Cute Spotlight: Numbat

The numbat is a little-known marsupial native to Western Australia. The endangered creature, also called the Banded Ant Eater, actually doesn't eat ants at all! They instead feed exclusively on termites, utilizing their long, sticky tongues when the termites crawl out of their mounds. They are quite different from most other marsupials because of their diurnal nature, they are active during the daytime. They put themselves in danger to predators during the daytime because it is the most active time for their termite prey as well.

The numbat was perhaps most affected by the introduction of feral cats, red foxes and rabbits into their territory. The rabbits have overpopulated areas where the numbats had previously dwelled. The foxes and feral cats prey upon the numbats while they sleep in hollow logs, the cover being the only way they protect themselves while they sleep at night. The importance of the log shelters has made the numbat population dependent upon the existence of wooded areas. As Australian populations and development have increased, the number of forests, and their logs have decreased. Current conservation efforts include protection for the numbat under Australian threatened species law, and fox population control.

Cute Spotlight: Bilby

The bilby is a vulnerable marsupial, indigenous to Australia. As they are a member of the bandicoot family, they are sometimes known as Rabbit-Eared Bandicoots. They are omnivores, eating a variety of fruits, insects, and seeds every night. They obtain nearly all of their water through their food and do not have to regularly drink. They have excellent hearing and smelling senses, but cannot see well. This serves them well though, as they spend most of their time in their burrows.

Through the 1980s and the early 1990s, bilbies were considered to be an endangered species, but since 1994, they have bumped their numbers up to the "vulnerable" level instead. The proliferation of rabbit populations throughout Australia has been a significant factor in bilby decline. Rabbits eat some similar foods as bilbies and live and burrow in similar areas. Foxes, dingos and feral cats are also threats to the bilbies, as are shrinking habitats and the danger of vehicles.

Save the Bilby campaigns and Easter Bilby advertising have brought this critter back from the brink of extinction. The Easter Bilby campaign has been established to raise awareness and appreciation of of the bilby. Because of the effort, bilby-shaped chocolates have become an Australian Easter staple, oftentime with chocolate bilby profits going towards the animal's conservation. Bilbies are still a protected animal all throughout Australia.

Cute Spotlight: Pygmy Tarsier

These wide eyed furballs were actually thought to be extinct since the 1920s! Were it not for the accidental killing of one while scientists were trapping rats in 2000, their existence would not have been known. In 2008, three more pygmy tarsiers were found and have been collared so more research may be done on them. There are still too few creatures for the IUCN to even make a determination as to their current endangered status.

The larger group of tarsiers as a whole are the only primates who are exclusively carnivorous, eating mostly insects and some small birds and lizards. They are dispersed among the islands of Southeast Asia, and pygmy tarsiers are found only in Indonesia. Tarsier conservation is particularly difficult because of their inability to cope with life in captivity. They have never successfully bred in an enclosure, and tarsiers have been known to injure or kill themselves because of the stress of being caged. Since 2008, numerous expeditions to find more pygmy tarsiers have all proved unsuccessful.

Cute Spotlight: Fergusson Island Striped Possum

The Fergusson Island Striped Possum, also known as Tate's Triok, is an endangered opossum, found exclusive on a small island in Papau New Guinea. Very little is known about this species, as it has been seven years since the last of its kind was captured by scientists. It is a marsupial, closely related to the sugar glider. As so little is known about the Fergusson Island Striped Possum, the exact cause of its small numbers is not known. Just as with most endangered animals, humans are considered the main contributors to their endangerment.

Cute Spotlight: Malayan Tapir

The Malayan Tapir is a little-known mammal, native to the rain forests of Southeast Asia. Despite appearances, tapirs are most closely related to the rhinoceros and horse. The young typically are decorated with stripes and spots, as pictured, and grow to have a simpler, black and white block pattern as adults. Aside from the coloration, the transition to adulthood also brings massive bulk. A full-grown tapir can weigh up to 1100 pounds.

Though they are vegetarians, tapirs are voracious eaters--primarily eating leaves, berries, and other fruits. They spend most of their time wallowing in pools or mud pits and have thus become adept swimmers. They are also excellent at smelling and hearing; their senses heightened because of their poor eyesight.

The average tapir lives to be approximately thirty years old. Of this, an average of 400 days is spent pregnant with each calf. In addition to the reasons mentioned below, the long gestation time for a singular tapir calf is partially to blame for their waning populations.

The Malayan Tapir, along with all over types of tapir, is currently considered endangered. The main threat to tapirs is, per usual, humans. Tapirs' habitats are being used for farming and they are occasionally hunted for sport. Organizations such as the Tapir Specialists Group conduct tapir research and conservation efforts around the world, breeding tapirs in captivity and providing refuge for displaced tapirs.