What is an Endangered Specie?
The FWS categorizes species as either threatened or endangered. An endangered
specie is a specie whose population is reaching a level within its habitat in
which extinction of the species is possible in the near future. A threatened
specie is one whose numbers could possibly reach endangered status in the near
future. These classifications may pertain to any specie and/or its subspecies as
well. A species may become endangered for many reasons. Most of the time it is
caused by the over use of a species in the way of hunting, fur trades and
captures for scientific and educational uses. A specie can also become
endangered when the species' habitat has been drastically altered and/or
destroyed due to agricultural or developmental use, making unsuitable for
habitation by the species. Other factors include the introduction of exotic
species, species that are not native to the habitat, that compete with the
native species for food or become so overpowering that they native species move
or die off. Pollution and disease from humans and domesticated animals have also
been known to inhibit a species ability to adapt.