The number of animal species in Brazil known to be endangered has nearly doubled since 1989, reaching 398, according to a three-year study conducted by the Brazilian government and released last week. Tropical wolves, rare parrots, and exotic frogs and turtles are among the many threatened creatures. The comprehensive survey of animal and plant life in the country found that natural habitats were increasingly threatened, from the nation’s famed Amazon Rainforest to the enormous Pantanal wetlands to the highland Cerrado savanna. And Brazil could be on the verge of losing many more animal and plant species than it knows; only about 200,000 species have been identified in the country, but scientists estimate that some 2 million species exist in Brazil, making it one of the world’s richest spots for biodiversity.
