Defenders of Wildlife Blog

“Coast to Coast” is a summer blog series highlighting some of America’s most imperiled wildlife. By using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s new state-by-state endangered species map, we will tell stories about native plants and animals in unique landscapes where Defenders will be focusing its conservation efforts in coming years.

One of the world’s most endangered animals is also arguably one of the world’s most adorable. With limbs dipped in black and a mask like a bandit, the black-footed ferret looks like a stretched-out panda bear. But don’t be deceived by its cuddly appearance. This critter is a voracious nocturnal carnivore that preys almost exclusively on prairie dogs.

The ferret’s habitat once extended across the Great Plains from Canada to Mexico. Unfortunately disease, habitat destruction and elimination of their primary food source have taken a toll on this small predator. Today, less than five percent of the ferret’s original prairie dog colony habitat remains. As people moved westward, the prairie disappeared, and so did the ferret’s food source. Prairie dogs became the target of widespread eradication efforts.  Considered vermin because they clipped the grass short on their colonies, ranchers went to great lengths to rid their newly acquired land of prairie dogs. Some states, such as Kansas, passed laws that required the killing of all prairie dogs. Piles of poisoned prairie dogs can be seen in photos from the turn of the last century. With no food and nowhere to go, the black-footed ferret was on the brink of extinction. The species became so rare that by 1974 no known ferrets remained in the wild. When the last captive black-footed ferret died in 1979, the species was presumed to be extinct.

Then in 1981 one lucky dog stumbled upon a ferret in Wyoming. Watch the following video to find out about the incredible find back in 1981.

Researchers discovered that a few dozen ferrets lived in the area and continued to monitor the population for a few years. Then tragedy struck; disease proved deadly to prairie dog and ferret populations, and brought the black-footed ferret once again to the brink of extinction. Their numbers dwindled to a scarily low 18 individuals in 1986.

Those last 18 ferrets found were brought into a captive breeding program. Over time, biologists became very successful at breeding ferrets; over 7,000 kits have been born in captivity. Once numbers reached a sustainable level, ferret reintroduction began. . Now, nearly two decades later, the ferret is on the road to recovery. Last year marked the 30^th year anniversary of their rediscovery and the 20^th year of their reintroduction to the wild. They have been reintroduced to 19 sites from Canada to Mexico. Of these, four sites are considered a success, two have failed, and the other 13 are yet to be determined.

Listen to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service describe the important recovery efforts under way in the following podcast:*

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Defenders of Wildlife supports this small predator’s success as an official member of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team. Over three dozen governmental agencies and non-profit organizations pool their resources and expertise.  While partnering with federal agencies, Defenders also partners with tribal and private landowners to secure crucial habitat for the prairie dog and the black-footed ferret. We have helped with ferret recovery efforts at Northern Cheyenne Reservation, Lower Brule Reservation, Cheyenne River Reservation, Rosebud Reservation, and with private landowners in Kansas, among other sites.

It takes a team to save valuable species. Without coalitions like this, rare species don’t stand chance.

Click here to learn more about what Defenders is doing to help black-footed ferrets.

To find out how you can help, visit the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Program at www.blackfootedferret.org

*The podcast featured in this blog post was edited to comply with file size restrictions.  The content of the podcast has not been changed.

Coast to Coast” is a summer blog series highlighting some of America’s most imperiled wildlife. By using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s new state-by-state endangered species map, we will tell stories about native plants and animals in unique landscapes where Defenders will be focusing its conservation efforts in coming years.

Imagine that you’re trudging through the heavy Colorado snow, hiking close to 10,000 feet. You suddenly spot what appears to be an overgrown house cat. You stop in your tracks, careful not to make a sound, peer closer and see it’s a Canada lynx. The lean grey form bounds through the snow on long legs after a snowshoe hare, the lynx’s favorite food. Its large paws keep the cat from sinking into the snow, while it listens with tufted ears to track the hare’s path.

Canada lynx are highly elusive forest cats that prey on snowshoe hares in remote alpine reaches of the Rockies.

