#vulnerablespecies — Public Fediverse posts

Platypuses need threatened species recognition in NSW, researcher says

A leading researcher is calling for the platypus to be classified as a threatened species in New South…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Environment #commonwealthenvironmentalwaterholder #conservation #endangered #environmentalwater #Murray-DarlingBasin #nativeanimals #platypus #Science #threatened #UniversityofNewSouthWales #vulnerablespecies
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/608551/

Olinguito Bassaricyon neblina

Olinguito Bassaricyon neblina

IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

Location: Colombia, Ecuador

Found in the Andean cloud forests of western Colombia and Ecuador, at elevations between 1,500 and 2,800 metres.

One of the cutest #mammals recently discovered is already at risk. With their bear-like faces, cat-like bodies, and lush tawny fur, the olinguito Bassaricyon neblina is an adorable button-nosed mammal of #Ecuador and #Colombia. They first made themselves known to the western world in 2006 in Ecuador and were officially described in 2013 and are considered ‘Near Threatened’ mainly from deforestation and forest clearing for #palmoil agriculture along with road building, infrastructure and gold mining throughout their range. Native to the misty cloud forests of the northern Andes, they are increasingly threatened by industrial agribusiness, palm oil plantations, and agriculture. Over 40% of their habitat has already been destroyed. Use your wallet as a weapon: always choose #palmoilfree products and be #vegan to help protect olinguitos and other species of the Andean Cloud Forest#BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/6_ir48JWkRI

#Olinguitos are button-nosed #mammals 😻🦦 of the Cloud Forests in #Ecuador 🇪🇨 and #Colombia 🇨🇴 Their lives are threatened by #goldmining 🥇 #meat 🥩and #palmoil 🌴 #deforestation. Help them! Be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-bBX

Discovered not long ago, #Olinguitos are #bear-like tenacious survivors. Despite hiding well, their forests are rapidly disappearing for #palmoil and #meat agriculture. Help them survive! Be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil 🌴⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-bBX

Appearance & Behaviour

The olinguito is reminiscent of teddy bear and a domestic cat, with thick, soft, russet and tawny coloured fur, a short snout with a button-like nose, small ears, and a long fluffy tail used for balance in the treetops. Typically weighing under one kilogram, they are the smallest member of the raccoon family (Procyonidae). Nocturnal and arboreal, they live high in the forest canopy and are rarely seen. Solitary by nature, they are also reclusive and actively avoid human interaction.

Threats

Despite being classified as Near Threatened, there are no known large-scale conservation programmes or protected areas specifically designed to safeguard the olinguito or their habitat. Many of the forests where they live are under private ownership or are unprotected, leaving them at the mercy of logging companies, agribusiness, and illegal land grabs. Without legal safeguards and ecological corridors between forest remnants, olinguito populations will continue to decline unnoticed. Over 42% of their potential range has already been cleared or degraded for mining and agriculture.

Widespread deforestation of Andean cloud forests for agriculture, livestock, and infrastructure

Much of the olinguito’s Andean cloud forest habitat has already been cleared for cattle pasture, coffee plantations, and crop fields. This is especially concerning given the species’ limited elevational range and dependence on specific microclimates. Habitat loss fragments populations and prevents them from moving between forest patches, leading to genetic isolation and increased vulnerability. According to Helgen et al. (2013), 42% of the olinguito’s historical range has already been lost to agriculture and urban development.

Palm oil and timber plantations rapidly consuming native forest habitat.

Large swathes of cloud forest are being destroyed to establish oil palm and timber plantations. These monocultures are ecological deserts that offer no food or shelter for frugivorous mammals like the olinguito. Although oil palm expansion is often focused in lowland regions, it is encroaching into higher elevations in parts of Colombia and Ecuador due to market demand and land speculation. This spells danger for highland endemics like the olinguito, whose misty habitat is already shrinking.

Urbanisation and road development, fragmenting their canopy habitat

As human populations expand into previously remote areas, forest is cleared for roads, settlements, and industrial development. Even if some patches of cloud forest remain, roads cut through ecosystems, isolating wildlife and increasing mortality from vehicle collisions. Urban sprawl also brings dogs and other invasive species that can harass, predate, or outcompete native animals. The olinguito’s canopy-dependent, arboreal lifestyle makes it especially susceptible to the effects of fragmentation and edge habitat.

Climate change, which threatens the stability of montane ecosystems.

Cloud forests are highly sensitive to temperature and moisture changes. As global temperatures rise, the delicate balance of mist, rainfall, and cool air that defines this biome is shifting. Suitable habitat may move upslope, but mountaintops provide a limited refuge. Once a species is pushed beyond its climatic limit, local extinction becomes inevitable. The olinguito already lives at the uppermost altitudes suitable for its survival, making it dangerously vulnerable to climate-induced habitat contraction.

Geographic Range

Olinguitos live in humid montane forests between 1,500 and 2,800 metres in elevation in western Colombia and Ecuador, including forests near Medellín in Colombia and the Otonga Forest Reserve in Cotopaxi, Ecuador. This species occupies the highest known range of any member of the genus Bassaricyon. Though only officially recognised in 2013, museum specimens had been mislabelled for decades prior to that.

Diet

Despite belonging to the carnivoran order, olinguitos are primarily frugivores. They feed on cloud forest fruits such as figs, as well as insects, nectar, and occasionally small vertebrates like birds and lizards. Their faeces are said to resemble small blueberries due to their fruit-heavy diet.

Mating and Reproduction

Very little is known about the reproductive behaviour of the olinguito, but it is believed they produce a single offspring at a time. Females have one pair of mammae. Their solitary lifestyle and canopy-based habits make studying them in the wild extremely difficult.

FAQs

How many olinguitos are left in the wild?

No population estimates exist for the olinguito, but scientists agree numbers are declining. Habitat modelling shows over 60% of their potential habitat is already deforested or degraded, suggesting a significant threat to survival (Helgen et al., 2013).

What is the lifespan of an olinguito?

Captive individuals like Ringerl—an olinguito unknowingly housed in US zoos for years—lived over a decade. Wild lifespan is presumed to be shorter, but specific data are lacking.

What are the main threats to the olinguito?

The biggest threats are deforestation and habitat loss driven by palm oil plantations, agriculture, and urbanisation. These activities have destroyed over 40% of their cloud forest habitat (Helgen et al., 2013). Climate change is also a growing concern due to their dependence on cool, moist mountain forests.

Do olinguitos make good pets?

No. Olinguitos are solitary, nocturnal, and specialised to live in misty canopy forests. Keeping them as pets is cruel and contributes to wildlife trafficking. Their capture disrupts family groups and decimates populations. If you care about olinguitos, do not fuel demand—speak out against the pet trade.

Take Action!

Olinguitos are an emblem of the hidden biodiversity in the world’s cloud forests—ecosystems that are vanishing fast.

• Boycott palm oil and demand truly forest-free alternatives.
• Support indigenous-led agroecology and forest protection efforts in the Andes.
• Refuse meat and dairy that drives deforestation in Colombia and Ecuador.
• Never support zoos or exotic pet collectors that remove wildlife from their habitats. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support the Olinguito by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Helgen, K. M., Pinto, C. M., Kays, R., Helgen, L. E., Tsuchiya, M. T. N., Quinn, A., Wilson, D. E., & Maldonado, J. E. (2013). Taxonomic revision of the olingos (Bassaricyon), with description of a new species, the olinguito. ZooKeys, 324, 1–83. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.324.5827

Helgen, K., Kays, R., Pinto, C., Schipper, J. & González-Maya, J.F. 2020. Bassaricyon neblina (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T48637280A166523067. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T48637280A166523067.en. Accessed on 02 May 2025.

Lee, T. E., Tinoco, N., Allred, F. G., Hennecke, A., Camacho, M. A., & Burneo, S. F. (2022). Small mammals of Otonga Forest Reserve, Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador. The Southwestern Naturalist, 66(1), 48–53. https://doi.org/10.1894/0038-4909-66.1.48

NBC News. (2013, August 16). ‘Cutest new animal’ discovered: It’s an olinguito! https://www.nbcnews.com/sciencemain/cutest-new-animal-discovered-its-olinguito-6C10925572

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Olinguito. Wikipedia. Retrieved 2 May 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olinguito

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Olinguito Bassaricyon neblina

Santa Catarina’s Guinea Pig Cavia intermedia

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Olinguito Bassaricyon neblina

Olinguito Bassaricyon neblina

IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

Location: Colombia, Ecuador

Found in the Andean cloud forests of western Colombia and Ecuador, at elevations between 1,500 and 2,800 metres.

One of the cutest #mammals recently discovered is already at risk. With their bear-like faces, cat-like bodies, and lush tawny fur, the olinguito Bassaricyon neblina is an adorable button-nosed mammal of #Ecuador and #Colombia. They first made themselves known to the western world in 2006 in Ecuador and were officially described in 2013 and are considered ‘Near Threatened’ mainly from deforestation and forest clearing for #palmoil agriculture along with road building, infrastructure and gold mining throughout their range. Native to the misty cloud forests of the northern Andes, they are increasingly threatened by industrial agribusiness, palm oil plantations, and agriculture. Over 40% of their habitat has already been destroyed. Use your wallet as a weapon: always choose #palmoilfree products and be #vegan to help protect olinguitos and other species of the Andean Cloud Forest#BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/6_ir48JWkRI

#Olinguitos are button-nosed #mammals 😻🦦 of the Cloud Forests in #Ecuador 🇪🇨 and #Colombia 🇨🇴 Their lives are threatened by #goldmining 🥇 #meat 🥩and #palmoil 🌴 #deforestation. Help them! Be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-bBX

Discovered not long ago, #Olinguitos are #bear-like tenacious survivors. Despite hiding well, their forests are rapidly disappearing for #palmoil and #meat agriculture. Help them survive! Be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil 🌴⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-bBX

Appearance & Behaviour

The olinguito is reminiscent of teddy bear and a domestic cat, with thick, soft, russet and tawny coloured fur, a short snout with a button-like nose, small ears, and a long fluffy tail used for balance in the treetops. Typically weighing under one kilogram, they are the smallest member of the raccoon family (Procyonidae). Nocturnal and arboreal, they live high in the forest canopy and are rarely seen. Solitary by nature, they are also reclusive and actively avoid human interaction.

Threats

Despite being classified as Near Threatened, there are no known large-scale conservation programmes or protected areas specifically designed to safeguard the olinguito or their habitat. Many of the forests where they live are under private ownership or are unprotected, leaving them at the mercy of logging companies, agribusiness, and illegal land grabs. Without legal safeguards and ecological corridors between forest remnants, olinguito populations will continue to decline unnoticed. Over 42% of their potential range has already been cleared or degraded for mining and agriculture.

Widespread deforestation of Andean cloud forests for agriculture, livestock, and infrastructure

Much of the olinguito’s Andean cloud forest habitat has already been cleared for cattle pasture, coffee plantations, and crop fields. This is especially concerning given the species’ limited elevational range and dependence on specific microclimates. Habitat loss fragments populations and prevents them from moving between forest patches, leading to genetic isolation and increased vulnerability. According to Helgen et al. (2013), 42% of the olinguito’s historical range has already been lost to agriculture and urban development.

Palm oil and timber plantations rapidly consuming native forest habitat.

Large swathes of cloud forest are being destroyed to establish oil palm and timber plantations. These monocultures are ecological deserts that offer no food or shelter for frugivorous mammals like the olinguito. Although oil palm expansion is often focused in lowland regions, it is encroaching into higher elevations in parts of Colombia and Ecuador due to market demand and land speculation. This spells danger for highland endemics like the olinguito, whose misty habitat is already shrinking.

Urbanisation and road development, fragmenting their canopy habitat

As human populations expand into previously remote areas, forest is cleared for roads, settlements, and industrial development. Even if some patches of cloud forest remain, roads cut through ecosystems, isolating wildlife and increasing mortality from vehicle collisions. Urban sprawl also brings dogs and other invasive species that can harass, predate, or outcompete native animals. The olinguito’s canopy-dependent, arboreal lifestyle makes it especially susceptible to the effects of fragmentation and edge habitat.

Climate change, which threatens the stability of montane ecosystems.

Cloud forests are highly sensitive to temperature and moisture changes. As global temperatures rise, the delicate balance of mist, rainfall, and cool air that defines this biome is shifting. Suitable habitat may move upslope, but mountaintops provide a limited refuge. Once a species is pushed beyond its climatic limit, local extinction becomes inevitable. The olinguito already lives at the uppermost altitudes suitable for its survival, making it dangerously vulnerable to climate-induced habitat contraction.

Geographic Range

Olinguitos live in humid montane forests between 1,500 and 2,800 metres in elevation in western Colombia and Ecuador, including forests near Medellín in Colombia and the Otonga Forest Reserve in Cotopaxi, Ecuador. This species occupies the highest known range of any member of the genus Bassaricyon. Though only officially recognised in 2013, museum specimens had been mislabelled for decades prior to that.

Diet

Despite belonging to the carnivoran order, olinguitos are primarily frugivores. They feed on cloud forest fruits such as figs, as well as insects, nectar, and occasionally small vertebrates like birds and lizards. Their faeces are said to resemble small blueberries due to their fruit-heavy diet.

Mating and Reproduction

Very little is known about the reproductive behaviour of the olinguito, but it is believed they produce a single offspring at a time. Females have one pair of mammae. Their solitary lifestyle and canopy-based habits make studying them in the wild extremely difficult.

FAQs

How many olinguitos are left in the wild?

No population estimates exist for the olinguito, but scientists agree numbers are declining. Habitat modelling shows over 60% of their potential habitat is already deforested or degraded, suggesting a significant threat to survival (Helgen et al., 2013).

What is the lifespan of an olinguito?

Captive individuals like Ringerl—an olinguito unknowingly housed in US zoos for years—lived over a decade. Wild lifespan is presumed to be shorter, but specific data are lacking.

What are the main threats to the olinguito?

The biggest threats are deforestation and habitat loss driven by palm oil plantations, agriculture, and urbanisation. These activities have destroyed over 40% of their cloud forest habitat (Helgen et al., 2013). Climate change is also a growing concern due to their dependence on cool, moist mountain forests.

Do olinguitos make good pets?

No. Olinguitos are solitary, nocturnal, and specialised to live in misty canopy forests. Keeping them as pets is cruel and contributes to wildlife trafficking. Their capture disrupts family groups and decimates populations. If you care about olinguitos, do not fuel demand—speak out against the pet trade.

Take Action!

Olinguitos are an emblem of the hidden biodiversity in the world’s cloud forests—ecosystems that are vanishing fast.

• Boycott palm oil and demand truly forest-free alternatives.
• Support indigenous-led agroecology and forest protection efforts in the Andes.
• Refuse meat and dairy that drives deforestation in Colombia and Ecuador.
• Never support zoos or exotic pet collectors that remove wildlife from their habitats. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support the Olinguito by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Helgen, K. M., Pinto, C. M., Kays, R., Helgen, L. E., Tsuchiya, M. T. N., Quinn, A., Wilson, D. E., & Maldonado, J. E. (2013). Taxonomic revision of the olingos (Bassaricyon), with description of a new species, the olinguito. ZooKeys, 324, 1–83. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.324.5827

Helgen, K., Kays, R., Pinto, C., Schipper, J. & González-Maya, J.F. 2020. Bassaricyon neblina (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T48637280A166523067. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T48637280A166523067.en. Accessed on 02 May 2025.

Lee, T. E., Tinoco, N., Allred, F. G., Hennecke, A., Camacho, M. A., & Burneo, S. F. (2022). Small mammals of Otonga Forest Reserve, Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador. The Southwestern Naturalist, 66(1), 48–53. https://doi.org/10.1894/0038-4909-66.1.48

NBC News. (2013, August 16). ‘Cutest new animal’ discovered: It’s an olinguito! https://www.nbcnews.com/sciencemain/cutest-new-animal-discovered-its-olinguito-6C10925572

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Olinguito. Wikipedia. Retrieved 2 May 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olinguito

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Santa Catarina’s Guinea Pig Cavia intermedia

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Olinguito Bassaricyon neblina

Olinguito Bassaricyon neblina

IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

Location: Colombia, Ecuador

Found in the Andean cloud forests of western Colombia and Ecuador, at elevations between 1,500 and 2,800 metres.

One of the cutest #mammals recently discovered is already at risk. With their bear-like faces, cat-like bodies, and lush tawny fur, the olinguito Bassaricyon neblina is an adorable button-nosed mammal of #Ecuador and #Colombia. They first made themselves known to the western world in 2006 in Ecuador and were officially described in 2013 and are considered ‘Near Threatened’ mainly from deforestation and forest clearing for #palmoil agriculture along with road building, infrastructure and gold mining throughout their range. Native to the misty cloud forests of the northern Andes, they are increasingly threatened by industrial agribusiness, palm oil plantations, and agriculture. Over 40% of their habitat has already been destroyed. Use your wallet as a weapon: always choose #palmoilfree products and be #vegan to help protect olinguitos and other species of the Andean Cloud Forest#BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/6_ir48JWkRI

#Olinguitos are button-nosed #mammals 😻🦦 of the Cloud Forests in #Ecuador 🇪🇨 and #Colombia 🇨🇴 Their lives are threatened by #goldmining 🥇 #meat 🥩and #palmoil 🌴 #deforestation. Help them! Be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-bBX

Discovered not long ago, #Olinguitos are #bear-like tenacious survivors. Despite hiding well, their forests are rapidly disappearing for #palmoil and #meat agriculture. Help them survive! Be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil 🌴⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-bBX

Appearance & Behaviour

The olinguito is reminiscent of teddy bear and a domestic cat, with thick, soft, russet and tawny coloured fur, a short snout with a button-like nose, small ears, and a long fluffy tail used for balance in the treetops. Typically weighing under one kilogram, they are the smallest member of the raccoon family (Procyonidae). Nocturnal and arboreal, they live high in the forest canopy and are rarely seen. Solitary by nature, they are also reclusive and actively avoid human interaction.

Threats

Despite being classified as Near Threatened, there are no known large-scale conservation programmes or protected areas specifically designed to safeguard the olinguito or their habitat. Many of the forests where they live are under private ownership or are unprotected, leaving them at the mercy of logging companies, agribusiness, and illegal land grabs. Without legal safeguards and ecological corridors between forest remnants, olinguito populations will continue to decline unnoticed. Over 42% of their potential range has already been cleared or degraded for mining and agriculture.

Widespread deforestation of Andean cloud forests for agriculture, livestock, and infrastructure

Much of the olinguito’s Andean cloud forest habitat has already been cleared for cattle pasture, coffee plantations, and crop fields. This is especially concerning given the species’ limited elevational range and dependence on specific microclimates. Habitat loss fragments populations and prevents them from moving between forest patches, leading to genetic isolation and increased vulnerability. According to Helgen et al. (2013), 42% of the olinguito’s historical range has already been lost to agriculture and urban development.

Palm oil and timber plantations rapidly consuming native forest habitat.

Large swathes of cloud forest are being destroyed to establish oil palm and timber plantations. These monocultures are ecological deserts that offer no food or shelter for frugivorous mammals like the olinguito. Although oil palm expansion is often focused in lowland regions, it is encroaching into higher elevations in parts of Colombia and Ecuador due to market demand and land speculation. This spells danger for highland endemics like the olinguito, whose misty habitat is already shrinking.

Urbanisation and road development, fragmenting their canopy habitat

As human populations expand into previously remote areas, forest is cleared for roads, settlements, and industrial development. Even if some patches of cloud forest remain, roads cut through ecosystems, isolating wildlife and increasing mortality from vehicle collisions. Urban sprawl also brings dogs and other invasive species that can harass, predate, or outcompete native animals. The olinguito’s canopy-dependent, arboreal lifestyle makes it especially susceptible to the effects of fragmentation and edge habitat.

Climate change, which threatens the stability of montane ecosystems.

Cloud forests are highly sensitive to temperature and moisture changes. As global temperatures rise, the delicate balance of mist, rainfall, and cool air that defines this biome is shifting. Suitable habitat may move upslope, but mountaintops provide a limited refuge. Once a species is pushed beyond its climatic limit, local extinction becomes inevitable. The olinguito already lives at the uppermost altitudes suitable for its survival, making it dangerously vulnerable to climate-induced habitat contraction.

Geographic Range

Olinguitos live in humid montane forests between 1,500 and 2,800 metres in elevation in western Colombia and Ecuador, including forests near Medellín in Colombia and the Otonga Forest Reserve in Cotopaxi, Ecuador. This species occupies the highest known range of any member of the genus Bassaricyon. Though only officially recognised in 2013, museum specimens had been mislabelled for decades prior to that.

Diet

Despite belonging to the carnivoran order, olinguitos are primarily frugivores. They feed on cloud forest fruits such as figs, as well as insects, nectar, and occasionally small vertebrates like birds and lizards. Their faeces are said to resemble small blueberries due to their fruit-heavy diet.

Mating and Reproduction

Very little is known about the reproductive behaviour of the olinguito, but it is believed they produce a single offspring at a time. Females have one pair of mammae. Their solitary lifestyle and canopy-based habits make studying them in the wild extremely difficult.

FAQs

How many olinguitos are left in the wild?

No population estimates exist for the olinguito, but scientists agree numbers are declining. Habitat modelling shows over 60% of their potential habitat is already deforested or degraded, suggesting a significant threat to survival (Helgen et al., 2013).

What is the lifespan of an olinguito?

Captive individuals like Ringerl—an olinguito unknowingly housed in US zoos for years—lived over a decade. Wild lifespan is presumed to be shorter, but specific data are lacking.

What are the main threats to the olinguito?

The biggest threats are deforestation and habitat loss driven by palm oil plantations, agriculture, and urbanisation. These activities have destroyed over 40% of their cloud forest habitat (Helgen et al., 2013). Climate change is also a growing concern due to their dependence on cool, moist mountain forests.

