U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998 June 1998

Teacher’s Packet

To Help Teachers and

Students Learn More About

Endangered Species

threatened desert

tortoise (Gopherus

agassizii)

By Karen Day

Boylan
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

June 1998

Want more information on a particular Fish

and Wildlife Service office, a local

endangered species or endangered species

recovery efforts near you? Please contact the

Regional Office which handles the State(s)

which you are interested in. If they can not

help you, they will gladly direct you to the

nearest local Service office, National

Wildlife Refuge, or in the direction you need.

Region One

Eastside Federal Complex

911 N.E. 11th Avenue

Portland OR 97232-4181

503/231 6118

http://www.r1.fws.gov

Regional Director: Michael J. Spear

Jurisdiction: California, Hawaii, Idaho,

Nevada, Oregon, Washington, American Samoa,

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

Islands, Guam and the Pacific Trust

Territories

Region Two

P.O. Box 1306

500 Gold Avenue

Albuquerque, NM 87103

505/248 6282

http://sturgeon.irm1.r2.fws.gov

Regional Director: Nancy Kaufman

Jurisdiction: Arizona, New Mexico,

Oklahoma, and Texas

Region Three

Bishop Henry Federal Building

One Federal Drive

Ft. Snelling, MN 55111-4056

612/713 5301

http://www.fws.gov/r3pao

Regional Director: William F. Hartwig

Jurisdiction: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan,

Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin

Regional Offices

Region Four

1875 Century Boulevard

Suite 200

Atlanta, GA 30345

404/679 7086

http://www.fws.gov/r4eao

Regional Director: Sam Hamilton

Jurisdiction: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida,

Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana,

Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina,

Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin

Islands

Region Five

300 Westgate Center Drive

Hadley, MA 01035

413/253 8659

http://www.fws.gov/r5fws

Regional Director: Ronald E. Lambertson

Jurisdiction: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine,

Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,

New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode

Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia

Region Six

P.O. Box 25486

Denver Federal Center

Denver CO 80225

303/236 7920

http://www.r6.fws.gov

Regional Director: Ralph O. Morgenweck

Jurisdiction: Colorado, Kansas, Montana,

Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,

and Wyoming

Region Seven

1011 E. Tudor Road

Anchorage, AK 99503

907/786 3542

http://www.r7.fws.gov

Regional Director: David B. Allen

Jurisdiction: Alaska

Washington D.C. Office

Division of Endangered Species

(MS-452 ARLSQ)

1849 C Street, NW

Washington, DC 20240

703/358 2390

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

Director: Jamie Rappaport Clark
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

June 1998

Protecting Endangered Species Helps

Protect a Healthy Environment.

n A healthy environment for wildlife

contributes to a healthy environment for people,

today and tomorrow.

n Protecting endangered species and

biodiversity saves species that may become

important sources of new drugs, medicines, or

foods.

n Endangered species are Nature’s “911”, an

early warning system for pollution and

environmental degradation that may someday

affect human health.

n Endangered species are linked to

environmental quality (for example,

endangered mussels are indicators of poor

water quality).

Why Save Species?

Because protecting endangered

species protects us.

Protecting Endangered Species Helps

Sustain the Local Economy and Provides a

Good Quality of Life.

n States and localities with healthy

environments attract residents and businesses

interested in a good quality of life for their

employees.

n Healthy environments sustain a variety of

jobs (for example, commercial fishing,

tourism, outdoor equipment and clothing. Loss

of forests and degradation of rivers and

streams causes job losses for fishers.)

n Unhealthy environments cost money (for

example, loss of wetlands can increase flooding

and cost millions in flood losses).

n Americans spent $87.8 billion on fish and

wildlife-related recreation in 1996.

n Environmental regulations can help protect

private property rights, because what your

neighbor does on his or her property can affect

your property.

n Some localities celebrate their endangered

species to attract tourist revenue (for example,

the Texas Tropics Nature Festival in McAllen,

TX, is estimated to bring in nearly half a

million dollars to the local economy).

n Look for local examples in your areas

that illustrate how protective measures

for endangered species have contributed to

a healthy economy based on a healthy

environment.

Protecting Endangered Species is a

Fundamental American Value.

n Stewardship for the land and wildlife is a part

of the American tradition, from President

Theodore Roosevelt to the writings of Thoreau

and Aldo Leopold.

n Protecting endangered species saves a part of

America’s natural legacy which we will leave

for future generations to enjoy.

n Major religious organizations have endorsed

protecting endangered species because they

believe in protecting divine creation.

n Americans never turn away from something

that is worth doing, like saving endangered

species, just because it might be tough. They are

proud of saving the bald eagle and look forward

to other successes. They do not like failures and

many Americans regret losses of important

parts of our natural heritage, like the extinction

of the passenger pigeon. This attitude was

summed up best by a child who wrote: “Why

save endangered species? Because we can.”

endangered

Knowlton’s cactus

(Pediocactus

knowltonii)

by Robert J.

