what’s the difference between a rare animal and one that’s going extinct?
In: Biology
There’s not a specific definition of “rare”
It might be an apex predator that’s highly territorial and requires a large range, limiting their population. Even in the best of times, tigers and jaguars are widely dispersed throughout their habitats and have a low but stable population.
It might be transient or migratory, and only present in the area for a few weeks out of the year. Boreal chickadees are quite rare in my area, but their population in general is fine.
It might just be really good at hiding, and so rarely seen despite a healthy population. There’s a million bush crickets around here, but you’ll never find them.
A species that’s critically endangered may or may not also be rare, but their population has undergone significant decline for some reason. They may still be common in certain areas, but have also lost huge swathes of habitat that endangers their long term survival.
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