A scene like this may be relatively common throughout Canada or Alaska, but it’s a rarity in the southern Rockies where life has been pretty rough for this mid-sized carnivore. Originally pursued by fur trappers, these critters nearly vanished from the southernmost portion of their range by the 1970s. However, in 2000 lynx were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and as a result lynx populations have started to recover. After a successful reintroduction program in Colorado (more on that later), an estimated 1,000 lynx are now spread across the U.S. from Washington to Colorado. But the Canada lynx is still threatened by habitat loss and other human activities including logging, collisions with vehicles, and trapping.

This species is famous in biology classes for its population cycles. If the snowshoe hare population goes up, a few years later the lynx population follows. Then more lynx eat more snowshoe hares, depleting the population and leaving less food for future generations. Thus the cat’s population goes down, and the cycle repeats itself. This cycle goes back and forth for each generation and keeps the populations in check. Unfortunately, for the last century or more, man has had his thumb on the scale, making it harder for lynx to rebound.

The cat’s population is spread thin, putting an already imperiled species at great risk. The lynx need higher elevation forests, filled with spruce, fir, or lodgepole pine, to survive. Unfortunately these forests are often depleted by excessive logging, mining, energy exploration, and even backcountry recreation. Lynx are relatively reclusive animals, so even the occasional thrill-seeking heli-skiier or seasonal mountain chalet may be enough to scare lynx away from vital habitat they might otherwise use for hunting, denning or finding a mate. And as the forest diminishes, so do the snowshoe hares, leaving lynx with little to eat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service explains the threats the lynx is facing in this podcast:

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Thankfully, there have been some positive steps forward for the lynx in the past few years. In 1999 an initiative was launched to reintroduce the cat to Colorado. While this population followed the species’ typical ups and downs, overall it has been a huge success. In the past decade, more than 200 animals were released and 103 kittens were born. In 2009, the Forest Service added an amendment to eight regional management plans to soften human impacts of logging and other resource extraction and recreation on lynx.

While these are certainly steps in the right direction, sadly, this cold-loving critter could face more serious challenges as a result of climate change. The changing climate affects the type of snow that falls in its habitat, which could allow other predators to reduce snowshoe hare populations. Jeff Corwin explains in this video how climate change hurts these elusive cats:

For decades, Defenders of Wildlife has pushed for federal actions on key predators like the Canada lynx. Defenders recognizes that by preserving habitat and securing connectivity between vital areas, sparse populations will have more room to roam and a better shot at maintaining a healthy gene pool. The next step for lynx recovery is to secure a nationwide recovery plan that will allow these important predators to make a strong comeback in more places.

But we can only do so much. The American public barely knows about the Canada lynx or the trouble it’s in. That’s why raising awareness for this rare carnivore is a top priority–the more people that know about this cool cat, the brighter its future will be!

Coast to Coast” is a summer blog series highlighting some of America’s most imperiled wildlife. By using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s new state-by-state endangered species map, we will tell stories about native plants and animals in unique landscapes where Defenders will be focusing its conservation efforts in coming years.

From southern California to eastern Arizona, the Mojave Desert covers nearly 25,000 square miles–more land than the state of West Virginia! It is home to famous American landmarks like Las Vegas, Hoover Dam and Death Valley National Park. Once seen as an inhospitable wasteland, the desert is actually a rich and thriving natural landscape. Unique plants such as the Mojave sage and Mojave prickly poppy make this their home, along with more well- known species such as Joshua trees and yucca plants. Even some threatened species can be found in the area such as Mexican spotted owl, Californian brown pelican and most notably the desert tortoise.

Desert tortoises have been wandering the desert for millions of years. Reaching lengths of up to 15 inches long, they are quite large for a reptile. These hardy critters live up to 80 years. Taking drastic measures in dry climate, these critters can go for a year or two without water. Most of the moisture they do get comes from the herbs and grasses they eat.

While hardy, desert tortoises are hiders. They spend 95% of their lives in underground burrows to beat the desert heat. Their time spent above the surface is kept to spring and summer in order to take advantage of fresh food. Unfortunately, these tough tortoises can’t hide from us humans and, as a result, have been disappearing at an alarming rate.

The Mojave Desert population is facing the greatest risk from habitat degradation, urban sprawl, poaching and various other threats. Overall, their numbers have dropped 90% since the 1950s, leaving behind tortoise populations that are far less dense. Where once 200 adults roamed in a square mile, now only five or six can be found. As a result, the desert tortoise was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1980. While progress has been made in conserving this species as described in the Fish and Wildlife Service podcast below, in recent years they are facing a slew of new threats.