Savannah
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

June 1998

Awareness and Understanding—

You and Your Community

n “Adopt” an endangered species native to your

area, find out how you can help conserve it, and

inform the citizens in your community about

your adopted plant of animal with speeches,

newspaper articles, brochures, buttons, signs,

videos, etc.

n Start a school newspaper to tell others about

endangered species.

n Produce Public Service announcements

about environmental issues you care about and

distribute them to the media.

n Conduct a community awareness survey.

Write a newspaper column for a local paper to

educate members of the community about

their environment.

n Sponsor an environmental seminar or

debate for both students and the community.

Topics could include endangered species,

water quality, recycling, composting, and

environmental alternatives to harmful

practices.

n Identify causes of erosion. Develop and

distribute a stream or watershed protection

guide.

You and Your School

What you can do to help conserve

rare, threatened, and endangered

species and their habitats

Habitat Restoration

n Hold a school Arbor Day tree planting.

Invite local officials.

n Replant riverbanks, under supervision,

with native plants to anchor the soil and

provide wildlife habitat.

n Adopt a stream, wetland or watershed.

Monitor water quality and the health of local

plants and animals. Distribute your

findings.

n Participate in river cleanups.

n Plant a garden on your school grounds to

attract wildlife, birds, and butterflies.

n Build homes for bats and birds, and have

the project certified by National Wildlife

Federation’s Backyard Wildlife Habitat

program.

n Adopt an area of your school’s

playground, and then develop a plan to

improve it.

n Conduct a public awareness campaign on

the threats of non-native, invasive or exotic

species. Under proper supervision,

participate in native plant habitat

restoration projects.

Sustainable Use of Earth’s Resources

n Conduct a school energy audit.

Brainstorm ways the school could lower

energy use.

n Challenge other schools in your

community to an energy conservation

contest.

n Establish a school energy committee.

Read energy conservation tips during

morning announcements.

n Conduct a waste audit at school and

identify materials that can be recycled or

re-used.

n Establish a school organic garden, and

teach others the techniques you’ve learned.

n Participate in an annual bird count.

endangered

red-cockaded

woodpecker

(Picoides borealis)

by Robert J.

Savannah
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998

ESA Basics

Over 25 years of protecting

endangered species

Introduction

When the Endangered Species Act (ESA)

was passed in 1973, it represented

America’s concern about the decline of

many wildlife species around the world. It is

regarded as one of the most comprehensive

wildlife conservation laws in the world.

The purpose of the ESA is to conserve “the

ecosystems upon which endangered and

threatened species depend” and to conserve

and recover listed species. Under the law,

species may be listed as either

“endangered” or “threatened”. Endangered

means a species is in danger of extinction

throughout all or a significant portion of its

range. Threatened means a species is likely

to become endangered within the

foreseeable future. All species of plants and

animals, except pest insects, are eligible for

listing as endangered or threatened.

As of December 31, 1997, 1,125 U.S. species

are listed, of which 457 are animals and 668

are plants. The list includes both U.S. and

foreign species and covers mammals, birds,

reptiles, amphibians, fishes, snails, clams/

mussels, crustaceans, insects, arachnids,

and plants. Groups with the most listed

species are (in order) plants, birds, fishes,

mammals, and clams/mussels.

to receive appropriations while Congress

considers reauthorization, allowing

conservation actions for threatened and

endangered species to continue.

The ESA

The Endangered Species Act is a complex

law with a great deal of built-in flexibility.

Some basics of the law include:

Purpose

When Congress passed the Endangered

Species Act in 1973, it recognized that many of

our nation’s native plants and animals were in

danger of becoming extinct. They further

expressed that our rich natural heritage was of

“esthetic, ecological, educational, recreational,

and scientific value to our Nation and its

people.” The purposes of the Act are to protect

these endangered and threatened species and to

provide a means to conserve their ecosystems.

Federal Agencies

All federal agencies are to protect species and

preserve their habitats. Federal agencies must

utilize their authorities to conserve listed

species and make sure that their actions do not

jeopardize the continued existence of listed

species. The FWS and the National Marine

Fisheries Service work with other agencies to

plan or modify federal projects so that they will

have minimal impact on listed species and

their habitat.

Working with States

The protection of species is also achieved

through partnerships with the States. Section 6

of the law encourages each State to develop and

maintain conservation programs for resident

federally-listed threatened and endangered

species. Federal financial assistance and a

system of incentives are available to attract

State participation. Some State laws and

regulations are even more restrictive in

granting exceptions or permits than the

current ESA.

threatened bald eagle

(Haliaeetus

leucocephalus)

by Karen Day Boylan

The law is administered by the Interior

Department’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service (FWS) and the Commerce

Department’s National Marine Fisheries

Service. The FWS has primary

responsibility for terrestrial and freshwater

organisms, while the National Marine

Fisheries Service’s responsibilities are

mainly for marine species such as salmon

and whales.

