The West Indian manatee, or Trichechus manatus, frequents the Gulf of Mexico, within 10 miles of the coastline of southern Mississippi. These large animals grow up to 15 feet in length when they fully mature and weigh approximately 2,500 lbs. According to the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, this marine mammalian species is only protected in Florida as of March 2011; however, the Sea Grant Consortium is lobbying for the government protection of West Indian manatees. The primary cause of endangerment is overhunting and degradation of water. West Indian manatees require warm water, around 70 degrees F, to survive.
Also known as Picoides borealis, the red-cockaded woodpecker lives in forested areas throughout the southeastern United States, including the forests of Mississippi. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service classifies this bird as endangered in Mississippi. The red-cockaded woodpecker grows to 8 inches in length when it matures. This bird gets its name from the feathers on the back of its neck. The rest of the body consists of black and white feathers. The red-cockaded woodpecker dwells in Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge and Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge.
According to the IUCN, the Alabama sturgeon, or Scaphirhynchus suttkusi, is a critically endangered species in Mississippi; this fish has been on the IUCN Red List since 1990. The cause of endangerment is believed to be overfishing, fragmentation of habitat and degradation of water. This freshwater fish lives in the Mobile River system in southern Mississippi and Alabama. When they fully mature, the Alabama sturgeon grows up to 30 inches in length and weighs approximately 2 to 3 lbs.
The only region in the world to find Mississippi sandhill crane, or Grus canadensis pulla, is the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. This national wildlife refuge is in the coastal plains of southern Mississippi. The causes of the sandhill crane's endangerment include loss of habitat and environmental pollution. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has taken part in raising Mississippi sandhill cranes in captivity and rereleasing them into the wild. These birds are approximately 4 feet in length when mature.