Do olinguitos make good pets?

No. Olinguitos are solitary, nocturnal, and specialised to live in misty canopy forests. Keeping them as pets is cruel and contributes to wildlife trafficking. Their capture disrupts family groups and decimates populations. If you care about olinguitos, do not fuel demand—speak out against the pet trade.

Take Action!

Olinguitos are an emblem of the hidden biodiversity in the world’s cloud forests—ecosystems that are vanishing fast.

• Boycott palm oil and demand truly forest-free alternatives.
• Support indigenous-led agroecology and forest protection efforts in the Andes.
• Refuse meat and dairy that drives deforestation in Colombia and Ecuador.
• Never support zoos or exotic pet collectors that remove wildlife from their habitats. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support the Olinguito by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Helgen, K. M., Pinto, C. M., Kays, R., Helgen, L. E., Tsuchiya, M. T. N., Quinn, A., Wilson, D. E., & Maldonado, J. E. (2013). Taxonomic revision of the olingos (Bassaricyon), with description of a new species, the olinguito. ZooKeys, 324, 1–83. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.324.5827

Helgen, K., Kays, R., Pinto, C., Schipper, J. & González-Maya, J.F. 2020. Bassaricyon neblina (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T48637280A166523067. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T48637280A166523067.en. Accessed on 02 May 2025.

Lee, T. E., Tinoco, N., Allred, F. G., Hennecke, A., Camacho, M. A., & Burneo, S. F. (2022). Small mammals of Otonga Forest Reserve, Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador. The Southwestern Naturalist, 66(1), 48–53. https://doi.org/10.1894/0038-4909-66.1.48

NBC News. (2013, August 16). ‘Cutest new animal’ discovered: It’s an olinguito! https://www.nbcnews.com/sciencemain/cutest-new-animal-discovered-its-olinguito-6C10925572

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Olinguito. Wikipedia. Retrieved 2 May 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olinguito

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Santa Catarina’s Guinea Pig Cavia intermedia

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Olinguito Bassaricyon neblina

Olinguito Bassaricyon neblina

IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

Location: Colombia, Ecuador

Found in the Andean cloud forests of western Colombia and Ecuador, at elevations between 1,500 and 2,800 metres.

One of the cutest #mammals recently discovered is already at risk. With their bear-like faces, cat-like bodies, and lush tawny fur, the olinguito Bassaricyon neblina is an adorable button-nosed mammal of #Ecuador and #Colombia. They first made themselves known to the western world in 2006 in Ecuador and were officially described in 2013 and are considered ‘Near Threatened’ mainly from deforestation and forest clearing for #palmoil agriculture along with road building, infrastructure and gold mining throughout their range. Native to the misty cloud forests of the northern Andes, they are increasingly threatened by industrial agribusiness, palm oil plantations, and agriculture. Over 40% of their habitat has already been destroyed. Use your wallet as a weapon: always choose #palmoilfree products and be #vegan to help protect olinguitos and other species of the Andean Cloud Forest#BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/6_ir48JWkRI

#Olinguitos are button-nosed #mammals 😻🦦 of the Cloud Forests in #Ecuador 🇪🇨 and #Colombia 🇨🇴 Their lives are threatened by #goldmining 🥇 #meat 🥩and #palmoil 🌴 #deforestation. Help them! Be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-bBX

Discovered not long ago, #Olinguitos are #bear-like tenacious survivors. Despite hiding well, their forests are rapidly disappearing for #palmoil and #meat agriculture. Help them survive! Be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil 🌴⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-bBX

Appearance & Behaviour

The olinguito is reminiscent of teddy bear and a domestic cat, with thick, soft, russet and tawny coloured fur, a short snout with a button-like nose, small ears, and a long fluffy tail used for balance in the treetops. Typically weighing under one kilogram, they are the smallest member of the raccoon family (Procyonidae). Nocturnal and arboreal, they live high in the forest canopy and are rarely seen. Solitary by nature, they are also reclusive and actively avoid human interaction.

Threats

Despite being classified as Near Threatened, there are no known large-scale conservation programmes or protected areas specifically designed to safeguard the olinguito or their habitat. Many of the forests where they live are under private ownership or are unprotected, leaving them at the mercy of logging companies, agribusiness, and illegal land grabs. Without legal safeguards and ecological corridors between forest remnants, olinguito populations will continue to decline unnoticed. Over 42% of their potential range has already been cleared or degraded for mining and agriculture.

Widespread deforestation of Andean cloud forests for agriculture, livestock, and infrastructure

Much of the olinguito’s Andean cloud forest habitat has already been cleared for cattle pasture, coffee plantations, and crop fields. This is especially concerning given the species’ limited elevational range and dependence on specific microclimates. Habitat loss fragments populations and prevents them from moving between forest patches, leading to genetic isolation and increased vulnerability. According to Helgen et al. (2013), 42% of the olinguito’s historical range has already been lost to agriculture and urban development.

Palm oil and timber plantations rapidly consuming native forest habitat.

Large swathes of cloud forest are being destroyed to establish oil palm and timber plantations. These monocultures are ecological deserts that offer no food or shelter for frugivorous mammals like the olinguito. Although oil palm expansion is often focused in lowland regions, it is encroaching into higher elevations in parts of Colombia and Ecuador due to market demand and land speculation. This spells danger for highland endemics like the olinguito, whose misty habitat is already shrinking.

Urbanisation and road development, fragmenting their canopy habitat

As human populations expand into previously remote areas, forest is cleared for roads, settlements, and industrial development. Even if some patches of cloud forest remain, roads cut through ecosystems, isolating wildlife and increasing mortality from vehicle collisions. Urban sprawl also brings dogs and other invasive species that can harass, predate, or outcompete native animals. The olinguito’s canopy-dependent, arboreal lifestyle makes it especially susceptible to the effects of fragmentation and edge habitat.

Climate change, which threatens the stability of montane ecosystems.

Cloud forests are highly sensitive to temperature and moisture changes. As global temperatures rise, the delicate balance of mist, rainfall, and cool air that defines this biome is shifting. Suitable habitat may move upslope, but mountaintops provide a limited refuge. Once a species is pushed beyond its climatic limit, local extinction becomes inevitable. The olinguito already lives at the uppermost altitudes suitable for its survival, making it dangerously vulnerable to climate-induced habitat contraction.

Geographic Range

Olinguitos live in humid montane forests between 1,500 and 2,800 metres in elevation in western Colombia and Ecuador, including forests near Medellín in Colombia and the Otonga Forest Reserve in Cotopaxi, Ecuador. This species occupies the highest known range of any member of the genus Bassaricyon. Though only officially recognised in 2013, museum specimens had been mislabelled for decades prior to that.

Diet

Despite belonging to the carnivoran order, olinguitos are primarily frugivores. They feed on cloud forest fruits such as figs, as well as insects, nectar, and occasionally small vertebrates like birds and lizards. Their faeces are said to resemble small blueberries due to their fruit-heavy diet.

Mating and Reproduction

Very little is known about the reproductive behaviour of the olinguito, but it is believed they produce a single offspring at a time. Females have one pair of mammae. Their solitary lifestyle and canopy-based habits make studying them in the wild extremely difficult.

FAQs

How many olinguitos are left in the wild?

No population estimates exist for the olinguito, but scientists agree numbers are declining. Habitat modelling shows over 60% of their potential habitat is already deforested or degraded, suggesting a significant threat to survival (Helgen et al., 2013).

What is the lifespan of an olinguito?

Captive individuals like Ringerl—an olinguito unknowingly housed in US zoos for years—lived over a decade. Wild lifespan is presumed to be shorter, but specific data are lacking.

What are the main threats to the olinguito?

The biggest threats are deforestation and habitat loss driven by palm oil plantations, agriculture, and urbanisation. These activities have destroyed over 40% of their cloud forest habitat (Helgen et al., 2013). Climate change is also a growing concern due to their dependence on cool, moist mountain forests.

Do olinguitos make good pets?

No. Olinguitos are solitary, nocturnal, and specialised to live in misty canopy forests. Keeping them as pets is cruel and contributes to wildlife trafficking. Their capture disrupts family groups and decimates populations. If you care about olinguitos, do not fuel demand—speak out against the pet trade.

Take Action!

Olinguitos are an emblem of the hidden biodiversity in the world’s cloud forests—ecosystems that are vanishing fast.

• Boycott palm oil and demand truly forest-free alternatives.
• Support indigenous-led agroecology and forest protection efforts in the Andes.
• Refuse meat and dairy that drives deforestation in Colombia and Ecuador.
• Never support zoos or exotic pet collectors that remove wildlife from their habitats. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support the Olinguito by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Helgen, K. M., Pinto, C. M., Kays, R., Helgen, L. E., Tsuchiya, M. T. N., Quinn, A., Wilson, D. E., & Maldonado, J. E. (2013). Taxonomic revision of the olingos (Bassaricyon), with description of a new species, the olinguito. ZooKeys, 324, 1–83. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.324.5827

Helgen, K., Kays, R., Pinto, C., Schipper, J. & González-Maya, J.F. 2020. Bassaricyon neblina (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T48637280A166523067. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T48637280A166523067.en. Accessed on 02 May 2025.

Lee, T. E., Tinoco, N., Allred, F. G., Hennecke, A., Camacho, M. A., & Burneo, S. F. (2022). Small mammals of Otonga Forest Reserve, Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador. The Southwestern Naturalist, 66(1), 48–53. https://doi.org/10.1894/0038-4909-66.1.48

NBC News. (2013, August 16). ‘Cutest new animal’ discovered: It’s an olinguito! https://www.nbcnews.com/sciencemain/cutest-new-animal-discovered-its-olinguito-6C10925572

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Olinguito. Wikipedia. Retrieved 2 May 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olinguito

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Santa Catarina’s Guinea Pig Cavia intermedia

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Olinguito Bassaricyon neblina

Olinguito Bassaricyon neblina

IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

Location: Colombia, Ecuador

Found in the Andean cloud forests of western Colombia and Ecuador, at elevations between 1,500 and 2,800 metres.

One of the cutest #mammals recently discovered is already at risk. With their bear-like faces, cat-like bodies, and lush tawny fur, the olinguito Bassaricyon neblina is an adorable button-nosed mammal of #Ecuador and #Colombia. They first made themselves known to the western world in 2006 in Ecuador and were officially described in 2013 and are considered ‘Near Threatened’ mainly from deforestation and forest clearing for #palmoil agriculture along with road building, infrastructure and gold mining throughout their range. Native to the misty cloud forests of the northern Andes, they are increasingly threatened by industrial agribusiness, palm oil plantations, and agriculture. Over 40% of their habitat has already been destroyed. Use your wallet as a weapon: always choose #palmoilfree products and be #vegan to help protect olinguitos and other species of the Andean Cloud Forest#BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/6_ir48JWkRI

#Olinguitos are button-nosed #mammals 😻🦦 of the Cloud Forests in #Ecuador 🇪🇨 and #Colombia 🇨🇴 Their lives are threatened by #goldmining 🥇 #meat 🥩and #palmoil 🌴 #deforestation. Help them! Be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-bBX

Discovered not long ago, #Olinguitos are #bear-like tenacious survivors. Despite hiding well, their forests are rapidly disappearing for #palmoil and #meat agriculture. Help them survive! Be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil 🌴⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-bBX

Appearance & Behaviour

The olinguito is reminiscent of teddy bear and a domestic cat, with thick, soft, russet and tawny coloured fur, a short snout with a button-like nose, small ears, and a long fluffy tail used for balance in the treetops. Typically weighing under one kilogram, they are the smallest member of the raccoon family (Procyonidae). Nocturnal and arboreal, they live high in the forest canopy and are rarely seen. Solitary by nature, they are also reclusive and actively avoid human interaction.

Threats

Despite being classified as Near Threatened, there are no known large-scale conservation programmes or protected areas specifically designed to safeguard the olinguito or their habitat. Many of the forests where they live are under private ownership or are unprotected, leaving them at the mercy of logging companies, agribusiness, and illegal land grabs. Without legal safeguards and ecological corridors between forest remnants, olinguito populations will continue to decline unnoticed. Over 42% of their potential range has already been cleared or degraded for mining and agriculture.

Widespread deforestation of Andean cloud forests for agriculture, livestock, and infrastructure

Much of the olinguito’s Andean cloud forest habitat has already been cleared for cattle pasture, coffee plantations, and crop fields. This is especially concerning given the species’ limited elevational range and dependence on specific microclimates. Habitat loss fragments populations and prevents them from moving between forest patches, leading to genetic isolation and increased vulnerability. According to Helgen et al. (2013), 42% of the olinguito’s historical range has already been lost to agriculture and urban development.

Palm oil and timber plantations rapidly consuming native forest habitat.

Large swathes of cloud forest are being destroyed to establish oil palm and timber plantations. These monocultures are ecological deserts that offer no food or shelter for frugivorous mammals like the olinguito. Although oil palm expansion is often focused in lowland regions, it is encroaching into higher elevations in parts of Colombia and Ecuador due to market demand and land speculation. This spells danger for highland endemics like the olinguito, whose misty habitat is already shrinking.

Urbanisation and road development, fragmenting their canopy habitat

As human populations expand into previously remote areas, forest is cleared for roads, settlements, and industrial development. Even if some patches of cloud forest remain, roads cut through ecosystems, isolating wildlife and increasing mortality from vehicle collisions. Urban sprawl also brings dogs and other invasive species that can harass, predate, or outcompete native animals. The olinguito’s canopy-dependent, arboreal lifestyle makes it especially susceptible to the effects of fragmentation and edge habitat.

Climate change, which threatens the stability of montane ecosystems.

Cloud forests are highly sensitive to temperature and moisture changes. As global temperatures rise, the delicate balance of mist, rainfall, and cool air that defines this biome is shifting. Suitable habitat may move upslope, but mountaintops provide a limited refuge. Once a species is pushed beyond its climatic limit, local extinction becomes inevitable. The olinguito already lives at the uppermost altitudes suitable for its survival, making it dangerously vulnerable to climate-induced habitat contraction.

Geographic Range

Olinguitos live in humid montane forests between 1,500 and 2,800 metres in elevation in western Colombia and Ecuador, including forests near Medellín in Colombia and the Otonga Forest Reserve in Cotopaxi, Ecuador. This species occupies the highest known range of any member of the genus Bassaricyon. Though only officially recognised in 2013, museum specimens had been mislabelled for decades prior to that.

Diet

Despite belonging to the carnivoran order, olinguitos are primarily frugivores. They feed on cloud forest fruits such as figs, as well as insects, nectar, and occasionally small vertebrates like birds and lizards. Their faeces are said to resemble small blueberries due to their fruit-heavy diet.

Mating and Reproduction

Very little is known about the reproductive behaviour of the olinguito, but it is believed they produce a single offspring at a time. Females have one pair of mammae. Their solitary lifestyle and canopy-based habits make studying them in the wild extremely difficult.

FAQs

How many olinguitos are left in the wild?

No population estimates exist for the olinguito, but scientists agree numbers are declining. Habitat modelling shows over 60% of their potential habitat is already deforested or degraded, suggesting a significant threat to survival (Helgen et al., 2013).

What is the lifespan of an olinguito?

Captive individuals like Ringerl—an olinguito unknowingly housed in US zoos for years—lived over a decade. Wild lifespan is presumed to be shorter, but specific data are lacking.

What are the main threats to the olinguito?

The biggest threats are deforestation and habitat loss driven by palm oil plantations, agriculture, and urbanisation. These activities have destroyed over 40% of their cloud forest habitat (Helgen et al., 2013). Climate change is also a growing concern due to their dependence on cool, moist mountain forests.

Do olinguitos make good pets?

No. Olinguitos are solitary, nocturnal, and specialised to live in misty canopy forests. Keeping them as pets is cruel and contributes to wildlife trafficking. Their capture disrupts family groups and decimates populations. If you care about olinguitos, do not fuel demand—speak out against the pet trade.

Take Action!

Olinguitos are an emblem of the hidden biodiversity in the world’s cloud forests—ecosystems that are vanishing fast.

• Boycott palm oil and demand truly forest-free alternatives.
• Support indigenous-led agroecology and forest protection efforts in the Andes.
• Refuse meat and dairy that drives deforestation in Colombia and Ecuador.
• Never support zoos or exotic pet collectors that remove wildlife from their habitats. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support the Olinguito by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Helgen, K. M., Pinto, C. M., Kays, R., Helgen, L. E., Tsuchiya, M. T. N., Quinn, A., Wilson, D. E., & Maldonado, J. E. (2013). Taxonomic revision of the olingos (Bassaricyon), with description of a new species, the olinguito. ZooKeys, 324, 1–83. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.324.5827

Helgen, K., Kays, R., Pinto, C., Schipper, J. & González-Maya, J.F. 2020. Bassaricyon neblina (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T48637280A166523067. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T48637280A166523067.en. Accessed on 02 May 2025.

Lee, T. E., Tinoco, N., Allred, F. G., Hennecke, A., Camacho, M. A., & Burneo, S. F. (2022). Small mammals of Otonga Forest Reserve, Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador. The Southwestern Naturalist, 66(1), 48–53. https://doi.org/10.1894/0038-4909-66.1.48

NBC News. (2013, August 16). ‘Cutest new animal’ discovered: It’s an olinguito! https://www.nbcnews.com/sciencemain/cutest-new-animal-discovered-its-olinguito-6C10925572

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Olinguito. Wikipedia. Retrieved 2 May 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olinguito

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Santa Catarina’s Guinea Pig Cavia intermedia

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

https://www.europesays.com/uk/891603/ Colombia’s main river redraws the map of little-known night monkeys #AmazonBiodiversity #biodiversity #Conservation #CrypticSpecies #Deforestation #Monkeys #ProtectedAreas #Research #Science #SpeciesClassification #SpeciesDetection #SpeciesIdentification #TropicalForests #UK #UnitedKingdom #VulnerableSpecies #wildlife #WildlifeConservation

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened

Locations: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela

Found in tropical rainforests and lowland jungles from southern Mexico through Central America to north-western South America.

The Keel-billed #Toucan, with their dazzling rainbow-coloured bills and bold black-and-yellow plumage, are one of the most iconic #birds of Central and #SouthAmerica. Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, this species of spectacular #bird is facing steady declines due to #palmoil #soy and #meat #deforestation, #hunting, and capture for the illegal pet trade. The destruction of humid forest canopies — especially for cattle grazing and monocultures like palm oil — is pushing this vibrant forest specialist closer to extinction. Protect the colourful creatures of the Amazonian rainforest canopies! Every time you shop be #vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Showing up with a riot of colour and croaking, Keel-billed #Toucans 🌈✨🦜 are nature’s works of art. Help them survive against #palmoil and meat #deforestation in #Colombia and #Guatemala. Be #vegan and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/

Iconic #birds of #Venezuela 🇻🇪 #Mexico 🇲🇽 #Honduras 🇭🇳 Keel-billed #Toucans are rainbow flocks of rainforest joy! 🦜🐦🪽 Help them survive be #vegan and call out #poaching and the illegal pet trade #Boycottpalmoil 🌴❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/

https://youtu.be/yPM7uV9kL24

Appearance & Behaviour

The Keel-billed Toucan is impossible to miss. They are strikingly colourful birds, with black plumage, a vivid yellow throat, crimson tail-tip, and turquoise legs. Their oversized, multi-hued bill — lime green, orange, and cherry red — can reach up to 15 cm long but remains surprisingly lightweight thanks to a hollow keratin structure.

Highly social, they travel in small groups of 6 to 12 individuals, calling to each other with croaks and yelps as they glide between trees. They nest and sleep in tight tree cavities, often tucking their beaks and tails under their bodies to conserve space and heat. Recent research also shows they can detect fruit using their sense of smell — a rare trait in birds, highlighting their complex foraging behaviour.

Threats

Deforestation for agriculture and cattle ranching

Throughout their range, particularly in Mexico, Honduras, and Colombia, large areas of tropical rainforest are being cleared for cattle grazing, soy plantations, and subsistence farming. These forest clearances remove vital canopy nesting trees and reduce food availability, especially for highly frugivorous birds like the Keel-billed Toucan. Habitat fragmentation also isolates populations, reducing genetic diversity and increasing vulnerability to local extinction.

Palm oil and soy monocultures and forest degradation

Although not traditionally associated with Central America, palm oil cultivation is rapidly expanding in regions like Honduras, Guatemala, and Colombia. These monocultures replace biodiverse forests with uniform, sterile plantations where toucans cannot nest or forage effectively. The clearing of tropical forest for palm oil is often accompanied by illegal logging, fire, and pesticide use, further degrading the ecosystem. Loss of tree cavities and fruiting species is directly linked to toucan population declines.

Hunting for meat and beak trade

In rural regions, toucans are hunted for their meat and their colourful beaks, which are sold as ornaments or used in traditional ceremonies. Though this practice is illegal in many countries, weak enforcement allows it to persist. The slow flight and conspicuous colours of the Keel-billed Toucan make them easy targets. As mature adults are most often targeted, these killings reduce breeding success and destabilise family groups.

Capture for the illegal pet trade

The Keel-billed Toucan is a sought-after species in the illegal exotic bird trade. Chicks are taken from nests and sold in pet markets across Latin America, often dying during capture or transport. Adults are also captured and kept in cramped cages, where they frequently suffer from iron storage disease (hemochromatosis) due to improper diets. Online wildlife trafficking has made it easier for these birds to be bought and sold internationally with little oversight.

Climate change and drought-related food shortages

Shifting rainfall patterns and increased dry seasons caused by climate change are altering fruiting cycles in tropical forests. For a bird so reliant on fruit, this poses a serious threat. Prolonged droughts can lead to localised starvation and reduce breeding success. With fragmented forests unable to support movement between food-rich areas, toucan populations may collapse in drier regions over time.