Legislative History

The 1973 Endangered Species Act replaced

earlier laws enacted in 1966 and 1969, which

provided for a list of endangered species but

gave them little meaningful protection. The

1973 law has been reauthorized seven times and

amended on several occasions, most recently in

1988. The Endangered Species Act was due for

reauthorization again in 1993, but legislation to

reauthorize it has not yet been enacted. The

Endangered Species program has continued
January 1998

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

June 1998

Local Involvement

The protection of federally listed species on

Federal lands is the first priority of the FWS,

yet, many species occur partially, extensively

or, in some cases, exclusively on private lands.

Policies and incentives have been developed to

protect private landowners’ interests in their

lands while encouraging them to manage their

lands in ways that benefit endangered species.

Much of the progress in recovery of

endangered species can be attributed to

public support and involvement.

Listing

Species are listed on the basis of “the best

scientific and commercial data available.”

Listings are made solely on the basis of the

species’ biological status and threats to its

existence. The FWS decides all listings using

sound science and peer review to ensure the

accuracy of the best available data.

Candidate Species

The FWS also maintains a list of “candidate”

species. These are species for which the

Service has enough information to warrant

proposing them for listing as endangered or

threatened, but these species have not yet been

proposed for listing. The FWS works with

States and private partners to carry out

conservation actions for candidate species to

prevent their further decline and possibly

eliminate the need to list them as

endangered or threatened.

Recovery

The law’s ultimate goal is to “recover” species

so they no longer need protection under the

Endangered Species Act. The law provides for

recovery plans to be developed describing the

steps needed to restore a species to health.

Appropriate public and private agencies and

institutions and other qualified persons assist

in the development and implementation of

recovery plans. The Clinton Administration

has issued new guidelines requiring the

involvement of the public and interested

“stakeholders” in recovery plans. Recovery

teams may be appointed to develop and

implement recovery plans.

Consultation

The law requires federal agencies to consult

with the Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure

that the actions they authorize, fund, or carry

out will not jeopardize listed species. In the

relatively few cases where the FWS

determines the proposed action will jeopardize

the species, they must issue a “biological

opinion” offering “reasonable and prudent

alternatives” about how the proposed action

could be modified to avoid jeopardy to listed

species. It is a very rare exception where

projects are withdrawn or terminated because

of jeopardy to a listed species.

Critical Habitat

The law provides for designation of “critical

habitat” for listed species when judged to be

“prudent and determinable”. Critical habitat

includes geographic areas “on which are found

those physical or biological features essential

to the conservation of the species and which

may require special management

considerations or protection.” Critical habitat

may include areas not occupied by the species

at the time of listing but that are essential to the

conservation of the species. Critical habitat

designations affect only federal agency actions

or federally funded or permitted activities.

International Species

The Endangered Species Act is the law that

implements U.S. participation in the

Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

(CITES), a 130-nation agreement designed to

prevent species from becoming endangered or

extinct because of international trade. The law

prohibits trade in listed species except under

CITES permits.

Exemptions

The law provides a process for exempting

development projects from the restrictions of

the Endangered Species Act. This process

permits completion of projects that have been

determined to jeopardize the survival of a

listed species, if a Cabinet-level “Endangered

Species Committee” decides the benefits of the

project clearly outweigh the benefits of

conserving a species. Since its creation in 1978,

the Committee has only been called upon four

times to make this decision.

Habitat Conservation Plans

This provision of the ESA is designed to

relieve restrictions on private landowners who

want to develop land inhabited by endangered

species. Private landowners who develop and

implement an approved “habitat

conservation plan” providing for

conservation of the species can receive an

“incidental take permit” that allows their

development project to go forward.

Definition of “Take”

Section 9 of the Endangered Species Act

makes it unlawful for a person to “take” a listed

species. The Act says “The term take means to

harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill,

trap, capture, or collect or attempt to engage in

any such conduct.” The Secretary of the

Interior, through regulations, defined the term

“harm” in this passage as “an act which

actually kills or injures wildlife. Such act may

include significant habitat modification or

degradation where it actually kills or injures

wildlife by significantly impairing essential

behavioral patterns, including breeding,

feeding, or sheltering.”

Compliance with Other Laws

The Endangered Species Act is not the only law

to protect species of wild mammals, birds,

reptiles, amphibians and fishes, clams, snails,

insects, spiders, crustaceans, and plants. There

are many other laws with enforcement

provisions to protect declining populations of

rare species and their habitat, such as the

Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Migratory

Bird Treaty Act, and the Anadromous Fish

Conservation Act. The Lacey Act makes it a

federal crime for any person to import, export,

transport, sell, receive, acquire, possess, or

purchase any fish, wildlife, or plant taken,

possessed transported or sold in violation of

any Federal, State, foreign or Indian tribal law,

treaty, or regulation.

For More Information

For additional information about threatened

and endangered species and current recovery

efforts, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service at 703/358 2171 or 800/344 WILD.

