Extinct animals

Animal that has gone extinct ( Alasmidonta mccordi The Coosa elktoe, scientific name Alasmidonta mccordi, was a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.

This species was endemic to the United States. [pic] I didn’t manage to find any specific ecological role of Coosa Elktoe, however I found the ecological role of mussels. Mussels play a key role in aquatic environments and are considered to be “ ecosystem engineers” because they modify aquatic habitat, making it more suitable for themselves and other organisms. One of the valuable functions performed by mussels is capturing organic matter from the water column when they siphon, processing it to build body and shell, excreting nutrients that are immediately available to plant life and then depositing the remaining organic material to the sediment making it available for other invertebrates and fish to consume. During this feeding process, the mussels “ clean” the water they live in by removing phytoplankton and the bacteria and fungi that are attached to the non living organic particles they have removed from the water column.

Other undesirable particles and chemicals are bound in the mussels’ pseudo feces and deposited on the river bottom. This species was known only from a single specimen collected from the Coosa River in St. Clair County, Alabama and after its’ extinction the River was observed and there were no changes found, therefore, I suppose its’ extinction had no effects on ecology or if it did the effects are not significant and cannot be observed. | Kingdom: | Animalia | Phylum: | Mollusca | | Class: | Bivalvia | | Order: | Unionoida | | Family: | Unionidae | | Genus: | Alasmidonta | Alasmidonta mccordi was listed in 1996 (Baillie and Groombridge 1996) as Critically Endangered due to insufficient survey information. In 2000, surveys confirmed that A. mccordi is Extinct (Bogan 2000) and there has been no further evidence in recent years to suggest otherwise. This species is considered to be Extinct.

Impoundment of the Coosa River is thought to have caused the extinction of this species. Animal that is endangered ( Brotia pageli This species occurs in mountain streams in Western Borneo, from Sabah to South Kalimantan. At present it is only known from the type locality, Sabah, east Malaysia, Borneo and one other location in south-west Indonesian Borneo.

Brotia pageli requires well-oxygenated, small, clear mountain streams, preferring rocky or pebble substrates. It is mainly found in mud, on stones, or under leaves and therefore is only present in remnant patches of rainforest. Ecological role same as Alasmidonta mccordi ( mussel ).

[pic] There is a continuing decline in the extent of occurrence, area of occupancy and the extent and quality of this species’ habitat as a result of the slash-and-burn agriculture, intensive logging and deforestation taking place across Borneo. Further research is needed into the species’ current population status and impacts of deforestation. | Kingdom: | Animalia | Phylum: | Mollusca | | Class: | Gastropoda | | Superfamily: | Cerithioidea | | Family: | Pachychilidae | | Genus: | Brotia | Animal that was endangered but now it is not ( American bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Bald eagles are one of the largest birds in North America with a wing span of 6-8 feet. Females tend to be larger than males. They live up to 40 years in the wild, and longer in captivity. Bald eagles are monogamous and have one life partner. [pic] Bald eagles live near large bodies of open water such as lakes, marshes, seacoast and rivers. They nest and roost in tall trees.

The eagles live in every US state except Hawaii. They use a specific territory for nesting, winter feeding or a year-round residence. Their natural domain is from Alaska to California, and from Maine to Florida. Bald eagles that reside in the northern USA and Canada migrate to the warmer southern areas during the winter to obtain easier access to food. They feed primarily on fish, but also eat small animals such as ducks, rabbits, turtles, snakes, etc. Bald eagle population numbers have been estimated to be 300 000 to 500 000 birds in the early 1700s. Their population fell to less than 10 000 nesting pair by the 1950s, and to less than 500 pairs by the early 1960s.

This population decline was caused by the mass shooting of eagles, the use of pesticides on crops, the destruction of habitat, and the contamination of waterways and food sources by a wide range of poisons and pollutants. For many years, the use of DTT pesticide crops caused thinning of eagle egg shells, which often broke during incubation. The use of DDT pesticide was outlawed in USA and Canada in 1972/73. This action contributed greatly to the return of the bald eagle. The Bald Eagle was listed as Endangered in most of the U. S. from 1967 to 1995, when it was slighted upgraded to Threatened in the lower 48 states. The number of nesting pairs of Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states had increased from less than 500 in the early 1960’s to over 10, 000 in 2007.

They had recovered sufficiently to delist them from Threatened status on June 28, 2007. Since delisting, the primary law protecting Bald Eagles has shifted from the Endangered Species Act to the Bald and Golden Eagle Act. Although Bald Eagles have made an encouraging comeback throughout the U. S. A. since the early 60s, they continue to be face hazards that must be closely monitored and controlled.

Even though illegal, Bald Eagles are still harassed, injured and killed by guns, traps, power lines, windmills, poisons, contaminants and destruction of habitat. Kirill Tashilov