Endangered Animals
DB: This is Earth and Sky. Rachel Stevens of Toronto wonders “How many endangered animals are there in North America?”
JB: Rachel, it’s hard to talk about all of North America because Canada, the U.S., and Mexico each have their own separate lists of animals considered to be at risk. Some animals, like the wolverine, roam within the Canadian border, and are protected solely by Canadian law. Others are protected by more than one country, like the whooping crane, which winters in the U.S. and migrates north to Canada in the spring. Here in the U.S., there are nearly 400 animal species listed as “endangered” and more listed as “threatened” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
DB: The term “endangered” has a very specific meaning. An endangered species is one that’s considered to be at risk of becoming extinct not just in one location – but throughout its entire range. Once a species is considered endangered, it gets legal protection which protects it from hunting or other harm. And recovery plans can include purchasing or improving habitat that’s critical for the survival of the species.
JB: Some species have made it off the U.S. endangered species list – like the American alligator and peregrine falcon. To see which animals are listed as endangered, come to earthsky.com. Our thanks to the U.S. Forest Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. We’re Block and Byrd for Earth and Sky.
The following individual was interviewed for today’s show. Our thanks to:
Marc Bosch
Threatened, Endangered & Sensitive Species Program Leader WFW Staff – USDA Forest Service
Washington, DC
The following articles and web sites provided information relevant to this script:
The current list of the numbers of species of animals and plants listed as T (272) or E (972)under the U.S. Endangered Species Act is here.
Division of Endangered Species, Species Information
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species web site
Environmental Defense Fund article about the first species to be listed as endangered.
COSEWIC 2000. Canadian Species at Risk, November 2000. Committee on the Status of Endangered Species in Canada. 24 pp.
USDA Forest Service website for their Threatened, Endangered, Sensitive (TES) species program
Report Card on the Implementation of the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk (Canada)
The State of Disappearing Species and Habitat: A Sierra Club Report
Conserving Borderline Species: A Partnership between the United States and Canada
Author’s notes:
According to U.S. Fish & Wildlife sources, currently there are 379 animal species on the U.S. Endangered list (and 516 more globally) and 128 animal species on the U.S. Threatened list (and 39 more globally). Plants are also listed. There are 592 plant species on the U.S. Endangered list and 144 plant species on the U.S. Threatened list. In other words, total U.S. endangered plants and animals: 971. Total U.S. threatened plants and animals, 272. This list is updated yearly.
Other notes:
The Endangered Species Act, which was signed into law in 1973, is administered within the Department of the Interior by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and within the Commerce Department by the National Marine Fisheries Service. In addition, all federal agencies are charged with protecting species and preserving their habitats. This means that agencies that administer large tracts of land, including the Forest Service, the National Park Service, and the BLM, all work with the FWS and NMFS to make sure that management plans protect and promote the recovery of endangered species. Also, individual states are encouraged under federal law to develop and maintain their own conservation programs for threatened and endangered species.
The process by which a species makes it onto “The List” is well defined. FWS receives and reviews petitions to list species. If according to the judgment of expert scientists there’s substantial data showing that the species meets the criteria to be considered endangered, a notice of that decision is published in the Federal register. A meticulous status review of the species follows, during which scientists review even more evidence to determine whether listing is warranted.
Once a species is listed, that’s not the end of the story. For some (but not all) endangered species a recovery plan has been developed (it’s a time consuming process) and, in some cases, a recovery team is put in place. Land may be designated as “critical habitat” for endangered species-even if the species is not currently found there, it’s a way of making sure that, as populations grow, the new individuals have a place to live.
The Endangered Species Act also makes it illegal to “take” an endangered species – this broad term includes not just hunting and/or killing an endangered species, but also pursuing, holding captive, destroying habitat, or other activities that have the potential to harm the species.
Since the Endangered Species list was first compiled, 32 species have made it off the list in one way or another. Some, including the American alligator, peregrine falcon and brown pelican, are true success stories: thanks to the protection afforded by the Act, populations have recovered. A few species have been removed from the list because scientists got new information that led to a taxonomic revision, so that what was once considered a distinct species is lumped with another species that has a larger population. Species may also go off the list because field researchers discover new populations and FWS concludes that the numbers are high enough to warrant de-listing. Sadly, some species, such as the dusky seaside sparrow, are now off the List because they are extinct.
A number of species are currently proposed for listing; these include the yellow-legged mountain frog, several species of salmon in the Pacific Northwest, and a complex of fruit flies in Hawaii.
Additional Teacher Resources
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Kid’s Corner: Endangered Means There is Still Time
This site is a great interactive resource for introducing students to the basic concepts of endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Endangered Species Program demonstrates how loss of habitat and ecosystems can lead to a decline in biodiversity, and how the Endangered Species Act helps prevent extinction.
Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Conservation & Science: Endangered Species Science
Endangered species are those at immediate risk of going extinct. The primary factors leading to species becoming endangered include habitat loss, pollution, introduction of other species, and overexploitation. This site explores these factors, and others that lead to a species receiving ?endangered’ status, as well as the steps that can be taken toward protection of endangered species.
U.S. Department of State, Language & Civil Society, Environmental Education: Endangered Species
When people hear the word “endangered” most of them think of a large and majestic species, like the African Elephant or a giant Panda. While these species are indeed endangered, the threat of extinction is not limited to these few species. This brief report will aid in showing students the threat of extinction affects nearly every species on the planet.