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One of these threats that the terrific tortoise and other desert species are facing is reckless renewable energy development. With vast tracts of flat land and copious amounts of sunshine, the Mojave Desert may seem like the perfect place for solar power plants. But it is also a vital and sensitive habitat for many native species, many of which are slipping toward the brink of extinction.

Defenders supports clean energy, but we’re also fighting to make sure that solar and wind projects are built “smart from the start” to ensure that imperiled species still have a chance to recover. For example, earlier this year Defenders and several other groups intervened in the Pisgah Valley of the Mojave Desert to protect endangered wildlife. We sued the U.S. Department of Interior to stop construction of a solar farm that would have impacted critical habitat for desert tortoises. This area provides crucial pathways that link different tortoise recovery areas together. Other animals such as the burrowing owl and the golden eagle depend on this area too.

As green technology joins our energy grid, it is critical that these projects allow important wildlife conservation efforts to continue.  By building close to cities and making use of existing infrastructure, we can have clean energy that benefits people without harming wildlife. These are the kind of win-win solutions that can provide American with cleaner, greener energy without trampling on tortoises.

Coast to Coast” is a summer blog series highlighting some of America’s most imperiled wildlife. By using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s new state-by-state endangered species map, we will tell  stories about native plants and animals in unique landscapes where Defenders will be focusing its conservation efforts in coming years.

Though few in number, the greater sage-grouse is easy to spot. With its hunched shoulders and a puffed white chest, the large, grounded grouse looks like a cross between a turkey and an opera singer. In springtime, males like to put on quite a show as they sashay between the sagebrush and enter their arena. But these brazen birds aren’t fighting to the death; they’re dancing for potential mates. The lucky ladies get to choose the guys with the best moves.

Watch along with a bus full of Idaho high school students, who got to see this delightful dance up close during a field trip last spring:

While these birds put on a dazzling display, they are dependent upon a natural landscape called the “Sagebrush Sea.” Stretching from Washington to Colorado, this arid ecosystem is covered with sagebrush, a key source of food and shelter for sage grouse. Once teeming with trees, streams, wildflowers and hundreds of unique species, the Sagebrush Sea is steadily shrinking. Agriculture development, resource extraction and weed infestation have all contributed to its decline. In recent years, wildfires caused by extreme temperatures and drought have brought even more danger to landscapes across the western United States.

The resulting habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation has taken a toll on sage grouse over the last 50 years. Today, the species is only found in half of its historic range, and sage grouse aren’t the only ones in trouble. From rare pygmy rabbits to migratory birds that stop in the marshes that dot the Sagebrush Sea, hundreds of other species depend on this landscape. To save the sage grouse, we have to save the land that they and other species need to survive.

Sage grouse were denied federal protection in 2004 and are currently stuck in limbo on the list of candidate species. But Defenders isn’t waiting to take action. We’re fighting for stronger protections on our public lands, where energy development threatens important wildlife habitat. We’re also working with our colleagues at The Nature Conservancy and the Sagebrush Cooperative to develop incentives to encourage private landowners to conserve wildlife.

By protecting the Sagebrush Sea, we hope to ensure that America’s grooving grouse continues to have a place to strut his stuff.

Coast to Coast” is a summer blog series highlighting some of America’s most imperiled wildlife. By using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s new state-by-state endangered species map, we will tell  stories about native plants and animals in unique landscapes where Defenders will be focusing its conservation efforts in coming years.

Rat-tat-tat-tat.

Imagine hearing the echo of this sound throughout the mature long leaf pine forests of North Carolina’s Sandhills. You glance up in a tree and spot the source: a small bird with zebra-like feathers, drilling a hole in a live pine in search of a tasty ant. You check your guidebook. While the species is named for an almost invisible flash of red on the male’s head, it’s the white cheeks and black hood that give it away.  Drilling away on a summer’s evening, the red-cockaded woodpecker is unaware of the dangers lurking all around.

The red-cockaded woodpecker is endangered throughout its territory, from the coastal Carolinas to the eastern edge of Texas, because of its fondness for live pine trees. Long leaf pine forests once covered most of the southeastern  United States—more than 90 million acres. Now, only a few thousand acres remain, with much of the old pine forests being lost to residential development, agriculture, and golf courses.

