Center for Biological Diversity
WEBThe Center for Biological Diversity works through science, law and creative media to secure a future for all species, great or small, hovering on the brink of extinction.
12 Ways to Live More Sustainably - Biological Diversity
WEB7. Be water wise. Water conservation is critical as our growing population puts increased demand on the nation’s water sources and we face unprecedented droughts. You can conserve water by taking shorter showers, fixing leaky toilets, and choosing low-flow and low-water appliance options.
Map: U.S. Threatened and Endangered Species by County
WEBFor every county in the United States, the map below shows information on all the animals and plants protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act as threatened or endangered. How to Use It: To see the number of federally protected species in a given county, zoom in on the map until the county boundaries appear and click on a point within the ...
America's Gray Wolves: A Long Road to Recovery - Biological …
WEBMexican gray wolves in the U.S. Southwest have also begun to recover. Between 1977 and 1980, the last few surviving Mexican wolves were captured and bred, and some of their progeny were reintroduced into Arizona and New Mexico. Now, although this gray wolf subspecies continues to struggle in the United States and Mexico, at least it has a hope ...
American wolverine - Biological Diversity
WEBSAVING THE AMERICAN WOLVERINE. Wolverines, the largest land-dwelling species in the mustelid family, are famous for their daring and tenacity — they've been known to prey on animals as big as moose, and many stories tell of mountain lions, bears and wolves retreating from their kills at a wolverine's approach.
Ocean Plastics Pollution - Biological Diversity
WEBBillions of pounds of plastic can be found in swirling convergences that make up about 40 percent of the world's ocean surfaces. At current rates plastic is expected to outweigh all the fish in the sea by 2050. Plastics pollution has a direct and deadly effect on wildlife. Thousands of seabirds and sea turtles, seals and other marine mammals ...
The Elements of Biodiversity - Biological Diversity
WEBThe measurement of biodiversity is complex and has a qualitative as well as a quantitative aspect. If a species is genetically unique — if, for instance, it's far out on a remote arm of the evolutionary tree, like the distinctive, peculiar platypus — its biodiversity value is greater than that of a species clustered with many similar species because it preserves a …
Frequently Asked Questions About Amphibians and Reptiles
WEBAmphibians are frogs, toads, newts and salamanders. Most amphibians have complex life cycles with time on land and in the water. Their skin must stay moist to absorb oxygen and therefore lacks scales. Reptiles are turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators and crocodiles. Unlike amphibians, reptiles breathe only through their lungs and have dry ...
Natural history - Biological Diversity
WEBNATURAL HISTORY. JAGUAR (in Spanish, el tigre) } Panthera onca FAMILY: Felidae. The word jaguar comes from the South American Tupi and Guarani languages. A likely origin is the word yaguareté, meaning “true, fierce beast.” DESCRIPTION: The largest cat native to North America and the third largest in the world (after lions and tigers), the jaguar measures five to eight feet from nose to ...
American pika - Biological Diversity
WEBThe American pika — a small, herbivorous, conspicuously cute mammal related to rabbits and hares — is adapted to the cold climate in high-elevation boulder fields and alpine meadows in the mountains of the American West. But the very adaptations that have allowed this species to survive make pikas extra sensitive to the changes wrought by ...