Additional materials and the current U.S. List

of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and

Plants is also available over the Internet at

<http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/

endspp.html>.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

June 1998

Myths and Realities of the

Endangered Species Act

Myth: Extinction is a “natural”

process and we should not worry

about it.

Reality: Extinction is a normal process, but the

current extinction rate is not. The environment

is changing so rapidly that species have no time

to adapt. Since the pilgrims landed at Plymouth

Rock 365 years ago, more than 500 North

American species have become extinct. That is

more than one species becoming extinct each

year. Scientists estimate that natural

extinction rates are one species lost every 100

years!

Myth: The Endangered Species Act is

causing loss of jobs and economic

devastation in many areas of the

country.

Reality: Economists from the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology analyzed the economic

impact of endangered species. They found that

states with many listed species have

economies that were at least as healthy as those

with very few endangered species. Even in the

Pacific Northwest, where logging restrictions

were imposed, in part, because of the northern

spotted owl, the regional economy is booming.

Three years after the curtailment of logging in

Federal forests, Oregon posted its lowest

unemployment rate in a generation.

Myth: Thousands of private citizens

have been prosecuted for harming or

killing endangered species, even

when killing occurred accidentally.

Reality: Most of the people prosecuted under

the Endangered Species Act are illegal

wildlife traffickers who illegally and

knowingly collect rare wildlife and plants to

sell for personal profit.

Myth: Many irresolvable conflicts with

endangered species occur every year,

stopping many valuable projects and

hindering progress.

Reality: Of the 225,403 projects that were

reviewed from 1979 to 1996, only 37

development projects were halted. That is one

project stopped per 6,092 projects reviewed. In

most cases, projects that were halted did

proceed once the project design was modified to

avoid endangering a species.

Myth: Billions of tax dollars are being

spent on endangered species.

Reality: In FY 1996, the annual budget for the

nationwide endangered species program was

approximately $.06 billion. This amounts to an

average of 23 cents per person in the United

States. By comparison, Americans spent over

$8.2 billion in 1992 on pets, pet food and pet

supplies and the amount has grown since then

(U.S. Bureau of the Census, Statistical

Abstract of the U.S. 1997).

Myth: Most endangered species are

worthless, insignificant, lower forms of

life that have no value to humanity.

Reality: Size and emotional appeal have no

bearing on a species’ importance. Aldo Leopold,

the father of wildlife management, said it well

in his book The Sand County Almanac:

“The last word in ignorance is the

man who says of an animal or plant:

‘What good is it?’ If the land

mechanisms as a whole is good, then

every part is good, whether we

understand it or not. If the biota, in the

course of aeons, has built something we

like but do not understand, then who but a

fool would discard seemingly useless

parts? To keep every cog and wheel is

the first precaution of intelligent

tinkering.”

Remember that pencillin was discovered from

a mold!

Annual American Expenditures (for 1996)

$ Billions

*The World Almanac & Book of Facts 1998, K-III Reference Corp., 1997.

**U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Jewelry* Cosmetics* Movie tickets* T&E species**

0

10

20

30

40

50
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

June 1998

All of the plants and animals on the

endangered species list got there because

they were in serious trouble. The most

common threat to all endangered species is

loss of habitat. But since the enactment of

the Endangered Species Act of 1973, nearly

40 percent of all the listed species have seen

a measure of improvement, either through

captive breeding, habitat rehabilitation,

successful reintroduction or population

increase. Here are a few species you may

recognize which have been helped by the

special protection of the Endangered

Species Act:

Aleutian Canada Goose

Numbered between 200 and 300 when listed in

1967, the population today exceeds 7,900. Found

in Alaska, California, Oregon and Washington,

the species was reclassified from endangered

to threatened in 1990.

Brown Pelican

The brown pelican is considered the first avian

species to recover from the effects of DDT and

other pesticides on its nesting success. In 1985,

brown pelican populations on the Atlantic Coast

of the U.S. (including Florida and Alabama) had

recovered so that the species could be removed

from the ESA protection in that part of

its range.

Gray Whale

The eastern population of the Pacific gray

whale has doubled since it was listed; the whale

now supports a thriving whale tour business in

Southern California and was declared fully

recovered and removed from the endangered

species list in 1994 by the National Marine

Fisheries Service.

Virginia Big-Eared Bat

Known population levels of the Virginia bigeared bat have increased tenfold since the

bat’s listing in 1979, from 1,300 to more than

13,000 and population increases have

remained steady.

Protection from disturbance during

migration, such as the gating of some caves,

has improved the status of the bat, known to

consume their own weight in insects in a

single day.

Gray Wolf

The gray wolf population has increased

since the species’ listing as endangered in

1967 for the lower 48 states, except of

Minnesota. In 1995, 31 Canadian wolves

were released into Yellowstone National

Park, and in 1996 another 35 wolves were

released into central Idaho. In 1997, the

Fish and wildlife Service announced that

since the introduced wolves were doing so

well, no further introductions should

be necessary.

Small-whorled Pogonia

Residential and commercial development

have been the primary threats to this rare

pogonia. However, since the plant’s listing,

State and municipal conservation efforts and

private landowner contributions have

afforded permanent protection for the

largest-known population of this plant,

allowing it to be reclassified as threatened.

Bald Eagle

America’s national symbol was decimated

by the ingestion of DDT, habitat loss, and

illegal shooting. By 1967, only 417 nesting

pairs remained. Today, there are more than

4,000 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states. In

1995, the Fish and Wildlife Service moved to

reclassify the bald eagle from endangered to

threatened throughout the lower 48 states.

Greenback Cutthroat Trout

Listed as endangered in 1967, the greenback

cutthroat trout was reclassified as threatened

in 1978. It has since been restored to more than

40 lakes and streams in Colorado. This species

could be removed from the list by the year 2000.

Black-Footed Ferret

Once thought to be extinct, the black-footed

ferret was rediscovered in 1981 near Wyoming.

A successful captive breeding program has

increased the population from 18 to more than

300. In 1991, a reintroduction program was

launched in Wyoming, with later releases in

Arizona, Montana, and South Dakota. Now, there

are young born in the wild too!

Success Stories Made

Possible by the ESA

endangered brown

pelican (Pelecanus

occidentalis)

by Robert Savannah
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998

Where Can I Find It?

Beginner’s Guide to the

Endangered Species Home Page

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

Welcome to our Home Page!

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

Information Items in Our Web Site

Include:

n the U.S. List of Endangered and Threatened

Wildlife and Plants, updated monthly;

n Species accounts and images;

n Proposed and candidate species information;

n the Boxscore, which is a count of endangered

species listings and recovery plans by species

group;

n Maps;

n The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as

amended through the 100th Congress;

n Policies;

n State counts and lists;

n Frequently asked questions;

n Contact information;

n Recovery activities;

n the Endangered Species Bulletin;

n A gallery of ecosystem photos;

n Links to other sources of information;

n “Endangered Means There’s Still Time”

slide show; and

n A Kids’ Corner, featuring resource lists,

activities and a teacher’s guide.

Can I Find Information

About Individual Species?

Yes. For each species on the U.S. List of

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and

Plants (a.k.a. the List), a separate species

profile is available that gives information

about range, date of listing, critical habitat,

special rules, Federal Register citations,

and availability of approved recovery plans.

In addition, you’ll find linked files for many

species, containing other biological and

management information, images, and links

to other Web sites where additional

information can be found. Our goal is to

have a reference page for each endangered

and threatened species! Future plans

include species accounts (fact sheets) for all

listed species, completion of an endangered

species image library, and a complete index

of recovery plan titles by species.

How Should I Begin?

The best way to learn more about this new

electronic library of endangered species

information is to check it out yourself. The

FWS World Wide Web address is: http://

www.fws.gov. From the comfort of your own

computer or at an Internet seat at a public

library, simply use your own Internet

browser and type

http://www.fws.gov

at the Document Location prompt. This will

bring you to the Fish and Wildlife Service’s

general information and welcome page.

Click on Endangered Species in the table.

You will automatically be taken to the

Endangered Species Home Page.

Can I See the List of Threatened and

Endangered Species?

Yes. From the Endangered Species Home Page,

select Listed Species Indexes & Counts

under the Species Information section. Then

choose from the categories: vertebrate

animals (mammals, birds, reptiles,

amphibians, and fishes); invertebrate animals

(clams, snails, insects, arachnids, and

crustaceans); non-flowering plants;

flowering plants; or by FWS Region (Pacific,

Southwest, Great-Lakes, etc).

For example, say that you are looking for

information on the bald eagle, our national bird.

Select Listed Species Indexes & Counts, then

choose Index - Vertebrate Animals, then click

on Birds. You will be given an alphabetical

listing of birds on the U.S. list. This list

indicates the lead FWS region, what the

species’ federal status is (“E” is for

endangered, “T” is for threatened, “XN” for

nonessential experimental population, “E [or

T] (S/A)” for similarity of appearance to a

listed species, “XE” for an essential

experimental population”), the common name

of the species, and the scientific name. You will

endangered Tooth

Cave spider

(Neoleptoneta

myopica)

by Karen Day

Boylan
January 1998

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

June 1998

find information on the bald eagle under

Eagle, bald. If you click on the scientific

name, in this example: Haliaeetus

leucocephalus, a profile of the bald eagle’s

listing will be displayed, which includes

when it was listed, whether there is a

recovery plan for this species or not, where

the species is likely to be found (State and

other countries), and other information.

Some species, such as the bald eagle, also

have an asterisk (*) before the scientific

name. If you click on the *, you will be taken

to what we call the “hub file” for the

species. This file links to other sites with

materials on this particular species such as

fact pages, recovery plans, press releases,

State web sites, etc.