While still found in much of its historic range, the woodpecker’s habitat is now so fragmented that fewer than 14,000 individuals survive in just a few places where once more than 4 million used to thrive. Despite this drastic decline, there is still hope.

Some populations have begun to recover thanks  to a collaborative effort of conservation organizations and the U.S. government. The North Carolina Sandhills Conservation Partnership (NCSCP) began in 2000, and in the following years, the partners agreed to protect this crucial land. This effort was declared a success in 2006, five years earlier than expected, when the partnership achieved its primary goal of having one population of more than 1,000 potential couples and 10 populations of more than 350 potential mates.

By taking action, not only did the red-cockaded woodpecker benefit, but plenty of other species as well. Long leaf pine forests are home to nearly 60% of the amphibian and reptile species in the southeast region such as the spotted salamander and black king snake. More than a hundred other endangered or threatened species, like the fox squirrel and the gopher tortoise, exist in these precious areas

Despite significant progress to date, the red-cockaded woodpecker remains a high conservation priority in North Carolina. The state continues to pursue “safe harbor” agreements to encourage private landowners to maintain habitat on their property by offering financial and technical assistance. Defenders is also working across the Southeast to make sure that all landowners are doing their part to conserve red-cockaded woodpeckers and the critical habitat they and other wildlife need to survive.

As exemplified by the NCSCP, protecting these areas takes collaboration. It will take all of us working together to restore this species and eastern longleaf pine forests to their former glory.

To learn more about the red-cockaded woodpecker, watch this short video from the USFWS showing collaborative efforts to protect this special species.

“Coast to Coast” is a summer blog series highlighting some of America’s most imperiled wildlife. By using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s new state-by-state endangered species map, we will tell  stories about native plants and animals in unique landscapes where Defenders will be focusing its conservation efforts in coming years.

This is the story of a mighty minnow called the Oregon chub. This tiny, silver-backed fish only grows up to nine inches long and hides out in slack water such as oxbows and beaver ponds. Chub can only be found in five counties in western Oregon along the Willamette River, but the plight of the chub is representative of many species across the region. While the chub is now on the road to recovery, this humble fish offers an important cautionary tale of what’s at stake for other species.

Bioregion known as Cascadia

Cascadia, known as “The Land of Falling Waters,” is an eco-region defined by the river valleys that drain the Cascade Mountains in the Pacific Northwest. Those rivers were once dominated by big fish like salmon, steelhead and trout that dine on smaller fish like the Oregon chub. But the Willamette River Valley, home of the Oregon chub, is where nearly two-thirds of Oregonians also make their home, causing serious trouble for the chub and other fish.

The Willamette River was once the major creator of still, shallow water that the Oregon chub needs to survive. However, the chub’s habitat was slowly destroyed as the river’s natural flows were cut off upstream. Extensive flood-control and dam management have caused marshes, oxbows and over-flow ponds to disappear. The chub nearly disappeared along with them; by 1993 populations had been reduced by 98%, and it was officially listed as an endangered species.

For almost five years, several small conservation measures were put in place. Agreements with local officials at water treatment plants, the Army Corp of Engineers and other organizations helped improve the chub’s status. However, in 1998, it was discovered that only 20 populations remained, and 12 of those had fewer than 100 individuals.

That same year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service implemented a recovery plan that included protecting critical chub habitat, reintroduction of populations into previously populated areas, and programs to raise public awareness. It was a huge success.  In 2010, the chub became the comeback kid of Oregon.  The once-dwindling species boomed to over 20 populations of at least 500 fish, enough to merit a change of its status from “endangered” to “threatened.”

Listen to experts from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife talk about their successful recovery efforts:

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While chub populations are finally improving, other fish species in Cascadia still need our help. Pacific salmon and steelhead populations, for example, are still well below historic levels as a result of decades of dam-building and water pollution. That’s why Defenders has been fighting attempts in Congress to lift vital protections that keep our rivers clean and our fish healthy. Pesticides, in particular, are still a major threat to many species across the region, including the Oregon chub. Yet Big Ag and pesticide manufacturers want to make it easier to poison our waterways with toxic pesticides. Help us stand up to special interests and keep our rivers safe for people and wildlife!