Part 2 SPECIES

A.     Visit Earth's Endangered Creatures or Center for Biological Diversity to view a list of the species in North America that are endangered.

1.     Choose a species from one of these lists by matching the first letter of its common name to the first letter of your last name. Some of you will have more choices than others! Let me know if run into any trouble. State the scientific name of your organism in proper format using the binomial system

                      Afghan Tortoise Testudo horsfieldii

2.     Write a four-sentence description of the species itself not its endangerment.

       Afghan Tortoise's shells are often as broad as they are long, growing up to 29cm in length.  Unlike other tortoises in the family that have 5 toes on their front legs, Afghan Tortoise's have only 4 toes.  They are very inactive, usually only active for 3 months out of the year.  They aren't considered full grown until they between the ages of 20 and 30 years, reaching sexual maturity at 10 years of age.

3.     Include one photo or one video (no more than two minutes in length) showing the organism in its natural setting. Do not use any material showing harm to this organism.

4.     State one specific cause of its endangerment (might match with the characteristics from Figure 9-3).

       They are often used as a food source from local people and their overexploitation is leading to decreased numbers.

5.     State at least one of this organism’s ecosystem role (foundation, keystone, indicator species, generalist, specialist, etc.). Explain your answer.

       Afghan Tortoise's play the role as generalists within the ecosystem.  They are able to survive in sandy/arid areas as well as grassy areas, with their diet consisting of vegetation and/or succulents.  They are able to live virtually anywhere, as they hibernate for almost 9 months out of the year they either avoid the excess heat or the excess cold.

6.     Find an Internet link to one recent scientific article or story about this organism written or produced in the last two years. Summarize the argument for protection for this species and one specific conservation effort on its behalf. Cite this source using MLA format. Suggestions for sources include

      There are over 89 species of tortoises all of which are threatened by extinction.  The more rare a tortoise is the more valuable it becomes on the blackmarket.  We need to find a way to protect them against illegal trade.  World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is raising public awareness of the plight of the tortoises, as well as helping to set up protected habitat. 

"Asian Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles." WWF. 2015.  19 July 2015. http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/asian_tortoises_and_turtles/

·       Science News

·       Sierra Club Magazine

·       The Nature Conservancy

·       Other conservation group publication or news sites that give fair reporting on endangered species