South America, home to the Amazon and many other places that harbor a great biodiversity, including many species listed on the Red List of Threatened Species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In this sense, the South American region has several endangered species.
According to the IUCN, Ecuador is the Latin American country with the most endangered animals, with a total of 2,762 threatened species. Following Ecuador, Brazil is listed with 2,497 endangered species, while the other nations are below 2,000 species.
While Ecuador and Brazil lead the ranking, it is also important to remember that several points in South America suffer from this issue with species in critical condition. These countries are joined by Colombia with 1,847 endangered species, Peru with 1,200, Venezuela with 1,205, Bolivia with 625, Argentina with 411, and Chile with 227 threatened species.
Among the most endangered species are iconic animals like the giant otter, the Caribbean manatee, and the jaguar, which are facing an alarming situation due to poaching and the destruction of natural habitats.
The jaguar is one of the animals in grave danger of extinction.[/caption>
Which species are most affected?
There are many species in Latin America that suffer from the impact of human activities and environmental factors that endanger their survival and place them on the IUCN Red List, such as:
- Amazon pink river dolphin: pollution and habitat destruction have put the Inia geoffrensis, known for its unique skin color, at risk.
- Vaquita marina: known as Phocoena sinus, this endemic cetacean from Mexico has a population of only 18 adult individuals due to illegal fishing and the use of gillnets.
- White-headed titi monkey: this primate native to Colombia suffers from the illegal pet trade and deforestation, which has significantly reduced its numbers.
- Galapagos penguin: this bird that inhabits the Galapagos Islands is in serious danger of extinction due to the predation by introduced cats in the ecosystem and climate changes.
- Giant otter: these mammals living in the Amazon and Pantanal regions are at serious risk of extinction due to pollution, overfishing, and the loss of their environment, which has severely affected their family groups.
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