The Earth has a million species of animal species, around 8.7 million! That’s a whopping count of animals!! However, of all the million counts, some are on the borderline of being extinct and endangered. There are rare animal species that live on land and also in water.
Each human being must preserve the endangered and rare animal species and stop them from being just memories. Let us look at the rare animal species on Earth.
Rare Animals Species of the World
Amur Leopard
Around 70 adult Amur leopards remain in the world. It has its name on the list of the world’s rarest and most endangered large cats. The species is stunning, with its distinctive patterned coat of black splodges and flecks. Unfortunately, the species features on the endangered list and can be visible only in Russia’s Primorsky Krai area of northeast China’s Jilin Province.
Sumatran Rhino
The Sumatran rhino is the world’s miniature and one of the most endangered rhino species. Only a few remain in Sumatra, Borneo, and the Malay Peninsula. The lineage of the Sumatran rhino is its distinguishing trait; the rhino is more closely linked to the extinct woolly rhinoceros than to any other rhino species that live today.
Hainan Gibbon
The gorgeous Hainan gibbon is a victim of poaching and habitat degradation, reducing its population to just 25 individuals and making it the world’s rarest primate. One exists in the Bawangling National Nature Reserve on China’s Hainan Island.
Black-eyed Leaf Frog
The black-eyed leaf frog (Morlet’s tree frog) is a sight to behold, with its bulging inky pupils and lime-green skin. The species is a highly endangered animal, yet it exists in the Belize wetlands, Brazil, El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. However, keep your eyes peeled since this little frog is just 65mm long.
Cuban Funnel-eared Bat
Today, there are around 100 Cuban funnel-ear bats alive. These animals with brown hair have big ears and longer tails. They dwell in one cave in Cueva de la Barca, near Cuba’s westernmost coast, and suffer from habitat deterioration caused by natural cave degradation. In addition, there are several more funnel-ear bat species, including Mexican, Trinidadian, and Bahamian variants.
Spoon-billed Sandpiper
There are just around 100 spoon-bill sandpiper couples surviving on the planet. Its eye-catching beak is second only to its lovely plumage in terms of style, which is just as appealing and unique in winter as it is in summer. This tiny wader is a favourite of twitchers and birders visiting South Asian wetlands, and the WWT is doing everything it can to protect this fascinating species.
Rare Animals Species of the World
Vaquita
The vaquita is the world’s rarest marine animal, found only in Mexico’s Gulf of California. This tiny porpoise existed in the late 1950s. Since then, it has been fighting for survival against fishing nets and illicit activities. It lives in the shallows but is a timid species, so you won’t see one unless you’re exceptionally still – and have a lot of patience.
Greater Bamboo Lemur
The last of its kind exists in south-eastern Madagascar. The enormous bamboo lemur is the most significant bamboo lemur species, distinguished by white tufts on its ears. There are around 500 of these friendly animals in the world, living in groups of up to 28.
Pangolin
All pangolin species are presently endangered or critically endangered due to their position as a delicacy in China and Vietnam and the idea that their scales have therapeutic properties. In addition, the four African pangolin species are on their way to becoming rare animal species.
Seneca White Deer
Seneca white deer are a very uncommon herd of leucitic deer, which means they lack pigmentation in their bodies yet have brown eyes. Only 300 exist, and the species has a protected location at the former Seneca Army Depot. Thus, it is safe from predators and available for the public to observe.
Elephant Shrew
The Elephant Shrew, also known as the Boni Giant Sengi, is native to Kenya’s Boni Dodori woodland. It features the body of a mouse and the head of a miniature anteater, giving it a unique appearance. Because of deforestation, the population of this mammal is rapidly decreasing. There are around 13,000 elephant shrews left in the world, of 19 distinct subspecies.
Ti-Liger
The Ti-Liger is one of the world’s most endangered creatures. The creature is an artificial hybrid between a liger and a tiger. One species may exist in Oroville, California, and there are around 6-10 worldwide. They are more important than a typical tiger cub.
Rare Animals Species of the World
Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat
While you might have seen a wombat at your local zoo, chances are you’ve never seen this hairy fellow. These adorable animals, born with astonishingly poor eyesight, use their noses to seek food in the dark. Unfortunately, only approximately 115 of them remain in the wild, and all in Queensland, Australia.
Yangtze Finless Porpoise
The Yangtze River is home to two dolphin species: the finless porpoise and the Baiji dolphin. The Baiji dolphin became extinct in 2006 as a result of artificial environmental changes. On the other hand, the finless porpoise survives, although it is classified as a critically endangered or uncommon animal species. There were 1,000 of them in 2013, but their numbers are already decreasing.
Saola
The 1992- discovered Saola is a unique breed of mammal and native to Vietnam. The species is the “Asian unicorn” and has two long, parallel horns. It looks like an antelope and exists exclusively in the Annamite Mountains of Vietnam and Laos.
Hector’s Dolphins
Hector’s dolphins are not only the world’s rarest, but also the tiniest marine dolphins. With small, husky bodies and unusual facial features, these rare dolphins are visible only in the seas around New Zealand’s North Island. There are currently approximately 7,000, with some subspecies having numbers as low as 55.
Borneo Pygmy Elephant
The Borneo pygmy elephant, considered the gentlest of its Asian elephant cousins, has enormous ears, a bloated belly, and a tail that is far too long for its body, causing it to drag on the ground behind them. Despite its attractiveness and position as Asia’s miniature elephant, the Borneo pygmy is critically endangered owing to poaching and deforestation, with a current population of 1500.
Black-Spotted Cuscus
The black-spotted cuscus has vertical pupils and arching front claws, making it a terrifying little bugger. Unfortunately, it exists only in New Guinea and is on the verge of extinction. Though precise population numbers are unknown, the species has been classified as “rare” and severely endangered since 2010.
Rare Animals Species of the World
Purple Frog
The purple frog spends most of its existence underground, only surfacing to mate for a few days each year. The species, existing in India and has been developing on its own for almost 100 million years. However, due to deforestation, the species got formal recognition in 2003 and has its name on the list of rare animal species.
Hispaniolan Solenodon
The Hispaniolan solenodon is a mammal capable of producing venom. It is also the last of its shrew ancestors. Unfortunately, the animal has a poor reproductive rate, producing just 1-2 offspring per year. It has its name on the list of rare and severely endangered animal species. While specific population estimates are unclear, the solenodon only occupies a small region in Haiti, approximately 100 square kilometres.
Hooded Grebe
The Hooded Grebe, discovered in Argentina and Chile, has had its population decrease by 98% owing to climate change and invading predators since its discovery in 1974. With only approximately 800 members surviving and a poor reproduction rate, this unique species is on the edge of extinction.
Philippine Eagle
This Philippines native, once known as the ” monkey-eating eagle,” is one of the most robust birds of prey. It is capable of attacking monkeys, snakes, and reptiles with its powerful beak. Despite being dubbed the Philippine National Bird, this eagle has experienced significant population constraints in the last 40 years owing to deforestation and harsh weather, leaving it with a population of less than 300.
Northern Darwin’s Frog
The Northern Darwin’s Frog, existing exclusively in Chile, is one of two frogs in the world that engages in “mouth brooding.” As a result, the frog is listed as severely endangered due to deforestation, climate change, and illness.
Pygmy Three-Toed Sloth
The pygmy three-toed sloth, popular for its extraordinary slowness, exists on an island off the coast of Panama. Furthermore, they only leave their houses in the tree canopy to defecate, which they may go almost a week without doing. And, as a result of environmental changes, sloth is much more difficult to detect than usual: researchers estimate its number to be under 100 and decreasing.
