How Many Endangered Species Do You Know Nothing About?

Did you know today is Endangered Species Day? I didn't realize until yesterday either--I'm so embarrassed! But it is. And I'm loving this blog post from Julia and Danielle of the National Wildlife Federation on the topic of which endangered animal species humans tend to care about and which we tend not to even know about, even in our own backyards--and how that needs to change. Also check out the Endangered Species Coalition's page on Endangered Species Day, including "10 Easy things you can do at home to protect endangered species." (But I'll note that if you have to choose between attending an event put on by--and supporting--a wildlife refuge, wildlife organization, or wildlife rehabilitation center and one put on by a zoo, I recommend you go the former route.)

As for me, I'm learning today about animals endangered in Missouri and Illinois, including the Ozark Hellbender, the Hine's Emerald Dragonfly, the Ozark Big-Eared Bat, the Illinois Cave Amphipod, the Pallid Sturgeon, the Iowa Pleistocene Snail, the Piping Plover, and the Topeka Shiner.

-More info on finding out what species are endangered in your area after the jump-

Now here's the point in the post where I quote the aforementioned post in length because as much as I love all of you, I don't necessarily trust all of you to follow the link. ;)

I was talking with my colleague and fellow blogger Danielle this morning, and she brought up a great point:

"Everyone knows that panda bears and African elephants are endangered. But do we ever think enough about the Virginia big-eared bat?"

So I did some research and found more than twenty wildlife species that live in my neighborhood, all threatened with extinction.

Today, in honor of Endangered Species Day, @wildlifeaction is tweeting for the Red-cockaded woodpecker, native to the DC-area, and already extinct in nearby Maryland. #speciesday

What animal are you thinking of today?

I'm going to turn this over to Danielle (@nwf & @starfocus) now, so she can give you some more facts.

What does Endangered Species Day mean to me? Julia mentioned my pet peeve -- everyone seems to know everything about endangered species that are cute, large and very often cuddly-- but they also live very far away. I think it's equally important to know about the animals in YOUR area. Yes I know, some people don't think they have to care about endangered clams in Virginia--but the truth is-- you should. These are the animals that we have an effect on and that have an effect on us. . . .

I think that Endangered Species Day is about ALL of these animals, and that we should never underestimate the importance of protecting even animals far away.

I want to challenge our readers to learn at least ONE new species that is endangered in your area. I think just by being aware of these animals and learning how to protect them, we can be better stewards of the earth. To me, Endangered Species Day reminds me that while it's important to save what we love it's equally important to protect what we may not understand.

Just a heads up: "There are currently 1317 species listed in the U.S.: 746 plants and 571 animals. To find out what endangered species are near you, and how you can help, please visit www.fws.gov/endangered."

I'm actually unimpressed with FWS's Endangered Species site (but of course, I'm not impressed with the FWS itself, either). I don't find it terribly helpful or user-friendly. But if you select "Contacts in Your Area" in the sidebar, you can find your own region's specific Web site and should be able to find more information there about endangered species in your area, as I did.

Photos: Ozark Big-Eared Bat by Merlin D. Tuttle/Bat Conservation-International Inc.; Hine's Emerald Dragonfly by Patrick McMullan; Pallid Sturgeon by Ken Bouc, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission