Of the 9,934 extant bird species in the world 2,193 (22%) are threatened with extinction and are priorities for urgent conservation (Reference: 2012 IUCN Red List). In the “Vulnerable” category 727 species face a high risk of extinction in the wild. Loss of habitat is one of the biggest causes, but there is also an […]
“Weaners” get a second chance!
The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California plays a critical role in the survival of many marine mammals along the northern and central California coast. Founded in 1975 on a former Nike Missile site in the Marin Headlands, it took in its first seven patients. Much has changed since then and the Center is now […]
Back To Cooler Garden Days of June ~ Roses, Mauves, Reds and Bluebird Broods
July has been a sultry mix so far with last night’s “humiture” becoming more bearable or wearable I might say. I find it amusing that a former weatherman and gardener of the nameGeorge Winterling developed what we know as the ‘heat index’ . . . where the temperature of the air and that of the […]
Three Strikes You’re out in the Old… Great… Plains!
The first strike against the Great Plains in recorded times was the decimation of the American bison in the 19th Century. The second strike was not from a pitch, but rather the plow and the resulting widespread conversion of native grasslands to crops. The third strike, being delivered now, is the massive drilling and fracking […]
Iberian lynx may not survive in the changing climate
The Iberian lynx – one of the world’s rarest wild cats may disappear from the face of the earth within the next 50 years, despite millions of dollars spent on conservation efforts. In the early 2000’s the species was already on the brink of extinction with only around 100 animals left in the wild. The […]
Bat killing WNS fungus confirmed in Arkansas
A fungus that leads to a deadly disease that has killed almost seven million bats in the US is continuing its spread westwards, results have shown. Officials said the disease had been confirmed in Arkansas after samples tested positive for the fungus known to cause white-nose syndrome (WNS). To date, there is no known vaccine […]
VOTE for the Best Photo of the Week 03 Aug 2013
During the last week our members have again entered some outstanding top-ranking wildlife images for the “Best Photo of the Week” competition. Click on the first image and then page through the slideshow. Please select the three images you like best of all and VOTE for them at the bottom of this page. Voting will […]
Atlantic Ghost Crab
I met this little crab on a beach in Cape May, New Jersey. It’s Ocypoda quadrata, called a ghost crab or sand crab. The Latin name Ocypoda means “fast-footed,” and quadrata describes the rectangular shape of its carapace, or back. It is pale like a ghost, and camouflaged to blend with the sand. It is […]