Pairs of French Angelfish are strongly territorial, with both members often vigorously defending their areas against neighboring pairs. This species of mate-for-life fish are common in shallow rocky and coral reefs, and are found from Florida and the Bahamas to Brazil and straggling north to New York in the Gulf Stream. Currently, French Angelfish are listed as Least Concern with their population remaining stable—the only threat being collection for aquarium trade.
Albatrosses: Love has no boundaries for albatrosses, a species which will cover lengthy distances to return to the same place and the same partner to breed. The Tristan Albatross (Diomedea dabbenena) qualifies as Critically Endangered, owing to its extremely small breeding range and a projected rapid population decline over the next 70 years. The Tristan Albatross breeding populations are essentially restricted to Gough Island and the annual breeding population is estimated to be 2,700 pairs, equivalent to a total population of 11,300 birds for the species which breeds once every two years. Population declines are a consequence of very low adult survival owing to accidental deaths from long line fisheries and low fledging success due to predators.
Whether you’re spending Valentine’s Day with a life-long partner, still searching for that special someone, or are a confirmed Valentine’s skeptic, join us in our mission to keep these monogamous marvels (and all their polygamous fellow species) thriving. Happy Valentine’s Day from IUCN!
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Photos are available at: [http://bit.ly/x0XYTS
Issues concerning species conservation will be discussed at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Jeju, Republic of Korea, from 6 to 15 September 2012.
For more information about species that mate for life or to set up an interview, please contact:
Maggie Roth, IUCN Media Relations, m +1 202 262 5313, e maggie.roth@iucn.org
Lynne Labanne, IUCN Species Programme Communications Officer, t +41 22 999 0153, m +41 79 527 7221, e lynne.labanne@iucn.org
Camellia Williams, IUCN Species Programme Communications, t +41 22 999 0154, e camellia.williams@iucn.org
Notes to editors:
The IUCN Red List threat categories
The IUCN Red List threat categories are as follows, in descending order of threat:
Extinct or Extinct in the Wild
Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable: species threatened with global extinction;
Near Threatened: species close to the threatened thresholds or that would be threatened without ongoing specific conservation measures;
Least Concern: species evaluated with a lower risk of extinction;
Data Deficient: no assessment because of insufficient data.
Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct): this is not a new Red List category, but is a flag developed to identify those Critically Endangered species that are in all probability already Extinct but for which confirmation is required, for example, through more extensive surveys being carried out and failing to find any individuals.
About IUCN
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges.
IUCN works on biodiversity, climate change, energy, human livelihoods and greening the world economy by supporting scientific research, managing field projects all over the world, and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice.
IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,200 government and NGO members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world.
http://www.iucn.org
About the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ (or the IUCN Red List) is the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of plant, fungi and animal species. It is based on an objective system for assessing the risk of extinction of a species should no conservation action be taken.
Species are assigned to one of eight categories of threat based on whether they meet criteria linked to population trend, population size and structure and geographic range. Species listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable are collectively described as ‘Threatened’.
The IUCN Red List is not just a register of names and associated threat categories. It is a rich compendium of information on the threats to the species, their ecological requirements, where they live, and information on conservation actions that can be used to reduce or prevent extinctions.
The IUCN Red List is a joint effort between IUCN and its Species Survival Commission, working with the Red List partners BirdLife International; Botanic Gardens Conservation International; Conservation International; NatureServe; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Sapienza University of Rome; Texas A&M University; Wildscreen; and Zoological Society of London.
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
About the Species Survival Commission (SSC)
The SSC is the largest of IUCN’s six volunteer commissions with a global membership of around 7,500 experts. The SSC advises IUCN and its members on the wide range of technical and scientific aspects of species conservation, and is dedicated to securing a future for biodiversity. The SSC consists of more than 110 Specialist Groups (SG).
http://iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species
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