32 animals in danger of extinction in Spain

The Lynx pardinus or Iberian lynx is, surely, the best known endangered animal species in Spain, or at least among the first most recognized. It is the last big cat to inhabit Europe naturally and it is the most endangered cat in the world . In the last decade the censuses that have been carried out on this species have counted only around 200 Iberian lynxes, but it seems that in recent years they have begun to recover thanks to various protection and reintroduction programs to nature, reaching about 500 individuals are counted. They can be found in only two groups of populations, in Doñana and in Sierra Morena.

Currently, the reasons why its population continues to decline and is in critical condition are:

• The destruction of their habitat.
• The decrease in the population of rabbits.
• The abuses on highways and roads.

The Testudo graeca or black tortoise is a species of which there are 17 subspecies and which are found on three continents: Asia, Europe and Africa.

At world level, that is to say, counting on individuals from the three aforementioned continents, the situation of the species is one of vulnerability and not of danger. However, the black tortoise is in danger of extinction in Spain , since there are only approximately 200 individuals left , which leaves these tortoises in a critical state of risk in this country.

Both the changes that take place in their habitat, as well as invasive species that compete with them and the illegal capture of these turtles, are the main causes of their serious situation.

Testudo hermanni is the scientific name of the Mediterranean tortoise, which is thus known for living among the vegetation of the Mediterranean coasts. This land tortoise, like the one mentioned above, runs a serious risk of disappearing, at least in a state of freedom.

The main main causes that the Mediterranean tortoise is in danger of extinction in Spain are:

• Illegal catch
• Pesticides
• Fires

Although in Spain there are many in captivity, even as a companion animal, in nature they can currently only be seen in the Balearic Islands and in some parts of Catalonia. However, there are already projects to improve the population figures of the species in this country. Without going any further, in 2017 more than 300 Mediterranean tortoises were released in the Parc del Garraf , in Catalonia.

The black stork, scientifically known as Ciconia nigra , is another species that is at risk in this Iberian country. Currently, there are only 330 specimens in Spain , so it is considered in a state of alert before its possible disappearance in the coming years. However, this bird inhabits more places in the world and, luckily, adding its world population, we can say that it is not at risk and, in fact, its status is considered of least concern.

Continuing with this list of animals in danger of extinction in Spain we stop at one of the best known in the world. Canis lupus signatus is surely the best known species at serious risk in the Iberian Peninsula, along with the Iberian lynx. The Iberian wolvesThey have been in the peninsula for centuries, but they came to be considered a plague in Spain that fed on the animals that were part of the herd of shepherds who had no other means of life at that time. For this reason, in the 1970s the government began to eliminate individuals, even to pay rewards to hunters, to regulate the amount that was considered “excessive.” However, with this idea and facility to hunt them down by the laws and the fear that many people who lived in the areas populated by the species, what has been achieved has been to almost eradicate the Iberian wolf.

Thus, for years there have been attempts to carry out recovery programs to repopulate the peninsula and protect the few that remained. Today, the latest censuses indicate that there are about 2,000 Iberian wolves in Spain. However, against seeking this improvement in the species due to the fears mentioned above that still prevail, wolf hunting in Spain is legal . This is an aspect that causes great controversy in the country, since part of the population considers that it must be rectified as soon as possible.

The European brown bear or Ursus arctos arctos lives in the Cantabrian Mountains and in the Pyrenees, in areas of beech, oak, birch and black pine forests. Sadly, today there are only around 200 European brown bears left in Spain . Specifically, specimens can be found in the Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees, with Autonomous Communities such as Cantabria, Asturias, Castilla y León, and so on.

This endangered situation of the European brown bear is due both to illegal hunting and the ingestion of poisoned baits, as well as to other factors such as mining, the construction of ski resorts and motorways, which modify and reduce the habitable space for they.

We tell you much more in this other article about Why the brown bear is in danger of extinction .

The bearded vulture is another endangered animal species in the Iberian Peninsula. The Gypaetus barbatus today live one day in the Pyrenees and it is estimated that there are less than 300 copies . In addition, the latest censuses have detected that of these almost 300, only 100 specimens are reproductive pairs, which indicates that the trend of their population is to decrease.

Among the causes of his serious risk state we find the following:

• Electrocution in power lines and networks.
• Hunting.
• Destruction of their habitat.
• Ingestion of poisoned baits.

This small reptile, which is around 30 cm long and has really curious characteristics (such as its coloration, its eyes or its tongue), is in a good state of conservation considering its world population, since it inhabits part of Asia, Africa and Europe.

However, the Chamaeleo chamaeleon or common chameleon has about 50 specimens per hectare in Spain and, specifically, they are only found in some pine forests in Malaga, which makes it on the red list of endangered species in Spain.

Gallotia simonyi , better known as the giant lizard of El Hierro , lives on the island of the same name, belonging to the Canary Islands, Spain. In freedom it does not live anywhere else on the planet, in fact it never has, but the worrying thing is that there are currently less than 200 giant lizards on the island of El Hierro in freedom.

Sadly, the main cause of their plight appears to be their illegal hunting and trapping . Luckily, while trying to fight this problem, there is also a recovery and breeding center on the same island, which tries to recover the species.

Aquila adalberti or Iberian imperial eagle is another species in a worrying situation. It is an endemic bird of prey of the peninsula, that is, typical of this part of the world, which was already at high risk of extinction during the 60s and, since then, its population has been increased. Thanks to different recovery and conservation projects, today there are about 400 pairs of Iberian imperial eagles , a great improvement considering that there were only about 50 pairs in the 60s.

In any case, there is still an alert about this species, since the number achieved does not really guarantee its conservation if the aforementioned projects are left. Among the causes of its state today we find electrocution, the loss of population of its usual prey, the rabbit, and hunting and persecution by humans.

Apart from the 10 animals in danger of extinction in Spain that we have just mentioned, below we leave the names of another 22 more, although the list, sadly, grows more and more every day.

1. Foca monje del Mediterráneo ( Monk monk )
2. Basque whale or glacial right whale ( Eubalaena glacialis )
3. European mink ( Mustela lutreola )
4. Iberian weasel ( Galemys pyrenaicus )
5. Barbary ram ( Ammotragus lervia )
6. European mouflon ( Ovis orientalis mussimon )
7. Alcaudón chico (Lanius minor)
8. Cantabrian grouse ( Tetrao urogallus cantabricus )
9. Common Guillemot ( Uria aalge )
10. Avutarda hubara canaria ( Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae )
11. White-headed Malvasia ( Oxyura leucocephala )
12. Ibis eremita ( Geronticus eremita )
13. Alimoche común (Neophron percnopterus)
14. Escribano palustre (Emberiza schoeniclus)
15. Bigeye buzzard bat ( Myotis capaccinii )
16. Broom hare ( Lepus castroviejoi )
17. Snout viper ( Vipera latastei )
18. Ferreret or Balearic toad ( Alytes muletensis )
19. Montseny newt ( Calotriton arnoldi )
20. Bluefin tuna ( Thunnus thynnus )
21. European crayfish ( Austropotamobius pallipes )
22. Los Jameos blind crab ( Munidopsis polymorpha )

Next, we show a gallery of images in which you can see the photos of the animals in danger of extinction in Spain mentioned in this list and in the same order.

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