Ugly to Some, but Endangered to All.

Angelina Jolie wants you to save the Stellate Sturgeon.

Not likely, mainly because the Stellate sturgeon is not a beautiful fish. Rather the opposite, in fact. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in a cute competition with, say, a panda, the Stellate sturgeon would be happy to go home with the wooden spoon.

Flagship species such as; the cute and cuddly panda bear, the majestic Asian elephant and beautiful tiger, are visibly attractive, and of course excellent fundraisers for conservation and animal welfare charities. And why not? After all, these organisations cover all aspects of conservation and animal welfare.

But, as the underdogs, it is important that the species, that are not so beautiful, except maybe to their mothers, get a chance to shine.

Here are 5 of the not so attractive, but still endangered, animals on the

ICUN red list:

1: Purple Burrowing frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis)

Things are not looking too bright for this frog, only 135 specimens have been found, and only three of these have been female, no wonder then, that the numbers are thought to be declining. Also not helping the frogs chance of survival, is its behaviour of living 1.3 – 2.7m underground and only emerging for a few weeks a year to breed. Found only in two places in Western Ghats in India, deforestation is the main threat facing this animal.

2: Gharial, or Gavial (Gavialis gangeticus)

This critically endangered reptile’s home is being destroyed, and the females are nesting less and less each year. When the females do nest, their eggs are sometimes eaten by tribal people, who consider the eggs a delicacy. Most conservation efforts have not been successful, and this has resulted in the number of males thought to be in the wild estimated at less than 20.

3: Squat-headed Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna mokarran)

No prizes for guessing what trade has caused this shark to be on the endangered list. Longline catches and the shark’s large fins make them a target for the Asian fin trade. Sharks have a very low reproduction rate, with this shark producing only one pup every two years the numbers are not looking good.

4: Stellate Sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus)

Over fishing is the cause of this sturgeon’s population decrease, pollution also tipping the scales. Another fish with low population rates, the females only mate every 3-4 years and the males every 2-3 years. If the over fishing continues, it won’t be long before this bizarre little fish disappears.

5: Rabb’s Fringe-limbed Treefrog (Ecnomiohyla rabborum)

This tree frog is yet another victim of chytridiomycosis, caused by a fungal growth in South America. This fungus is thought to have wiped out over 80% of the population. Since the fungus was discovered to be killing frogs in 2006, calls from male frogs have decreased. The forests are becoming devoid of the calls and breeding efforts have so far not been successful.