The agile gibbon, or Hylobates agilis, dwells in the nations of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. These primates have brown hair and white brows; males have white cheeks. Reasons for endangerment include loss of habitat to deforestation and agricultural development.
Found in Indonesia, the rafflesia flower, or Rafflesia, is one of the largest flowers in the world at three to four feet wide. Due to deforestation, though, it is also one of the rarest. This flower emits a foul odor, which attracts beetles and flies for pollination reasons; this odor has given rafflesia the nickname of "corpse flower."
One of Europe's endangered reptiles is the Salmor giant lizard, or Gallotia simonyi. Until the 1970s, the scientific community assumed this species was extinct, until a small colony was found in the Canary Islands off the coast of Spain. IUCN considers Salmor giant lizards to be critically endangered. The primary reason for their endangerment is human encroachment and habitat fragmentation.
Endemic to Cyprus, the Akamas centaury, or Centaurea akamantis, is a purple-flowering herbaceous plant. The flowering period for this plant is May through November. IUCN lists Akamas centaury plants as critically endangered, due to agricultural development and habitat fragmentation.
The Auckland Island teal, or Anas aucklandica, is endemic to the Auckland Islands, a series of islands south of New Zealand. These subarctic ducks are flightless and primarily nocturnal creatures. The major causes for the Auckland Island teal's decline is habitat destruction and introduction of invasive species. Breeding rates are very low, which prevents a rapid growth in these ducks' population.
Approximately 32 percent of the king billy pine trees, or Athrotaxis selaginoides, in Tasmania, Australia, have been destroyed due to deforestation and agricultural development. This tree is found in the rainforests of western Tasmania. King billy pine forests serve as home for many of Tasmania's wildlife, including the endangered orange-bellied parrot.
The striped dogfish is a critically endangered shark. These sharks are found near the coasts of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. The primary reason for the striped dogfish's endangerment is commercial fishing. Sharks are also known for slow maturation, which hinders them from adjusting to environmental problems.
Opuntia cactus is found in the Galapagos Islands, located off the coast of Ecuador. This prickly plant features yellow flowers and is a source of nutrition for wildlife species on the Islands, including iguanas and tortoises. One of the Opuntia species, found on the Isabela Island, is critically endangered.