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1. Investigate endangered species designated by country of your team.

2. Post your investigate on "Endangered Species Map of our class" Padlet.

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Native to southeastern Russia, fewer than 60 Amur leopards exist today.

Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of land area. The nation occupies much of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia covering a land area of 6,592,800 square miles. Its varied landscape consists of expansive plains, volcanic mountains, endless coastlines, rivers, and lakes. The enormous landscape and varying eco-systems support numerous plants and animals. Among the animals found in Russia are endangered mammals such as Amur Leopard, Asiatic Lion, Ussuri Dhole and the North Pacific right whale.

Russia's Most Endangered Mammals

Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)

Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is a leopard species native to southeastern Russia and northern China. The leopard has a thick coat of fur with beautiful black spots. The coat's color varies from pale yellow to deep yellow with a golden tinge. The Amur leopard is smaller compared to other types of leopards, although it has fairly long limbs; an adaptation for walking through deep snow. Amur leopard is classified as a critically endangered mammal, and fewer than 60 are estimated to exist in the Russian province of Primorsky Krai. The main threats to the animal's existence include poaching, human encroachment into its habitat, forest fires, rapid development, and disease.

Saiga Antelope (Saiga tatarica)

Saiga Antelope (Saiga tatarica) is unique amongst antelopes for its enlarged nose. It inhabits flat plains and is nomadic, travelling between steppe grasslands during summer from desert areas in winter. Saigas graze on herbs, grasses, and shrubs while its enlarged snout helps to filter out dust. The Saiga antelope faces threats from habitat destruction, predation, disease, and poaching. It is a critically endangered species currently found in a restricted area in Russia. Hunting of the Saiga antelope is banned in Russia and its trade in international markets is highly restricted.

Ussuri Dhole (Cuon alpinus alpinus)

Ussuri dhole (Cuon alpinus alpinus) is a rare animal found in eastern Russia and China. It prefers savannahs, alpine tundra and flat unforested grassland known as steppes. The Ussuri dhole grows a wooly coat and larger mane in winter that is shed in the summer. It feeds on herbivores like the blackbucks, deer, wild boar, chital, and the Asiatic water buffalo. The Ussuri dhole faces threats from poaching, fur trade, habitat loss, and disease. Its population has drastically reduced in the last five decades, although the Ussuri dhole is a protected animal in Russia.

North Pacific Right Whale (eubalaena japonica)

The North Pacific right whale is an incredibly rare type of baleen whale, with fewer than 40 animals estimated to be in existence. The North Pacific right whale can be found in the Bering Strait near Russia, and are known for being larger than the North Atlantic right whale. They can weigh up to 180,000 lb, and have measured to be up to 70 ft long. Threats to the North Pacific right whale include vulnerability because of small population size, food shortage, environmental changes, and human interaction, particularly surrounding oil extraction.

​Conservation measures

Russia is home to plenty of unique and rare wildlife. The government is committed to the protection of the endangered animals. The wildlife authorities have created national parks, nature reserves, and conservation areas to protect the animals from human interference. Further research on the animals is being conducted to help in conservation efforts.

Russia's Most Endangered Mammals

Estimated Population

Amur Leopard

<60

Saiga Antelope

<36000

Muisk Vole

Not available

Asiatic Lion

<600

Persian Leopard

<1500

Siberian Tiger

<400

Snow Leopard

<10000

Ussuri Dhole

Not available

European Mink

<20000

West Caucasian Tur

<6000

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Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of land area. The nation occupies much of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia covering a land area of 6,592,800 square miles. Its varied landscape consists of expansive plains, volcanic mountains, endless coastlines, rivers, and lakes.

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Forty years after the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was signed on March 3, 1973, parties to this agreement are meeting in Bangkok this month to discuss further protection for several species that are under threat. Russia is home to many of the animals that are on endangered lists. Although the vast country is rich in biodiversity, many of its most iconic creatures are struggling to survive as they grapple with poaching and a loss of habitat.

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Forty years after the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES ) was signed on March 3, 1973, parties to this agreement are meeting in Bangkok this month to discuss further protection for several species that are under threat.

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Caspian tiger

Although tigers usually prefer jungles and a warm climate, a population of Amur tigers live in the Russian Far East - the northernmost and largest in the world - that can tolerate the cold. However, less than a century ago, they had relatives who lived in the Caucasus and Kazakhstan, as well as in modern Turkey and even western China. Caspian tigers were also called Turanian tigers.

