QUICK FACT: Possibly the slowest South American tiger beetle; rarely flies.
THREATS: Agriculture expansion, habitat loss, fire, and climate change impacts.
IMPORTANCE: A predator and a flagship for local habitat conservation and school outreach efforts.
Nguru Spiny Pygmy Chameleon
Rhampholeon acuminatus
QUICK FACT: The species name “acuminatus” means “to sharpen” in reference to the numerous sharp spines scattered across the head and body.
THREATS: Habitat understory clearing for cardamom and other shade plant cultivation, and illegal collection for the pet trade.
IMPORTANCE: This small (up to 82mm or 3.2″ in length) arboreal insectivore is a local endemic known only from a single locality and represents one of the more elaborately ornamented and colored pygmy chameleons in the world!
Photo credit: Zoo Vienna
OR
Round 3 2 of 8
West African Slender-Snouted Crocodile
Mecistops cataphractus
QUICK FACT: Remarkably vocal. Pairs have been recorded “duetting”, even swapping duet roles.
THREATS: Habitat loss, hunting, and accidental capture in unregulated gill-net fisheries.
IMPORTANCE: A keystone predator and ecosystem engineer that helps maintain aquatic system balance.
Photo credit: THRESCOAL
Javan Green Magpie
Cissa thalassina
QUICK FACT: Locally called “Ekek-Geling,” echoing its distinctive call.
THREATS: Trapping for the cagebird trade and ongoing habitat loss.
IMPORTANCE: A predator that keeps invertebrate and small vertebrate populations in check.
Photo credit: Andrew Owen Chester Zoo
OR
Round 3 3 of 8
Mountain Tapir
Tapirus pinchaque
QUICK FACT: The smallest of the four tapir species and the only one adapted to cold, high-altitude Andes habitats.
THREATS: Dog attacks and deadly screwworm infections are causing alarming mortality in parts of its range.
IMPORTANCE: A “forest engineer” that disperses seeds and shapes Andean forest structure and diversity.
Photo credit: Camilo Botero
Moorean Viviparous Tree Snail
Partula tohiveana
QUICK FACT: A comeback story! Once extinct in the wild, now breeding again in nature.
THREATS: Invasive rosy wolfsnails devastated wild populations; recovery depends on continued protection.
IMPORTANCE: Supports island food webs and carries deep cultural meaning across Polynesian islands.
Photo credit: Zoological Society of London
OR
Round 3 4 of 8
Raffles’ Banded Langur
Presbytis femoralis
QUICK FACT: Babies are born white, then darken to the adults’ black coat as they mature.
THREATS: Forest clearance, fragmentation, road/wire deaths, and conflict in human areas; small genetic base.
IMPORTANCE: A seed disperser and seed predator that influences forest regeneration.
Photo credit: Andie Ang
Sulawesi Cardinal Shrimp
Caridina dennerli
QUICK FACT: A vivid red shrimp found in the unique, ancient Malili lake system, an evolutionary laboratory!
THREATS: Invasive species, pollution, and collection for the aquarium trade.
IMPORTANCE: Recycles nutrients and supports the base of the food web in ancient lake ecosystems.
Photo credit: Dirk Blankenhaus
OR
Round 3 5 of 8
White-Rumped Vulture
Gyps bengalensis
QUICK FACT: Once among the most common raptors; the population has plummeted to a few thousand in just two decades.
THREATS: Toxic veterinary NSAIDs, poison baits, and electrocution from power infrastructure.
IMPORTANCE: Nature’s cleanup crew. Loss led to more feral dogs, worsening rabies and health impacts.
Photo credit: Chris Bowden
Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing
Ornithoptera alexandrae
QUICK FACT: The world’s largest butterfly, spanning up to 28 cm (11 inches).
THREATS: Forest loss to timber and plantations, plus volcanic events that can erase habitat quickly.
IMPORTANCE: Pollinator, especially of native pipevines; sentinel for habitat health; high-profile flagship species for conservation in its country.
Photo credit: Charles Harbottle
OR
Round 3 6 of 8
Kyrgyzstan Wild Tulip
Tulipa anadroma
QUICK FACT: Only found in specific pockets of Kyrgyzstan.
THREATS: Collection by the people, livestock grazing, infrastructure development, climate change
IMPORTANCE: Sustains local insect pollinators and provides food for wild boars, deer and others
Photo credit: Brett Wilson
Bozibe
Adansonia perrieri
QUICK FACT: A rare yellow-flowered baobab that typically blooms in Nov-Dec.
THREATS: Ongoing pressures across a small northern Madagascar range despite recent conservation gains.
IMPORTANCE: A keystone baobab that shapes dry forests and provides shelter and microhabitats for wildlife.
OR
Round 3 7 of 8
Vaquita Porpoise
Phocoena sinus
QUICK FACT: The “desert porpoise” has an over-sized dorsal fin to dissipate heat as it swims in the 90°F/32°C waters of the Gulf of California.
THREATS: Bycatch in fishing nets, especially gillnets, is the existential threat.
IMPORTANCE: Protecting the vaquita is urgent, as only a handful of individuals are thought to remain, and its extinction would be both imminent and preventable.
Photo credit: Thomas Jefferson
Spiky Yellow Woodlouse
Pseudolaureola atlantica
QUICK FACT: Glows in the dark under UV light.
THREATS: Invasive plants degrade cloud forest habitat; plant disease reduces the flora it depends on.
IMPORTANCE: Helps break down organic matter and cycle nutrients in St. Helena’s cloud forests.
Photo credit: Liza Fowler
OR
Round 3 8 of 8
African Manatee
Trichechus senegalensis
QUICK FACT: The only manatee known to regularly eat fish and mollusks.
THREATS: Poaching, traps/bycatch, and dam entrapment threaten populations across a huge range.
IMPORTANCE: Aquatic “gardeners” that stimulate plant growth and signal healthy, vegetated waterways.
Photo credit: Abu Dhabi Aquarium
Yellow-Breasted Bunting
Emberiza aureola
QUICK FACT: Agricultural expansion once helped it spread in the 1800s, then rapid decline followed.
THREATS: Illegal hunting and habitat destruction across its migratory range.
IMPORTANCE: A flagship open-habitat migrant, its sudden collapse in population mirrors the cautionary tale of passenger pigeons.
Photo credit: Ayuwat Jearwattanakanok
OR
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