Geographic Range

Keel-billed Toucans are found in: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. They inhabit humid tropical and subtropical rainforests, ranging from sea level to 1,500 metres. While they can forage in degraded forests and plantations, they rely on undisturbed primary canopy for nesting and social cohesion. Populations are becoming increasingly fragmented as deforestation escalates.

Diet

Keel-billed Toucans are frugivores, but opportunistically omnivorous. They consume a wide range of soft fruits, tossing them into the air to swallow whole. Their dextrous bills help them reach fruit on thin outer branches inaccessible to other birds.

Their diet also includes insects, small lizards, eggs, and nestlings. In studies conducted in Costa Rica, toucans were shown to actively use olfactory cues — specifically, the scent of ripe banana and papaya — to locate food, suggesting their sense of smell plays a more important role in foraging than previously believed.

Mating and Reproduction

Keel-billed Toucans nest in existing tree cavities, laying between 1 to 4 white eggs. Both male and female take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks once they hatch. Chicks are born blind and featherless with thick heel pads to protect them in the pit-covered nests. They remain in the nest for 8–9 weeks until their bills fully develop and they are ready to fledge.

These birds breed once annually, timed with fruiting seasons in tropical forests. Family groups share parenting responsibilities and maintain long-term bonds, often engaging in bill jousting and food-sharing behaviours.

FAQs

How many Keel-billed Toucans are left in the wild?

The global population is estimated to be between 50,000 and 499,999 mature individuals (Partners in Flight, 2019). However, numbers are declining rapidly, with up to 20–29% projected loss in the next three generations due to habitat destruction and hunting (BirdLife International, 2020).

Where do Keel-billed Toucans live?

They live in humid tropical forests across Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, ranging as far south as Colombia and Venezuela. They prefer the canopy and upper midstorey of primary forests but are increasingly forced into degraded habitats.

Why are Keel-billed Toucans endangered?

They are primarily threatened by deforestation for agriculture, palm oil and cattle ranching, as well as illegal pet trade and hunting. Their populations are declining faster than tree cover loss alone would suggest, due to their sensitivity to forest degradation and reliance on cavity-nesting trees.

Do Keel-billed Toucans make good pets?

No. Capturing and caging toucans is cruel and drives illegal wildlife trade. They suffer from disease, stress, and a short lifespan in captivity. Keeping them as pets contributes to population decline and ecosystem collapse. If you love toucans, help protect them in the wild — never buy or share content encouraging exotic pet ownership.

Take Action!

Help save the Keel-billed Toucan from extinction. Never buy exotic birds or support facilities that trade in wild animals. Boycott palm oil, beef, and soy products. Support forest restoration and indigenous-led protection of tropical canopies. Raise your voice to defend one of the most colourful birds on Earth. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support Keel-billed Toucans by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2021. Ramphastos sulfuratus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22682102A168670038. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22682102A168670038.en. Accessed on 17 April 2025.

Hernández, M. C., Villada, A. M., & Barja, I. (2022). Onto the sense of smell in macaws, amazons and toucans: Can they use volatile cues of fruits to make foraging decisions? Integrative Zoology, 17(6), 1003–1020. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12694

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened

Locations: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela

Found in tropical rainforests and lowland jungles from southern Mexico through Central America to north-western South America.

The Keel-billed #Toucan, with their dazzling rainbow-coloured bills and bold black-and-yellow plumage, are one of the most iconic #birds of Central and #SouthAmerica. Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, this species of spectacular #bird is facing steady declines due to #palmoil #soy and #meat #deforestation, #hunting, and capture for the illegal pet trade. The destruction of humid forest canopies — especially for cattle grazing and monocultures like palm oil — is pushing this vibrant forest specialist closer to extinction. Protect the colourful creatures of the Amazonian rainforest canopies! Every time you shop be #vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Showing up with a riot of colour and croaking, Keel-billed #Toucans 🌈✨🦜 are nature’s works of art. Help them survive against #palmoil and meat #deforestation in #Colombia and #Guatemala. Be #vegan and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/

Iconic #birds of #Venezuela 🇻🇪 #Mexico 🇲🇽 #Honduras 🇭🇳 Keel-billed #Toucans are rainbow flocks of rainforest joy! 🦜🐦🪽 Help them survive be #vegan and call out #poaching and the illegal pet trade #Boycottpalmoil 🌴❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/

https://youtu.be/yPM7uV9kL24

Appearance & Behaviour

The Keel-billed Toucan is impossible to miss. They are strikingly colourful birds, with black plumage, a vivid yellow throat, crimson tail-tip, and turquoise legs. Their oversized, multi-hued bill — lime green, orange, and cherry red — can reach up to 15 cm long but remains surprisingly lightweight thanks to a hollow keratin structure.

Highly social, they travel in small groups of 6 to 12 individuals, calling to each other with croaks and yelps as they glide between trees. They nest and sleep in tight tree cavities, often tucking their beaks and tails under their bodies to conserve space and heat. Recent research also shows they can detect fruit using their sense of smell — a rare trait in birds, highlighting their complex foraging behaviour.

Threats

Deforestation for agriculture and cattle ranching

Throughout their range, particularly in Mexico, Honduras, and Colombia, large areas of tropical rainforest are being cleared for cattle grazing, soy plantations, and subsistence farming. These forest clearances remove vital canopy nesting trees and reduce food availability, especially for highly frugivorous birds like the Keel-billed Toucan. Habitat fragmentation also isolates populations, reducing genetic diversity and increasing vulnerability to local extinction.

Palm oil and soy monocultures and forest degradation

Although not traditionally associated with Central America, palm oil cultivation is rapidly expanding in regions like Honduras, Guatemala, and Colombia. These monocultures replace biodiverse forests with uniform, sterile plantations where toucans cannot nest or forage effectively. The clearing of tropical forest for palm oil is often accompanied by illegal logging, fire, and pesticide use, further degrading the ecosystem. Loss of tree cavities and fruiting species is directly linked to toucan population declines.

Hunting for meat and beak trade

In rural regions, toucans are hunted for their meat and their colourful beaks, which are sold as ornaments or used in traditional ceremonies. Though this practice is illegal in many countries, weak enforcement allows it to persist. The slow flight and conspicuous colours of the Keel-billed Toucan make them easy targets. As mature adults are most often targeted, these killings reduce breeding success and destabilise family groups.

Capture for the illegal pet trade

The Keel-billed Toucan is a sought-after species in the illegal exotic bird trade. Chicks are taken from nests and sold in pet markets across Latin America, often dying during capture or transport. Adults are also captured and kept in cramped cages, where they frequently suffer from iron storage disease (hemochromatosis) due to improper diets. Online wildlife trafficking has made it easier for these birds to be bought and sold internationally with little oversight.

Climate change and drought-related food shortages

Shifting rainfall patterns and increased dry seasons caused by climate change are altering fruiting cycles in tropical forests. For a bird so reliant on fruit, this poses a serious threat. Prolonged droughts can lead to localised starvation and reduce breeding success. With fragmented forests unable to support movement between food-rich areas, toucan populations may collapse in drier regions over time.

Geographic Range

Keel-billed Toucans are found in: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. They inhabit humid tropical and subtropical rainforests, ranging from sea level to 1,500 metres. While they can forage in degraded forests and plantations, they rely on undisturbed primary canopy for nesting and social cohesion. Populations are becoming increasingly fragmented as deforestation escalates.

Diet

Keel-billed Toucans are frugivores, but opportunistically omnivorous. They consume a wide range of soft fruits, tossing them into the air to swallow whole. Their dextrous bills help them reach fruit on thin outer branches inaccessible to other birds.

Their diet also includes insects, small lizards, eggs, and nestlings. In studies conducted in Costa Rica, toucans were shown to actively use olfactory cues — specifically, the scent of ripe banana and papaya — to locate food, suggesting their sense of smell plays a more important role in foraging than previously believed.

Mating and Reproduction

Keel-billed Toucans nest in existing tree cavities, laying between 1 to 4 white eggs. Both male and female take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks once they hatch. Chicks are born blind and featherless with thick heel pads to protect them in the pit-covered nests. They remain in the nest for 8–9 weeks until their bills fully develop and they are ready to fledge.

These birds breed once annually, timed with fruiting seasons in tropical forests. Family groups share parenting responsibilities and maintain long-term bonds, often engaging in bill jousting and food-sharing behaviours.

FAQs

How many Keel-billed Toucans are left in the wild?

The global population is estimated to be between 50,000 and 499,999 mature individuals (Partners in Flight, 2019). However, numbers are declining rapidly, with up to 20–29% projected loss in the next three generations due to habitat destruction and hunting (BirdLife International, 2020).

Where do Keel-billed Toucans live?

They live in humid tropical forests across Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, ranging as far south as Colombia and Venezuela. They prefer the canopy and upper midstorey of primary forests but are increasingly forced into degraded habitats.

Why are Keel-billed Toucans endangered?

They are primarily threatened by deforestation for agriculture, palm oil and cattle ranching, as well as illegal pet trade and hunting. Their populations are declining faster than tree cover loss alone would suggest, due to their sensitivity to forest degradation and reliance on cavity-nesting trees.

Do Keel-billed Toucans make good pets?

No. Capturing and caging toucans is cruel and drives illegal wildlife trade. They suffer from disease, stress, and a short lifespan in captivity. Keeping them as pets contributes to population decline and ecosystem collapse. If you love toucans, help protect them in the wild — never buy or share content encouraging exotic pet ownership.

Take Action!

Help save the Keel-billed Toucan from extinction. Never buy exotic birds or support facilities that trade in wild animals. Boycott palm oil, beef, and soy products. Support forest restoration and indigenous-led protection of tropical canopies. Raise your voice to defend one of the most colourful birds on Earth. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support Keel-billed Toucans by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2021. Ramphastos sulfuratus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22682102A168670038. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22682102A168670038.en. Accessed on 17 April 2025.

Hernández, M. C., Villada, A. M., & Barja, I. (2022). Onto the sense of smell in macaws, amazons and toucans: Can they use volatile cues of fruits to make foraging decisions? Integrative Zoology, 17(6), 1003–1020. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12694

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened

Locations: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela

Found in tropical rainforests and lowland jungles from southern Mexico through Central America to north-western South America.

The Keel-billed #Toucan, with their dazzling rainbow-coloured bills and bold black-and-yellow plumage, are one of the most iconic #birds of Central and #SouthAmerica. Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, this species of spectacular #bird is facing steady declines due to #palmoil #soy and #meat #deforestation, #hunting, and capture for the illegal pet trade. The destruction of humid forest canopies — especially for cattle grazing and monocultures like palm oil — is pushing this vibrant forest specialist closer to extinction. Protect the colourful creatures of the Amazonian rainforest canopies! Every time you shop be #vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Showing up with a riot of colour and croaking, Keel-billed #Toucans 🌈✨🦜 are nature’s works of art. Help them survive against #palmoil and meat #deforestation in #Colombia and #Guatemala. Be #vegan and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/

Iconic #birds of #Venezuela 🇻🇪 #Mexico 🇲🇽 #Honduras 🇭🇳 Keel-billed #Toucans are rainbow flocks of rainforest joy! 🦜🐦🪽 Help them survive be #vegan and call out #poaching and the illegal pet trade #Boycottpalmoil 🌴❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/

https://youtu.be/yPM7uV9kL24

Appearance & Behaviour

The Keel-billed Toucan is impossible to miss. They are strikingly colourful birds, with black plumage, a vivid yellow throat, crimson tail-tip, and turquoise legs. Their oversized, multi-hued bill — lime green, orange, and cherry red — can reach up to 15 cm long but remains surprisingly lightweight thanks to a hollow keratin structure.

Highly social, they travel in small groups of 6 to 12 individuals, calling to each other with croaks and yelps as they glide between trees. They nest and sleep in tight tree cavities, often tucking their beaks and tails under their bodies to conserve space and heat. Recent research also shows they can detect fruit using their sense of smell — a rare trait in birds, highlighting their complex foraging behaviour.

Threats

Deforestation for agriculture and cattle ranching

Throughout their range, particularly in Mexico, Honduras, and Colombia, large areas of tropical rainforest are being cleared for cattle grazing, soy plantations, and subsistence farming. These forest clearances remove vital canopy nesting trees and reduce food availability, especially for highly frugivorous birds like the Keel-billed Toucan. Habitat fragmentation also isolates populations, reducing genetic diversity and increasing vulnerability to local extinction.

Palm oil and soy monocultures and forest degradation

Although not traditionally associated with Central America, palm oil cultivation is rapidly expanding in regions like Honduras, Guatemala, and Colombia. These monocultures replace biodiverse forests with uniform, sterile plantations where toucans cannot nest or forage effectively. The clearing of tropical forest for palm oil is often accompanied by illegal logging, fire, and pesticide use, further degrading the ecosystem. Loss of tree cavities and fruiting species is directly linked to toucan population declines.

Hunting for meat and beak trade

In rural regions, toucans are hunted for their meat and their colourful beaks, which are sold as ornaments or used in traditional ceremonies. Though this practice is illegal in many countries, weak enforcement allows it to persist. The slow flight and conspicuous colours of the Keel-billed Toucan make them easy targets. As mature adults are most often targeted, these killings reduce breeding success and destabilise family groups.

Capture for the illegal pet trade

The Keel-billed Toucan is a sought-after species in the illegal exotic bird trade. Chicks are taken from nests and sold in pet markets across Latin America, often dying during capture or transport. Adults are also captured and kept in cramped cages, where they frequently suffer from iron storage disease (hemochromatosis) due to improper diets. Online wildlife trafficking has made it easier for these birds to be bought and sold internationally with little oversight.

Climate change and drought-related food shortages

Shifting rainfall patterns and increased dry seasons caused by climate change are altering fruiting cycles in tropical forests. For a bird so reliant on fruit, this poses a serious threat. Prolonged droughts can lead to localised starvation and reduce breeding success. With fragmented forests unable to support movement between food-rich areas, toucan populations may collapse in drier regions over time.

Geographic Range

Keel-billed Toucans are found in: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. They inhabit humid tropical and subtropical rainforests, ranging from sea level to 1,500 metres. While they can forage in degraded forests and plantations, they rely on undisturbed primary canopy for nesting and social cohesion. Populations are becoming increasingly fragmented as deforestation escalates.

Diet

Keel-billed Toucans are frugivores, but opportunistically omnivorous. They consume a wide range of soft fruits, tossing them into the air to swallow whole. Their dextrous bills help them reach fruit on thin outer branches inaccessible to other birds.

Their diet also includes insects, small lizards, eggs, and nestlings. In studies conducted in Costa Rica, toucans were shown to actively use olfactory cues — specifically, the scent of ripe banana and papaya — to locate food, suggesting their sense of smell plays a more important role in foraging than previously believed.

Mating and Reproduction

Keel-billed Toucans nest in existing tree cavities, laying between 1 to 4 white eggs. Both male and female take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks once they hatch. Chicks are born blind and featherless with thick heel pads to protect them in the pit-covered nests. They remain in the nest for 8–9 weeks until their bills fully develop and they are ready to fledge.

These birds breed once annually, timed with fruiting seasons in tropical forests. Family groups share parenting responsibilities and maintain long-term bonds, often engaging in bill jousting and food-sharing behaviours.

FAQs

How many Keel-billed Toucans are left in the wild?

The global population is estimated to be between 50,000 and 499,999 mature individuals (Partners in Flight, 2019). However, numbers are declining rapidly, with up to 20–29% projected loss in the next three generations due to habitat destruction and hunting (BirdLife International, 2020).

Where do Keel-billed Toucans live?

They live in humid tropical forests across Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, ranging as far south as Colombia and Venezuela. They prefer the canopy and upper midstorey of primary forests but are increasingly forced into degraded habitats.

Why are Keel-billed Toucans endangered?

They are primarily threatened by deforestation for agriculture, palm oil and cattle ranching, as well as illegal pet trade and hunting. Their populations are declining faster than tree cover loss alone would suggest, due to their sensitivity to forest degradation and reliance on cavity-nesting trees.

Do Keel-billed Toucans make good pets?

No. Capturing and caging toucans is cruel and drives illegal wildlife trade. They suffer from disease, stress, and a short lifespan in captivity. Keeping them as pets contributes to population decline and ecosystem collapse. If you love toucans, help protect them in the wild — never buy or share content encouraging exotic pet ownership.

Take Action!

Help save the Keel-billed Toucan from extinction. Never buy exotic birds or support facilities that trade in wild animals. Boycott palm oil, beef, and soy products. Support forest restoration and indigenous-led protection of tropical canopies. Raise your voice to defend one of the most colourful birds on Earth. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support Keel-billed Toucans by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2021. Ramphastos sulfuratus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22682102A168670038. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22682102A168670038.en. Accessed on 17 April 2025.

Hernández, M. C., Villada, A. M., & Barja, I. (2022). Onto the sense of smell in macaws, amazons and toucans: Can they use volatile cues of fruits to make foraging decisions? Integrative Zoology, 17(6), 1003–1020. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12694

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
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• Instagram
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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened

Locations: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela

Found in tropical rainforests and lowland jungles from southern Mexico through Central America to north-western South America.

The Keel-billed #Toucan, with their dazzling rainbow-coloured bills and bold black-and-yellow plumage, are one of the most iconic #birds of Central and #SouthAmerica. Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, this species of spectacular #bird is facing steady declines due to #palmoil #soy and #meat #deforestation, #hunting, and capture for the illegal pet trade. The destruction of humid forest canopies — especially for cattle grazing and monocultures like palm oil — is pushing this vibrant forest specialist closer to extinction. Protect the colourful creatures of the Amazonian rainforest canopies! Every time you shop be #vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Showing up with a riot of colour and croaking, Keel-billed #Toucans 🌈✨🦜 are nature’s works of art. Help them survive against #palmoil and meat #deforestation in #Colombia and #Guatemala. Be #vegan and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/

Iconic #birds of #Venezuela 🇻🇪 #Mexico 🇲🇽 #Honduras 🇭🇳 Keel-billed #Toucans are rainbow flocks of rainforest joy! 🦜🐦🪽 Help them survive be #vegan and call out #poaching and the illegal pet trade #Boycottpalmoil 🌴❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/

https://youtu.be/yPM7uV9kL24

Appearance & Behaviour

The Keel-billed Toucan is impossible to miss. They are strikingly colourful birds, with black plumage, a vivid yellow throat, crimson tail-tip, and turquoise legs. Their oversized, multi-hued bill — lime green, orange, and cherry red — can reach up to 15 cm long but remains surprisingly lightweight thanks to a hollow keratin structure.

Highly social, they travel in small groups of 6 to 12 individuals, calling to each other with croaks and yelps as they glide between trees. They nest and sleep in tight tree cavities, often tucking their beaks and tails under their bodies to conserve space and heat. Recent research also shows they can detect fruit using their sense of smell — a rare trait in birds, highlighting their complex foraging behaviour.

Threats

Deforestation for agriculture and cattle ranching

Throughout their range, particularly in Mexico, Honduras, and Colombia, large areas of tropical rainforest are being cleared for cattle grazing, soy plantations, and subsistence farming. These forest clearances remove vital canopy nesting trees and reduce food availability, especially for highly frugivorous birds like the Keel-billed Toucan. Habitat fragmentation also isolates populations, reducing genetic diversity and increasing vulnerability to local extinction.

Palm oil and soy monocultures and forest degradation

Although not traditionally associated with Central America, palm oil cultivation is rapidly expanding in regions like Honduras, Guatemala, and Colombia. These monocultures replace biodiverse forests with uniform, sterile plantations where toucans cannot nest or forage effectively. The clearing of tropical forest for palm oil is often accompanied by illegal logging, fire, and pesticide use, further degrading the ecosystem. Loss of tree cavities and fruiting species is directly linked to toucan population declines.

Hunting for meat and beak trade

In rural regions, toucans are hunted for their meat and their colourful beaks, which are sold as ornaments or used in traditional ceremonies. Though this practice is illegal in many countries, weak enforcement allows it to persist. The slow flight and conspicuous colours of the Keel-billed Toucan make them easy targets. As mature adults are most often targeted, these killings reduce breeding success and destabilise family groups.

Capture for the illegal pet trade

The Keel-billed Toucan is a sought-after species in the illegal exotic bird trade. Chicks are taken from nests and sold in pet markets across Latin America, often dying during capture or transport. Adults are also captured and kept in cramped cages, where they frequently suffer from iron storage disease (hemochromatosis) due to improper diets. Online wildlife trafficking has made it easier for these birds to be bought and sold internationally with little oversight.

Climate change and drought-related food shortages

Shifting rainfall patterns and increased dry seasons caused by climate change are altering fruiting cycles in tropical forests. For a bird so reliant on fruit, this poses a serious threat. Prolonged droughts can lead to localised starvation and reduce breeding success. With fragmented forests unable to support movement between food-rich areas, toucan populations may collapse in drier regions over time.

Geographic Range

Keel-billed Toucans are found in: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. They inhabit humid tropical and subtropical rainforests, ranging from sea level to 1,500 metres. While they can forage in degraded forests and plantations, they rely on undisturbed primary canopy for nesting and social cohesion. Populations are becoming increasingly fragmented as deforestation escalates.

Diet

Keel-billed Toucans are frugivores, but opportunistically omnivorous. They consume a wide range of soft fruits, tossing them into the air to swallow whole. Their dextrous bills help them reach fruit on thin outer branches inaccessible to other birds.

Their diet also includes insects, small lizards, eggs, and nestlings. In studies conducted in Costa Rica, toucans were shown to actively use olfactory cues — specifically, the scent of ripe banana and papaya — to locate food, suggesting their sense of smell plays a more important role in foraging than previously believed.