Can I Print the List?

Yes. You can print out the List as it appears

on your screen (type will be very small), or

you can view and print the entire List in

exactly the same format (PDF) as it

appears in the official edition published by

the Government Printing Office.

To print the List or get the file in PDF

format, get to the Endangered Species

Home Page. Scroll down and click on The

List & Database Files for Download under

the Species Information section. Because

the List is large, it is divided into Animals,

Plants and Delisted species. The first

grouping is to download, view and print the

file in PDF format. The second group is for

printing or downloading the List in ASCII

text format.

Looking at the List in PDF Format

To view and print these files as they appear

on the official Government Printing Office

publication, you will need to download

Acrobat Reader software, which is available

for free via this web page. To get Acrobat

Reader, click on Adobe, Inc. and follow

the instructions.

Please remember, when downloading the file

to your computer, make sure when naming

your document that you

give it the PDF

extension.

endangered Mauna

Kea silversword

(Argyroxiphium

sandwicense spp.

sandwicense)

by Karen Day Boylan

Can I Search for a Species?

If you want to go quickly to a specific

species, there is a search capability for this

web page. From the Endangered Species

Home Page, select Species Links, Accounts

& Images Search from the left column.

Enter either the common or scientific name.

Click Search. A list of matching records will

be provided. Click in the htmlLink column

on the one which most closely resembles

your request.

You will be taken to the file about that

particular species. A picture will be shown

if one is available. Links to other Internet

sources which describe the species will also

be provided, if available.

How Many Species Are in My State and

Which Ones?

From our home page, you can also find out how

many federally-listed threatened and

endangered species are in your State. To see a

map with a total by state, select State Counts,

under the Species Information section. A map

will display with the current distribution of

federally-listed species by State /territory.

To see which species are in a particular

State, from the Species Information section

on the Endangered Species Home Page,

select State List. The list is organized by

FWS Region (Pacific, Southwest, Great

Lakes, etc). A list of which States are found

in that region is provided to make it easier

for you to select the region you want. Once

you select it, then the list for each State in

that region will be displayed.

Can I Find Other Links and Information

Sources?

A hotlist of sites relevant to the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service’s mission, along with

other search engines, is also available via

our Help page, or at “http://www.fws.gov/

hotlist.html”. You may find that clicking on

our endangered species Guide to Other

Related Information is useful, too. It is

located at “http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/

sites.html”.

Reports & Plans

You can also use the Fish and Wildlife

Reference Service (FWRS) to request, for a

nominal fee, copies of reports produced by

State fish and wildlife agencies. These reports

are the results of research studies supported

by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act

and Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act

funding. FWRS also provides access to reports

produced by the Anadromous Fish

Conservation Program, the Endangered

Species Grant Program, and the Cooperative

Fish and Wildlife Research Units.

Please note that endangered species recovery

plans are available through this service. To

order a copy, follow the instructions located at

“http://www.fws.gov/fwrefser.html”.

Information for Kids and Teachers

The newest feature to our home page is a Kids

Corner. From this page, junior fish and wildlife

biologists, the public, and you can do a

endangered species crossword puzzle, learn of

ways to help save the environment, make your

own Risky Creatures game, look at or print

FWS fact pages on a particular species

(called biologues), check out the

“Endangered Means There’s Still Time”

slide show, view the Mauna Kea silversword

family album through the Creature

Features! section, and link to other

educational resource materials on the Web

through the Hey Teachers! and Where Can

I Find It? sections.

Still Confused?

Still looking for specific information which

you can’t find? Send us an e-mail message. Our

Internet E-mail address is

“R9FWE_DES.BIM@mail.fws.gov”. Also,

please send us a message if you have

suggestions or comments regarding our home

page. We are always looking for ways to make it

more useful to you.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

June 1998

OK, Junior Fish and Wildlife Biologists, it’s time to test your knowledge.

Endangered Species

Crossword Puzzle

ACROSS

1. our national symbol, an endangered species

success story

3. ultimate goal, for every species, of the

Endangered Species Act

4. . . . is a word that means gone forever. Kaput.

Finito.

5. word meaning a species could become

endangered in forseeable future

7. the abbreviation for the Endangered Species

Act

8. troubled shellfish in America’s streams

9. loss of a species’ home, or its ________, is the

biggest threat

10. an acronym for the fish/wildlife federal

agency that protects endangered species &

habitats and manages the National Wildlife

Refuge System

DOWN

1. a new word meaning the vast variety of life in

all its forms

2. word meaning “in immediate danger of

extinction”

6. these species invade, and crowd the native

species

1

10

3

4

5

8

9

2

6 7 
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

June 1998

OK, you gave it your best try. Here are the answers.

