Diversity of North America: Gray Wolf

Diversity of North America
Student’s Name
Institution
Course Number and Name
Instructor’s Name
Date
Diversity of North America
Gray Wolf
Scientific Name

Canis lupus

Common Name

Gray wolf

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Carnivora

Family

Canidae

Genus

Canis

Species

C. lupus

The gray wolf is a keystone predator that thrives in many habitats, including mountains, forests, grasslands, and tundra (US Fish and Wildlife Service, n.d.). The gray wolf is listed as an endangered species throughout the US and Mexico, save for the population in Minnesota, which is classified as threatened. Wolves are not threatened mainly by climate change but by hunting. For example, in 2021, hunters issued with permits from the state of Wisconsin killed 218 wolves in less than three days (Main, 2021). An interesting fact about gray wolves: wolf puppies are born deaf and blind and must be cared for until their maturity at ten months old.
Distribution Map:
Clostridium botulinum
Scientific Name

Clostridium botulinum

Common Name

NA

Kingdom

Bacteria

Phylum

Bacillota

Class

Clostridia

Order

Eubacteriales

Family

Clostridiaceae

Genus

Clostridium

Species

C. botulinum

Clostridium botulinum is a gram-positive and spore-forming bacterium capable of producing the neurotoxin botulinum. Botulinum toxins are considered one of the most dangerous substances known (WHO, 2016). Thus, the bacterium causes botulism, a rare disease that attacks the body's nervous system. There exist several types of botulism including foodborne botulism, wound botulism, infant botulism, iatrogenic botulism, and Adult intestinal toxemia botulism (Cleveland Clinic, 2022). The major symptoms of the disease are muscle weakness and paralysis. The disease is treated with the administration of antitoxin that blocks the activity of the toxin in the patient's bloodstream. If the patient has breathing problems, they may be placed on a ventilator to help in breathing (Cleveland Clinic, 2022). For wound botulism, a surgical operation may be necessary to remove the part of the wound that is contaminated. An interesting fact about the bacteria is that they are anaerobic, meaning they grow and live in low-oxygen conditions.
Methanobrevibacter smithii
Scientific Name

Methanobrevibacter smithii

Common Name

NA

Kingdom

Archaea

Phylum

Euryarchaeota

Class

Methanobacteria

Order

Methanobacteriales

Family

Methanobacteriaceae

Genus

Methanobrevibacter Balch and Wolfe, 1981

Species

Methanobrevibacter smithii Balch and Wolfe, 1981

Methanobrevibacter smithii is the dominant archeon in the ecosystem of the human gut and is integral in digestive processes. Methanobrevibacter smithii and related species are often found in anaerobic, hot, and acidic environments. The human gut i...