Mating and Reproduction

Keel-billed Toucans nest in existing tree cavities, laying between 1 to 4 white eggs. Both male and female take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks once they hatch. Chicks are born blind and featherless with thick heel pads to protect them in the pit-covered nests. They remain in the nest for 8–9 weeks until their bills fully develop and they are ready to fledge.

These birds breed once annually, timed with fruiting seasons in tropical forests. Family groups share parenting responsibilities and maintain long-term bonds, often engaging in bill jousting and food-sharing behaviours.

FAQs

How many Keel-billed Toucans are left in the wild?

The global population is estimated to be between 50,000 and 499,999 mature individuals (Partners in Flight, 2019). However, numbers are declining rapidly, with up to 20–29% projected loss in the next three generations due to habitat destruction and hunting (BirdLife International, 2020).

Where do Keel-billed Toucans live?

They live in humid tropical forests across Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, ranging as far south as Colombia and Venezuela. They prefer the canopy and upper midstorey of primary forests but are increasingly forced into degraded habitats.

Why are Keel-billed Toucans endangered?

They are primarily threatened by deforestation for agriculture, palm oil and cattle ranching, as well as illegal pet trade and hunting. Their populations are declining faster than tree cover loss alone would suggest, due to their sensitivity to forest degradation and reliance on cavity-nesting trees.

Do Keel-billed Toucans make good pets?

No. Capturing and caging toucans is cruel and drives illegal wildlife trade. They suffer from disease, stress, and a short lifespan in captivity. Keeping them as pets contributes to population decline and ecosystem collapse. If you love toucans, help protect them in the wild — never buy or share content encouraging exotic pet ownership.

Take Action!

Help save the Keel-billed Toucan from extinction. Never buy exotic birds or support facilities that trade in wild animals. Boycott palm oil, beef, and soy products. Support forest restoration and indigenous-led protection of tropical canopies. Raise your voice to defend one of the most colourful birds on Earth. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support Keel-billed Toucans by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2021. Ramphastos sulfuratus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22682102A168670038. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22682102A168670038.en. Accessed on 17 April 2025.

Hernández, M. C., Villada, A. M., & Barja, I. (2022). Onto the sense of smell in macaws, amazons and toucans: Can they use volatile cues of fruits to make foraging decisions? Integrative Zoology, 17(6), 1003–1020. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12694

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened

Locations: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela

Found in tropical rainforests and lowland jungles from southern Mexico through Central America to north-western South America.

The Keel-billed #Toucan, with their dazzling rainbow-coloured bills and bold black-and-yellow plumage, are one of the most iconic #birds of Central and #SouthAmerica. Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, this species of spectacular #bird is facing steady declines due to #palmoil #soy and #meat #deforestation, #hunting, and capture for the illegal pet trade. The destruction of humid forest canopies — especially for cattle grazing and monocultures like palm oil — is pushing this vibrant forest specialist closer to extinction. Protect the colourful creatures of the Amazonian rainforest canopies! Every time you shop be #vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Showing up with a riot of colour and croaking, Keel-billed #Toucans 🌈✨🦜 are nature’s works of art. Help them survive against #palmoil and meat #deforestation in #Colombia and #Guatemala. Be #vegan and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/

Iconic #birds of #Venezuela 🇻🇪 #Mexico 🇲🇽 #Honduras 🇭🇳 Keel-billed #Toucans are rainbow flocks of rainforest joy! 🦜🐦🪽 Help them survive be #vegan and call out #poaching and the illegal pet trade #Boycottpalmoil 🌴❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/

https://youtu.be/yPM7uV9kL24

Appearance & Behaviour

The Keel-billed Toucan is impossible to miss. They are strikingly colourful birds, with black plumage, a vivid yellow throat, crimson tail-tip, and turquoise legs. Their oversized, multi-hued bill — lime green, orange, and cherry red — can reach up to 15 cm long but remains surprisingly lightweight thanks to a hollow keratin structure.

Highly social, they travel in small groups of 6 to 12 individuals, calling to each other with croaks and yelps as they glide between trees. They nest and sleep in tight tree cavities, often tucking their beaks and tails under their bodies to conserve space and heat. Recent research also shows they can detect fruit using their sense of smell — a rare trait in birds, highlighting their complex foraging behaviour.

Threats

Deforestation for agriculture and cattle ranching

Throughout their range, particularly in Mexico, Honduras, and Colombia, large areas of tropical rainforest are being cleared for cattle grazing, soy plantations, and subsistence farming. These forest clearances remove vital canopy nesting trees and reduce food availability, especially for highly frugivorous birds like the Keel-billed Toucan. Habitat fragmentation also isolates populations, reducing genetic diversity and increasing vulnerability to local extinction.

Palm oil and soy monocultures and forest degradation

Although not traditionally associated with Central America, palm oil cultivation is rapidly expanding in regions like Honduras, Guatemala, and Colombia. These monocultures replace biodiverse forests with uniform, sterile plantations where toucans cannot nest or forage effectively. The clearing of tropical forest for palm oil is often accompanied by illegal logging, fire, and pesticide use, further degrading the ecosystem. Loss of tree cavities and fruiting species is directly linked to toucan population declines.

Hunting for meat and beak trade

In rural regions, toucans are hunted for their meat and their colourful beaks, which are sold as ornaments or used in traditional ceremonies. Though this practice is illegal in many countries, weak enforcement allows it to persist. The slow flight and conspicuous colours of the Keel-billed Toucan make them easy targets. As mature adults are most often targeted, these killings reduce breeding success and destabilise family groups.

Capture for the illegal pet trade

The Keel-billed Toucan is a sought-after species in the illegal exotic bird trade. Chicks are taken from nests and sold in pet markets across Latin America, often dying during capture or transport. Adults are also captured and kept in cramped cages, where they frequently suffer from iron storage disease (hemochromatosis) due to improper diets. Online wildlife trafficking has made it easier for these birds to be bought and sold internationally with little oversight.

Climate change and drought-related food shortages

Shifting rainfall patterns and increased dry seasons caused by climate change are altering fruiting cycles in tropical forests. For a bird so reliant on fruit, this poses a serious threat. Prolonged droughts can lead to localised starvation and reduce breeding success. With fragmented forests unable to support movement between food-rich areas, toucan populations may collapse in drier regions over time.

Geographic Range

Keel-billed Toucans are found in: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. They inhabit humid tropical and subtropical rainforests, ranging from sea level to 1,500 metres. While they can forage in degraded forests and plantations, they rely on undisturbed primary canopy for nesting and social cohesion. Populations are becoming increasingly fragmented as deforestation escalates.

Diet

Keel-billed Toucans are frugivores, but opportunistically omnivorous. They consume a wide range of soft fruits, tossing them into the air to swallow whole. Their dextrous bills help them reach fruit on thin outer branches inaccessible to other birds.

Their diet also includes insects, small lizards, eggs, and nestlings. In studies conducted in Costa Rica, toucans were shown to actively use olfactory cues — specifically, the scent of ripe banana and papaya — to locate food, suggesting their sense of smell plays a more important role in foraging than previously believed.

Mating and Reproduction

Keel-billed Toucans nest in existing tree cavities, laying between 1 to 4 white eggs. Both male and female take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks once they hatch. Chicks are born blind and featherless with thick heel pads to protect them in the pit-covered nests. They remain in the nest for 8–9 weeks until their bills fully develop and they are ready to fledge.

These birds breed once annually, timed with fruiting seasons in tropical forests. Family groups share parenting responsibilities and maintain long-term bonds, often engaging in bill jousting and food-sharing behaviours.

FAQs

How many Keel-billed Toucans are left in the wild?

The global population is estimated to be between 50,000 and 499,999 mature individuals (Partners in Flight, 2019). However, numbers are declining rapidly, with up to 20–29% projected loss in the next three generations due to habitat destruction and hunting (BirdLife International, 2020).

Where do Keel-billed Toucans live?

They live in humid tropical forests across Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, ranging as far south as Colombia and Venezuela. They prefer the canopy and upper midstorey of primary forests but are increasingly forced into degraded habitats.

Why are Keel-billed Toucans endangered?

They are primarily threatened by deforestation for agriculture, palm oil and cattle ranching, as well as illegal pet trade and hunting. Their populations are declining faster than tree cover loss alone would suggest, due to their sensitivity to forest degradation and reliance on cavity-nesting trees.

Do Keel-billed Toucans make good pets?

No. Capturing and caging toucans is cruel and drives illegal wildlife trade. They suffer from disease, stress, and a short lifespan in captivity. Keeping them as pets contributes to population decline and ecosystem collapse. If you love toucans, help protect them in the wild — never buy or share content encouraging exotic pet ownership.

Take Action!

Help save the Keel-billed Toucan from extinction. Never buy exotic birds or support facilities that trade in wild animals. Boycott palm oil, beef, and soy products. Support forest restoration and indigenous-led protection of tropical canopies. Raise your voice to defend one of the most colourful birds on Earth. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support Keel-billed Toucans by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2021. Ramphastos sulfuratus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22682102A168670038. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22682102A168670038.en. Accessed on 17 April 2025.

Hernández, M. C., Villada, A. M., & Barja, I. (2022). Onto the sense of smell in macaws, amazons and toucans: Can they use volatile cues of fruits to make foraging decisions? Integrative Zoology, 17(6), 1003–1020. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12694

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

https://www.europesays.com/uk/861435/ Experts thrilled after trail cameras capture rare footage of snow leopard: ‘A positive indicator’ #DarmaValley #JayendraSinghFirmal #Science #SnowLeopard #TimesOfIndia #TrailCamera #TrailCameras #UK #UnitedKingdom #VulnerableSpecies #wildlife

https://www.europesays.com/ie/411681/ Experts thrilled after trail cameras capture rare footage of snow leopard: ‘A positive indicator’ #DarmaValley #Éire #IE #Ireland #JayendraSinghFirmal #Science #SnowLeopard #TimesOfIndia #TrailCamera #TrailCameras #VulnerableSpecies #Wildlife

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable

Locations: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Taiwan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Borneo, Java), The Philippines (Palawan)

Found in freshwater wetlands, peat swamps, mangroves, hill streams and rice fields across South and Southeast Asia, with a genetically distinct and critically impacted subspecies (Aonyx cinereus nirnai) in the Western Ghats of India.

The Asian Small-clawed #Otter, the world’s smallest otter species — is inquisitive, intelligent, and highly social. They are listed as #Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and are declining rapidly due to #palmoil #tea and #coffee #deforestation, #poaching, #pesticide #pollution, and the illegal pet trade. Their fragile habitat in the Western Ghats, India home to the subspecies Aonyx cinereus nirnai, is being destroyed at an alarming rate for palm oil monocultures, plantations, and hydropower development. Boycott #palmoil and demand protection for these sensitive and intelligent wetland sentinels. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

The Asian Small-Clawed Otter 🦦🩷 is the smallest #otter in the 🌎. A tenacious survivor in #Asia’s vast #rivers, #pesticide pollution and #palmoil #ecocide now pose grave threats. Help them when you #Boycottpalmoil 🌴⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/03/22/asian-small-clawed-otter-aonyx-cinereus/

Communicating with chirps and whistles, endearing Asian Small-Clawed #Otters live in rowdy groups 🦦😘 They’re #vulnerable from the illegal #pet trade and #palmoil #deforestation. #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🩸❌ #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket! @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/03/22/asian-small-clawed-otter-aonyx-cinereus/

https://youtu.be/R9L-N1WgFig

Appearance and Behaviour

With silky chocolate-brown fur, pale undersides and a broad, flat face, the Asian Small-clawed Otter has a distinct charm. Their tiny claws don’t extend past their fingers — an adaptation that gives them remarkable dexterity for catching prey. They weigh only 2.7 to 3.5 kg and reach lengths of 73 to 96 cm, making them the smallest otter species in the world.

Highly vocal and playful, these otters live in tight-knit family groups of up to 15. They communicate with at least a dozen vocalisations — chirps, squeals and whistles — and use communal latrines to mark their territories. In the Western Ghats, they are more active at night and prefer rugged hill streams with dense grasses and rocky pools for cover and escape routes.

Threats

Palm oil deforestation and peat swamp destruction

Across Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia, vast areas of peat swamp forests and mangroves — critical habitats for Asian Small-clawed Otters — have been destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations. These plantations drain wetlands, replace diverse ecosystems with monocultures, and leave otters with no access to food or cover. In India, the expansion of palm oil into the Western Ghats under so-called ‘green development’ initiatives is now destroying the rocky hill stream habitats used by the Aonyx cinereus nirnai subspecies. This deforestation not only eliminates their shelter and food sources but also causes soil erosion and alters the hydrology of entire watersheds.

Conversion of forests to palm oil, tea and coffee plantations in the Western Ghats

In southern India, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, large-scale conversion of native forests to palm oil, tea and coffee plantations is reducing the range of Aonyx cinereus nirnai. These monocultures fragment stream habitats and introduce pesticides that poison aquatic life. Studies have found the otters avoiding plantation areas due to lack of vegetation cover and prey (Raha & Hussain, 2016). As a result, the Western Ghats population is now restricted to narrow, isolated pockets, surrounded by human-altered landscapes that are increasingly inhospitable to them.

Capture for the Illegal pet trade and cruel conditions in pet cafés

The Asian Small-clawed Otter is the most heavily trafficked otter species in Asia’s exotic pet trade. Between 2016 and 2017, over 700 individuals were recorded for sale online in countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam (Gomez & Bouhuys, 2018). Many are poached from the wild as pups, leading to the death of their parents and collapse of social groups. Captive conditions in pet cafés and private homes cause extreme stress and suffering — and demand is rising due to social media content that normalises otter ownership.

Poaching for pelts and traditional use

Poaching continues to be a severe threat in South Asia. In the Western Ghats, otters are hunted for their pelts and body parts, which are used in traditional medicine or sold on the black market. Reports from protected areas in India reveal organised trapping and trade routes extending across state lines (Prakash et al., 2012). These killings often go undocumented due to weak enforcement, and they rapidly deplete already fragile local populations.

Overfishing and prey depletion

In many parts of Asia, otters face competition from humans for aquatic prey. Overfishing in rivers, lakes, and mangroves has drastically reduced populations of crabs, mudskippers, and fish species that form the core of the otter’s diet. Pollution from fish farms and chemical runoff further weakens these food webs, making otter survival harder during dry or lean seasons. In some areas, otters are also deliberately killed by fishers who perceive them as pests competing for the same resources.

Pesticide run-off pollution from agriculture

Agricultural runoff from palm oil, tea and coffee plantations containing pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals has been shown to poison water sources throughout the otter’s range. In the Western Ghats of India and parts of Southeast Asia, such contaminants accumulate in the food chain and affect the physiology of aquatic mammals. Polluted waterways reduce prey availability and can lead to bioaccumulation of toxins in otters, weakening their immune systems and reproductive capacity. This is especially critical in closed or stagnant freshwater systems like rice paddies and irrigation channels, where contamination is concentrated.

Hydropower development and infrastructure fragmentation

Dams and hydroelectric projects throughout the Western Ghats and Southeast Asia have altered river flow, submerged natural habitats, and fragmented otter territories. These developments destroy riverine connectivity, which otters rely on to forage and disperse. For the nirnai subspecies, hill streams once connected across forest corridors are now interrupted by roads, canals, and dams — leading to isolated, unsustainable populations. Infrastructure development often proceeds without proper environmental assessments, disregarding the needs of aquatic species like otters.

Climate change and habitat drying

Shifts in monsoon patterns, increased droughts, and rising temperatures are affecting the wetlands and rivers that Asian Small-clawed Otters depend on. Reduced water flow in dry seasons can strand otter families and eliminate key feeding pools. In the Western Ghats, erratic rainfall is already altering seasonal resource use patterns for A. c. nirnai, increasing their vulnerability to disturbance (Narasimmarajan et al., 2024). Climate stress, combined with other threats, compounds the likelihood of local extinctions.

Geographic Range

Their range stretches across India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia (including Borneo, Sumatra, Java), the Philippines (Palawan), China and Taiwan. In India, they are found in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. They are absent from large swathes of their historical range, including the Western Himalayas.

The genetically distinct subspecies Aonyx cinereus nirnai is restricted to the Western Ghats’ Moyar River and surrounding hill streams. This biodiverse stronghold is currently being cleared for palm oil plantations, hydropower projects, and invasive monocultures, putting this population in grave danger.

Diet

Asian Small-clawed Otters are primarily crustacean specialists. Their diet includes crabs, snails, molluscs, fish such as mudskippers and catfish, amphibians, insects, snakes, and even rodents. Scat analysis in Malaysia and Thailand revealed crabs to be the most frequent prey, often making up over 80% of their diet.

In rice fields and mangroves, they may leave molluscs out in the sun to soften the shells before eating — a sign of their intelligence and adaptability. Seasonal changes in water levels influence the availability of prey, leading to subtle shifts in their dietary habits throughout the year.

Mating and Reproduction

These otters are monogamous and breed year-round, with gestation lasting 62–86 days. Litters typically include 2–7 pups. In captivity, they start breeding at around 18 months of age, and may live up to 11 years. Parents build nests together before birth and both contribute to raising the young. Pups begin to open their eyes around five weeks old and start swimming with their mothers at around three months.

FAQs

How many Asian Small-clawed Otters are left in the wild?

There is no global population estimate, but their numbers are declining throughout their range. In China and Cambodia, they are now almost locally extinct, with only a few scattered sightings since 2006 (Li & Chan, 2017; Heng et al., 2016). Surveys in India confirm drastic reductions in range, especially from west to east, over the past 60 years (Hussain et al., 2011).

What is the lifespan of the Asian ?

In captivity, Asian Small-clawed Otters can live up to 11 years (Crandall, 1964). Their lifespan in the wild is likely shorter due to environmental pressures and poaching.

Why are Asian Small Clawed Otters endangered?

They are threatened by habitat loss from logging, plantations, palm oil, pollution, and construction of dams. In the Western Ghats, the genetically distinct nirnai subspecies is losing habitat to hydropower development and palm oil monocultures, which destroy the narrow, rocky streams they depend on (Narasimmarajan et al., 2024).

Do Asian Small-clawed Otters make good pets?

Absolutely not. Keeping them as pets is cruel and selfish. They are wild animals with complex social and environmental needs. The illegal pet trade is driving them towards extinction, causing immense suffering and ripping family groups apart (Gomez & Bouhuys, 2018). Buying a pet otter and also sharing pet otter content on social media fuels this horrific industry — if you love otters, protect them in the wild! Do not buy them as pets or support this cruel industry!

How is palm oil affecting their survival?

Palm oil plantations have destroyed vast tracts of mangroves, peat swamps, and wetlands in Malaysia, Indonesia, and now India. In the Western Ghats, forests are being cleared for palm oil under the guise of “afforestation” and “reforestation” using non-native species. This directly threatens the survival of A. c. nirnai (Narasimmarajan et al., 2024).

Take Action!

Raise your voice for the smallest otter in the world. Every time you shop, Boycott palm oil and reject products linked to deforestation and wetland destruction. Support indigenous-led conservation efforts in the Western Ghats and Southeast Asia.

Never buy otters or exotic animals — their capture fuels extinction. Adopt a plant-based lifestyle to protect wetlands, rivers and biodiversity. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support Asian Small-Clawed Otters by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Gomez, L., & Bouhuys, J. (2018). Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015). TRAFFIC. https://www.traffic.org/site/assets/files/2402/illegal-otter-trade-asia.pdf

Narasimmarajan, K., Mathai, M. T., Hayward, M. W., & Palanivel, S. (2024). Lesser-known sentinels: Role of environmental variables influencing the seasonal resource use patterns of Asian Small-clawed Otters (Aonyx cinereus nirnai) in the Western Ghats Moyar River Biodiversity Hotspots. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull., 41(5), 296–310. https://iucnosgbull.org/Volume41/Narasimmarajan_et_al_2024a.pdf

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Asian small-clawed otter. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_small-clawed_otter

Wright, L., de Silva, P.K., Chan, B.P.L., Reza Lubis, I. & Basak, S. 2021. Aonyx cinereus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44166A164580923. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T44166A164580923.en. Accessed on 17 April 2025.

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable

Locations: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Taiwan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Borneo, Java), The Philippines (Palawan)

Found in freshwater wetlands, peat swamps, mangroves, hill streams and rice fields across South and Southeast Asia, with a genetically distinct and critically impacted subspecies (Aonyx cinereus nirnai) in the Western Ghats of India.

The Asian Small-clawed #Otter, the world’s smallest otter species — is inquisitive, intelligent, and highly social. They are listed as #Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and are declining rapidly due to #palmoil #tea and #coffee #deforestation, #poaching, #pesticide #pollution, and the illegal pet trade. Their fragile habitat in the Western Ghats, India home to the subspecies Aonyx cinereus nirnai, is being destroyed at an alarming rate for palm oil monocultures, plantations, and hydropower development. Boycott #palmoil and demand protection for these sensitive and intelligent wetland sentinels. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

The Asian Small-Clawed Otter 🦦🩷 is the smallest #otter in the 🌎. A tenacious survivor in #Asia’s vast #rivers, #pesticide pollution and #palmoil #ecocide now pose grave threats. Help them when you #Boycottpalmoil 🌴⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/03/22/asian-small-clawed-otter-aonyx-cinereus/

Communicating with chirps and whistles, endearing Asian Small-Clawed #Otters live in rowdy groups 🦦😘 They’re #vulnerable from the illegal #pet trade and #palmoil #deforestation. #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🩸❌ #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket! @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/03/22/asian-small-clawed-otter-aonyx-cinereus/

https://youtu.be/R9L-N1WgFig

Appearance and Behaviour

With silky chocolate-brown fur, pale undersides and a broad, flat face, the Asian Small-clawed Otter has a distinct charm. Their tiny claws don’t extend past their fingers — an adaptation that gives them remarkable dexterity for catching prey. They weigh only 2.7 to 3.5 kg and reach lengths of 73 to 96 cm, making them the smallest otter species in the world.

Highly vocal and playful, these otters live in tight-knit family groups of up to 15. They communicate with at least a dozen vocalisations — chirps, squeals and whistles — and use communal latrines to mark their territories. In the Western Ghats, they are more active at night and prefer rugged hill streams with dense grasses and rocky pools for cover and escape routes.

Threats

Palm oil deforestation and peat swamp destruction

Across Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia, vast areas of peat swamp forests and mangroves — critical habitats for Asian Small-clawed Otters — have been destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations. These plantations drain wetlands, replace diverse ecosystems with monocultures, and leave otters with no access to food or cover. In India, the expansion of palm oil into the Western Ghats under so-called ‘green development’ initiatives is now destroying the rocky hill stream habitats used by the Aonyx cinereus nirnai subspecies. This deforestation not only eliminates their shelter and food sources but also causes soil erosion and alters the hydrology of entire watersheds.

Conversion of forests to palm oil, tea and coffee plantations in the Western Ghats

In southern India, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, large-scale conversion of native forests to palm oil, tea and coffee plantations is reducing the range of Aonyx cinereus nirnai. These monocultures fragment stream habitats and introduce pesticides that poison aquatic life. Studies have found the otters avoiding plantation areas due to lack of vegetation cover and prey (Raha & Hussain, 2016). As a result, the Western Ghats population is now restricted to narrow, isolated pockets, surrounded by human-altered landscapes that are increasingly inhospitable to them.

Capture for the Illegal pet trade and cruel conditions in pet cafés

The Asian Small-clawed Otter is the most heavily trafficked otter species in Asia’s exotic pet trade. Between 2016 and 2017, over 700 individuals were recorded for sale online in countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam (Gomez & Bouhuys, 2018). Many are poached from the wild as pups, leading to the death of their parents and collapse of social groups. Captive conditions in pet cafés and private homes cause extreme stress and suffering — and demand is rising due to social media content that normalises otter ownership.

Poaching for pelts and traditional use

Poaching continues to be a severe threat in South Asia. In the Western Ghats, otters are hunted for their pelts and body parts, which are used in traditional medicine or sold on the black market. Reports from protected areas in India reveal organised trapping and trade routes extending across state lines (Prakash et al., 2012). These killings often go undocumented due to weak enforcement, and they rapidly deplete already fragile local populations.

Overfishing and prey depletion

In many parts of Asia, otters face competition from humans for aquatic prey. Overfishing in rivers, lakes, and mangroves has drastically reduced populations of crabs, mudskippers, and fish species that form the core of the otter’s diet. Pollution from fish farms and chemical runoff further weakens these food webs, making otter survival harder during dry or lean seasons. In some areas, otters are also deliberately killed by fishers who perceive them as pests competing for the same resources.

Pesticide run-off pollution from agriculture

Agricultural runoff from palm oil, tea and coffee plantations containing pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals has been shown to poison water sources throughout the otter’s range. In the Western Ghats of India and parts of Southeast Asia, such contaminants accumulate in the food chain and affect the physiology of aquatic mammals. Polluted waterways reduce prey availability and can lead to bioaccumulation of toxins in otters, weakening their immune systems and reproductive capacity. This is especially critical in closed or stagnant freshwater systems like rice paddies and irrigation channels, where contamination is concentrated.

Hydropower development and infrastructure fragmentation

Dams and hydroelectric projects throughout the Western Ghats and Southeast Asia have altered river flow, submerged natural habitats, and fragmented otter territories. These developments destroy riverine connectivity, which otters rely on to forage and disperse. For the nirnai subspecies, hill streams once connected across forest corridors are now interrupted by roads, canals, and dams — leading to isolated, unsustainable populations. Infrastructure development often proceeds without proper environmental assessments, disregarding the needs of aquatic species like otters.

Climate change and habitat drying

Shifts in monsoon patterns, increased droughts, and rising temperatures are affecting the wetlands and rivers that Asian Small-clawed Otters depend on. Reduced water flow in dry seasons can strand otter families and eliminate key feeding pools. In the Western Ghats, erratic rainfall is already altering seasonal resource use patterns for A. c. nirnai, increasing their vulnerability to disturbance (Narasimmarajan et al., 2024). Climate stress, combined with other threats, compounds the likelihood of local extinctions.

Geographic Range

Their range stretches across India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia (including Borneo, Sumatra, Java), the Philippines (Palawan), China and Taiwan. In India, they are found in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. They are absent from large swathes of their historical range, including the Western Himalayas.

The genetically distinct subspecies Aonyx cinereus nirnai is restricted to the Western Ghats’ Moyar River and surrounding hill streams. This biodiverse stronghold is currently being cleared for palm oil plantations, hydropower projects, and invasive monocultures, putting this population in grave danger.

Diet

Asian Small-clawed Otters are primarily crustacean specialists. Their diet includes crabs, snails, molluscs, fish such as mudskippers and catfish, amphibians, insects, snakes, and even rodents. Scat analysis in Malaysia and Thailand revealed crabs to be the most frequent prey, often making up over 80% of their diet.

In rice fields and mangroves, they may leave molluscs out in the sun to soften the shells before eating — a sign of their intelligence and adaptability. Seasonal changes in water levels influence the availability of prey, leading to subtle shifts in their dietary habits throughout the year.

Mating and Reproduction

These otters are monogamous and breed year-round, with gestation lasting 62–86 days. Litters typically include 2–7 pups. In captivity, they start breeding at around 18 months of age, and may live up to 11 years. Parents build nests together before birth and both contribute to raising the young. Pups begin to open their eyes around five weeks old and start swimming with their mothers at around three months.

FAQs

How many Asian Small-clawed Otters are left in the wild?

There is no global population estimate, but their numbers are declining throughout their range. In China and Cambodia, they are now almost locally extinct, with only a few scattered sightings since 2006 (Li & Chan, 2017; Heng et al., 2016). Surveys in India confirm drastic reductions in range, especially from west to east, over the past 60 years (Hussain et al., 2011).

What is the lifespan of the Asian Small Clawed Otter?

In captivity, Asian Small-clawed Otters can live up to 11 years (Crandall, 1964). Their lifespan in the wild is likely shorter due to environmental pressures and poaching.

Why are Asian Small Clawed Otters endangered?

They are threatened by habitat loss from logging, plantations, palm oil, pollution, and construction of dams. In the Western Ghats, the genetically distinct nirnai subspecies is losing habitat to hydropower development and palm oil monocultures, which destroy the narrow, rocky streams they depend on (Narasimmarajan et al., 2024).

Do Asian Small-clawed Otters make good pets?

Absolutely not. Keeping them as pets is cruel and selfish. They are wild animals with complex social and environmental needs. The illegal pet trade is driving them towards extinction, causing immense suffering and ripping family groups apart (Gomez & Bouhuys, 2018). Buying a pet otter and also sharing pet otter content on social media fuels this horrific industry — if you love otters, protect them in the wild! Do not buy them as pets or support this cruel industry!

How is palm oil affecting their survival?

Palm oil plantations have destroyed vast tracts of mangroves, peat swamps, and wetlands in Malaysia, Indonesia, and now India. In the Western Ghats, forests are being cleared for palm oil under the guise of “afforestation” and “reforestation” using non-native species. This directly threatens the survival of A. c. nirnai (Narasimmarajan et al., 2024).

Take Action!

Raise your voice for the smallest otter in the world. Every time you shop, Boycott palm oil and reject products linked to deforestation and wetland destruction. Support indigenous-led conservation efforts in the Western Ghats and Southeast Asia.

Never buy otters or exotic animals — their capture fuels extinction. Adopt a plant-based lifestyle to protect wetlands, rivers and biodiversity. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support Asian Small-Clawed Otters by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Gomez, L., & Bouhuys, J. (2018). Illegal otter trade: An analysis of seizures in selected Asian countries (1980–2015). TRAFFIC. https://www.traffic.org/site/assets/files/2402/illegal-otter-trade-asia.pdf

Narasimmarajan, K., Mathai, M. T., Hayward, M. W., & Palanivel, S. (2024). Lesser-known sentinels: Role of environmental variables influencing the seasonal resource use patterns of Asian Small-clawed Otters (Aonyx cinereus nirnai) in the Western Ghats Moyar River Biodiversity Hotspots. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull., 41(5), 296–310. https://iucnosgbull.org/Volume41/Narasimmarajan_et_al_2024a.pdf

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Asian small-clawed otter. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_small-clawed_otter

Wright, L., de Silva, P.K., Chan, B.P.L., Reza Lubis, I. & Basak, S. 2021. Aonyx cinereus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T44166A164580923. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T44166A164580923.en. Accessed on 17 April 2025.

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

The Honduran emerald (#Amazilia luciae) is a #vulnerableSpecies of #hummingbird in the "emeralds" tribe, Trochilini, of the subfamily Trochilinae. It is #endemic to #Honduras.

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable

Location: Indonesia (Sulawesi)

Found across the northern peninsula of Sulawesi in Indonesia, including from the northern tip to the Isthmus of Gorontalo, in primary forest, mangroves, and disturbed habitats with dense cover.

The Gursky’s spectral tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae, also known locally as Wusing, is a recently recognised species of tarsier from northern Sulawesi. Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, they have lost more than 30% of their habitat in the past two decades. #Deforestation for #palmoil and #timber, agricultural encroachment, illegal logging, and the #pettrade all threaten their fragile populations. Their survival depends on wild spaces thick with shrubby undergrowth—the very places being rapidly erased. If you love unique #primates like the spectral #tarsier, use your voice and wallet to protect their forest home. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/FqrauXhLBcY

Known locally as ‘Wusing’, Gursky’s Spectral #Tarsiers have enormous moon-like eyes to help them see in dark forests 🌛👀😽 #Palmoil and the #pet trade are serious threats. Help them survive when you #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚜❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/02/22/gurskys-spectral-tarsier-tarsius-spectrumgurskyae/

Found in tree hollows of #Sulawesi #Indonesia, tiny #primates 🐵🧐 Gursky’s Spectral #Tarsiers are #carnivores with their food, #insects 🪲🦗 being poisoned by #palmoil and #pesticides ☠️ Fight for them! #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/02/22/gurskys-spectral-tarsier-tarsius-spectrumgurskyae/

Appearance & Behaviour

Gursky’s spectral tarsiers also known locally as ‘Wusing’ are hauntingly beautiful tiny #primates with enormous, forward-facing eyes that shine like twin moons in the night. These tiny nocturnal primates have a soft, greyish pelage and elongated fingers adapted for gripping tree branches. They are famed for their extreme leaping ability, known as vertical clinging and leaping (VCL), allowing them to spring through the forest canopy with precision and grace.

Highly social and vocal, they live in monogamous or polygamous groups of 2–11 individuals. At dawn, their eerie territorial duets echo through the forest just before they return to their sleeping sites in dense foliage or tree cavities. They are shy, elusive, and deeply dependent on forest structure to hide, hunt, and sleep.

Threats

Habitat Loss from Illegal Logging

The primary threat to Gursky’s spectral tarsier is the ongoing destruction of Sulawesi’s forests due to illegal logging. These small nocturnal primates depend on dense understorey vegetation and tree cavities for shelter and foraging. When forests are cleared, their sleeping sites vanish and prey becomes scarce, forcing them into smaller, fragmented patches of habitat. Even moderate disturbance causes a sharp drop in population density—from over 150 individuals/km² to as few as 45 in degraded areas (Merker, 2003).

Agricultural Expansion and Palm Oil Plantations

Much of the Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier’s lowland habitat has already been converted to palm oil and timber agriculture, and expansion continues. Between 1990 and 2000, 15.26% of Sulawesi’s forests were cleared for crops, with at least 10% more lost since then (Salim, pers. comm. in IUCN, 2020). Palm oil plantations are one of the main drivers of this forest conversion. Although the species can survive in agroforestry and disturbed areas, their numbers drastically decline when natural vegetation is replaced with monocultures.

Pesticide Exposure from Nearby Farms

Chemical pesticides used in adjacent agricultural zones contaminate the tarsiers’ insect prey, leading to bioaccumulation and poisoning. Tarsiers consume a diet entirely composed of live animal prey, mostly insects, which makes them highly vulnerable to pesticide residues. Ingestion of contaminated insects can lead to neurological damage, reproductive failure, or death, further weakening populations in edge habitats near farmlands.

Predation by Domestic Animals

Domestic dogs and cats introduced into forested areas pose a significant predation risk to tarsiers. These animals often accompany humans into disturbed or agricultural areas, where they hunt or scavenge. Tarsiers are small-bodied, slow on the ground, and often descend to low levels of the forest, making them easy targets. Predation by pets fragments already-vulnerable populations and disrupts group dynamics.

Illegal Capture for the Pet Trade

Although not widespread, the illegal pet trade is an emerging threat. Gursky’s spectral tarsiers are occasionally taken from the wild to be sold in local markets or online. These sensitive, nocturnal animals suffer tremendously in captivity, often dying due to stress, malnutrition, or improper care. Removing them from the wild also breaks apart family groups and contributes to long-term population decline.

Geographic Range

Gursky’s spectral tarsier is endemic to Indonesia, restricted to northern Sulawesi, from the northern tip of the peninsula to the Isthmus of Gorontalo. Their habitat includes lowland primary forests, secondary growth, mangroves, and areas with some human disturbance, such as agroforestry and selectively logged landscapes. However, their density drops dramatically as habitat degradation increases.

Diet

Their diet is 100% carnivorous, consisting entirely of live animal prey. They primarily consume insects such as moths and crickets but also hunt small vertebrates like frogs and lizards. Their night-time hunting is punctuated by bursts of movement and quiet observation as they stalk their prey through the understorey.

Mating and Reproduction

Although detailed reproductive data are scarce for this species, Gursky’s spectral tarsiers likely follow similar breeding patterns to other tarsiers. They are known to breed throughout the year, producing one offspring at a time after a gestation period of about six months. The young are born furred and open-eyed, clinging to their parent as they learn to navigate the trees.

FAQs

How many Gursky’s spectral tarsiers are left in the wild?

Precise population numbers of these tarsiers are not known, but density estimates suggest that in pristine habitats, up to 156 individuals per km² may exist (Gursky, 1997). However, in heavily degraded areas, this number can plummet to as low as 45 individuals per km² (Merker, 2003). Their fragmented range and habitat loss make accurate counts difficult, but population declines are expected to continue if deforestation is not halted.

What is their lifespan in the wild?

While specific data for Tarsius spectrumgurskyae is not available, other tarsier species can live between 8–12 years in the wild. In captivity, where threats like predation are removed, their lifespan may be slightly longer. However, these animals do not thrive in captivity and should never be kept as pets.

What challenges do they face in conservation?

One major challenge is habitat degradation due to logging, agriculture, and the spread of palm oil plantations. Though they can tolerate some disturbance, their population density drops significantly with increasing habitat destruction. Additionally, their small size and elusive nature make them difficult to monitor, and they are sometimes misidentified as other tarsier species, complicating conservation strategies.

Do Gursky’s spectral tarsiers make good pets?

No. These sensitive and social primates should never be kept as pets. Capturing them from the wild is cruel and contributes directly to population collapse. It destroys their family groups, causes immense suffering, and feeds into illegal wildlife trade networks. If you care about their survival, never buy a wild animal and advocate against exotic pet ownership.

Take Action!

The future of the Gursky’s spectral tarsier hangs by a thread. Forests are falling at an alarming rate, replaced with monocultures and poisoned with pesticides. Speak up. Refuse to fund deforestation-driven industries. Boycott palm oil. Protect what’s left of Sulawesi’s dwindling forests and support indigenous-led conservation efforts. Never buy wildlife as pets. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support Gursky’s Tarsiers by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Shekelle, M., Groves, C. P., Maryanto, I., & Mittermeier, R. A. (2017). Two new tarsier species (Tarsiidae, Primates) and the biogeography of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Primate Conservation, 31, 37–56. https://researchportalplus.anu.edu.au/en/publications/two-new-tarsier-species-tarsiidae-primates-and-the-biogeography-o

Shekelle, M. 2020. Tarsius spectrumgurskyae. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T162336422A162336580. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T162336422A162336580.en. Accessed on 06 April 2025.

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Gursky’s spectral tarsier. Retrieved April 6, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gursky%27s_spectral_tarsier

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque

Saola Pseudoryx nghetinhensis

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

How king cobras are spreading across India thanks to world’s busiest railway network

King cobras are spreading to different parts of India by hitching rides on some of the country’s busiest…
#NewsBeep #News #Wildlife #busiestrailwaynetworks #CA #Canada #forestedareas #India #kingcobra #Kingcobras #railwaycorridors #railwaynetworks #Science #stateofGoa #venomoussnakes #vulnerablespecies
https://www.newsbeep.com/ca/473583/

Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata

Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata

Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata

IUCN Status: Near Threatened

Location: The Blue-streaked Lory is endemic to the Banda Sea Islands in Indonesia, primarily found on the Tanimbar Islands, including Yamdena and Larat, with possible populations on Babar. Small numbers recorded on Damar, Kai Kecil, and Kai Kesar Islands are believed to be introduced populations (BirdLife International, 2019).

Brilliantly coloured and full of energy, the Blue-streaked Lory (Eos reticulata) is a striking and unique #parrot living in the forests of the Banda Sea Islands, #Indonesia. Their scarlet plumage is decorated with iridescent blue streaks, creating a dazzling and electrifying colours both when they’re at rest and in flight. With a sharp, hooked beak adapted for nectar-feeding, these #birds flit from flower to flower, playing a vital role in rainforest #pollination.

Despite their adaptability, habitat destruction and the pet trade threaten their survival. These birds have been heavily trapped for the illegal bird trade, with over 3,000 individuals captured annually in the 1980s. Although they remain relatively common in their range, continued #deforestation and capture for the caged #pettrade and bird market may be pushing them towards decline. If these mesmerising lories are to have a future in the wild, their habitat must be protected, and the demand for keeping them as pets must end. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/yM06_Zg1fvs

Blue-streaked lorries are #Indonesia’s 🇮🇩 rare jewels. These crimson and blue #parrots 🦜🌈 are ‘Near Threatened’ by the #pet trade 🙀 and #PalmOil #Deforestation. Protect these #birds when u #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🪔⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-a8d

Stunning #parrots of scarlet ❤️ and electric blue 💙plumage, Blue-streaked lorries are #birds 🦜🕊️🪽 facing threats of #climatechange and #palmoil #deforestation. Help them survive! #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🪔🤮☠️❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-a8d

Appearance & Behaviour

The Blue-streaked Lory is a medium-sized #bird, reaching 31 cm in length. Their body is covered in a vivid red plumage, contrasting with iridescent blue streaks on the head and back. Their beak is bright orange, and their eyes gleam with preternatural intelligence. Their long tail feathers taper to fine points, creating an elegant silhouette at rest and in flight.

These lories have a brush-tipped tongue, specially adapted to collect nectar and pollen from flowers. They are highly social, forming loud, chattering flocks that dart through the forest canopy in search of food. When alarmed, their sharp, shrill calls echo through the trees, alerting others to danger.

Threats

Protecting these birds means stopping the pet trade and preserving their native forests.

Trapping for the illegal bird trade

Over 3,000 individuals were taken from the wild each year in the 1980s, leading to concerns about population decline (BirdLife International, 2019). While still relatively common, trapping remains a threat, with birds being exported or kept as pets in local villages.

Habitat destruction for palm oil and timber

Deforestation for palm oil agriculture, logging, and infrastructure projects continues to shrink their rainforest home. Although they can survive in secondary forests and plantations, further destruction could push them towards more rapid declines (Tracewski et al., 2016).

Climate change

Extreme temperature and rainfall changes as a result of climate change impact the availability of food for many bird species and have flow-on effects impacting other animals in their ecosystem.

Geographic Range

The Blue-streaked Lory is native to the Banda Sea Islands in Indonesia, particularly Yamdena and Larat in the Tanimbar Islands. Possible populations exist on Babar Island, but sightings on Damar, Kai Kecil, and Kai Kesar are likely due to human introduction (BirdLife International, 2019).

Diet

The Blue-streaked Lory is a nectarivore, primarily feeding on the nectar and pollen of forest flowers. Their specialised brush-tipped tongues allow them to extract nectar efficiently. In addition to flowers, they consume soft fruits, berries, and seeds.

They play a crucial role in pollination, transferring pollen between flowers as they feed, ensuring the survival of many rainforest plant species.

Mating and Reproduction

These lories form strong monogamous pairs and are highly territorial during breeding. They nest in tree hollows, often competing with other parrot species like Tanimbar Corellas (Cacatua goffiniana) and Eclectus Parrots (Eclectus roratus) for nesting sites (Haryoko et al., 2021).

During breeding, pairs work together to defend their territory, with the female laying 2–3 eggs, which she incubates while the male provides food. The chicks hatch after 24–26 days and fledge in about two months.

FAQs

What is the status of the Blue-streaked Lory?

The Blue-streaked Lory is currently classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. While still relatively common in its range, habitat loss and illegal trapping for the pet trade continue to pose threats to their survival (BirdLife International, 2019).

Why is the Blue-streaked Lory threatened?

This species is trapped for the illegal bird trade and faces habitat destruction due to deforestation. In the 1980s, over 3,000 individuals were taken from the wild each year. Although trapping rates have declined, continued loss of forests and poaching threaten their populations.

What is the Blue-streaked Lory’s habitat?

These lories inhabit tropical rainforests, but they are adaptable and can also be found in secondary forests, plantations, and coastal woodlands. However, continued deforestation and logging threaten their remaining habitat.

What does the Blue-streaked Lory eat?

