“World’s 100 Rarest Species” Listed – What do you think?

Hi All,
A unique list of species facing imminent extinction was released by the Zoological Society of London at the recent (September, 2012) World Conservation Congress in Jeju, South Korea. Included were a number of reptiles, amphibians and a tarantula. As a former member of several IUCN Species Survival Commissions, I was eager to learn the current thinking on the world’s most threatened creatures. I’ll summarize below…any opinions you may have concerning “passed over” species would be most appreciated (please post below).
I’ve worked with several animals given the dubious honor of “World’s Rarest”, including the Batagur Turtle and Jamaican Iguana, and was heartened to see that zoos and private individuals are still contributing mightily to their protection. However, many of listed species are poorly-studied, and draw few supporters. Unfortunately, two such creatures that I’ve cared for in the past – the Chittenango Ovate Amber Snail and the Tanzanian Spray Toad – are now extinct in the wild. Read article here Reptiles, Amphibians, Tarantulas among.
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Thanks, Frank
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Frank,

Very interesting article as usual! It's quite sad that they've gone extinct out in the wild, I hope they put more studies into them and try to bring back their population out in the wild.

MikeyTN said:

Frank,

Very interesting article as usual! It's quite sad that they've gone extinct out in the wild, I hope they put more studies into them and try to bring back their population out in the wild.

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Thanks for the kind words, glad you enjoyed. The Bronx Zoo sent a large group of Spray Toads to Tanzania in the last few weeks; renewed interest there in a release attempt. Snail doesn't draw much support due to size, location, etc. and it seems impossible to eliminate the competing exotic species w/o wrecking the entire habitat. I'll post updates, stay well, Frank