Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Black-footed ferrets search prairie dog tunnels for food.

A weekly homage to endangered species, large and small

The world wouldn’t be the same without BFFs. But we’re not talking about “best friends forever”. We’re talking about black-footed ferrets—a key indicator species in prairie ecosystems across the United States and one of the most endangered mammals in the world.

This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the ferret’s rediscovery. The celebration is a chance to reflect on their amazing success story and the importance of the Endangered Species Act (ESA)—our nation’s landmark wildlife conservation law. Without the ESA, we might not have any BFFs at all, not to mention bald eagles, gray wolves, or many of the treasured species that have been preserved and restored under its protection.

Check out all of the events celebrating 30 years of rediscovery and reintroduction for the black-footed ferret.

• September 24-25: Celebration at Phoenix Zoo (Phoenix, AZ) includes live black-footed ferret display and children’s programs.
• September 24-26: “Badlands 30th Anniversary Ferret Festival.” Hosted by Badlands National Park at Park Headquarters, Interior, SD. Park admission. Children’s programs, live ferret, public spotlighting by reservation, education programs and more.
• September 26: Celebrate at National Zoological Park, Washington DC. Seminars and other black-footed ferret programs.
• Many more.

 For A full list of scheduled programs, visit Black-footedferret.org

Don’t Call It a Comeback

Like many endangered species, ferrets have lost significant territory to agricultural development. Black-footed ferrets are one of three remaining ferret species in the world and the only wild ferret species that lives in North America. They can grow up to 2-feet long and weigh more than 2.5 pounds. Although they appear similar, domestic ferrets (found in pet stores) are members of a separate species from Europe.

Black-footed ferret

As settlers moved west in North America, they began to reshape the lands inhabited by black-footed ferrets. With the invention of the plow, native prairieland was converted into farmland. Prairie dogs (which make up about 90 percent of black-footed ferrets’ diets) were reduced to about two percent of their historic population due to poisoning by farmers who considered them a nuisance. With their major food source becoming scarce, the future for the black-footed ferret seemed increasingly hopeless. In 1967 they were listed as an endangered species. Still, faced with persistent habitat loss and new diseases including sylvatic plague, black-footed ferret populations continued to dwindle. In 1979 when the last remaining captive ferret died at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, MD, the black-footed ferret was declared extinct.

However, in 1981 a small population of the black-footed ferret was discovered in Meeteetse, Wyoming. Dedicated conservationists jumped on the opportunity to help the species survive and recover. Seven of the captured ferrets successfully reared young, and, through captive breeding and reintroduction, 19 populations have been reestablished in Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Kansas, New Mexico, Chihuahua and Saskatchewan.

Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that about 750 ferrets now live in the wild (half of the population goal outlined in the 1988 Black-footed Ferret Recovery Plan).

WHAT GOOD ARE THEY?

The success of the ferret is good news for the prairie. The Great Plains are home to more than 20,000 animal species including more than 100 that are found nowhere else in the world like the black-footed ferret. The ferrets are key indicators of healthy ecosystems as they help manage prairie dog populations. The ferrets themselves are a food source for larger predators like owls, coyote and badgers. They are important members of the ecosystem both as predators and prey on the prairie.

Today, black-footed ferrets continue on the road to recovery, but the journey is far from over. These animals once numbered in the tens of thousands and now number only a few hundred. Even the laws that helped save the ferrets face challenges.

Government agencies and conservation groups, in cooperation with private landowners and communities helped restore the small predators to their rightful habitat under the protection and guidance of the ESA. Unfortunately, there are new legislative proposals to undercut current endangered species protections and prevent protection of imperiled species in the future.

It will take continuous efforts to help the black-footed ferret achieve long term sustainability and even more resolve to help other species reach similar success through an Endangered Species Act that has itself been threatened.

Learn more about black-footed ferrets:

• Black-Footed Ferret Fact Sheet
• Check out Defenders Work to save ferret habitat
• Download this sweet ferret poster and share it with your friends to show your support for endangered wildlife. Help us celebrate the big 3-0!

A weekly homage to endangered species, large and small

They’re big, slow, and always hungry. But they’re also absolutely irresistible, and we can’t help but love them. People travel across the country and from all over the world to Florida in hopes of glimpsing the majestic manatee. These slow-moving marine mammals can weigh more than 1,200 pounds and grow to nearly 10 feet in length. They eat sea grass and other aquatic vegetation they find in the warm coastal waters.