They primarily consume nectar and pollen, using their specialised brush-tipped tongues to collect food from flowers. They also eat soft fruits, berries, and seeds, playing a crucial role as pollinators in their ecosystem.

How do Blue-streaked Lories breed?

They are monogamous, forming lifelong pairs. They nest in tree cavities, often competing with other parrots for nesting space. The female lays 2–3 eggs, incubating them while the male provides food. Chicks hatch after 24–26 days and fledge in about two months.

Would the Blue-streaked Lory make a good pet?

No. Keeping a Blue-streaked Lory as a pet is deeply unethical. These birds are wild animals, not domestic pets. They are highly social, need large forests to thrive, and suffer terribly in captivity. Many parrots taken from the wild die from stress, malnutrition, or improper care. By refusing to buy or keep wild birds as pets, you help protect them from extinction.

How much does a Blue-streaked Lory cost?

The true cost of keeping a Blue-streaked Lory is the destruction of their species. While poachers may place a monetary value on them, their real worth is in their role as pollinators and as a vital part of their ecosystem. Trapping these birds drives them towards extinction. Instead of buying one, take action to protect their wild habitats and end the bird trade.

Take Action!

• These incredible birds need your help to survive. Use your wallet as a weapon—refuse to support the wildlife trade!
• 🚫 Never buy birds to keep in cages
• 🌱 Support indigenous-led conservation efforts.
• 🔥 Boycott palm oil, which is destroying their rainforest home.
• 🌍 Adopt a #vegan lifestyle and #BoycottMeat to reduce deforestation.
• 📢 Spread awareness about the illegal bird trade and habitat destruction.
• Fight for their survival every time you shop. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the Blue-streaked Lory by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2019. Eos reticulata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T22684515A152066747. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T22684515A152066747.en. Accessed on 07 February 2025.

Haryoko, T., O’Hara, M., Mioduszewska, B., et al. (2021). Bird Diversity on Tanimbar Islands with Special Reference to the Tanimbar Corella. Atlantis Press. https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/isplrsad-20/125957691.

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Blue-streaked Lory. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 7 February 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-streaked_lory.

World Parrot Trust. (n.d.). Blue-streaked Lory (Eos reticulata). Retrieved 7 February 2025, from https://www.parrots.org/encyclopedia/blue-streaked-lory.

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Blonde Capuchin Sapajus flavius

Keep reading

Savage’s Glass Frog Centrolene savagei

Keep reading

Pesquets Parrot Psittrichas fulgidus

Keep reading

Tanimbar Eclectus Parrot Eclectus riedeli

Keep reading

Malayan Flying Fox Pteropus vampyrus

Keep reading

Mountain Cuscus Phalanger carmelitae

Keep reading

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

#animals #Bird #birds #Birdsong #BlueStreakedLoryEosReticulata #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #climatechange #deforestation #ForgottenAnimals #hunting #Indonesia #NearThreatenedSpecies #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #Parrot #Parrots #pet #pettrade #poaching #pollination #song #songbird #songbirds #vegan #VulnerableSpecies #WestPapua

Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata

Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata

Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata

IUCN Status: Near Threatened

Location: The Blue-streaked Lory is endemic to the Banda Sea Islands in Indonesia, primarily found on the Tanimbar Islands, including Yamdena and Larat, with possible populations on Babar. Small numbers recorded on Damar, Kai Kecil, and Kai Kesar Islands are believed to be introduced populations (BirdLife International, 2019).

Brilliantly coloured and full of energy, the Blue-streaked Lory (Eos reticulata) is a striking and unique #parrot living in the forests of the Banda Sea Islands, #Indonesia. Their scarlet plumage is decorated with iridescent blue streaks, creating a dazzling and electrifying colours both when they’re at rest and in flight. With a sharp, hooked beak adapted for nectar-feeding, these #birds flit from flower to flower, playing a vital role in rainforest #pollination.

Despite their adaptability, habitat destruction and the pet trade threaten their survival. These birds have been heavily trapped for the illegal bird trade, with over 3,000 individuals captured annually in the 1980s. Although they remain relatively common in their range, continued #deforestation and capture for the caged #pettrade and bird market may be pushing them towards decline. If these mesmerising lories are to have a future in the wild, their habitat must be protected, and the demand for keeping them as pets must end. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/yM06_Zg1fvs

Blue-streaked lorries are #Indonesia’s 🇮🇩 rare jewels. These crimson and blue #parrots 🦜🌈 are ‘Near Threatened’ by the #pet trade 🙀 and #PalmOil #Deforestation. Protect these #birds when u #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🪔⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-a8d

Stunning #parrots of scarlet ❤️ and electric blue 💙plumage, Blue-streaked lorries are #birds 🦜🕊️🪽 facing threats of #climatechange and #palmoil #deforestation. Help them survive! #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🪔🤮☠️❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-a8d

Appearance & Behaviour

The Blue-streaked Lory is a medium-sized #bird, reaching 31 cm in length. Their body is covered in a vivid red plumage, contrasting with iridescent blue streaks on the head and back. Their beak is bright orange, and their eyes gleam with preternatural intelligence. Their long tail feathers taper to fine points, creating an elegant silhouette at rest and in flight.

These lories have a brush-tipped tongue, specially adapted to collect nectar and pollen from flowers. They are highly social, forming loud, chattering flocks that dart through the forest canopy in search of food. When alarmed, their sharp, shrill calls echo through the trees, alerting others to danger.

Threats

Protecting these birds means stopping the pet trade and preserving their native forests.

Trapping for the illegal bird trade

Over 3,000 individuals were taken from the wild each year in the 1980s, leading to concerns about population decline (BirdLife International, 2019). While still relatively common, trapping remains a threat, with birds being exported or kept as pets in local villages.

Habitat destruction for palm oil and timber

Deforestation for palm oil agriculture, logging, and infrastructure projects continues to shrink their rainforest home. Although they can survive in secondary forests and plantations, further destruction could push them towards more rapid declines (Tracewski et al., 2016).

Climate change

Extreme temperature and rainfall changes as a result of climate change impact the availability of food for many bird species and have flow-on effects impacting other animals in their ecosystem.

Geographic Range

The Blue-streaked Lory is native to the Banda Sea Islands in Indonesia, particularly Yamdena and Larat in the Tanimbar Islands. Possible populations exist on Babar Island, but sightings on Damar, Kai Kecil, and Kai Kesar are likely due to human introduction (BirdLife International, 2019).

Diet

The Blue-streaked Lory is a nectarivore, primarily feeding on the nectar and pollen of forest flowers. Their specialised brush-tipped tongues allow them to extract nectar efficiently. In addition to flowers, they consume soft fruits, berries, and seeds.

They play a crucial role in pollination, transferring pollen between flowers as they feed, ensuring the survival of many rainforest plant species.

Mating and Reproduction

These lories form strong monogamous pairs and are highly territorial during breeding. They nest in tree hollows, often competing with other parrot species like Tanimbar Corellas (Cacatua goffiniana) and Eclectus Parrots (Eclectus roratus) for nesting sites (Haryoko et al., 2021).

During breeding, pairs work together to defend their territory, with the female laying 2–3 eggs, which she incubates while the male provides food. The chicks hatch after 24–26 days and fledge in about two months.

FAQs

What is the status of the Blue-streaked Lory?

The Blue-streaked Lory is currently classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. While still relatively common in its range, habitat loss and illegal trapping for the pet trade continue to pose threats to their survival (BirdLife International, 2019).

Why is the Blue-streaked Lory threatened?

This species is trapped for the illegal bird trade and faces habitat destruction due to deforestation. In the 1980s, over 3,000 individuals were taken from the wild each year. Although trapping rates have declined, continued loss of forests and poaching threaten their populations.

What is the Blue-streaked Lory’s habitat?

These lories inhabit tropical rainforests, but they are adaptable and can also be found in secondary forests, plantations, and coastal woodlands. However, continued deforestation and logging threaten their remaining habitat.

What does the Blue-streaked Lory eat?

They primarily consume nectar and pollen, using their specialised brush-tipped tongues to collect food from flowers. They also eat soft fruits, berries, and seeds, playing a crucial role as pollinators in their ecosystem.

How do Blue-streaked Lories breed?

They are monogamous, forming lifelong pairs. They nest in tree cavities, often competing with other parrots for nesting space. The female lays 2–3 eggs, incubating them while the male provides food. Chicks hatch after 24–26 days and fledge in about two months.

Would the Blue-streaked Lory make a good pet?

No. Keeping a Blue-streaked Lory as a pet is deeply unethical. These birds are wild animals, not domestic pets. They are highly social, need large forests to thrive, and suffer terribly in captivity. Many parrots taken from the wild die from stress, malnutrition, or improper care. By refusing to buy or keep wild birds as pets, you help protect them from extinction.

How much does a Blue-streaked Lory cost?

The true cost of keeping a Blue-streaked Lory is the destruction of their species. While poachers may place a monetary value on them, their real worth is in their role as pollinators and as a vital part of their ecosystem. Trapping these birds drives them towards extinction. Instead of buying one, take action to protect their wild habitats and end the bird trade.

Take Action!

• These incredible birds need your help to survive. Use your wallet as a weapon—refuse to support the wildlife trade!
• 🚫 Never buy birds to keep in cages
• 🌱 Support indigenous-led conservation efforts.
• 🔥 Boycott palm oil, which is destroying their rainforest home.
• 🌍 Adopt a #vegan lifestyle and #BoycottMeat to reduce deforestation.
• 📢 Spread awareness about the illegal bird trade and habitat destruction.
• Fight for their survival every time you shop. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the Blue-streaked Lory by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2019. Eos reticulata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T22684515A152066747. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T22684515A152066747.en. Accessed on 07 February 2025.

Haryoko, T., O’Hara, M., Mioduszewska, B., et al. (2021). Bird Diversity on Tanimbar Islands with Special Reference to the Tanimbar Corella. Atlantis Press. https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/isplrsad-20/125957691.

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Blue-streaked Lory. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 7 February 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-streaked_lory.

World Parrot Trust. (n.d.). Blue-streaked Lory (Eos reticulata). Retrieved 7 February 2025, from https://www.parrots.org/encyclopedia/blue-streaked-lory.

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Blonde Capuchin Sapajus flavius

Keep reading

Savage’s Glass Frog Centrolene savagei

Keep reading

Pesquets Parrot Psittrichas fulgidus

Keep reading

Tanimbar Eclectus Parrot Eclectus riedeli

Keep reading

Malayan Flying Fox Pteropus vampyrus

Keep reading

Mountain Cuscus Phalanger carmelitae

Keep reading

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

#animals #Bird #birds #Birdsong #BlueStreakedLoryEosReticulata #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #climatechange #deforestation #ForgottenAnimals #hunting #Indonesia #NearThreatenedSpecies #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #Parrot #Parrots #pet #pettrade #poaching #pollination #song #songbird #songbirds #vegan #VulnerableSpecies #WestPapua

Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata

Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata

Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata

IUCN Status: Near Threatened

Location: The Blue-streaked Lory is endemic to the Banda Sea Islands in Indonesia, primarily found on the Tanimbar Islands, including Yamdena and Larat, with possible populations on Babar. Small numbers recorded on Damar, Kai Kecil, and Kai Kesar Islands are believed to be introduced populations (BirdLife International, 2019).

Brilliantly coloured and full of energy, the Blue-streaked Lory (Eos reticulata) is a striking and unique #parrot living in the forests of the Banda Sea Islands, #Indonesia. Their scarlet plumage is decorated with iridescent blue streaks, creating a dazzling and electrifying colours both when they’re at rest and in flight. With a sharp, hooked beak adapted for nectar-feeding, these #birds flit from flower to flower, playing a vital role in rainforest #pollination.

Despite their adaptability, habitat destruction and the pet trade threaten their survival. These birds have been heavily trapped for the illegal bird trade, with over 3,000 individuals captured annually in the 1980s. Although they remain relatively common in their range, continued #deforestation and capture for the caged #pettrade and bird market may be pushing them towards decline. If these mesmerising lories are to have a future in the wild, their habitat must be protected, and the demand for keeping them as pets must end. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/yM06_Zg1fvs

Blue-streaked lorries are #Indonesia’s 🇮🇩 rare jewels. These crimson and blue #parrots 🦜🌈 are ‘Near Threatened’ by the #pet trade 🙀 and #PalmOil #Deforestation. Protect these #birds when u #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🪔⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-a8d

Stunning #parrots of scarlet ❤️ and electric blue 💙plumage, Blue-streaked lorries are #birds 🦜🕊️🪽 facing threats of #climatechange and #palmoil #deforestation. Help them survive! #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🪔🤮☠️❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-a8d

Appearance & Behaviour

The Blue-streaked Lory is a medium-sized #bird, reaching 31 cm in length. Their body is covered in a vivid red plumage, contrasting with iridescent blue streaks on the head and back. Their beak is bright orange, and their eyes gleam with preternatural intelligence. Their long tail feathers taper to fine points, creating an elegant silhouette at rest and in flight.

These lories have a brush-tipped tongue, specially adapted to collect nectar and pollen from flowers. They are highly social, forming loud, chattering flocks that dart through the forest canopy in search of food. When alarmed, their sharp, shrill calls echo through the trees, alerting others to danger.

Threats

Protecting these birds means stopping the pet trade and preserving their native forests.

Trapping for the illegal bird trade

Over 3,000 individuals were taken from the wild each year in the 1980s, leading to concerns about population decline (BirdLife International, 2019). While still relatively common, trapping remains a threat, with birds being exported or kept as pets in local villages.

Habitat destruction for palm oil and timber

Deforestation for palm oil agriculture, logging, and infrastructure projects continues to shrink their rainforest home. Although they can survive in secondary forests and plantations, further destruction could push them towards more rapid declines (Tracewski et al., 2016).

Climate change

Extreme temperature and rainfall changes as a result of climate change impact the availability of food for many bird species and have flow-on effects impacting other animals in their ecosystem.

Geographic Range

The Blue-streaked Lory is native to the Banda Sea Islands in Indonesia, particularly Yamdena and Larat in the Tanimbar Islands. Possible populations exist on Babar Island, but sightings on Damar, Kai Kecil, and Kai Kesar are likely due to human introduction (BirdLife International, 2019).

Diet

The Blue-streaked Lory is a nectarivore, primarily feeding on the nectar and pollen of forest flowers. Their specialised brush-tipped tongues allow them to extract nectar efficiently. In addition to flowers, they consume soft fruits, berries, and seeds.

They play a crucial role in pollination, transferring pollen between flowers as they feed, ensuring the survival of many rainforest plant species.

Mating and Reproduction

These lories form strong monogamous pairs and are highly territorial during breeding. They nest in tree hollows, often competing with other parrot species like Tanimbar Corellas (Cacatua goffiniana) and Eclectus Parrots (Eclectus roratus) for nesting sites (Haryoko et al., 2021).

During breeding, pairs work together to defend their territory, with the female laying 2–3 eggs, which she incubates while the male provides food. The chicks hatch after 24–26 days and fledge in about two months.

FAQs

What is the status of the Blue-streaked Lory?

The Blue-streaked Lory is currently classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. While still relatively common in its range, habitat loss and illegal trapping for the pet trade continue to pose threats to their survival (BirdLife International, 2019).

Why is the Blue-streaked Lory threatened?

This species is trapped for the illegal bird trade and faces habitat destruction due to deforestation. In the 1980s, over 3,000 individuals were taken from the wild each year. Although trapping rates have declined, continued loss of forests and poaching threaten their populations.

What is the Blue-streaked Lory’s habitat?

These lories inhabit tropical rainforests, but they are adaptable and can also be found in secondary forests, plantations, and coastal woodlands. However, continued deforestation and logging threaten their remaining habitat.

What does the Blue-streaked Lory eat?

They primarily consume nectar and pollen, using their specialised brush-tipped tongues to collect food from flowers. They also eat soft fruits, berries, and seeds, playing a crucial role as pollinators in their ecosystem.

How do Blue-streaked Lories breed?

They are monogamous, forming lifelong pairs. They nest in tree cavities, often competing with other parrots for nesting space. The female lays 2–3 eggs, incubating them while the male provides food. Chicks hatch after 24–26 days and fledge in about two months.

Would the Blue-streaked Lory make a good pet?

No. Keeping a Blue-streaked Lory as a pet is deeply unethical. These birds are wild animals, not domestic pets. They are highly social, need large forests to thrive, and suffer terribly in captivity. Many parrots taken from the wild die from stress, malnutrition, or improper care. By refusing to buy or keep wild birds as pets, you help protect them from extinction.

How much does a Blue-streaked Lory cost?

The true cost of keeping a Blue-streaked Lory is the destruction of their species. While poachers may place a monetary value on them, their real worth is in their role as pollinators and as a vital part of their ecosystem. Trapping these birds drives them towards extinction. Instead of buying one, take action to protect their wild habitats and end the bird trade.

Take Action!

• These incredible birds need your help to survive. Use your wallet as a weapon—refuse to support the wildlife trade!
• 🚫 Never buy birds to keep in cages
• 🌱 Support indigenous-led conservation efforts.
• 🔥 Boycott palm oil, which is destroying their rainforest home.
• 🌍 Adopt a #vegan lifestyle and #BoycottMeat to reduce deforestation.
• 📢 Spread awareness about the illegal bird trade and habitat destruction.
• Fight for their survival every time you shop. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the Blue-streaked Lory by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2019. Eos reticulata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T22684515A152066747. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T22684515A152066747.en. Accessed on 07 February 2025.

Haryoko, T., O’Hara, M., Mioduszewska, B., et al. (2021). Bird Diversity on Tanimbar Islands with Special Reference to the Tanimbar Corella. Atlantis Press. https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/isplrsad-20/125957691.

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Blue-streaked Lory. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 7 February 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-streaked_lory.

World Parrot Trust. (n.d.). Blue-streaked Lory (Eos reticulata). Retrieved 7 February 2025, from https://www.parrots.org/encyclopedia/blue-streaked-lory.

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

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Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

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Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

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Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Blonde Capuchin Sapajus flavius

Keep reading

Savage’s Glass Frog Centrolene savagei

Keep reading

Pesquets Parrot Psittrichas fulgidus

Keep reading

Tanimbar Eclectus Parrot Eclectus riedeli

Keep reading

Malayan Flying Fox Pteropus vampyrus

Keep reading

Mountain Cuscus Phalanger carmelitae

Keep reading

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

#animals #Bird #birds #Birdsong #BlueStreakedLoryEosReticulata #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #climatechange #deforestation #ForgottenAnimals #hunting #Indonesia #NearThreatenedSpecies #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #Parrot #Parrots #pet #pettrade #poaching #pollination #song #songbird #songbirds #vegan #VulnerableSpecies #WestPapua

Orange-breasted Falcon Falco deiroleucus

Orange-breasted Falcon Falco deiroleucus

Near Threatened

Extant (resident)

Belize; Venezuela, Bolivia

Extant (possibly breeding)

Argentina; Bolivia, Brazil; Colombia; Ecuador; Guatemala; Guyana; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago.

Possibly extinct

Costa Rica

The vibrant Orange-breasted #Falcon Falco deiroleucus soars through the skies of Central and #SouthAmerica. With their striking orange and black plumage and powerful and agile hunting skills, these falcons are truly a marvel to behold. Sadly, these #birds face significant threats from #palmoil, #goldmining, #soy and #meat deforestation. You can help protect these magnificent birds every time you shop. Make sure that you #BoycottPalmOil #BoycottGold and #BoycottMeat to help them survive! It’s the #Boycott4Wildlife.

https://youtu.be/fO7KLTqyS68?si=qKAa5kr9DecSXzMz

Powerful rulers of the skies in #Colombia #Brazil and #Ecuador, Orange-breasted Falcons 🦅 face threats from #palmoil #meat #soy and #gold #deforestation across their range. Fight for them when you shop #Boycottpalmoil 🚫#BoycottGold 🪙 #Boycott4Wildlife🌳 https://wp.me/pcFhgU-8tM

DYK Orange-breasted 🦅 Falcon’s striking orange 🧡 and black 🖤 plumage helps their courtship displays? 💕Sadly, these beautiful #birds are under threat from #palmoil #soy and #gold #deforestation. Help them and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌍✨ https://wp.me/pcFhgU-8tM

Appearance & Behaviour

These falcons are known for their incredible hunting prowess. They are agile fliers, capable of high-speed pursuits and sudden, sharp turns to catch their prey. Their striking orange and black plumage not only serves as a visual treat but also plays a role in their courtship displays.

The Orange-breasted Falcon is a medium-sized bird of prey, measuring about 35-40 cm (14-16 inches) in length. Males weigh between 325-425 grams (11-15 ounces), while females are larger, weighing between 550-700 grams (19-25 ounces). Their distinctive plumage features a rich and vibrant coloured orange breast that contrasts to their black wings and back. Both sexes have similar plumage, but females are larger. These falcons are known for their robust and stocky build and large heads and talons, which make them powerful hunters stalking the skies.

Threats

• Deforestation for palm oil, soy, gold mining and cattle ranching
• Human persecution and hunting
• Pesticide use in agriculture, which affects their prey base
• Competition for nest sites with Black Vultures
• Impact of Africanised bees on nesting sites

Empower yourself to make a difference. Together, we can fight for the survival of the Orange-breasted Falcon by making mindful choices. #BoycottPalmOil and support wildlife-friendly products. Share this page and join the movement to protect our precious wildlife. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Habitat

The Orange-breasted Falcon is found in tropical forests and savannas across Central and South America, from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. They prefer habitats with tall trees and open spaces that allow for their high-speed hunting. They are most commonly found in Belize, Guatemala, and Panama, though their range has significantly reduced over time.

Diet

These falcons are carnivorous, primarily feeding on other birds and small mammals. They are skilled hunters, often capturing prey mid-flight with their sharp talons. Their diet includes a wide variety of birds and occasionally bats.

Mating and breeding

Orange-breasted Falcons typically nest in tall trees or on cliff ledges. They lay 2-3 eggs, which are incubated by the female for about 30-34 days. Both parents are involved in feeding and caring for the chicks until they are ready to fledge, approximately 40-45 days after hatching.

Support Orange-breasted Falcon by going vegan and boycotting palm oil, gold and meat when you shop, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2016. Falco deiroleucus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22696516A93569126. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22696516A93569126.en. Accessed on 05 June 2024.

Orange-breasted Falcon. (2024). In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 5, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange-breasted_falcon

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Santa Catarina’s Guinea Pig Cavia intermedia

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Maned Wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus

Maned Wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus

Near Threatened

Extant (resident)

Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Peru and Bolivia. Now extinct in Uruguay.

The Maned Wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus is a captivating wild dog species known for their “foxes on stilts” appearance and distinctive cannabis-smelling urine odour. Their long legs allow them to peer over the tall grass in their South American grassland habitat. Solitary and enigmatic, they communicate through “roar-barks” while marking territory with their unique scent. Despite their fascinating quirks, this species faces significant threats. Deforestation due to palm oil, meat and soy agriculture, gold mining, and commodity crop plantations (like palm oil and soy) has fragmented their habitat, leaving them vulnerable to road mortality, disease transmission from domestic dogs, and poaching. These threats, coupled with habitat destruction, endanger their future. You can make a difference by fighting for their survival every time you shop. Use your wallet as a weapon and boycott palm oil and boycott gold to protect them #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

The unusual look of Maned #Wolves have earned them the nickname ‘Foxes on Stilts’, they are solitary hunters in #Brazil #Peru and #Bolivia. Help them to survive when you #BoycottGold #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7Pv

Maned Wolves are #SouthAmerica’s tallest canids with long slender legs to help them navigate grasslands. Now ‘Near Threatened’ by #palmoil #meat and #mining #deforestation, Fight for them and #Boycottpalmoil #BoycottGold #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7Pv

https://youtu.be/6j1RVGlfjas

Appearance & Behaviour

The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), known as South America’s tallest canid, stands at nearly a meter high and sports long, slender legs adapted to spotting prey over the tall grasses of their native habitat. Their reddish-brown fur, black legs, and signature mane give them a striking and unmistakable appearance. Despite resembling foxes and wolves, they’re neither and instead represent a unique branch of the canid family. They are solitary, often shy, and communicate through distinctive “roar-barks” while marking their territory with cannabis-like scented urine.

• Foxes on Stilts: Their long legs earned them this nickname as it helps them peer above the grass for prey.
• Solitary Wanderers: Unlike most canids, they are solitary hunters, patrolling vast territories alone.
• Cannabis-Like Odour: Their urine contains a compound that smells remarkably like cannabis, giving them the nickname “skunk wolf.”
• Vital Seed Dispersers: Feeding on native fruits, they help disperse seeds throughout the ecosystem, playing a crucial role in plant biodiversity.

To protect this species, consumers can join the movement by avoiding and boycotting commodities associated with the destruction of their home. Help them to survive by being vegan and avoiding meat, #BoycottGold and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife.

Threats

• Habitat Reduction: Deforestation and conversion of rainforest for palm oil, soy and meat agriculture are reducing their habitat.
• Road Mortality: Increasing road networks lead to death or injury from vehicle collisions.
• Disease Transmission: Domestic dogs pose a significant threat due to passing on diseases.
• Poaching: Illegal hunting of Maned Wolves continues to pose a danger.

Conservationists and local communities are working together to safeguard the Maned Wolf’s future. By boycotting palm oil, and advocating for wildlife-friendly policies, you can be a strong force for change and fight for their survival. Remember to #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket!

Habitat

Maned Wolves are found in South America’s grasslands, savannahs, and forests across Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru. They favour grasslands with scattered trees and bush lands in higher altitudes but are known to adapt to plantations and even agricultural landscapes.

Diet

The maned wolf is omnivorous, feasting on a variety of foods. Their diet includes small mammals, birds, eggs, and insects, but they also love fruits and plants. They especially favour “wolf apple,” a fruit that provides both sustenance and protection from parasites.

Mating and breeding

Monogamous pairs share large territories but often interact only during mating season, which ranges from November to April. Females give birth to litters of 2-6 pups after a gestation period of 60-65 days. While the pups are primarily cared for by their mother, the father also plays a role.

Support Maned Wolves by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Animalia. (n.d.). Maned wolf. https://animalia.bio/maned-wolf

Paula, R. C., & DeMatteo, K. (2015). Chrysocyon brachyurus (errata version published in 2016). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T4819A88135664. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T4819A82316878.en

Spanner, H. (2023, November 6). The maned wolf: All you need to know about the long-legged star of BBC’s Planet Earth III. https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/maned-wolf

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Maned wolf. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maned_wolf

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Bush Dog Speothos venaticus

Bush Dog Speothos venaticus

IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

Extant (resident): Bolivia; Brazil; Colombia; Ecuador; French Guiana; Guyana; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Suriname; Venezuela.

Presence Uncertain: Argentina

The enigmatic Bush #dog was once believed to be extinct, however they have now emerged from the shadows. These elusive canids show remarkable teamwork and intelligence with strategic hunting tactics. They divide into land and water based groups when pursuing elusive prey like the paca. Despite their shy nature, Bush #dogs break their silence with peculiar calls, a vocal repertoire that serves as a means of communication and warning within the pack. Adorned in reddish hues, they bear the nickname ‘zorro,’ reminiscent of a fox, while their distinctive vinegar-like scent has earned them the moniker ‘vinegar dog’.

They are classified as Near Threatened due to their range disappearing for cattle grazing, palm oil, soy, eucalytpus and other monoculture crops. Not enough is known yet about their lives to assess the damage. Fight for them every time you shop and be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

https://youtu.be/yZtzRFRnWHo

Once believed #extinct, the enigmatic #BushDog 🐕🐺 is now ‘Near Threatened’ from #palmoil 🌴🔥 and #soy 🥜🔥 #deforestation in #SouthAmerica. Masterful hunters they rely on prey that is disappearing. Help them survive! #Boycottpalmoil 🌴☠️⛔ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-73d

With a bear-like face 🐻 foxy eyes 🦊 and webbed feet 🦆 the #BushDog is not your typical canine 🤯🐾🐕 They are ‘Near Threatened’ by #palmoil and #soy #deforestation in #SouthAmerica. Help them survive #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴⛔ @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-73d

Appearance & Behaviour

Bush Dogs have webbed toes and are known for their excellent swimming abilities. They are the ultimate carnivores and dine mainly on agoutis, armadillos, paca, small mammals, rodents and reptiles.

Adult bush dogs sport soft, long brownish-tan fur with a lighter reddish hue on their heads, necks, and backs. Their tails are bushy, and the undersides are dark, sometimes with a lighter throat patch. However, young ones have black fur all over. They are typically 57–75 cm long with a 12.5–15 cm tail and a shoulder height of 20–30 cm. These wild dogs have short legs, a short snout, and relatively small ears. Their teeth are adapted for eating meat. Females have four pairs of teats, and both males and females have large scent glands. Interestingly, bush dogs have partially webbed toes, making them excellent swimmers.

Threats

Human-related threats and habitat encroachment are the main threat to the existence of Bush Dogs. This includes massive deforestation for monocultures throughout their range including for soy, palm oil, eucalyptus and pine. This leads to a reduction in the availability of prey species. Increased interactions with domestic dogs risks the spread of pathogens from these dogs to Bush Dogs.

• Habitat Threats:
  • Human encroachment and habitat loss due to large-scale agriculture (e.g., soybean and palm oil), land conversion to pasture, and monoculture tree plantations (e.g., eucalyptus and pine).
• Prey Reduction:
  • Illegal poaching and predation by domestic dogs contribute to a reduction in prey abundance, impacting the Bush Dog’s survival.
• Disease Risks:
  • Increased risk of contracting lethal diseases from domestic dogs, including mange, parvovirus, rabies, Dioctophyma renale, Amphimerus interruptus, Lagochilascaris sp., and Echinococcus vogeli. Captive animals are susceptible to various diseases, highlighting their sensitivity and the potential threat from exposure to pathogens. Proximity to human areas and interaction with hunting dogs elevate the risk of disease exposure, emphasizing the need for conservation efforts.

Habitat

Bush Dogs are habitat generalists, often found near water sources like small streams where prey densities are higher. They’ve been spotted in various lowland forested habitats, including primary and gallery forests, semi-deciduous forests, and seasonally flooded forests. These adaptable creatures have been observed in cerrado habitat, pampas edge/riparian areas, and even unique environments like caatinga, chaco, and coastal mangroves. Interestingly, they have been seen several kilometres away from forest habitats. While there’s no clear habitat preference, some evidence suggests a preference for intact savanna and forest habitats.

Diet

The Bush Dog, a fascinating carnivorous species, exhibits a diverse diet influenced by their geographical location and habitat type. In the Pantanal region of Brazil, their primary food source is the Nine-banded Armadillo, constituting a substantial portion of their diet. On the other hand, in the interior Atlantic forest in Paraguay, the diet includes Agoutis, Paca, small mammals, rodents, reptiles, and various fruits like Cecropia. Notably, the availability of fruit in their diet increases when provided in captive settings, highlighting the adaptability of their feeding habits. However, the increasing threat of palm oil, meat and soy deforestation poses a significant risk to their food sources, emphasising the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect these unique carnivores.

Mating and breeding

Bush Dogs engage in year-round mating, with oestrus lasting up to twelve days and occurring every 15 to 44 days. Similar to other canids, their mating involves a copulatory tie, where the animals are locked together. Preceding copulation, urine-marking plays a significant role in their behavior. The gestation period ranges from 65 to 83 days, typically resulting in a litter of three to six pups, although larger litters of up to 10 have been reported. Newborns are initially blind and helpless, weighing between 125 to 190 grams. Their eyes open after 14 to 19 days, and they emerge from the nativity den shortly thereafter. Weaning occurs around four weeks, and sexual maturity is reached at one year. In captivity, they can live up to 10 years

Support Bush Dogs by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

DeMatteo, K., Michalski , F. & Leite-Pitman, M.R.P. 2011. Speothos venaticus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011: e.T20468A9203243. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T20468A9203243.en. Accessed on 27 December 2023.

1. Bush Dog Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_dog

2. Bush Dog on Animalia.bio https://www.animalia.bio/bush-dog

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Spiny-headed Tree Frog Triprion spinosus

Spiny-headed Tree Frog Triprion spinosus

Red List Status: Near Threatened

Extant (resident): Costa Rica (Costa Rica (mainland)); Honduras (Honduras (mainland)); Mexico (Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz, Tabasco); Panama

Possibly Extant (resident): Nicaragua

The Spiny-headed Tree Frog Triprion spinosus is a stunning small frog species hanging on to survival in fragmented patches of forest in #CostaRica, #Panama, #Honduras, #Mexico. They have many common names including the spiny-headed tree frog, spiny-headed tree #frog, spinyhead treefrog, coronated treefrog, and the crowned hyla. These elusive an shy, arboreal frogs are rarely seen and they live out their lives quietly in bromeliads and other tropical plants. However palm oil, timber, soy and meat deforestation along with a fungal disease are grave threats. Help them to survive and be #Vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/WZJj_PgKPiI

Tiny and cute #frogs in #Panama 🇵🇦 #Honduras 🇭🇳 Spiny-headed Tree Frogs 🐸💚 are Near Threatened from #palmoil and #soy #deforestation. Help them and use your wallet as a weapon #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🪔🔥🧐🙊⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/04/02/spiny-headed-tree-frog-triprion-spinosus/

Spiny-headed Tree #Frogs 🐸💚💌 of #Mexico 🇲🇽 #CostaRica 🇨🇷 are Near Threatened by #PalmOil #deforestation. Males make a “boop…boop” sound when calling females. Fight for their survival, be #Vegan and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/04/02/spiny-headed-tree-frog-triprion-spinosus/

Appearance & Behaviour

They lack vocal sacs or slits however their loud “boop-boop-boop” call can be heard from up to 100 meters away.

A shy, arboreal species, Spiny-headed Tree Frogs are rarely seen and they live out their lives quietly in bromeliads and other tropical plants. They can be found in the subtropical forests of mountain ranges. They prefer intact forest and secondary growth forest. They have on occasion been observed living in coffee plantations.

They are light brown with darker brown markings and a black belly. It takes them between 60 to 136 days to morph from tadpole to mature frog depending on the number of surviving tadpoles and the competition for food. Their life span is 10 to 15 years.

Threats

As breeding takes place in the watery hollows of plants and trees, Spiny-headed Tree Frogs face enormous threat from deforestation.

This beautiful tiny frog faces several anthropogenic threats

• Chytridiomycosis: An infectious fungal disease that is capable of causing sporadic deaths in some amphibian populations and 100% mortality in others.
• Deforestation: for timber, soy and palm oil throughout their region.
• Deforestation: for livestock grazing across their range.

A captive “insurance population” is bred and maintained by the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center, Panama, Atlanta Botanical Garden, United States, and a few AZA zoos.

Habitat & geographic range

Human-related threats constrict their ecological range and there are now fragmented populations in Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama and Mexico. Like many frogs they are nocturnal and most active at night time.

Diet

They prefer to eat insects and small arthropods and worms. Tadpoles will eat unfertilised eggs that are deposited by their mothers.

Mating and breeding

Males have a distinctive “boop..boop…boop” sound and call to females from within the water-filled hollows and crevices of bromeliad rosettes and bamboo internodes.

Females approach the calling males and clasp them immediately and together pair dive into the water. The female will lay between 50 to 300 eggs and then the male fertilises them. Only one in 25 eggs will hatch, which takes around a week to occur.

The watery catchment where female lays her eggs is safe sanctuary away from potential predators. Developing tadpoles will eat unfertilised eggs laid by the mother. The mother will return to visit egg laying locations to lay more unfertilised eggs for the tadpoles to feed on. Tadpoles will prompt their mother to do this by nibbling on her belly.

Support Spiny-headed Tree Frog by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. 2020. Triprion spinosus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T55296A3028482. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T55296A3028482.en. Accessed on 31 October 2022.

Spiny-headed Tree Frog Triprion spinosus on Wikipedia

Spiny-headed Tree Frog Triprion spinosus on Animalia.bio

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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✓ Subscribed

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

#Amphibian #amphibians #animals #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #CostaRica #CostaRica #deforestation #ForgottenAnimals #Frog #Frogs #herpetology #Honduras #Mexico #NearThreatenedSpecies #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #Panama #SouthAmericaSpeciesEndangeredByPalmOilDeforestation #soy #SpinyHeadedTreeFrogTriprionSpinosus #vegan #VulnerableSpecies

Spiny-headed Tree Frog Triprion spinosus

Spiny-headed Tree Frog Triprion spinosus

Red List Status: Near Threatened

Extant (resident): Costa Rica (Costa Rica (mainland)); Honduras (Honduras (mainland)); Mexico (Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz, Tabasco); Panama

Possibly Extant (resident): Nicaragua

The Spiny-headed Tree Frog Triprion spinosus is a stunning small frog species hanging on to survival in fragmented patches of forest in #CostaRica, #Panama, #Honduras, #Mexico. They have many common names including the spiny-headed tree frog, spiny-headed tree #frog, spinyhead treefrog, coronated treefrog, and the crowned hyla. These elusive an shy, arboreal frogs are rarely seen and they live out their lives quietly in bromeliads and other tropical plants. However palm oil, timber, soy and meat deforestation along with a fungal disease are grave threats. Help them to survive and be #Vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/WZJj_PgKPiI

Tiny and cute #frogs in #Panama 🇵🇦 #Honduras 🇭🇳 Spiny-headed Tree Frogs 🐸💚 are Near Threatened from #palmoil and #soy #deforestation. Help them and use your wallet as a weapon #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🪔🔥🧐🙊⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/04/02/spiny-headed-tree-frog-triprion-spinosus/

Spiny-headed Tree #Frogs 🐸💚💌 of #Mexico 🇲🇽 #CostaRica 🇨🇷 are Near Threatened by #PalmOil #deforestation. Males make a “boop…boop” sound when calling females. Fight for their survival, be #Vegan and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/04/02/spiny-headed-tree-frog-triprion-spinosus/

Appearance & Behaviour

They lack vocal sacs or slits however their loud “boop-boop-boop” call can be heard from up to 100 meters away.

A shy, arboreal species, Spiny-headed Tree Frogs are rarely seen and they live out their lives quietly in bromeliads and other tropical plants. They can be found in the subtropical forests of mountain ranges. They prefer intact forest and secondary growth forest. They have on occasion been observed living in coffee plantations.

They are light brown with darker brown markings and a black belly. It takes them between 60 to 136 days to morph from tadpole to mature frog depending on the number of surviving tadpoles and the competition for food. Their life span is 10 to 15 years.

Threats

As breeding takes place in the watery hollows of plants and trees, Spiny-headed Tree Frogs face enormous threat from deforestation.

This beautiful tiny frog faces several anthropogenic threats

• Chytridiomycosis: An infectious fungal disease that is capable of causing sporadic deaths in some amphibian populations and 100% mortality in others.
• Deforestation: for timber, soy and palm oil throughout their region.
• Deforestation: for livestock grazing across their range.

A captive “insurance population” is bred and maintained by the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center, Panama, Atlanta Botanical Garden, United States, and a few AZA zoos.

Habitat & geographic range

Human-related threats constrict their ecological range and there are now fragmented populations in Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama and Mexico. Like many frogs they are nocturnal and most active at night time.

Diet

They prefer to eat insects and small arthropods and worms. Tadpoles will eat unfertilised eggs that are deposited by their mothers.

Mating and breeding

Males have a distinctive “boop..boop…boop” sound and call to females from within the water-filled hollows and crevices of bromeliad rosettes and bamboo internodes.

Females approach the calling males and clasp them immediately and together pair dive into the water. The female will lay between 50 to 300 eggs and then the male fertilises them. Only one in 25 eggs will hatch, which takes around a week to occur.

The watery catchment where female lays her eggs is safe sanctuary away from potential predators. Developing tadpoles will eat unfertilised eggs laid by the mother. The mother will return to visit egg laying locations to lay more unfertilised eggs for the tadpoles to feed on. Tadpoles will prompt their mother to do this by nibbling on her belly.

Support Spiny-headed Tree Frog by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. 2020. Triprion spinosus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T55296A3028482. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T55296A3028482.en. Accessed on 31 October 2022.

Spiny-headed Tree Frog Triprion spinosus on Wikipedia

Spiny-headed Tree Frog Triprion spinosus on Animalia.bio

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

#Amphibian #amphibians #animals #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #CostaRica #CostaRica #deforestation #ForgottenAnimals #Frog #Frogs #herpetology #Honduras #Mexico #NearThreatenedSpecies #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #Panama #SouthAmericaSpeciesEndangeredByPalmOilDeforestation #soy #SpinyHeadedTreeFrogTriprionSpinosus #vegan #VulnerableSpecies

Spiny-headed Tree Frog Triprion spinosus

Spiny-headed Tree Frog Triprion spinosus

Red List Status: Near Threatened

Extant (resident): Costa Rica (Costa Rica (mainland)); Honduras (Honduras (mainland)); Mexico (Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz, Tabasco); Panama

Possibly Extant (resident): Nicaragua

The Spiny-headed Tree Frog Triprion spinosus is a stunning small frog species hanging on to survival in fragmented patches of forest in #CostaRica, #Panama, #Honduras, #Mexico. They have many common names including the spiny-headed tree frog, spiny-headed tree #frog, spinyhead treefrog, coronated treefrog, and the crowned hyla. These elusive an shy, arboreal frogs are rarely seen and they live out their lives quietly in bromeliads and other tropical plants. However palm oil, timber, soy and meat deforestation along with a fungal disease are grave threats. Help them to survive and be #Vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/WZJj_PgKPiI

Tiny and cute #frogs in #Panama 🇵🇦 #Honduras 🇭🇳 Spiny-headed Tree Frogs 🐸💚 are Near Threatened from #palmoil and #soy #deforestation. Help them and use your wallet as a weapon #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🪔🔥🧐🙊⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/04/02/spiny-headed-tree-frog-triprion-spinosus/

Spiny-headed Tree #Frogs 🐸💚💌 of #Mexico 🇲🇽 #CostaRica 🇨🇷 are Near Threatened by #PalmOil #deforestation. Males make a “boop…boop” sound when calling females. Fight for their survival, be #Vegan and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/04/02/spiny-headed-tree-frog-triprion-spinosus/

Appearance & Behaviour

They lack vocal sacs or slits however their loud “boop-boop-boop” call can be heard from up to 100 meters away.

A shy, arboreal species, Spiny-headed Tree Frogs are rarely seen and they live out their lives quietly in bromeliads and other tropical plants. They can be found in the subtropical forests of mountain ranges. They prefer intact forest and secondary growth forest. They have on occasion been observed living in coffee plantations.

They are light brown with darker brown markings and a black belly. It takes them between 60 to 136 days to morph from tadpole to mature frog depending on the number of surviving tadpoles and the competition for food. Their life span is 10 to 15 years.

Threats

As breeding takes place in the watery hollows of plants and trees, Spiny-headed Tree Frogs face enormous threat from deforestation.

This beautiful tiny frog faces several anthropogenic threats

• Chytridiomycosis: An infectious fungal disease that is capable of causing sporadic deaths in some amphibian populations and 100% mortality in others.
• Deforestation: for timber, soy and palm oil throughout their region.
• Deforestation: for livestock grazing across their range.

A captive “insurance population” is bred and maintained by the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center, Panama, Atlanta Botanical Garden, United States, and a few AZA zoos.

