Endangered Species Bulletin articles from May 2003

Endangered Species Bulletin archives from May 2003

Conserving wildlife of the Americas: Mexico's strategic role.
May 1, 2003... Mexico's geography is one of the keys to understanding why it comes fourth on the list of the world's biologically "megadiverse" nations--around a dozen countries, mostly in the tropics, that harbor some 70 percent of all the world's biological...

Conservation along the border.
May 1, 2003... Flying, running, hopping, and swimming-back and forth daily or annually, they pay no heed to that imaginary line we know as the U.S.-Mexican border. That describes many species of birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, and an insect (the monarch...

The Kemp's ridley: recovery in the making.
May 1, 2003... The Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) received legal protection in Mexico in the 1960s and in 1970 in the United States. As is often the case, this species' decline began many years before receiving legal protection. A 1951...

Conserving cacti in Mexico.
May 1, 2003... Some of the most attractive plants in the world are the cacti. These plants are associated mainly with deserts, though they can also be found in temperate forests and even in tropical zones. Their adaptations have caught the attention of many...

Black-footed ferrets thrive in Mexico.
May 1, 2003... In September of 2002, biologists from the University of Mexico (UNAM) were unexpectedly treated to a thrilling sight: the discovery of the first wild-born black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) kits in Mexico. These kits were the offspring of...

California condors return to Mexico.
May 1, 2003... After a lengthy absence, California condors (Gymnogyps californianus) have returned to Baja California. The largest bird in North America is now soaring the skies over Mexico for the first time in more than 60 years. The site chosen for this...

Nightly wings, nectar sips.
May 1, 2003... We reached the cave entrance at around 5:00 p.m. At that time, hardly anyone was around the impressive cliff, with striking overhanging vegetation, that contained one of the most species-rich caves in all of Mexico. A young boy approached us...

California red-legged frog: jumping to survival.
May 1, 2003... Once made famous by Mark Twain in "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," the California red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii) is considered the largest native frog in California. During the mid to late 1800s, their large size and...

Binational conservation grows from the ground up.
May 1, 2003... As the survey team moves slowly through the brush, it appears to be stalking an imaginary lizard. Instead, its members are looking for the star cactus (Astrophytum asterias), an endangered plant found in the low elevation semi-arid thorn shrub...

Aquatic life in the Sonoran desert.
May 1, 2003... Nestled in one of the driest parts of the Sonoran desert, a pair of unique and fragile aquatic ecosystems straddles the border between the United States and Mexico: Quitobaquito Springs and the Rio Sonoyta. These permanent water sources have...

Jaguar conservation in the borderlands.
May 1, 2003... It may surprise many people that the jaguar (Panthera onca), the largest cat found in the Western Hemisphere, is native to the United States as well as Central and South America. It was believed to be extirpated from this country until 1996,...

Corridors for migration.
May 1, 2003... The beautiful Cienega Valley in southern Arizona is a perfect example of a viable international wildlife corridor. Located within 20 miles (32 kilometers) of the U.S./Mexico border, it boasts a 9-mile (15-km) long perennial stream and is home...

Pronghorn races against extinction.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... At the U.S./Mexico border in southwestern Arizona, the old "Peligroso/Danger" signs dangling from the barbed wire facing Mexico do little to stop a furtive flood of foot traffic through the unforgiving Sonoran Desert. In fact, this was the grim...

The masked bobwhite at Buenos Aires NWR.
May 1, 2003... The masked bobwhite (Colinus virginianus ridgwayi) is a subspecies of northern bobwhite found primarily in grassy, level areas in the Mexican state of Sonora and in the Altar and Santa Cruz Valleys of southern Arizona. It may never have had a...

Sonoran tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi). (Region 2).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Sonoran Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi) A recovery plan for this endangered salamander was completed and made available to the public in January 2003. The Sonoran tiger salamander, which is endemic to the San Rafael Valley of...

Holy Ghost ipomopsis (Ipomopsis sanctispiritus). (Region 2).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Holy Ghost Ipomopsis (Ipomopsis sanctispiritus) The final recovery plan for the Holy Ghost ipomopsis, an endangered plant known from only one site in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of north-central New Mexico, became available to the public on...

Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). (Region 5).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). The Service's Chesapeake Bay Field Office in Annapolis, Maryland, completed formal consultation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for the replacement of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in accordance...

Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis). (Region 5).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Karner Blue Butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis). The Service's New York Field Office completed formal ESA section 7 consultation with the Federal Aviation Administration regarding the Saratoga County Airport Master Plan Update. The Saratoga...

Correction.
May 1, 2003... Captions in the article, "Landowners are Recognized for Conservation Work" (Bulletin Vol. XXVII, No. 2) should have referred to the Barrens topminnow (Fundulus julisia).

Box score.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... BOX SCORE Listings and Recovery Plans as of April 14, 2003 ENDANGERED THREATENED U.S. TOTAL SPECIES GROUP U.S. FOREIGN...