Tropical+Rainforest+Endangered+Species


 * Bradypus** Pygmaeus**; Pygmy Three-Toed Sloth** [[image:https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FAc1K8UJUWuQ0DxEHCanwtSrE1KQ5kowNA0n7zGtbw79MxR1nundO9QIb1QwHPTVjLqnTAgTbnk_8CCcsEYfXfhGjJ_57NbNivLUiYDblhQtf2G4XfNAX_Xn9ZIXly3ab69yCrSK width="129" height="162"]] J8]

**Description:** Bradypus Pygmaeus, also known as the Pygmy Three-Toed Sloth, has a head and body length 485 – 530 mm and a weight of 2.5 – 3.5 kg. The Bradypus Pygmaeus has a population that is fewer than 500.They have pale grey-brown fur that is often blotchy and a tan-colored face with a dark band around the eyes almost as if they haven’t slept. They have long, shaggy hair hangs over the face as if they have a hood on. Male adults have a have an orange patch on their back with a band running through it horizontally to show that they are male. Sloths have an unusual way of camouflage to hide from predators; their fur is covered in blue-green algae which gives their fur a greenish color which helps them hide. J9] **Habitat:** Bradypus Pygmaeus sloths are only found on Isla Escudo de Veraguas, in the islands of Bocas del Toro, Panama in the red mangrove forests. These mangroves are thought to cover an area of just 1.3-1.5 km 2  on the island. Their habitat is one of the main reason for their decline because many local humans in the area take these trees to build houses. These animals have been pushed so much due to the need for the mangroves that they have moved into the interior of the rain forests. J10] **Decline of sloths:** These sloths live on a very small inhabited island, there are only a few other animals living on this island. Even though there are not many animals, there are seasonal visitors like fishermen, campesinos, lobster divers, tourists, and local people who harvest timber to maintain wooden houses on the island. Pygmy Three-Toed sloths live in mangroves that are being destroyed thus the decline in the species. The destruction of mangroves is not only the place they live but it is making the size of their habitat smaller as a whole. These animals are also being hunted to take the mangrove from them so they can maintain wooden houses. If human population increases so will the need for mangroves which they will take from all sloths. These animals have been pushed so much due to the need for the mangroves that they have moved into the interior of the rain forests. Since they are not used to this type of habitat they are dying off once they get there.J11 **Conservation Actions:** Isla Escudo de Veraguas has been designated as a protected area on the island of Panama within the Ngobe-Bugle comarca which means the local indigenous people have strong control over this area. National and international scientific community to protect the island along with the local wildlife community of Panama have labeled the pygmy sloth as a flagship species. They have pale grey-brown fur that is often blotchy and a tan-colored face with a dark band around the eyes almost as if they haven’t slept. They have long, shaggy hair hangs over the face as if they have a hood on. Male adults have a have an orange patch on their back with a band running through it horizontally to show that they are male. Sloths have an unusual way of camouflage to hide from predators; their fur is covered in blue-green algae which gives their fur a greenish color which helps them hide. J12

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 * Ateles Paniscus (A.K.A black spider monkeys) **

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 * Description: ** Ateles Paniscus are also knowns as Black Spider Monkeys. There is not a lot of variation in appearance, but males are slightly larger than females. The main differences between the two genders are the size of their heads (males: 54.5 cm and females: 54.0 cm) and their weights (males: 9.11 kg and females: 8.44 kg). They have relatively small heads compared to their bodies. Their long arms, legs, and tails help them to balance while moving through forest canopies. The bodies of the animals are completely covered in black, except their face and the palms of their hands and feet, which are covered in reddish-pinkish color. J2]

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 * Habitat: ** They can be found in dense forest habitats that are in separate conditions from human populations. They spend a majority of their time in the middle to upper regions of the forest canopy. A forestry canopy is the upper layer of a forest made up of mature tree crowns and include biological organisms. The preferred habitat includes forests with canopy heights exceeding 25 meters.

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**The Decline of Ateles Paniscus:** Ateles Paniscus are hunted because of their large size and an increasing demand for bushmeat. Due to the fact that some of the population is decreasing, hunting may be illegal throughout parts of their range in South America. In Bolivia, their fat has been used as a home remedy for rheumatism. J2] There are other factors that play a role in the decrease of the monkeys. Some of these are deforestation and hunting by humans (used for food, medicines, and possibly clothing). They have a slow reproductive rate, so the species cannot replenish themselves at a rate that will decrease their susceptibility to decline. The destruction of tropical rainforests pose the greatest challenge to the monkeys. Because they prefer mature tropical forest and seldom venture into disturbed habitats, these monkeys are especially vulnerable to the effects of forest fragmentation. J3]

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