Media 

Hidden within the vast jungles and waterways of Central and South America lives one of the rarest and threatened canines on Earth.  In an ironic twist, the most abundant canine on the planet is now helping biologists seek out this elusive small carnivore to save the remaining population before extinction.  But first, what exactly is a bush dog? 

One of the biggest environments that is the focus of many conservation efforts is the ocean. We spoke before about how plastics are affecting the ocean (if you missed it, you can read about it here), but what else affects the health of our marine ecosystems?

During World War II, the US military was seeking ways to ensure a backup emergency food supply was available to personnel stationed in Hawaii.  One of the potential food sources investigated was the Giant African land snail (Achatina fulica), a large pulmonate (air-breathing) gastropod native to East Africa.  Measuring up to 2.8 inches high and nearly 8 inches long, this huge snail is commonly used in diets and medicinal practices around the world.  Unfortunately, the popularity of this species has now made it the most invasive snail in the world, causing agricultural and ecological devastation globally. 

Keeping endemic species around is important. Many of them are endangered due to habitat loss and other human actions. They’re important to save not just because they’re unique to a particular area, but because they are important to maintaining biodiversity, too.

Coyotes are in the same family as wolves, the Canidae family. These canids may look similar to wolves at first glance, but they have some significant differences. They are smaller in size and have thinner features than wolves do, like their ears and their muzzle.

These animals are known for their adaptability. 

Although the Mojave Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) outlived the dinosaurs, can live in deserts reaching 140 F, go an entire year without a drink, and must enter dormancy for most of the year to survive, these ancient reptiles are still struggling to overcome new threats of human disturbances and climate change.

Conservation requires a lot of time, work, and money. A lot of time is spent tracking and studying species and their habitats so that we know how they’re being affected by our own actions as humans, by poaching, by global warming, and to get more data to make better-educated decisions on how to help our environment.

Luckily, as technology advances, we’re able to gather more information easily.

A group of scientists urged the Biden administration Thursday to restore legal protections for gray wolves, saying their removal earlier this year was premature and that states are allowing too many of the animals to be killed.

Did you know that lions are the only social big cats? Besides mothers with their offspring, other cats are solitary. Why is that? Why are some carnivores solitary and others more social?

Conservation canines are also working to help the most endangered mammal overcome their pandemic plague.  Dogs may just be the key to the third resurrection of the Black-footed ferret species and their continued survival.