7. the abbreviation for the Endangered Species

Act

8. troubled shellfish in America’s streams

9. loss of a species’ home, or its ________, is the

biggest threat

10. an acronym for the fish/wildlife federal

agency that protects endangered species &

habitats and manages the National Wildlife

Refuge System

DOWN

1. a new word meaning the vast variety of life in

all its forms

2. word meaning “in immediate danger of

extinction”

6. these species invade, and crowd the native

species

Endangered Species

Crossword Puzzle

Puzzle Answer Key

1

10

3

4

5

8

9

2

6 7 

B

R R

R

R

R

A

0

0

0

T T 

T 

T 

T 

T 

T 

S S 

S 

S S 

S 

C 

C 

C 

I

I

I

I

I I

A

A A

A

A

L D

D

D

D

N N

N

W

H

H B

U

U

F

M L

N

X N

X

V

V

Y

Y

D

E A G

G

L E

E E E E

E

E

E E

E

ACROSS

1. our national symbol, an endangered species

success story

3. ultimate goal, for every species, of the

Endangered Species Act

4. . . . is a word that means gone forever. Kaput.

Finito.

5. word meaning a species could become

endangered in foreseeable future
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

June 1998

OK, Junior Fish and Wildlife Biologists, it’s time to test your knowledge again!

Endangered Species

Crossword Puzzle 2

ACROSS

1. “_______ Means There’s Still Time”

3. a species which is vulnerable but not yet

in immediate danger of extinction

6. elected body that passes legislation such

as the Endangered Species Act

7. areas of habitat believed essential to the

conservation of an endangered or threatened

species

8. plants and animals which are not yet

proposed for listing as threatened or

endangered

10. the Act’s abbreviation

DOWN

2. choices in your course of action

4. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists

determine that a species is in __________ when

a federal action would reduce the likelihood of a

endangered or threatened species to survival

and recover in the wild.

5. the ultimate goal of the Endangered

Species Act

8. acronym for the 130-nation agreement

which regulates the exporting and importing

in endangered species of wild fauna or flora

9. the legal term for any harassing,

harming, or otherwise hurting of a

threatened or endangered species

1

10

3 4

5

8 9

2

7 

6 
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

June 1998

OK, you gave it your best try. Here are the answers.

Endangered Species

Crossword Puzzle 2

Puzzle Answer Key

ACROSS

1. “_______ Means There’s Still Time”

3. a species which is vulnerable but not yet

in immediate danger of extinction

6. elected body that passes legislation such

as the Endangered Species Act

7. areas of habitat believed essential to the

conservation of an endangered or

threatened species

5. the ultimate goal of the Endangered

Species Act

8. acronym for the 130-nation agreement

which regulates the exporting and importing

in endangered species of wild fauna or flora

9. the legal term for any harassing,

harming, or otherwise hurting of a

threatened or endangered species

1

10

3 4

5

8 9

2

7 

6 

E N D A N G E R E D

L

T

E

R

N

A

T

I

V

E

S

T H R E A E N E D

R C O N G E S S

E

C

O

V

E

R

Y

R I T I C L H A B I T A T

J

E

O

P

R

D

Y

T

A

K

E S A E

C

I

T

S

A N D D A E

8. plants and animals which are not yet proposed

for listing as threatened or endangered

10. the Act’s abbreviation

DOWN

2. choices in your course of action

4. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists

determine that a species is in __________ when

a federal action would reduce the likelihood of a

endangered or threatened species to survival

and recover in the wild.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

June 1998

OK, Junior Fish and Wildlife Biologists, try and find all the words listed below. Warning: Words may be backwards, upside-down and diagonal in

this word search!

Endangered Species

Word Find

WORDS TO FIND:

amphibians

arachnids

biodiversity

birds

clams mussels

conifers

conservation

cycads

endangered

ferns

fishes

flowering plant

habitat

insects

jeopardy

lichens

mammals

recovery

reptiles

snails

species

threatened

endangered

green sea turtle

(Chelonia mydas)

By Robert J.

Savannah
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

June 1998

OK, Junior Fish and Wildlife Biologists, how did you do? Now, try to find a picture of each of the words listed below. Remember, you can always get

on the Internet and check out our endangered species web page at <http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html>. We have lots of pictures

on our web site for you to choose from!

Endangered Species

Word Find

Puzzle Answer Key

WORDS TO FIND:

amphibians

arachnids

biodiversity

birds

clams mussels

conifers

conservation

cycads

endangered

ferns

fishes

flowering plant

habitat

insects

jeopardy

lichens

mammals

recovery

reptiles

snails

species

threatened

endangered

green sea turtle

(Chelonia mydas)

By Robert J.

Savannah
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

June 1998

Are you a sagacious scientist or a laser-witted

layperson? Barrage your brain with a battery of

beastly biology questions bound to bolster your

blossoming knowledge! Play this game by

setting up a game board, see following page, then

choose a category and a point value (the more

points, the more difficult the question).

Challenge a partner to play!

Points and Questions

Category: Birds

10 I am our national symbol. My recovery has

been so successful that I have been

downlisted from ‘endangered’ to ‘threatened.’

What am I?

20 I am the fastest bird in the world. I can dive

at 200 miles per hour! What am I?

30 I’m a large white, long-necked bird that was

down to 20 left in 1941. Today there are about

300 of us because of the help we get from

people who care. I like to dance and migrate

long distances. What am I?

40 I’m the largest North American bird. I

weigh 25 lbs and look like a vulture with my

9.5 foot wing span. There are fewer than two

dozen of me in the wild, but biologists are

raising more of us in captivity. What am I?

50 I have a huge beak that holds lots of fish, and

I love to dive out of the sky for them. I’ve

been removed from the endangered species

list because I’ve recovered. What am I?

Category: Mammals

10 I weigh about 1200 lbs and swim in

Florida’s warm waters. Early

sailors mistook me for a mermaid,

but close-up I look like a walrus

without tusks. What am I?

Risky Critters!

Build & Play Your Own Game

20 I am a big predatory cat that lives in the

Florida Everglades. There are only about

50 of us left. What am I?

30 I travel in packs and have recently returned

to Yellowstone National Park. I’m usually

gray, but can be brown, black, white, or a

combination of these colors. What am I?

40 Poachers kill this huge striped cat for its

body parts. The bones are ground up and

dried and used for medicines in Asia. Claws

are used in jewelry. Fewer than 5,000 remain

worldwide. What is it?

50 Black, white, Indian or greater one-horned,

Javan and Sumatran. Poachers kill me for

my horn, which is carved into dagger

handles. Less than 12,000 of us huge,

nearsighted herbivores are left. What am I?

Category: Crawl, Hop, Swim, and Grow

10 This large reptile was nearly wiped out by

trade in its valuable skin, but has recovered

and was taken off the endangered species

list. What is it?

20 I am slow-moving and I live in the desert. I

can live to be more than 100 years old. I

carry my shell with me, and like to

live underground where it’s cooler. What am

I?

30 These amphibians have declined globally to

the point where biologists are concerned

about ozone depletion in the atmosphere.

What are they?

40 Inflated heelsplitter, Arkansas fatmucket,

speckled pocketbook, fine-rayed pigtoe.

What are they?

50 What do more than 457 animals and 668

plants have in common?

Category: Endangered! Recovered!

10 If this happens, a species will be gone

forever. What is this word?

20 What is the law that protects plants and

animals that are in danger of disappearing

forever?

30 What word means “any species which is in

danger of extinction throughout all or a

significant part of its range”?

40 What is the ultimate goal of the

Endangered Species Act?

50 What do habitat loss, introduced species,

pollution, population growth, and overconsumption of resources do to fish,

wildlife and plants?

endangered

gray wolf

(Canis lupus)

By Karen Day

Boylan
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

June 1998

Materials List

40 sheets of paper (8.5” x 11”)

10 transparencies/protector sheets (8.5” x

11”, cut in half)

1 poster size foam core board (20” x 40”)

Tape

Questions/Answers

Risky Critters!

Answers and Directions

Points and Answers

Category: Birds

10 bald eagle.

20 peregrine falcon.

30 whooping crane.

40 California condor.

50 brown pelican.

Category: Crawl, Hop, Swim & Grow

10 alligator.

20 desert tortoise.

30 frogs.

40 endangered and threatened mussels.

50 This is the number of species are on the

U.S. List of Endangered and Threatened

Wildlife and Plants (as of 12/31/97).

Category: Mammals

10 Florida manatee.

20 Florida panther.

30 gray wolf.

40 tiger.

50 rhinoceros.

Category: Endangered! Recovered!

10 extinction.

20 The Endangered Species Act.

30 endangered.

40 recovery.

50 They cause species to become endangered.

How to build your own “Risky Critters!”

gameboard

1. Write out the question on top half of a sheet of

paper. Write answers on bottom half of the

sheet. Fold in half.

Tape folded question/answer sheet to foam core

board.

2. Write point value of question on top half of

another piece of paper. Fold in half.

Tape folded point value sheet above question/

answer sheet. (You could make some “double

point” questions by writing “double points” on

bottom half of point value sheet.)

3. If using in bad weather, tape plastic protector

sheet above that (transparencies work well).

4. Arrange in same pattern as the game board

layout (next page).

7. Have fun!

question

(fold under)

answer

side view

3. Tape plastic protector

 sheet on top.

4. Tape all 3 sheets from one joint.

2. Then tape folded sheet with

points on front. (You could

make some “double point”

questions by writing “double

points” on back.)

1. Tape folded sheet with

question on front, answer on

bottom half, to foam core board.

Foam core

fold line

Side view of game board:
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

January 1998

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html

June 1998

Risky Critters!

Game Board

Birds Mammals Crawl, Hop, Swim & Grow Endangered! Recovered!

10

20

304050

10 10 10

20 20 20

30 30 30

40 40 40

50 50 50