The North Atlantic right whale is one of the world’s most endangered whales. Once common along the eastern U.S. seaboard, the whale was hunted to near-extinction by the 1750s. While no longer pursued ...

DESCRIPTION: The giant Palouse earthworm can reach three feet or more in length, has light-pink skin, and emits a unique, sweet fragrance. HABITAT: This species inhabits permanent or semipermanent ...

A sweeping look across southeastern California's Algodones Dunes betrays little but a wide expanse of rolling dunes and deep-blue desert sky. But just at and beneath the surface of the shifting sands, ...

A stealthy, cat-sized forest carnivore in the weasel family, the Humboldt marten (once/also called the coastal marten) is so rare that it was thought extinct until rediscovered in 1996. Now, due to ...

Snake-killing contests, aka rattlesnake roundups, are contests calling for hunters to bring in as many snakes as they can catch in a year — and then slaughter them. Some snakes' bodies are sold for ...

Critical habitat is key to the survival of endangered species. In fact, a study by the Center found, plants and animals with federally protected critical habitat are more than twice as likely to be ...

Remote and roadless Conglomerate Mesa, adjacent to Death Valley National Park, is under threat from mining interests. The Bureau of Land Management is considering a proposal from Mojave Precious ...

DESCRIPTION: The relict leopard frog is a small, spotted frog with an adult body length of 1.75 to 3.5 inches. The dorsal color is brown, gray, or greenish with greenish-brown spots. A glandular dorso ...

Three vital provisions give the Act its teeth. It’s “citizen-suit” provision lets public-interest groups and individuals petition and sue sluggish federal agencies to make sure the Act protects ...

DESCRIPTION: Canada lynx are medium-sized felines with long legs; large, furry paws; long, black ear tufts; and a short, black-tipped tail. Adult males usually weight about 22 pounds and reach about ...

The sound of a rattlesnake's shaking tail can evoke a visceral response of fear in almost anyone. But in reality, snakes like the eastern massasauga have more reason to fear us than we have to fear ...

For every county in the United States, the map below shows information on all the animals and plants protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act as threatened or endangered. To see the number of ...