National Wildlife Day, see what endangered species aligns with your zodiac sign (2024)

On September 4th, we celebrate National Wildlife Day, a summons to raise awareness and reverence for wildlife, particularly those in imminent danger.

An endangered species is a plant or animal at serious risk of extinction. Several factors — including human development, climate change, natural disasters, pollution, and poor reproduction — threaten the health and proliferation of a population.

The Endangered Species Act protects more than 1,600 species in the United States. It 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.

ARIES (March 21 – April 19)

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.

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20)

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.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 20)

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.

CANCER (June 21 – July 22)

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.

LEO (July 23 – August 22)

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 ifthere’s one sign that can appreciate a weaponized accessory folks, its Leo.

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22)

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.

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22)

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.

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21)

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.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21)

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.

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19)

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.

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18)

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

PISCES (February 19 – March 20)

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

• The 12 zodiac signs
• What are the astrology houses
• Here’s what each planet represents
• Sun, moon, and rising signs: Get to know your Big 3

AstrologerReda Wigleresearches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture, and personal experience.