With 200 million cars in the US, driven an average of 12,500 miles per year, the entire nation travels approximately 2.5 trillion miles annually, and kills around 32.5 trillion insects in the process!

Insects rule the world, quite literally. Studies show there are quintillions of insects on planet Earth — and spiders consume 400 to 800 tons of them each year. “If insects suddenly morphed into large beings and decided to wage war on us, there’s no doubt that humans would lose,” authors of the lesson say.

“When Earth’s oxygen levels shrank, so did the insects”—allowing them to breathe and escape predators more quickly. Insects evolved to be so tough and adaptable that they survived several mass extinctions.

Insects pollinate many of our fruits, flowers, and vegetables. Insects are very important as primary or secondary decomposers. Without insects to help break down and dispose of wastes, dead animals and plants would accumulate in our environment and it would be messy indeed.

The total mass of insects is falling by a precipitous 2.5% a year, according to the best data available, suggesting they could vanish within a century. The planet is at the start of a sixth mass extinction in its history, with huge losses already reported in larger animals that are easier to study.

Animals That Are Going Extinct

• Saola.
• North Atlantic Right Whale.
• Gharial.
• Kakapo.
• Amur Leopard.
• Vaquita.
• Black Rhino and Northern White Rhino.
• Cross River Gorilla.

Black rhino, Sumatran rhino and Javan rhino are critically endangered species. Due to habitat loss and poaching, the Sumatran rhinos are on the verge of extinction with less than 75 remaining in the world. Tigers are considered as one of the world’s most threatened animal species.

15 Animals That Will Be Extinct By 2050 If We Don’t Help

• Orangutans. Orangutans play an important role in their environment by feasting on fruit and spreading out the seeds around the ecosystem.
• Lemurs.
• Hawksbill turtle.
• Rhinos.
• Polar bears.
• Gorillas.
• Vaquitas.
• Cheetahs.

9 species facing extinction due to habitat loss

• Indian Elephant. Indian elephants are the first species on our endangered list due to habitat loss.
• Whale. Whales are at the top of the food chain, however in the North Atlantic only 400 exist.
• Mountain Gorilla.
• Black Rhinoceros.
• Sea Turtle.
• Orangutan.
• Red Panda.
• Tiger.

With their penchant for hunting, habitat destruction and the release of invasive species, humans undid millions of years of evolution, and swiftly removed this bird from the face of the Earth. Since then, the dodo has nestled itself in our conscience as the first prominent example of human-driven extinction.

10 of the world’s most endangered animals

• Javan rhinoceros. An older Vietnamese stamp illustrates the Javan rhinoceros (Shutterstock)
• Vaquita.
• Mountain gorillas.
• Tigers.
• Asian elephants.
• Orangutans.
• Leatherback sea turtles.
• Snow leopards.

Koalas are considered vulnerable to extinction—just a step above endangered—and reports indicate that between 350 and a thousand koalas have been found dead so far in fire-devastated zones of northern New South Wales. But, experts say, we are not looking at the death of a species—yet.

2050

30,000 koalas

Not extinct

Giraffes are friendly and social animals by nature. In the wild, they live in herds and spend their time traveling, eating and resting together. They will eat from your hand and may even enjoy the occasional head pet!

A 2015 estimate found that fewer than 100,000 giraffes remain in the wild in Africa, yet nearly 4,000 giraffe trophies were imported into the U.S. over the last decade—equal to more than one giraffe killed every day.

The study, led by Madelaine Castles of University of Queensland, Australia is the first to suggest giraffe colour is a secondary sexual trait. Their patches can range from pale brown to completely black, with a tendency for males to get darker as they age.

National Geographic confirms that these gentle giants are the tallest land mammals in the world. Their necks are 6 feet long on average, which is why they need powerful cardiovascular systems. Unlike octopus or squid — which do have multiple hearts — giraffes only have one heart.

The colour of the tongue is best described as black, blue or purple with a pink base/back. It is generally assumed that the front part of the tongue has such dark coloration to protect it during frequent sun exposure while eating and prevent the tongue from getting sunburned, however, no one really knows.