25 endangered animals that live only in America | News | wfmz.com - 69News WFMZ-TV
Stacker compiled a list of 25 endangered animals that are only found in the United States using the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species list.
25 endangered animals that only live in America
25 endangered animals that only live in America
Updated
The Endangered Species Act is a landmark conservation law that has brought wildlife threatened by habitat destruction, climate change, and other issues back from the brink of extinction—the iconic Bald Eagle is one of the most well-known examples.
In 2019, the Trump Administration rolled back several major protections outlined in the Endangered Species Act. These changes included banning blanket protections for newly threatened species and allowing cost to be a consideration when evaluating what it would take to save at-risk species. While in office, Trump took more than 100 legislative actions favoring business over the environment. In July 2022, U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar, presiding in Northern California, threw out the Trump-era changes, restoring critical protection for threatened species.
More than 1,300 species in the U.S. are listed as either endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Some of these animals are found nowhere else in the world. Stacker compiled a list of 25 endangered animals that are only found in the United States using the 2022 International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species list.
All animals on this list are classified as either Endangered or Critically Endangered by the IUCN, and classified as either Endangered or Threatened by the federal government. While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service identifies critical habitats and provides legal protections for endangered species, the IUCN helps raise global awareness through data collection, analysis, fieldwork, advocacy, and fundraising.
Salt marsh harvest mouse
Updated
- Scientific name: Reithrodontomys raviventris
- Red List status: Endangered
- Geographic range: California
The salt marsh harvest mouse was found around the Bay Area until relatively recently, but its habitat has become extremely fragmented. Because of human development, populations of the mouse are isolated from one another and cannot breed properly.
Utah prairie dog
Updated
- Scientific name: Cynomys parvidens
- Red List status: Endangered
- Geographic range: Utah
The Utah prairie dog was declared endangered in 1973. However, over the last 30 years, the population has been stable to increasing, and the species is now federally recognized as threatened rather than endangered. Threats like urban expansion, climate change, and resource exploration remain, but the prairie dog has recovered strongly.
Red wolf
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- Scientific name: Canis rufus
- Red List status: Critically endangered
- Geographic range: North Carolina
Red wolves were once found along much of the Southeast, but habitat destruction, hunting, and urban encroachment have dwindled their range to the point that they are only found in North Carolina. They're one of the most endangered canids on Earth. Red wolves are also highly endangered because of interactions with coyotes, which can hurt the species' long-term viability.
Kauai cave wolf spider
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- Scientific name: Adelocosa anops
- Red List status: Endangered
- Geographic range: Hawaii
The Kauai cave wolf spider is a highly unusual spider that can only be found in caves in the Koloa district of Kauai, Hawaii. Wolf spiders usually utilize their vision rather than webs to catch their prey, but the Kauai cave wolf spider is unique because it is eyeless, relying only on swift motion to hunt. Because they have such specific habitat needs, the cave wolf is highly vulnerable to habitat destruction from construction, human visitation, and other sources.
Laysan duck
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- Scientific name: Anas laysanensis
- Red List status: Critically endangered
- Geographic range: Hawaii
Ducks don't immediately come to mind when we consider an endangered species, but this particular one is. The Laysan duck, once found all over the Hawaiian islands, now has a population only found on Laysan Island and on a wildlife refuge at Midway Atoll.
Yosemite toad
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- Scientific name: Anaxyrus canorus
- Red List status: Endangered
- Geographic range: California
The Yosemite toad, endemic to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California, is covered in warts; the females also have splotches all over their bodies. This species of toad walks rather than hops. They are particularly vulnerable to habitat destruction and are estimated to survive in only 50% of the species' historically known habitats.
Gunnison sage-grouse
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- Scientific name: Centrocercus minimus
- Red List status: Endangered
- Geographic range: Colorado, Utah
The Gunnison sage-grouse is an unusual species of bird found only in the Southwest. They face threats from a variety of sources, but their habitat has been largely ravaged by oil and gas drilling. Environmental groups are fighting hard to protect the animal's remaining habitat from further drilling.
Fanshell
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- Scientific name: Cyprogenia stegaria
- Red List status: Critically endangered
- Geographic range: Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia
The Fanshell, a river mussel, has been severely impacted by human activity like dredging, mining, and water pollution. Water conservation activities and erosion prevention are both key to keeping the mussel from disappearing.
Giant kangaroo rat
Updated
- Scientific name: Dipodomys ingens
- Red List status: Endangered
- Geographic range: California
Giant kangaroo rats are the largest species in their family. They got their name because they stand up on their hind feet and hop to move, like a kangaroo. They create complex burrow systems that sometimes have more than five separate entrances. In addition to habitat fragmentation, this species is under threat from rodenticide use in agricultural operations.