Manatees require warm water to survive which is why they congregate predominantly in Florida  year-round, although they’ve been spotted in waters as far north as Massachusetts in recent years and in waters throughout eastern Texas. This can also be their downfall, however, since man-made sources of warm waters such as power plant discharges also attract manatees. Although they have no natural predators, these graceful giants have long had to fight for survival against threats like climate change and boat collisions.  In 1967, the manatees were listed as an endangered species under a precursor to the Endangered Species Act, primarily as a result of habitat loss which remains a serious concern. Today experts estimate that there are about 5,000 manatees remaining in the United States.

Manatee mother and calf swim side-by-side.

Manatee money-tree

Manatees are Florida’s official state marine mammal. Possibly as a gesture of gratitude, these massive mammals bring in millions of dollars in tourism revenue annually. Visitors flock to two places in particular to catch a glimpse–Blue Spring State Park and Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, where manatees are attracted to the warmer temperatures during winter months. Combined, the two parks draw nearly 400,000 visitors each year from outside their respective counties who spend in excess of $20 million. That revenue supports nearly 400 tourism-related jobs with a payroll of more than $5 million. Read more in Defenders’ Conservation Pays report.

To learn more about manatees, check out Defenders’ profile or the USFWS’ fact sheet.

Houston toad

Recently, wildfires raged throughout Bastrop State Park–considered the last remaining stronghold for the Houston toad featured in our recent “Can’t Live Without ‘Em” blog. Biologists are currently investigating the damage to the toad’s habitat and population. Hopefully these resourceful critters aren’t among the things we lost in the fire. Firefighters worked tirelessly to save the 6,000-acre Bastrop State Park after fires burned through much of the area located just east of Austin, Texas. According to reports, more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed throughout the affected area along with buildings and habitats inside Bastrop State Park. Read the full article.

Watch the full story as Texas Wildlife officials try to stop the blaze:

Houston toad

A weekly homage to endangered species, large and small.

(Based on research by Ben Ikenson)

Houston toads are an endangered species native to the midlands of Texas. Masters of disguise, they can range in color from bluish- grey to speckled red, or even dark brown and black. These little guys don’t have powerful hind legs like frogs so they rely heavily on camouflage and their poisonous skin secretions to protect them from predators. Adult females grow up to four inches long (males are slightly smaller). During scorching hot summers and bitter winters, the toads bury their tiny bodies under loose sand and hibernate to protect themselves from the extreme weather.

Unfortunately, one threat these miniature marvels can’t seem to outwit is industrialization. Rapid development in Houston, Texas and the surrounding areas has destroyed much of the toad’s habitat. Wetlands were replaced by roads, and forests were replaced by shopping centers as cities grew. By the 1960s, the toads had seemingly vanished. Once thought to number in the tens of thousands, some researchers estimated that there were as few as 3,000 Houston toads remaining. In 1970, they were federally listed as an endangered species with habitat loss cited as the primary cause of decline. Some isolated populations of the toad in and around Houston had been completely wiped out. And although the toads are now protected under the Endangered Species Act, the largest remaining population in Bastrop County is still under intense threat from urban development according to reports from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

WHAT GOOD ARE THEY?

You’ll probably never hear a doctor say “lick two toads and call me in the morning,” but toads are known to carry toxins that are pharmaceutically important. Many modern medicines contain active ingredients derived from these chemicals. The Houston toad in particular, secretes serotonin—an essential chemical in our brains—and alkaloids used to treat heart and neurological disease. The alkaloids are thought to have analgesic properties quite possibly more powerful than morphine.

Of course, their chemical cures aren’t their only talent. Houston toads help manage the ecosystem by keeping the insect population down. And despite their many defense mechanisms, spiders, raccoons, turtles, snakes, owls, and even fire ants have been known to prey on the amphibians. However with so few toads to study, it’s hard for scientists to accurately estimate the Houston toad’s impact on the environment. Often toads provide key linkages in nutrient cycles because they carry substances from the water to land during metamorphosis from the tadpole stage to being fully terrestrial adults.

As studies continue, Houston toads might prove valuable in other ways to the environment and for practical uses like medicine.

Still despite their helpfulness, urbanization and even agricultural development continue to intrude on the toad’s habitat. Recently more and more forests have been turned into fields or pastures for farming. Unfortunately, livestock often overgraze these areas and leave the toads with little resources for food and shelter. But there are ways that people can help. Replanting native bunchgrasses instead of sod-forming plants and limiting livestock numbers can help the toad’s populations grow in these areas. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and USFWS jointly prepared a brochure for private landowners who wish to implement their agricultural practices in ways that are compatible with the needs of the Houston toad. With the assistance and involvement of a dedicated community, perhaps these little amphibians will be able to make the leap from brink of disaster to the threshold of recovery.

Recently, wildfires have raged throughout Bastrop State Park–considered the last remaining stronghold for the Houston toad. Read the  full article here.

Whooping cranes are America’s largest wading birds and also one of the most endangered animals in the country. Standing nearly five feet tall with a wingspan of seven feet and weighing more than 15 pounds, these graceful birds are an impressive sight on land and in the air—that is, if you’re lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the exceedingly rare birds.

Crane species are also some of the oldest animals on the planet. Some crane fossils found in Nebraska were estimated to be some 9 million years old. Whooping cranes were once common across much of the Midwest, where they fed along marshlands and scavenged spent grain in corn and wheat fields. Populations then dwindled to just 21 individuals in the wild by 1941 as a result of widespread habitat loss. The species was first listed as endangered in 1967. And in 2010, fewer than 400 individual birds were found in the wild, with only another 150 being raised in captivity.

Today, dedicated conservation programs are working hard to restore these magnificent white creatures to large portions of their remaining habitat. The primary breeding grounds for whooping cranes is in northeastern Alberta in Canada, but a reintroduced population has also started breeding in central Wisconsin. It’s here that pilots with Operation Migration flying open-wing aircraft have been retraining cranes to migrate down to Florida.

Whooping up the tourism dollars

For 10 years, Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin was the home of an annual Whooping Crane Festival that attracted thousands of visitors and brought in more than $40,000 each year for the local community. A similar festival in Port Aransas, Texas, where whooping cranes spend their winters, is now in its 16^th year and is a favorite birding trip for many nature enthusiasts.

Each year 70,000 to 80,000 people visit Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, mostly during the winter, and spend significant amounts locally on lodging, gasoline and supplies. Rockport Chamber of Commerce in Texas estimates that whooping crane-related activities result in annual gross economic benefits of $6 million to the local economy.  Approximately 80,000 people also visit the Platte River area of Nebraska each year during peak of spring crane migrations, expending approximately $15 million.

Read more about the economic benefits of protecting whooping cranes in Defenders’ Conservation Pays report and in the USFWS’ Whooping Crane Recovery Plan (2006).

A weekly homage to endangered species, large and small.

BUTTE COUNTY MEADOWFOAM

Who doesn’t like to hear that something’s “all natural?” Today, people spend big bucks for organic produce and herbal remedies because they’ve come to value items produced without engineered chemicals or cleaners.

One of the most commonly used ingredients in natural cosmetic products comes from meadowfoam—a small wildflower native to the western coastal regions of North America. Popular skin care companies like JAQUA and Revlon use oil from meadowfoam seeds to produce “age defying creams” and body lotions. A cultivar (group selected based on desired traits) of meadowfoam is actually farmed and cultivated specifically for such commercial uses.

However, one of the subspecies—the Butte County meadowfoam— is an endangered species. In 1992, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) added the plant to the federal endangered species list.

What Good Are They?

Of course, the endangered meadowfoam is different than the one farmed commercially. Pastel white pedals and a hairy stem help distinguish the Butte County subspecies, which is part of a unique ecosystem. The flowers grow in seasonal streams and vernal pools that are distinctive to central California. Vernal pools temporarily fill with water during rainy season. Because they dry in the summer, fish typically can’t live in them making them ideal breeding habit for amphibians, insects and flowers. The loss of any species in these special environments might prove harmful for other inhabitants like the endangered vernal pool fairy shrimp.

Butte County Meadowfoams

Additionally, without wild strains of meadowfoam, scientists would have no way to study and combat the effects of viruses or genetic defects on the cultivated meadowfoam population, which is so crucial to the cosmetics industry.

The oil from meadowfoam seeds is potentially valuable for other industries as well including use as candle wax, fuel, lubricant and even detergent.

Unfortunately, development has restricted the small, but serviceable flowers to a narrow 25-mile range in central California.  Here, highway construction, new buildings and draining of vernal pools continue to reduce suitable habitat for the meadowfoam.

Still, support from conservationists in the state and abroad has helped managed the dwindling population. And FWS and the State of California are acquiring vernal pool habitat to protect the species. Hopefully, the pursuit of profit won’t undermine the incalculable conservation value of these beautiful blossoms.