They were very large predators, weighing up to 200 kg (slightly less than the Amur tiger) with bright red fur, who lived along the banks of rivers among riparian forests. In winter, tigers grew "side whiskers". Caspian tigers could make a journey of 100 kilometers in a day in search of food.

In the 19th century, people turned the tigers' habitat into agricultural land and the predators practically disappeared, also because they were hunted.

According to some sources, the last tiger was seen in Tajikistan in 1958, according to others - in the 1970s in Turkey. However, the animal has long been considered extinct.

Recently scientists proved the genetic relationship of the Amur and Caspian tigers, that allowed them to think about the potential revival of the population in Central Asia.

Wild Caucasian wisent

Wisent, or European bison, are the oldest bulls on the planet, they are contemporaries of mammoths. The population used to be represented by two species: wild Caucasian and European wood wisent. The Caucasian bison is smaller in size with darker, curlier fur. Both species were common animals in European forests and the Caucasian Mountains, but, every decade, their population decreased because of hunters and, in the early 20th century, they were on the brink of extinction. Nevertheless, the wood bison were saved, as there were several animals in zoos.

As for the Caucasian bison, things are much sadder. It lived in the remote mountain forests of the Main Caucasian Range. In the mid-19th century, there were 2,000 animals remaining and, in the early 20th century, there were only 500 left. The last wild Caucasian bison was killed by shepherds on Mount Alous (Krasnodarsky Krai) in 1927.

After that, only one wisent remained in the USSR - a mixture of Caucasian and wood bison. It was no longer possible to restore the population, but Soviet scientists succeeded in breeding the wood-Caucasian bison, which occupied the ecological niche of the Caucasian species. Since the 1940s, the new species of bison has inhabited the Caucasian Nature Reserve in the wild. Most of the bison have adapted to life at altitudes of up to 3,000 m, descending only in the cold season.

Caucasian moose

Another animal that lived in the mountains was the Caucasian moose or elk. In general, moose are considered a northern animal, but, a few centuries ago, the southern border of their habitat reached the South Caucasus. The Caucasian moose was generally similar to its European relative, but smaller in size. It's known that it was a very common animal in Kuban (Krasnodar Territory) and the Caucasus, but, in the 19th century, its population began to decline.

Scientists can conclude what it looked like only by its remains, because, by the early 20th century, this species had been completely exterminated by hunters.

Moscow Water Dog

After World War II, there was a real shortage of working dogs in the Soviet Union and cynologists tried to grow new breeds. One of them was called the Moscow Water Dog (Moskovsky Vodolaz) or Moscow Diver, bred at the Krasnaya Zvezda ("Red Star") Kennel.

It was based on the Newfoundland breed, but with a coarser fur (for harsh climates) and highly developed musculature. First, they were crossbred with German Shepherds.

Moscow Water Dogs were first presented at a canine show in 1955, but they did not perform very well in service. For example, at one time, they were planned to be used for water rescues, but instead of saving a person, dogs attacked them. Breeding work stopped in 1979 and the breed was never recognized by the international community. In the late Soviet years, they were bred by amateur dog handlers. However, today, there are apparently no more Moscow Water Dogs left.

Moscow Great Dane

Another extinct dog breed is the Moscow Great Dane (Moskovsky Dog), which was also bred for service. The Dane was crossed with Eastern European shepherds, which is how this breed inherited the red color typical of the Dane and the wedge-shaped head from the sheepdog. In 1960, Soviet cynologists established a standard for the breed.

In the 1960 'The Reference Book on Dog Breeding', the Moscow Great Dane standard with the picture of the breed stated: the height not less than 65 cm, a massive skeleton, well-developed muscles, a thick coat, a red color with a black "mask". However, it was not possible to consolidate the breed and offspring always turned out very different. So, the Moscow Great Dane was also forgotten.
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5 extinct animals that used to live in Russia (PHOTOS)

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Although tigers usually prefer jungles and a warm climate, a population of Amur tigers live in the Russian Far East - the northernmost and largest in the world - that can tolerate the cold. However, less than a century ago, they had relatives who lived in the Caucasus and Kazakhstan, as well as in modern Turkey and even western China.

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Eleven Animal Species In Russia Listed As Extinct