On the third Friday in May — landing on the 17th this year — we celebrate National Endangered Species Day and the importance of protecting threatened wildlife.
An endangered species is a plant or animal at serious risk of becoming extinct. Several factors — including human development, climate change, natural disasters, pollution and poor reproduction — threaten the health and proliferation of a population.
Established by Congress, Endangered Species Day also celebrates the strides that have been made in protecting wildlife since the creation of the Endangered Species Act in 1973.
The Endangered Species Act currently protects more than 1,600 species in the United States and is upheld by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The former maintains a massive list of all the endangered species — birds, insects, fish, reptiles, mammals, crustaceans, flowers, grasses and trees alike.
In 2019, former President Donald Trump finalized major, potentially devastating changes to the Endangered Species Act, including ending blanket protections for animals newly deemed threatened, disregarding the impact of climate change on habitat and allowing federal authorities to consider the economic cost of protecting a particular species.
To raise awareness, we’re matching an endangered species to each and every zodiac sign. Read on to learn more.
Teporingo/volcano rabbit
Aries is cardinal fire, and the endangered teporingo — or volcano rabbit — makes its home on the slopes of volcanos, appropriately enough.
Ruled by Mars, the planet of fighting and fornicating, Aries folks are vital and driven. In-kind, the volcano rabbit mates throughout the year, eats its feces to stay alive, engages in “play fighting” and is the only member of the rabbit and hare family known to vocalize. Getting it on, working it out, eating poop if need be and shouting when necessary: sounds like an Aries to me.
Siamese crocodile
Team Taurus is known to be territorial — and the Siamese crocodile shares that sentiment.
Adults, which breed during Taurus season every year, mark their territory by slapping their heads loudly down onto the water and snapping their jaws. Bulls are serious about comfort, snacks and control and, in kind, dominant crocodiles manage access to food, mates and the best sites for nesting, basking and living.
Ring-tailed lemur
Lemurs look like tweakers, and Gemini is the sign that feels most like methamphetamines.
Like their zodiac counterparts, these lemurs are social, hypervocal and keep loose boundaries, feeding each other’s young and exhibiting a complex array of sounds ranging from a simple purr to an early-high wail.
Loggerhead turtle
Cancer is synonymous with the mother, the moon and the tidal pulls of sadness. In-kind, female Loggerhead turtles expend considerable energy migrating to, creating and protecting their nests.
Once hatched, their young move instinctually toward the ever-loving light of the moon. In addition, Loggerheads have salt glands near their eyes, which allow them to drink seawater and excrete salt in high concentrations. Because of this, nesting females are often observed “crying” for their young.
Barbary hyena
The majestically maned Barbary hyena uses their shock of hair to make them appear larger than their actual size, a deceptive behavior that can help during confrontations, when they need a little extra lift while facing an enemy or trying to take down a human — and if there’s one sign that can appreciate a weaponized accessory folks, its Leo.
Wallaby
The Virgo preference for perfection is well established, but the endangered wallaby takes the archetype to new heights.
Through a process known as embryonic diapause, pregnant wallabies can pause fetal development and hold off on giving birth until conditions are as favorable as they see fit. Virgos have a precision kink and a desperate need to take the edge off. Apropos of this, the Australian government reports that wallabies are consuming mass quantities of opium poppies, hopping around high AF and creating their own crop circles. Bless it.
Yunnan snub-nosed monkey
Libra is ruled by Venus, the planet of beauty, aesthetics, wealth, worth and cosmetic surgery. Apropos of this, the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, with its pillowy lips, upturned nose and faraway eyes, suggests an aging starlet or faded oil heiress trying hard to hold on to her looks by way of the scalpel blade.
Corpse flower
Scorpio rules the eighth house of sex, death and transformation, and the endangered corpse flower sings (and stinks) to the spirit of that holy trinity.
Frequently growing to heights of 8 feet, the towering flower blooms late at night and early in the morning — the preferred hours of shadow-working and -dwelling scorpions — and when it does, it emits a scent reminiscent of rotting flesh. Cute.
Axolotl
Sagittarius is the sign of good times and relentless optimism, and the Axolotl is prone to smiling even as it faces the dire straits of extinction.
Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, a planet named for the Roman god of lightning who often shifted shape to seduce unsuspecting women. In-kind, Axolotls are named after Xolotl, the Aztec god of fire and lightning who could take on the form of a salamander.
Javan rhino
Elitist to the horn and to the hilt, Capricorn loves being a member of an exclusive club — and there are only 67 Javan rhinos left on Earth. So small is this population that each remaining rhino has its own name. Akin to the sea goat, the Javan rhino is a regal, thick-skinned and solitary creature.
Marine iguana
First discovered by Aquarian Charles Darwin, who described them as disgusting, albeit fascinating “imps of darkness” (rude), the Marine iguana is, like the average water bearer, a curious creature and a special kind of snowflake.
Only found on the Galapagos Islands, the Marine iguana is the only lizard in the world that forages for food in the sea. In line with the hyper independence of the Aquarian archetype, Marine iguana hatchlings need no parental care
Pink fairy armadillo
Pisces is the sign of the whimsical, the fantastical and the hard to believe, and there is perhaps no creature on this list more evocative of that whimsy than the impossibly cute pink fairy armadillo. These armadillos, like their zodiac counterparts, are nocturnal, easily stressed and spend a lot of time underground.
Astrology 101: Your guide to the star
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture, and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling