He is the first North American pontiff to be elected leader of the Catholic Church
The Tibetan blue bear is one of the rarest subspecies of bear in the world. The last confirmed sighting was made in a remote valley in eastern Tibet in June 2019, according to Bear Conservation. The exact conservation status of the blue bear, however, is unknown, due to limited data.
The colorful and exotic Ceylon paradise flycatcher is a subspecies of the Indian paradise flycatcher. It is a resident of Sri Lanka, where it's widespread across the country.
The African leopard is one of eight subspecies of leopard, though the animal is often associated with just the African continent. In fact, the leopard's range extends across the Arabian peninsula towards the Indian subcontinent. The IUCN classifies this big cat as Vulnerable.
Named for, and once widespread across the Sunda Islands in Indonesia, the Sunda Island Tiger is now only found in Sumatra. The animal is described as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
The Eurasian wolf, also known as the common wolf, is a subspecies of the gray wolf. It is native to Europe and Asia.
The scientific name of the red-footed booby is Sula sula. There are three subspecies of this bird, one of which is Sula sula sula. It's found in the Caribbean and southwest Atlantic islands.
And just in case you were wondering, wildlife subspecies aren't all rare and endangered. Did you know, for example, that the domestic cat is a subspecies of the wildcat?
Or that the dog and the dingo are both subspecies of the aforementioned gray wolf?
Sources: (IUCN) (Bear Conservation) (Nature Journal) (World Wildlife Fund) (American Birding Association) (The Independent)
Pictured here is Fatu (front) and Najin, the only two remaining female northern white rhinoceros in the world. A subspecies of the white rhinoceros, the northern white rhino is considered Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct in the Wild) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Originally discovered in 1906, the Fernandina Island Galápagos tortoise was believed extinct until a single female was discovered living on Fernandina Island by an expedition in February 2019. A subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise, this reptile is unsurprisingly listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.
A subspecies of Hector's dolphin, the Māui dolphin is one of the rarest and smallest dolphin subspecies globally. It's designated as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
The Cat Ba langur was considered a subspecies of François' langur until 1995. A member of the Old World Monkey family, the Cat Ba langur is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.
The Cross River gorilla, also classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, is a subspecies of the western gorilla. This great ape is restricted to the forested hills and mountains of the Cameroon-Nigeria border region at the headwaters of the Cross River.
A subspecies of the eastern gorilla endemic to the mountainous forests of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the eastern lowland gorilla is another critically endangered great ape.
The Turkmenian kulan is a subspecies of onager. Native to Central Asia, it is one of the largest subspecies of the onagers. The IUCN declared the animal Endangered in 2019.
A subspecies of the northern giraffe, Rothschild's giraffe is one of the most endangered distinct populations of giraffe according to the IUCN. It's conservation status is Near Threatened.
One of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant, the Sumatran elephant is a victim of habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, and poaching to the point where the IUCN recently declared the species Critically Endangered.
Just as quick and agile as its cousin, the Northeast African cheetah is a subspecies occurring in, you guessed it, Northeast Africa. This cheetah, together with the African wild dog, is considered emblematic of Ethiopia.
A subspecies of the golden eagle, the European golden eagle is found almost throughout Europe, including the British Isles (mainly in Scotland) and European Russia.
The largest subspecies of the Australian masked owl, the Tasmanian masked owl is endemic to the island state of Tasmania. These birds are named for their characteristic facial discs and, according to the IUCN, are Vulnerable.
The Gulf sturgeon is subspecies of sturgeon that lives in the Gulf of Mexico and some rivers draining into it. The fish is known for its acrobatic out-of-water displays. Overfishing and habitat loss are the reasons why this majestic fish is considered Endangered by the IUCN.
The mirror carp, regionally known as the Israeli carp, is a subspecies of the common carp, found widespread across Europe and into the Levant.
A subspecies of the wonderfully named Edith's checkerspot butterfly, the bay checkerspot butterfly is endemic to the San Francisco Bay region and a federally threatened species.
Likewise, there's little to distinguish Burchell's zebra from the plains zebra except for the fact that Burchell's is the only subspecies of zebra which may be legally farmed for human consumption.
The magnificent Congo lion is a subspecies native to the lands of Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Sadly, it's another beast identified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.
Bird subspecies number in their many thousands, and are often only identified by a single name and near indistinguishable markings. Such is the gambelli, a subspecies of the white-crowned sparrow recognized by its pale supraloral area and yellow-orange bill.
The handsome North American green-winged teal is considered by many ornithologists as a subspecies of the Eurasian teal.
The ornate box turtle is one of the two different subspecies of the western box turtle, and one of only two terrestrial species of turtles native to the Great Plains of the United States. It is the state reptile of Kansas and Nebraska, but unfortunately also has a place on the IUCN Red List as Near Threatened.
This chunky serpent is one of the biggest snakes found in North America. A subspecies of the gopher snake, fortunately it is nonvenomous.
The Aruba Island rattlesnake is sometimes still classified as a subspecies of the South American rattlesnake. Native only to the Caribbean island of Aruba, off the coast of Venezuela, this is a venomous pit viper species and should be avoided at all costs.
What does it mean when a scientist or conservationist talks about a subspecies? Well, what they are describing is a category in biological classification that ranks immediately below a species. In other words, a subdivision of a species. By definition, much of the wildlife that rank among subspecies are rare and endangered. But there are also some very common and domesticated creatures that are classed as being a subspecies.
Intrigued? Click through and admire these creatures that look the same, but are different.
What are the most fascinating subspecies of wildlife?
Some types of species are at risk of becoming extinct
LIFESTYLE Nature
What does it mean when a scientist or conservationist talks about a subspecies? Well, what they are describing is a category in biological classification that ranks immediately below a species. In other words, a subdivision of a species. By definition, much of the wildlife that rank among subspecies are rare and endangered. But there are also some very common and domesticated creatures that are classed as being a subspecies.
Intrigued? Click through and admire these creatures that look the same, but are different.