Rare Animals Species of the World
Seychelles Sheath-Tailed Bat
The Seychelles sheath-tailed bat earns its name for its long, membranous cape-like skin. However, because of forest clearing for plantations, their population has now drastically shrunk. At present, the figure stands at less than 100.
Rondo Dwarf Galago
The small Rondo dwarf galago, which lives in coastal Tanzania, weighs just around 60 grammes. The galago, distinguished by its “bottle-brush” tail and big, black eyes, has seen its population fall significantly owing to deforestation. As a result, this species is currently severely endangered.
Colombian Dwarf Gecko
A dwarf gecko is hardly detectable, growing to only 2 cm in length. However, it has existed since the time of the dinosaurs. Unfortunately, their numbers quickly diminish, and they appear to be nearly extinct, with only sporadic and occasional sightings confirmed.
White-winged Flufftail
The white-winged flufftail is a small bird that exists only in Ethiopia’s highland marshes, reaching about 14 to 15 cm in length on average. Unfortunately, owing to cattle grazing on their habitats and the draining of local wetlands, their numbers are witnessing a substantial decline. It is now around 700 globally and a rare species.
Hirola
The hirola got its name from a tiny Somali community that took in the animal and treated it as a spiritual entity. It is the world’s most elusive antelope, having black glands behind its eyes. The unusual animal is popular as the “four-eyed antelope.” While earlier they were prevalent in East Africa, drought, poaching, and habitat degradation have been shrinking their population to approximately 400 individuals.
El Rincon Stream Frog
The El Rincon stream frog exists on an isolated plateau in Argentine Patagonia. It lives by staying in thermally heated springs to shield itself from the plateau’s subzero temperatures. As a result, El Rincon is exceedingly uncommon, and dam building and the introduction of non-native species into its waters have drastically reduced its population.
Rare Animals Species of the World
Cebu Flowerpecker
The Cebu Flowerpecker derives its name from the males’ beautiful plumage. The Flowerpecker was assumed to be extinct in 1990, but it was rediscovered in 1992. The Flowerpecker may still be found on the isolated Philippine island of Cebu, despite the fact that its numbers remain extremely low (estimates place the species’ total population at 60 to 70 individuals).
Mediterranean Monk Seal
The monk seal, which derives its name from a uniform brown coat resembling a monk’s robes, is a rare animal species. Commercial hunting has reduced their number to around 250 monk seals left in the world.
Banded Ground-Cuckoo
The banded ground-cuckoo, which is native to Ecuador, is a bit of a mystery. However, one distinguishing characteristic is a ring of blue skin around the eyes that may expand and shrink. Unfortunately, over the last few decades, deforestation in Ecuador has dramatically reduced its frequency, leaving them one of the region’s rarest avians, with a population of 600 to 1,700.
Largetooth Sawfish
The large-toothed sawfish may reach six feet in length and is recognizable by a bill that resembles a sideways chainsaw. Even though they live for up to 30 years, overfishing is a critical threat to them. Only two countries in the Eastern Atlantic have reported sightings in the last ten years.
Chinese Giant Salamander
The Chinese giant salamander is one of three species of gigantic salamanders on the planet. It may grow nearly two metres long, with the tail accounting for 60% of that length. Unfortunately, due to water pollution and its popularity as a delicacy in China, the giant salamander is at grave risk of extinction. Therefore, it has its name on a list of rare animal species with “low surviving populations.”
Chacoan Peccary
The Chacoan peccary resembles a pig, having a large snout and a thick covering of bristly hair. While it was long assumed as an extinct species, there was a discovery of a population in western Paraguay in the 1970s. However, it remains on the list of rare animal species owing to habitat loss and invasive illnesses. There were around 3-200 peccaries left in 2002.
Conclusion
You can call yourself ‘lucky’ if you sight one of these rare animal species. They list it as a ‘ critical endangered‘ or ‘extremely rare’ species. But, it is a sad thing! On planet Earth, where humans and animals should co-exist, ecological issues, grave hunting, and other factors, these rare species are dwindling.
