Introduction to the Environment - Research Paper Example

Introduction to the Environment This paper will discuss about a non mammalian endangered species and analyze the issues that have caused it to become endangered, especially in reference to its habitat issues. The species chosen for the paper is the dwarf crocodile that mostly inhabits the swamps and slow moving streams in the tropical rain forest regions of Central and West Africa. In being an endangered species, the dwarf crocodile is now very rare to find across its entire range. It is not more than 1.5 meters (five feet) in length and is the smallest amongst the three species of crocodiles that are found in Africa. The dwarf crocodile is very shy, moves very slowly and is usually active during night time. Given that all crocodiles are carnivores, the dwarf crocodile also eats carrion, frogs, snakes, birds, fish as well as small mammals that it can hunt down. The dwarf crocodile depends upon the heat created by rotting vegetation to keep warm and to hatch its eggs. In keeping with the traits of other species of crocodiles, the dwarf crocodile also gives lot of attention to its young, which can be said to be much more than what other reptiles give to their offspring. Nevertheless, the newly hatched babies of the dwarf crocodile are at immense risk of being eaten by fish and birds as also by larger crocodiles or other nocturnal predators such as mongoose. The dwarf crocodile is characteristic of protecting its young by carrying it in its fearful jaws (Suirman, 2011). The biggest reason why the dwarf crocodile is an endangered species is the long held belief that crocodiles are parasites and a perilous nuisance because of which they have been hunted so indiscriminately that they are almost extinct in many areas of Africa. It is known that because of the increasing area being taken up by cattle ranching, a lot of crocodile habitat is encroached upon, making it very difficult for the species to live a normal existence in its natural surroundings. It is also known that after the Europeans began to colonize different regions in Africa, they gave lot of emphasis on making the country side safe for humans and for domesticated animals. They started giving incentives and rewards for every crocodile that was killed, which tempted many locals to kill more and more crocodiles in view of the bounty attached with this kind of hunting. Additionally, crocodiles in the Nile were considered trophies for people hunting on safari trips in the river valley (Ross, 1989). The dwarf crocodile is nocturnal and spends most of the day time in its burrow that is submerged partially in water. The entrance to the dwarf crocodile’s burrow is mostly under water. It comes out at night and seeks to hunt its prey close to the water or on land, mostly in forested and covered areas. Some dwarf crocodiles are known to stay in small pools of water along the river bed or hide under the roots of trees during day time. Most varieties of dwarf crocodiles live in fresh water bodies in tropical grass lands or tropical rain forests. They live in tropical forest zones because they prefer to stay away from the main water ways. Their ideal habitat is in small water bodies such as back waters, creeks and ponds. The habitat of the dwarf crocodile can also be found in heaps of vegetation that is present near water bodies or flowing water. The dwarf crocodile makes its home by digging with its claws on the land along the water and such burrows are found just a little above the water level, although they can be quite deep in forming a kind of chamber or den. The biggest threat to the dwarf crocodile is the disturbance in its natural habitat, which comes from over exploitation because of which it is declared as being critically endangered. It is correct to say that local people in Africa have used crocodile skin for ages without causing any adverse impact on the crocodile population. The maximum danger to the dwarf crocodile comes from excessively high exploitation because of increased demand for crocodile leather in fashion markets of Europe and North America. Dwarf crocodile has the unique characteristic of having caiman that is adored and preferred in fashion markets because of the beautiful natural patterns on the leather. Till recently, almost a million caiman crocodiles were killed annually to be used in making belts, hand bags, shoes, wallets and other accessories. As demand for the dwarf crocodile’s leather kept increasing, hunters adopted more lethal methods of hunting them down. The started using powered boats, night spot lights and high powered rifles to ensure that there was no miss, obviously resulting in speedy reduction in the population of the species. Unfortunately, the dwarf crocodile is now on the verge of extinction because of such indiscriminate hunting practices (Burnie, 2005). Although the maximum profit from hunting crocodiles comes from their hides, they are also hunted for their meat and body parts. In all regions of Africa, wherever they are found, crocodile meat is considered a delicacy amongst local people. Moreover, there are many societies and cultures that prefer to use crocodile fat and oil for medical purposes. For instance, in many areas, crocodile is prescribed to treat a number of medical conditions such as cancer, skin ulcers and burns. In many Asian countries, crocodile fat is used as medicine to treat asthma and similar use is made in many other parts of the world such as Haiti, Dominican Republic, the Caribbean and South America. The dwarf crocodile is now targeted more in view of the declining population of larger crocodiles. The bigger species of crocodiles had become endangered many years ago because of their vulnerability in being easily targeted by hunters. But now the dwarf crocodile is a more vulnerable target because of the demand its skin commands in the fashion markets of Europe and North America. Moreover, it is quite natural that as the available species become less accessible the pressure of poachers will shift to harder to hunt species such as the dwarf crocodile (Arkive Images of Live on Earth, 2010). The loss of its natural habitat continues to intimidate the dwarf crocodile that is being most notably impacted by the processes of drainage and filling of wet lands and diverting of water resources for irrigation purposes. Another aspect of habitat loss for dwarf crocodiles relates to the growth of farms and cities on the banks of rivers and lakes because of which they have been pushed away from their natural homes. The natural habitat of dwarf crocodiles has been disturbed because of global warming and climate change. Climate change, resulting from global warming, is a constant threat to the natural habitat of several species. Moreover, the increasing speed with which most governments are allowing deforestation to occur is a matter of grave concern because many animal species get deprived of their natural surroundings and are forced to search for new habitats, mostly in vain. In its Red List of endangered species, The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, 2010) has listed the dwarf crocodile as extremely vulnerable because its population is gradually declining in most parts of Africa. Moreover, in some areas such as Liberia and Gambia it is on the verge of extinction because of destruction of its natural habitat and indiscriminate killing for its meat. The species is extremely vulnerable because of its non-aggressive nature and small size, which allows easy capture and transportation. Consequently, the dwarf crocodile is now listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, implying that global trading in the species is now treated as controlled. There are plans to increase captive breeding of the species and to establish a monitoring system to maintain the position of the dwarf crocodile. Works Cited Arkive Images of Live on Earth. Dwarf Crocodile, 2010,   http://www.arkive.org/dwarf-crocodile/osteolaemus-tetrapis/#text, Accessed on 14 October, 2011. IUCN Red list of threatened species, Osteolaemus tetraspis, 2010, Available from:http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/15635/0 , Accessed on 14 October, 2011. Burnie, David. Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife, DK ADULT, 2005. Ross, Charles, A. Crocodiles and Alligators, Facts on File, 1989. Suirman, Sam. Endangered Dwarf Crocodile, https://sites.google.com/site/endangereddwarfcrocodile/, Accessed on 14 October, 2011. Read More