Habitat & geographic range

Human-related threats constrict their ecological range and there are now fragmented populations in Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama and Mexico. Like many frogs they are nocturnal and most active at night time.

Diet

They prefer to eat insects and small arthropods and worms. Tadpoles will eat unfertilised eggs that are deposited by their mothers.

Mating and breeding

Males have a distinctive “boop..boop…boop” sound and call to females from within the water-filled hollows and crevices of bromeliad rosettes and bamboo internodes.

Females approach the calling males and clasp them immediately and together pair dive into the water. The female will lay between 50 to 300 eggs and then the male fertilises them. Only one in 25 eggs will hatch, which takes around a week to occur.

The watery catchment where female lays her eggs is safe sanctuary away from potential predators. Developing tadpoles will eat unfertilised eggs laid by the mother. The mother will return to visit egg laying locations to lay more unfertilised eggs for the tadpoles to feed on. Tadpoles will prompt their mother to do this by nibbling on her belly.

Support Spiny-headed Tree Frog by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. 2020. Triprion spinosus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T55296A3028482. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T55296A3028482.en. Accessed on 31 October 2022.

Spiny-headed Tree Frog Triprion spinosus on Wikipedia

Spiny-headed Tree Frog Triprion spinosus on Animalia.bio

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

#Amphibian #amphibians #animals #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #CostaRica #CostaRica #deforestation #ForgottenAnimals #Frog #Frogs #herpetology #Honduras #Mexico #NearThreatenedSpecies #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #Panama #SouthAmericaSpeciesEndangeredByPalmOilDeforestation #soy #SpinyHeadedTreeFrogTriprionSpinosus #vegan #VulnerableSpecies

Shoebill Balaeniceps rex

Shoebill Balaeniceps rex

Vulnerable

Extant (resident)

Central African Republic; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Rwanda; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia

Known for their unnerving and intense stare and imposing, prehistoric appearance – shoebills are magnificent birds. There are less than 8000 individual birds left alive. They are vulnerable from #palmoil, #cocoa and #meat #deforestation, agricultural run-off, #pollution, #mining, #hunting and human persecution. Help them every time you shop and be #vegan, #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

The #Shoebill is a magnificent and gentle big bird 🕊️🦤 with an unnerving stare 👀 There are only 8000 left alive in #DRC, #Uganda #Africa. Vulnerable from #palmoil #deforestation, #hunting and more. Fight for them! #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/09/10/shoebill-balaeniceps-rex/

Known for their menacing stare 👀😸 gentle #shoebills are iconic in #Uganda 🇺🇬 #Congo 🇨🇩 #Tanzania 🇹🇿 They are vulnerable from #hunting, #palmoil #deforestation. Help them and be #vegan 🥕🍆 and #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🪔☠️🔥⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/09/10/shoebill-balaeniceps-rex/

There are less than 8,000 birds left alive and they are increasingly threatened by agricultural run-off from palm oil and cocoa deforestation across their range.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V7t28Fim34

The shoebill Balaeniceps rex is also known by the common names: the whale-headed stork, shoebill stork and whalehead. Their eponymous feature is their enormous bill They have the third largest bills after pelicans and large storks.

Fast Facts

• When shoebills soar they make around 150 flaps per minute which makes them one of the slowest of any bird, with the exception of the larger stork species.
• They stand stock-still and waiting, all alone giving them an eerie and unnerving appearance. Once they notice fish appearing on the surface of swamps they quickly snap them up into their large bills.
• The shoebill’s chattering large bill makes a sound akin to machine gun fire. This combined with their silent creeping gait can make them seem rather menacing!

https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/11bnvkd/the_unexpected_sound_of_a_shoebill_stork/?utm_source=embedv2&utm_medium=post_embed&utm_content=action_bar

• Shoebills are attracted to poorly oxygenated waters, as this means fish must come to the surface to breathe – where they are efficiently captured.
• They are mostly silent except for elaborate bill-clattering communication that happens during their breeding. Chicks make a human-like hiccup sound when signalling hunger.

• Although they have a similar appearance to storks, shoebills are more closely related to pelicans and herons in the order Pelecaniformes.

Appearance & Behaviour

They possess extraordinarily large feet with their middle toe extending up to 18.5 cm in length. This helps them with balance while standing on uneven swamps and on aquatic vegetation while they hunt.

Adults have feathers that range from blue-grey to slate-grey. Juveniles possess similar plumage but in a tawny blue-brown hue.

Shoebills have a modestly sized bill at birth, which grows much larger once chicks reach between 23-43 days old.

Their unusual beauty makes them a must-see for birdwatchers in Africa. Despite their slightly unnerving appearance, these birds are placid and will allow birdwatchers to snap their photo at a range of two metres.

Shoebills are known for staying statue-still and silent in the muddy waters while hunting. These birds stalk their prey in a solitary way, patiently lurking and hunting entirely with their vision. Once prey is spotted they launch a rapid strike. They will sometimes use their big beaks to pry deep into the pond mud and extirpate lung fish with a violent strike.

They are normally silent but will get noisy during nesting season with elaborate bill clattering displays. Adults birds will make a ‘moo’ sound and high pitched whine while clattering their bills in order to communicate with each other. Chicks call out to their mothers with a ‘hiccup’ sound.

Shoebills typically hunt for lungfish and other fish in poorly oxygenated marshlands, bogs, peatland and swamps. Fish frequently break to the surface to breathe – it is then that shoebills rapidly strike. Their large feet enable them to balance on floating vegetation. The movement of hippos can aid the hunting of shoebills, as they rustle up fish from bottom of swamps, pushing them to surface for the shoebills’ easy capture.

Threats

There is estimated to be below 8,000 individual shoebills left and they are classified as vulnerable. Shoebills face a range of anthropogenic threats:

• Palm oil and cocoa deforestation: The mass removal of virgin rainforest for palm oil and cocoa results in mass deaths of shoebills.
• Infrastructure building: roads, dams and powerlines pose a risk to shoebills.
• Meat deforestation: cattle and other animals are known to trample shoebill nests.
• Pollution run-off: from palm oil agrochemicals and mining effluent.
• Hunting: In some cultures shoebills are thought of as a bad omen, in others they are hunted for food.
• Capture for the pet trade: Shoebill eggs and chicks are captured for consumption or sold to zoos.
• Armed human conflict: Armed groups moving through the rainforest has facilitated hunting of shoebills.
• Climate change: Increased extreme weather events like fires and droughts brought on by climate change lowers their numbers.

Habitat

Shoebills are found in central tropical Africa. Including South Sudan, eastern Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, western Tanzania, and northern Zambia. They are non-migratory birds who make limited seasonal movements.

They live in dense freshwater swamps and marshes including undisturbed papyrus and reed beds. They are attracted to areas of mixed vegetation and have been seen on occasion in rice fields and flooded plantations.

Diet

Shoebills mainly consume fish but will also eat a range of wetland vertebrates. Their preferred food is marbled lungfish, tilapia and catfish. When this is not available they are known to consume frogs, nile monitors, baby crocodiles, water snakes, turtles, snails, rodents and other small waterfowl.

Mating and breeding

Shoebills form monogamous pair bonds for the breeding season. They fiercely defend their nests from other birds during their nesting period, which begins either during the monsoon season or after this ends.

Both parents build the nest on a floating and flat platform made up of swamp vegetation and around three metres wide and three metres deep.

Typically the female will lay between one to three eggs, with only one being reared and cared for until maturity. The other eggs are back-ups in case the eldest chick is weak or dies.

In the hot weather, shoebill parents will fill their bills with water to shower their nests to cool their eggs.

Chicks take about 105 days to fledge and juveniles typically fly well by 112 days. Juvenile birds will continue to feed with their mother for another month after this and reach sexual maturity at about three years old.

Support Shoebills by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2018. Balaeniceps rex. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22697583A133840708. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22697583A133840708.en. Accessed on 16 February 2023.

Shoebill on Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoebill

Shoebill on Animalia.bio – https://animalia.bio/shoebill

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Shoebill Balaeniceps rex

Shoebill Balaeniceps rex

Vulnerable

Extant (resident)

Central African Republic; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Rwanda; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia

Known for their unnerving and intense stare and imposing, prehistoric appearance – shoebills are magnificent birds. There are less than 8000 individual birds left alive. They are vulnerable from #palmoil, #cocoa and #meat #deforestation, agricultural run-off, #pollution, #mining, #hunting and human persecution. Help them every time you shop and be #vegan, #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

The #Shoebill is a magnificent and gentle big bird 🕊️🦤 with an unnerving stare 👀 There are only 8000 left alive in #DRC, #Uganda #Africa. Vulnerable from #palmoil #deforestation, #hunting and more. Fight for them! #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/09/10/shoebill-balaeniceps-rex/

Known for their menacing stare 👀😸 gentle #shoebills are iconic in #Uganda 🇺🇬 #Congo 🇨🇩 #Tanzania 🇹🇿 They are vulnerable from #hunting, #palmoil #deforestation. Help them and be #vegan 🥕🍆 and #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🪔☠️🔥⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/09/10/shoebill-balaeniceps-rex/

There are less than 8,000 birds left alive and they are increasingly threatened by agricultural run-off from palm oil and cocoa deforestation across their range.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V7t28Fim34

The shoebill Balaeniceps rex is also known by the common names: the whale-headed stork, shoebill stork and whalehead. Their eponymous feature is their enormous bill They have the third largest bills after pelicans and large storks.

Fast Facts

• When shoebills soar they make around 150 flaps per minute which makes them one of the slowest of any bird, with the exception of the larger stork species.
• They stand stock-still and waiting, all alone giving them an eerie and unnerving appearance. Once they notice fish appearing on the surface of swamps they quickly snap them up into their large bills.
• The shoebill’s chattering large bill makes a sound akin to machine gun fire. This combined with their silent creeping gait can make them seem rather menacing!

https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/11bnvkd/the_unexpected_sound_of_a_shoebill_stork/?utm_source=embedv2&utm_medium=post_embed&utm_content=action_bar

• Shoebills are attracted to poorly oxygenated waters, as this means fish must come to the surface to breathe – where they are efficiently captured.
• They are mostly silent except for elaborate bill-clattering communication that happens during their breeding. Chicks make a human-like hiccup sound when signalling hunger.

• Although they have a similar appearance to storks, shoebills are more closely related to pelicans and herons in the order Pelecaniformes.

Appearance & Behaviour

They possess extraordinarily large feet with their middle toe extending up to 18.5 cm in length. This helps them with balance while standing on uneven swamps and on aquatic vegetation while they hunt.

Adults have feathers that range from blue-grey to slate-grey. Juveniles possess similar plumage but in a tawny blue-brown hue.

Shoebills have a modestly sized bill at birth, which grows much larger once chicks reach between 23-43 days old.

Their unusual beauty makes them a must-see for birdwatchers in Africa. Despite their slightly unnerving appearance, these birds are placid and will allow birdwatchers to snap their photo at a range of two metres.

Shoebills are known for staying statue-still and silent in the muddy waters while hunting. These birds stalk their prey in a solitary way, patiently lurking and hunting entirely with their vision. Once prey is spotted they launch a rapid strike. They will sometimes use their big beaks to pry deep into the pond mud and extirpate lung fish with a violent strike.

They are normally silent but will get noisy during nesting season with elaborate bill clattering displays. Adults birds will make a ‘moo’ sound and high pitched whine while clattering their bills in order to communicate with each other. Chicks call out to their mothers with a ‘hiccup’ sound.

Shoebills typically hunt for lungfish and other fish in poorly oxygenated marshlands, bogs, peatland and swamps. Fish frequently break to the surface to breathe – it is then that shoebills rapidly strike. Their large feet enable them to balance on floating vegetation. The movement of hippos can aid the hunting of shoebills, as they rustle up fish from bottom of swamps, pushing them to surface for the shoebills’ easy capture.

Threats

There is estimated to be below 8,000 individual shoebills left and they are classified as vulnerable. Shoebills face a range of anthropogenic threats:

• Palm oil and cocoa deforestation: The mass removal of virgin rainforest for palm oil and cocoa results in mass deaths of shoebills.
• Infrastructure building: roads, dams and powerlines pose a risk to shoebills.
• Meat deforestation: cattle and other animals are known to trample shoebill nests.
• Pollution run-off: from palm oil agrochemicals and mining effluent.
• Hunting: In some cultures shoebills are thought of as a bad omen, in others they are hunted for food.
• Capture for the pet trade: Shoebill eggs and chicks are captured for consumption or sold to zoos.
• Armed human conflict: Armed groups moving through the rainforest has facilitated hunting of shoebills.
• Climate change: Increased extreme weather events like fires and droughts brought on by climate change lowers their numbers.

Habitat

Shoebills are found in central tropical Africa. Including South Sudan, eastern Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, western Tanzania, and northern Zambia. They are non-migratory birds who make limited seasonal movements.

They live in dense freshwater swamps and marshes including undisturbed papyrus and reed beds. They are attracted to areas of mixed vegetation and have been seen on occasion in rice fields and flooded plantations.

Diet

Shoebills mainly consume fish but will also eat a range of wetland vertebrates. Their preferred food is marbled lungfish, tilapia and catfish. When this is not available they are known to consume frogs, nile monitors, baby crocodiles, water snakes, turtles, snails, rodents and other small waterfowl.

Mating and breeding

Shoebills form monogamous pair bonds for the breeding season. They fiercely defend their nests from other birds during their nesting period, which begins either during the monsoon season or after this ends.

Both parents build the nest on a floating and flat platform made up of swamp vegetation and around three metres wide and three metres deep.

Typically the female will lay between one to three eggs, with only one being reared and cared for until maturity. The other eggs are back-ups in case the eldest chick is weak or dies.

In the hot weather, shoebill parents will fill their bills with water to shower their nests to cool their eggs.

Chicks take about 105 days to fledge and juveniles typically fly well by 112 days. Juvenile birds will continue to feed with their mother for another month after this and reach sexual maturity at about three years old.

Support Shoebills by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2018. Balaeniceps rex. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22697583A133840708. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22697583A133840708.en. Accessed on 16 February 2023.

Shoebill on Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoebill

Shoebill on Animalia.bio – https://animalia.bio/shoebill

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

#Africa #animals #Bird #birds #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #CentralAfricanRepublic #cocoa #Congo #deforestation #DemocracticRepublicOfCongo #DRC #hunting #meat #mining #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #poaching #pollution #Rwanda #Shoebill #ShoebillBalaenicepsRex #shoebills #SouthSudan #stork #Tanzania #Uganda #vegan #VulnerableSpecies #Zambia

Temminck’s Pangolin Smutsia temminckii

Temminck’s Pangolin Smutsia temminckii

Vulnerable

Extant (resident): Angola; Botswana; Burundi; Central African Republic; Chad; Ethiopia; Kenya; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; Rwanda; South Africa; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe

Possibly Extant (resident): Congo

Possibly Extinct: Eswatini

The Temminck’s pangolin Smutsia temminckii is remarkable mammal. They are the second largest of the pangolin species and are reported to weigh between 12.5kg and 21 kilograms. They’re famous for their armour-like keratinous scales and their unique ability to curl into a protective ball when threatened. These elusive creatures are found in the savannahs and woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa and are essential to their ecosystem, controlling insect populations. The word pangolin comes from the Malay word “pengguling” meaning something that rolls up. Owing to their secretive nature and low densities, little is known about the pangolin. The species is killed primarily for Chinese medicine, even though their keratin scales have no medicinal value. All pangolins face a grave threat from trafficking for their meat and scales. Tragically, they are one of the most illegally traded mammals in the world.

Despite their ecological and cultural importance, Temminck’s pangolins are increasingly threatened by habitat destruction and illegal wildlife trade. Habitat loss from palm oil, cocoa and coffee agricultural expansion and mining further compounds their decline. Protect these unique creatures by boycotting palm oil and supporting strong anti-trafficking initiatives. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/_3D6WgOzcBM

The Temminck’s #pangolin is #vulnerable in Tanzania 🇹🇿 #Congo 🇨🇩 #Uganda 🇺🇬 from #poaching for their scales and meat along with #palmoil 🌴🤮 #tobacco 🚬🚭#deforestation. Help them survive when you #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🔥⛔️#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/08/21/temmincks-pangolin-smutsia-temminckii/

Remarkable, secretive and gentle Temminck #Pangolins are living Poké Balls, who curl into a ball when threatened. They’re #vulnerable from the illegal #wildlife trade #palmoil and more. Help them #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🙊🔥☠️⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/08/21/temmincks-pangolin-smutsia-temminckii/

Species of pangolin are the most trafficked species in the world. Although deforestation is another major threat. The range of the Temminck’s Pangolins are increasingly threatened by shifting agriculture, small-holder farming and agro-industry farming. These farming practices are directly impacting pangolins through habitat loss and alteration, while the increased human presence in these previously undisturbed areas is resulting in increased levels of poaching.

IUCN Red List

Appearance and Behaviour

Temminck’s pangolins are medium-sized mammals with an average weight of 7–12 kg and a total length of approximately 90 cm, including their tail. Their overlapping, golden-brown scales, made of keratin (the same material as human fingernails), are a defining feature. These scales provide formidable protection against predators, allowing pangolins to roll into an impenetrable ball when threatened.

They are primarily nocturnal, foraging at night for ants and termites using their acute sense of smell. Their long, sticky tongues can extend deep into termite mounds, while their sharp claws are used to tear open nests. They exhibit a distinctive bipedal gait, walking on their hind legs while keeping their forelimbs off the ground.

A 2014 study revealed that Temminck’s pangolins exhibit home ranges that vary significantly based on habitat type, with individuals travelling several kilometres in search of food. This makes habitat loss and fragmentation particularly detrimental to their survival.

Threats

IUCN Status: Vulnerable

Illegal Wildlife Trade:

Temminck’s pangolins are heavily trafficked for their scales and meat, particularly for use in traditional Chinese medicine. Research indicates that their scales are wrongly believed to have healing properties, fuelling a devastating global black market.

Palm oil, tobacco and mining deforestation:

Agricultural expansion for palm oil, meat, tobacco and other commodities as well as mining destroys the habitats pangolins rely on. The savannahs and woodlands they inhabit are increasingly converted for human use.

Bycatch and Accidental Capture:

The 2014 study on anthropogenic threats found that Temminck’s pangolins are frequently killed accidentally in snares set for other wildlife. This unintended bycatch adds to their declining populations.

Climate Change:

Altered rainfall patterns and rising temperatures due to climate change, disrupt termite and ant populations, leading to reduced food availability for pangolins.

Low Reproductive Rates:

With only one offspring per year, Temminck’s pangolins are particularly vulnerable to population declines, as they cannot replenish their population quickly.

Geographic Range

Temminck’s pangolins inhabit sub-Saharan Africa, with populations found in South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Zambia. They thrive in savannahs and woodlands, favouring areas with abundant ant and termite populations.

Studies indicate their preference for regions with sandy soils, which make burrowing easier, and their dependence on undisturbed habitats highlights the critical need for protected areas. However, human activities increasingly encroach on these regions, limiting their available range.

Diet

Temminck’s pangolins are specialised insectivores, feeding almost exclusively on ants and termites. They consume millions of insects annually, making them essential for regulating insect populations and maintaining ecological balance.

Their foraging behaviour is influenced by the availability of prey, with pangolins often targeting specific ant and termite species. The destruction of termite mounds through land clearing and agriculture severely impacts their food sources, leading to nutritional stress.

Reproduction and Mating

Reproductive rates in Temminck’s pangolins are low, with females typically giving birth to a single offspring per year. After a gestation period of approximately 140 days, mothers care for their young by carrying them on their tails or backs. They often use the burrows of other animals including aardvarks and aardwolves.

The young pangolins’ soft scales harden within a few days of birth, providing protection. Maternal care is critical during the early months, as juveniles depend on their mothers for food and safety. Males do not participate in rearing the young, and populations are highly sensitive to poaching due to their slow reproductive cycles.

Human Perceptions of Temminck’s Pangolins

Temminck’s pangolins hold mixed perceptions among humans. A 2014 review of anthropogenic threats highlighted cultural beliefs in southern Africa where pangolins are revered as symbols of luck and rain. In contrast, others view them as commodities, hunted for their scales and meat.

The study also revealed that many rural communities are unaware of pangolins’ ecological importance in controlling insect populations. Conservation efforts are increasingly focused on educating these communities about the role pangolins play in maintaining ecosystem balance, with the goal of fostering coexistence and reducing poaching and exploitation.

Take Action!

Help protect Temminck’s pangolins by supporting organisations working to combat illegal wildlife trade and habitat destruction. Boycott palm oil and raise awareness of their plight. Use your voice to fight for their survival and ensure future generations can marvel at these extraordinary creatures. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

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Further Information

Pangolin Specialist Group. (n.d.). Temminck’s Pangolin. IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group.

Pietersen, D., Jansen, R. & Connelly, E. 2019. Smutsia temminckii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T12765A123585768. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T12765A123585768.en. Downloaded on 06 June 2021.

Pietersen, D., Jansen, R., Swart, J., Panaino, W., Kotze, A., Rankin, P., & Nebe, B. (2020). Temminck’s Pangolin (Smutsia temminckii). In Pangolins: Science, Society and Conservation. Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes, 175–193.

Pietersen, D., McKechnie, A. E., & Jansen, R. (2014). A Review of the Anthropogenic Threats Faced by Temminck’s Ground Pangolin, Smutsia temminckii, in Southern Africa. South African Journal of Wildlife Research, 44(2), 167–178.

Sabashau, K., Utete, B., Madlamoto, D., Ngwenya, N., & Madamombe, H. (2024). Ecology, Status, and Distribution of Temminck’s Pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) in Hwange National Park. Wildlife Letters, 2(17–22).

Temminck’s Pangolin Smutsia temminckii

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
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Enter your email address

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez