Colombia has made impressive progress in declaring a large part of its Amazon rain forest protected for conservation. But there's another rain forest in Colombia, the Chocó, on the Pacific side of the country. This forest teems with even more species than in the Amazon forest, but it is not as well protected. Conservation biologist Stuart Pimm recently visited the region to see the biodiversity for himself.

By Stuart L. Pimm
Special contributor to NatGeo News Watch

Ten days ago I was in Colombia with my Colombian graduate student German Forero Medina, about to give a keynote address on REDD--Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation -- the subject now uppermost in the minds of those of us who care about biodiversity. (Read about REDD on my earlier blog on NatGeo News Watch.)

I wasn't going to go that far without taking time to visit one of the most diverse rain forests on Earth--the Chocó, along the country's Pacific Slope.

Colombia has more than one rain forest. The most familiar is the Amazon.

This has been a good few weeks for the Amazon, so that news first.

Just over a week ago, Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced that only 7,000 square kilometres (2,700 square miles) of the Brazilian Amazon were cleared in the 12 months to August 2009. [NatGeo News Watch: Amazon deforestation slows as Brazil tightens prevention.]

That's by far the lowest rate since the country's National Institute for Space Research started using satellite imagery to monitor forest losses.

Neighbouring Colombia has much less of the Amazon compared to Brazil, but it too has been losing forest cover.

At the International Forum on Biodiversity and Climate Change on the November 6, Environment Minister Carlos Costa told his audience in Bogotá: "It is important for the world to know that the Colombian Amazon is for conservation only." I was in the audience.

The Colombian government was making more than bold statements. At the Protected Areas Conference and on the Biodiversity Forum two weeks earlier (October 26, also in Bogotá), the country announced the creation of the Yaigoyé Apaporis National Par --an area of over 1,000,000 hectares (4,000 square miles) in the Amazon close to the equator.

Even before that addition, Colombia had exceeded the targets for conservation it had agreed to meet by signing the Convention on Biological Diversity. Signers agreed to set aside 10 percent of their land for protected areas by 2010.

With this latest addition, Colombia has protected 12.5 million hectares of its country--about 49,000 square miles, or 11 percent of the country-- an area a little smaller than the State of Florida. Some 70 percent of the protected land is in the Amazon.

Here's the problem that had me at the second meeting--and German Forero Medina at both meetings: Colombia is spectacularly rich in biodiversity. (Ask any birdwatcher. Colombia has nearly 1,900 species, more than any other country and 19 percent of the world's total. It has a similar excess of mammals and amphibians.)

But rich in species though the Amazon might be, it's Colombia's other forests that have even more species--and they are not been given the same protection. German and I were in Colombia to argue for more reserves outside Colombia's Amazon.

Conservation biologist Stuart L. Pimm visits Colombia's Chocó rain forest. There Jorge Orejuela, director of the Cali Botanic Garden and an expert on the Chocó's birds and orchids, tells Pimm about the remarkable orchids and other species in one of Earth's biodiversity "hotspots."

Video by Stuart L. Pimm

One of those regions, the Chocó was where I headed after the meeting. The old road from Cali to Buenaventura is "the best area in the world for seeing a rich diversity of birds," according to Steven Hilty and William Brown, authors of the Birds of Colombia.

How could I resist? This is one of 25 "biodiversity hotspots"--places that my Duke University colleague Professor Norman Myers and colleagues showed contained half of all the variety of life on Earth--in about 10 percent of the land surface. By definition, hotspots are also places where there's been large losses of habitats.

22 feet of rain a year

Resist? Well, easily, it happens. Dripping wet mountain forest, some areas getting 7 metres (22 feet) of rain each year sounds wonderful, but tragically, it's been a war zone. Coca grows well here. The consequence of U.S. citizens being unable to "just say no" to cocaine have played havoc with Colombia and scarred the lives of millions of its people. Armed conflict and anti-government guerrillas had been active in the Chocó.

But all my Colombian friends were cautiously optimistic about the reduction in violence in the last few years. So I set off with Jorge Orejuela, an old friend with whom I shared a house in graduate school decades ago.

Jorge won the prestigious National Geographic/Buffett Award for Leadership in Conservation in 2007. He's the director of the Cali Botanic Garden and an expert on the Chocó's birds and orchids. And he won the prize for his efforts to protect the Chocó's forest.

Photo of orchid Dracula wallisii by Luis Mazariegos

In the rain, our 4x4 slipped and slid down the narrow dirt road, from Cali to the coast. Then we turned into the watershed of a large reservoir, showing our permits to the Colombian military who guard the area.

The next morning the rain let up. Jorge spotted orchids everywhere--many were small and I missed them. Close up, they were lovely.

"Here's a branch covered with orchids." Jorge pointed them out. "There's an orchid in the genus Pleurothallis--perhaps it's a new species...There are a hundred or more new species being described every couple of years from this genus in Colombia and Ecuador."

Video still by Stuart L. Pimm

Later, standing in the middle of a small river, looking at its bank covered in showy Sobralia orchids, Jorge continued, "Biodiversity here is unbelievable. Along this gradient from the Andes to the lowlands, we may have 1,500 species of butterflies and 800 bird species." (That's half as many again as birds that nest in all of Europe and North Africa.) "Orchids--perhaps 1,000 species."

"There's high human pressure on this area. My work that was highlighted by National Geographic was protecting areas that, had they been destroyed, the endemic species--those that we found only within them--would have been lost for ever."

Photo of orchid D. syndactyla by Luis Mazariegos

Just how many species are found only in these areas, I wondered. "And how many species are still unknown to science here," I asked Jorge.

"It's hard to tell," he said. "In one area, not knowing anything about orchids, we collected 400 species--and that was not the only thing I had to do. This was in an area of only 30 square kilometres." (About 12 square miles).

"Easily 20 percent of those species were new to science...Many of those are endangered--they are rare and found only in those particular places."

Professor Stuart L. Pimm is a conservation biologist at Duke University, North Carolina. A former member of the National Geographic Committee for Research and Exploration, Pimm is the author of dozens of books and research papers, including the book "The World According to Pimm: A Scientist Audits the Earth."

Read earlier blog posts by Stuart Pimm>>

The brown pelican, a species once pushed toward extinction by the pesticide DDT, has recovered and is being removed from the list of threatened and endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

"At a time when so many species of wildlife are threatened, we once in a while have an opportunity to celebrate an amazing success story," Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said when making the announcement this week. "Today is such a day. The brown pelican is back!"

Pelicans are primarily fish-eaters, requiring up to four pounds of fish a day, according to the USFWS Brown Pelican Fact Sheet. "Their diet consists mainly of 'rough' fish such as menhaden, herring, sheepshead, pigfish, mullet, grass minnows, topminnows, and silversides. On the Pacific Coast, pelicans rely heavily on anchovies and sardines. The birds have also been known to eat some crustaceans, usually prawns."

NGS stock photo by Bianca Lavies

The brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) was first declared endangered in 1970 under the Endangered Species Preservation Act, a precursor to the current Endangered Species Act. "Since then, thanks to a ban on DDT and efforts by states, conservation organizations, private citizens and many other partners, the bird has recovered. There are now more than 650,000 brown pelicans found across Florida and the Gulf and Pacific Coasts, as well as in the Caribbean and Latin America," said a statement released by the Department of Interior (DOI).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the brown pelican population in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and northward along the Atlantic Coast states from the list of endangered species in 1985. This week's action removed the remaining population from the list.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates the global population of brown pelicans at 650,000 individuals.

NGS stock photo by Bates Littlehales

"After being hunted for its feathers, facing devastating effects from the pesticide DDT and suffering from widespread coastal habitat loss, the pelican has made a remarkable recovery," Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Tom Strickland said at a press conference in New Orleans to announce the delisting. "We once again see healthy flocks of pelicans in the air over our shores."

The pelican's recovery is largely due to the federal ban on the general use of the pesticide DDT in 1972, the DOI said. "This action was taken after former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Rachel Carson published Silent Spring and alerted the nation to the widespread dangers associated with unrestricted pesticide use."

Measuring up to 54 inches long, weighing 8 to 10 pounds, and having a wingspan between 6-1/2 feet and 7-1/2 feet, brown pelicans are the smallest members of the seven pelican species worldwide, says the USFWS Brown Pelican Fact Sheet. "They can be identified by their chestnut-and-white necks; white heads with pale yellow crowns; brownstreaked back, rump, and tail; blackishbrown belly; grayish bill and pouch; and black legs and feet.

NGS stock photo by Robert Madden

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Sam Hamilton praised the Gulf and Pacific Coast states for their constant efforts to restore this iconic coastal species. "Brown pelicans could not have recovered without a strong and continuing support network of partnerships among federal and state government agencies, tribes, conservation organizations, and individual citizens," said Hamilton. "This is truly a success story that the whole nation can celebrate."

In the southwest, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, The Nature Conservancy and numerous other conservation organizations helped purchase important nesting sites and developed monitoring programs to ensure pelican rookeries were thriving, the DOI added.

"Louisiana, long known as the 'pelican state,' and the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission jointly implemented a restoration project. A total of 1,276 young pelicans were captured in Florida and released at three sites in southeastern Louisiana during the 13 years of the project."

Brown pelicans have extremely keen eyesight, states the USFWS Brown Pelican Fact Sheet. "As they fly over the ocean, sometimes at heights of 60 to 70 feet, they can spot a school of small fish or even a single fish. Diving steeply into the water, they may submerge completely or only partly--depending on the height of the dive--and come up with a mouthful of fish. Air sacs beneath their skin cushion the impact and help pelicans surface."

NGS stock photo by Micheal E. Long

Past efforts to protect the brown pelican actually led to the birth of the National Wildlife Refuge System more than a century ago in central Florida, according to the DOI.

"German immigrant Paul Kroegel, appalled by the indiscriminate slaughter of pelicans for their feathers, approached President Theodore Roosevelt. This led Roosevelt to create the first National Wildlife Refuge at Pelican Island in 1903, when Kroegel was named the first refuge manager. Today, the system has grown to 550 national wildlife refuges, many of which have played key roles in the recovery of the brown pelican."

Brown pelicans have few natural enemies. Although ground nests are sometimes destroyed by hurricanes, flooding, or other natural disasters, the biggest threat to pelicans comes from people, says the USFWS Brown Pelican Fact Sheet. "In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, pelicans were hunted for their feathers, which adorned women's clothing, particularly hats."

NGS stock photo by Bates Littlehales

With removal of the brown pelican from the list of threatened and endangered species, federal agencies will no longer be required to consult with the FWS to ensure any action they authorize, fund, or carry out will not harm the species. However, additional federal laws, such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Lacey Act, will continue to protect the brown pelican, its nests and its eggs, FWS said.

FWS has developed a Post-Delisting Monitoring Plan, designed to monitor and verify that the recovered, delisted population remains secure from the risk of extinction once the protections of the Endangered Species Act are removed. The Service can relist the brown pelican if future monitoring or other information shows it is necessary to prevent a significant risk to the brown pelican.

The pouch suspended from the lower half of the pelican's long, straight bill really can hold up to three times more than the stomach, according to the USFWS Brown Pelican Fact Sheet. "In addition to being used as a dip net, the pouch holds the pelican's catch of fish until the accompanying water--as much as three gallons-- is squeezed out. During this time, laughing gulls may hover above the pelican, or even sit on its bill, ready to steal a fish or two. Once the water is out, the pelican swallows the fish and carries them in its esophagus. The pouch also serves as a cooling mechanism in hot weather and as a feeding trough for young pelicans."

NGS stock photo by Robert Madden

Monitoring brown pelicans from now on will be done in cooperation with the State resource agencies, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Mexico, other federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and individuals, FWS said this week, adding, that the service is working with state natural resource agencies where the brown pelican occurs to develop cooperative management agreements to ensure that the species continues to be monitored.

Deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon dropped 45.7 percent from August 2008 to July 2009, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced yesterday during a meeting with state governors and mayors in Brasília.

Data based on analysis of satellite imagery by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) suggests that 2,700 square miles (7,000 square kilometers) of forest were cleared in Brazil during the 12-month period, the lowest rate since the government started monitoring deforestation in 1988.

Photo of Amazon forest courtesy of Brazil's Ministry of Environment

"The new deforestation data represents an extraordinary and significant reduction for Brazil. Climate change is the most challenging issue that we face today," Lula said.

Photo of Brazil's President Lula at yesterday's event by Ricardo Stuckert/PR

The slowing deforestation levels are primarily a result of the Action Plan for Deforestation Control and Prevention in the Amazon, a set of cross-government policies and measures launched in 2004 to improve monitoring, strengthen enforcement, define conservation areas and foster sustainable activities in the region, said a statement from Brazil's Secretariat for Social Communication (SECOM).

"With the support of 13 government agencies, the plan played a major role in helping reduce deforestation in the Amazon by 74.8 percent from 2004 to 2009."

Deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon 

Surveillance and enforcement

The INPE data indicates that the projected 32 percent increase in government inspections over the last year inhibited illegal deforestation in the Amazon, the statement added.

"Satellite images from INPE's near real-time deforestation detection system enabled government inspectors to focus their efforts where deforestation is most critical and act quickly to prevent new areas from being cleared.

"As a result of this surveillance, the Brazilian Environment Institute apprehended around 230,000 cubic meters of wood, 414 trucks and tractors, and embargoed 502,000 hectares [1,240,000 acres] of land linked to illegal deforestation activities in the region over the period from August 2008 to July 2009, leading the government to issue over R$ 2.8 billion reais [U.S.$ 1.6 billion] in fines.

"In addition to fines, the government used other tools to financially constrain those whose activities contribute to the destruction of the forest. This includes a resolution enacted by the National Monetary Council in mid-2008 that requires farmers and ranchers in the Amazon to meet environmental criteria in order to obtain loans from public and private banks."

Brazil is home to 60 percent of the Amazon. The "Legal Brazilian Amazon" ("Amazonia Legal Brasileira") is an administrative region that spreads across the states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and portions of Tocantins, Maranhão and Goiás. It represents 53 percent of Brazil's total land area (about 2 million square miles or 5 million square kilometers), has a population of 25 million people, and generates just under 8 percent of Brazil's total GDP.

Around 43 percent (800,000 square miles or 2.1 million square kilometers) of the Amazon land falls within Protected Areas or Indigenous Lands Around 21 percent of the Amazon are federal or state public lands outside Protected Areas and Indigenous Lands. There are about 400 identified and demarcated indigenous lands in the region, home to between 170,000 and 200,000 indigenous people.

Image and caption courtesy of Brazil's Ministry of Environment

Conservation and sustainable activities

Federal and state governments also worked to create around 50 million hectares [123 million acres] in new conservation units in the Amazon from 2004 to 2008, while another 10 million hectares [25 million acres] in indigenous lands were granted recognition in the same period, SECOM said. "Today, 43 percent of the Legal Amazon is federally protected."

The government also initiated a concession scheme for sustainable management in public forests. The first concessions were granted in August 2008, enabling three private groups to carry sustainable logging and extraction activities in 237,000 acres (96,000 hectares) of the Jamari Public Forest, in the state of Rondônia.

Deforestation and climate change

Deforestation in the Amazon region is the main source of Brazil's greenhouse gas emissions, SECOM said. According to the first National Inventory of Greenhouse Gases, up to 75 percent of Brazil's emissions come from deforestation and land-use change.

"For this reason, tackling deforestation is at the center of Brazil's strategy to combat global warming. Launched in December 2008, the National Plan on Climate Change sets targets to cut deforestation rates by 80 percent by 2020, which would avoid 4.8 billion tons in CO2 emissions during this period.

"To meet these goals, the plan sets out a number of actions and programs to combat illegal logging and provide sustainable economic alternatives to the people living in the Amazon, among other measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in different sectors," SECOM said.

Photo of Amazon forest courtesy of Brazil's Ministry of Environment

Further action required, conservationists say

Although it is essential to recognize the efforts made by the federal and state governments as well as Brazilian society in general, further action is required, said WWF-Brazil CEO Denise Hamú.

"Deforestation needs to continue falling in a sustainable manner and must take place in other Brazilian biomes in addition to the Amazon, such as the Cerrado," she said in a statement issued by the conservation organization in response to President Lula's announcement.

Hamú also said that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Copenhagen in December, will be a good opportunity for Brazil to defend the adoption of clear and ambitious emission reduction commitments by the participant countries.

"Deforestation numbers such as the ones showed today by President Lula strengthen Brazil's credentials to lead the climate negotiations and take the forefront in building a new development model for the world that respects the environment and the people."

"Deforestation numbers such as the ones showed today by President Lula strengthen Brazil's credentials to lead the climate negotiations and take the forefront in building a new development model for the world that respects the environment and the people", Hamú said.

"Among the other biomes, the most critical situation is found in the Cerrado," WWF-Brazil said. "While deforestation in the Amazon has finally fallen below 10,000 square kilometers, in the Cerrado it surpasses 20,000 square kilometers." The Cerrado is a vast tropical savanna region southeast of the Amazon.
 
36 football fields a minute

Despite conservation efforts, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate--13 million hectares per year, or 36 football fields a minute, WWF added. "It generates almost 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and halting forest loss has been identified as one of the most cost-effective ways to keep the world out of the danger zone of runaway climate change."

Apart from decreasing emissions caused by deforestation in the Amazon, Brazil needs to work on achieving reductions in the industry and transport sectors, and especially in energy generation and transmission processes, added Cláudio Maretti, WWF-Brazil's conservation director.

"After all, the planet urgently needs expressive greenhouse gas emission reductions", he said. 

Iraq's southern marshlands, home of the Marsh Arab people, were once famous for their quiet waterways, wooden boats, reed homes, diversity of fish and flocks of migratory birds. Many biblical scholars believe the marshlands could be the site of the Garden of Eden.

"In 1991, shortly after the first Persian Gulf war ended, Saddam Hussein's government, angered by Marsh Arab participation in the southern uprising against his rule, launched an assault on the southern wetlands and the nearly 300,000 Marsh Arabs, known as Ma'adan, who call the region home," Afshin Molavi wrote for National Geographic News in 2003.

"The assault included burning villages, summary executions and 'disappearances,' and a multi-year, sophisticated campaign of water diversion and marsh drainage that has reduced roughly 93 percent of the marshes to dry, salt-encrusted wasteland."

A report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2001 said that satellite evidence showed the wetland complex, "a biodiversity center of global importance" that had once covered an area of 5,800 to 7,700 square miles (15,000 to 20,000 square kilometers), had shrunk to a 386-square-mile (1,000-square-kilometer) marsh straddling the Iran-Iraq border.

"UNEP described it as one of the worst environmental disasters in history, ranking it with the desiccation of the Aral Sea and the deforestation of the Amazon rainforests," Molavi reported.

In the ensuing seven years I have often wondered about this place. During the long war we seldom heard anything about it. We are about to find out. 

Earlier this year a CBS 60 Minutes team traveled to the marshlands of southern Iraq.

"Our story takes viewers into a part of Iraq that few Westerners have ever seen before and shows how the region is coming back to life since Saddam fell in 2003," says Jenny Dubin, producer of the piece for 60 Minutes.

Dubin shared this clip of the show, which airs Sunday, November 15th (7pm Eastern/6pm Central) on CBS.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

The only uncontacted tribe in South America outside the Amazon is having its forest rapidly and illegally bulldozed by ranchers who want their land to graze cattle for beef, Survival, a British-based charity that advocates for indigenous people, said this week.

© GAT

"The Ayoreo-Totobiegosode is the only uncontacted tribe in the world currently losing its land to beef production," Survival said in a statement accompanying the satellite image above. The image was made on November 1.

Ayoreo, Paraguay, first contact between this specific Ayoreo-Totobiegosode group, 2004. 

© GAT

Survival has been publicizing the deforestation by advertising it on a major Paraguayan radio station, Radio Nanduti.

The ranchers are operating on the tribe's land in Paraguay despite having their licence suspended by the Environment Ministry in August for previous illegal clearance, Survival said in its statement.

"This is a serious threat to the Totobiegosode. The illegal deforestation ... in Paraguay is continuing without any control whatsoever,' said the Paraguayan charity GAT, which is working to protect the Ayoreo's lands.

© J Mazower/ Survival

Some of the Totobiegosode have already been contacted and have relatives among those who remain uncontacted, Survival said.

Said Survival director, Stephen Corry, "The Totobiegosode are the most vulnerable uncontacted tribe in the world. A tragedy is unfolding right before our eyes--and the satellite camera's lens. President Lugo must not sit back and watch as Paraguay's most vulnerable people see their homes and livelihoods annihilated."

© GAT

Photos released at the opening of the 9th World Wilderness Congress (WILD9) in Merida, Mexico, this weekend highlight the diversity and threats to conservation in the Yucatán Peninsula.

© Brian Skerry, International League of Conservation Photographers

"An expedition of 32 leading conservation photographers undertaken from July to November resulted in a portfolio of hundreds of images that serve as a warning of the conservation status of this area known as the heart of the ancient Mayan civilization," Conservation International said in a news statement accompanying the images.

© Cristina Mittermeier, International League of Conservation Photographers

The pictures were gathered in a Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition (RAVE) by the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP). ILCP is an initiative of the WILD Foundation, an organizer of WILD9.

Representatives from governments, the private sector, native peoples and non-governmental organizations are participating in WILD9 to address the role of conservation of wilderness areas in human wellbeing and climate stabilization.

© Jack Dikynga, International League of Conservation Photographers

Merida, where the conference is meeting, is on the Yucatán Peninsula.

"One of the goals of WILD9 is to inspire and illustrate how to make smarter choices about how we interact with nature. Mexico's rich biodiversity and vast wild places motivated WILD9 to convene in Merida," said Vance Martin, president of The Wild Foundation, and co-chairman of WILD9.

"There is wonderful spirit of the land and traditional connection to nature that makes Mexico and the Yucatan very special. The RAVE and WILD9 forum aim to highlight the imperative to conserve important wild hotspots like the Yucatán Peninsula."

© Florian Schulz, International League of Conservation Photographers

Located in the Mesoamerica Biodiversity Hotspot, the Yucatán Peninsula has an area larger than Greece spanning parts of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, said the statement accompanying the photographs. "Its landscape is a mosaic of dry forests, lowland moist forest, underground rivers and mangroves that fringe the turquoise Caribbean Sea, but it is threatened by high rates of deforestation and biodiversity loss due to human activities, like population growth and unsustainable industrial and agricultural development."

© Kevin Schafer, International League of Conservation Photographers

"The Yucatán Peninsula contains about 25 percent of Mexico's total freshwater supply and high levels of species endemism. Efforts to conserve its forests and the biodiversity that lives in them are crucial to the well-being of the people who depend on it, and should be seen as an effective response to climate change as well," said Russ Mittermeier, President of Conservation International, a partner of the Yucatán RAVE.

© Roy Toft, International League of Conservation Photographers

The RAVE aimed to achieve a full visual assessment of the conservation condition of the Yucatán Peninsula in a short period of time with a team that included several specialized photographers (landscape, wildlife, macro, camera trapping, portraiture), writers and cameramen. ILCP's members explored a variety of habitats such as cenotes (or sinkholes), lagoons and mangroves in search of whale sharks, flamingos and other species to document their behavior and their surroundings.

© Daniel Beltra, International League of Conservation Photographers

Cristina Mittermeier, executive director of ILCP, said: "Photography is a powerful tool for conservation because it provokes emotions and invites people to reflect on the subjects being shown. Our goal with this expedition is to communicate visually the splendor and the threats to the Yucatán Peninsula. The conservation of its biodiversity is at a critical stage, but there is still abundant wildlife that can be preserved if development is planned in a more sustainable way."

© Cristina Mittermeier, International League of Conservation Photographers

Said Gonzalo Merediz, executive director of Amigos de Sian Ka'an, "Mexico is blessed to have the WILD9 and the ILCP in Merida because the results of the congress and the RAVE will be used for improving our environmental policy and expanding the protection of wilderness in the Yucatan Peninsula.

"Amigos de Sian Ka'an, as well as all of the local non-governmental organizations and the national and state governments of Quintana Roo, Campeche and Yucatan have the duty to convert the work that this international cooperation has offered, into useful conservational tools."

Amigos de Sian Ka'an is a charity established by scientists and conservationists concerned about preserving the wilderness of the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico.

The National Geographic Society is a sponsor of WILD9.

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Prompt action is needed at the federal level to limit the number of invasive pythons released into the wild, South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Deputy Executive Director George Horne said in written testimony to the U.S. Congress today.

The House of Representatives Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security is considering a Bill that would classify nonnative pythons, such as the Burmese python, as "injurious animals" and ban their importation into the United States.

Hypothetical diet necessary for a hatchling Burmese python to reach 13 feet in the Florida Everglades (approximately 5 to 7 years)

1 raccoon
1 oppossum
4 five-foot alligators
5 American coots
6 little blue herons
8 ibises
10 squirrels
15 rabbits
15 wrens
30 cotton rats
72 mice

This illustration and the photos on this page were appended to the SFWMD written testimony handed to Congress today.

(Source: Skip Snow, Everglades National Park & Dr. Stephen Secor, University of Alabama)

"As a top predator and prolific breeder, these exotic snakes threaten state and federal efforts to restore America's Everglades, and they prey on the natural wildlife that call the Everglades home, including species already threatened or endangered," SFWMD's Horne said in the agency's testimony to Congress.

"We have a long history of successful invasive plant management and experience, but only recently have we had to commit more and more resources to the emerging populations of the Burmese python and other nonnative constrictors appearing across our landscape.

"Today, however, the negative impacts from the unlimited importation of new pest animals require active responses on our part. Effective prevention of additional introductions of potentially invasive constrictor snakes, as proposed in this Bill, is the only path to prevent these costs from continually increasing."

While Florida, California and Hawaii are among the states most impacted by introduced invasive species, every state is affected, Horne added.

Photo of Burmese python killed in Florida courtesy of SFWMD

"Globally, exotic invasive species, including pest animals, weeds and pathogenic diseases, are a major cause of global biodiversity decline. In particular, nonnative animals compete for food and habitat, upset existing predator/prey relationships, degrade environmental quality, spread diseases and, in our case, may threaten the integrity of flood protection levees and canal banks, and electrical power delivery.

"Nationally, more than 50,000 species of introduced plants, animals and microbes cause more than $120 billion in damages and control costs each year. Already, 192 nonnative animal species are established in Florida, calling for the development of methods to forecast and respond to the potential economic loss, environmental damage and social stress caused by both new nonnative animal introductions and long-established invasive organisms," Horne said.

The Bill before Congress makes an important contribution towards prevention by limiting the importation of two snake species (the Burmese and African pythons) with high invasion potentials in the U.S., Horne said.

"The amendment could also be expanded to include all giant constrictor species determined by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to have medium or high invasion risk potential. The recently published USGS risk assessment for giant constrictors ranked nine species as having either a medium or high overall risk potential for invasion in the United States.

"These species include the Beni Anaconda, boa constrictor, Burmese python, DeSchauensee's anaconda, green anaconda, northern African python, southern African python, reticulated python, and yellow anaconda."

Photo of Burmese python killed in Florida courtesy of SFWMD

"We strongly support inclusion of these species in [the Bill] in order to immediately limit importation of species that our best science predicts will be invasive," Horne added.

"Rather than wait for the next Burmese python to become established in the United States, a proactive approach such as the proposed legislation being discussed today is urgently needed to protect our environment, economy and quality of life--not just in Florida but throughout the nation."

The South Florida Water Management District is deeply committed to preserving and restoring South Florida's environmental health and, unfortunately, the Everglades ecosystem is now home to the invasive Burmese python, Horne said.

Fifty-two eggs were inside a 16-foot Burmese python found in May, 2009 by South Florida Water Management District officials south of the Tamiami Trail in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

Photo courtesy of SFWMD

The snake is a top predator that is known to prey upon more than 20 native Florida species. Notable among these are the federally listed Key Largo wood rat, white-tailed deer, American alligator, bobcat and numerous wading birds common to the Everglades, including the wood stork.

"Attempts to manage Burmese pythons divert taxpayers' funds from these other urgent primary restoration and protection tasks. Yet, failure to do so will leave this aggressive animal as a serious impediment to our Everglades restoration progress," Horne said.

Small livestock likely prey

The Burmese python also threatens agricultural interests as small livestock are also likely prey, Horne added.

Since 2000, the South Florida Water Management District and Everglades National Park have removed 1,248 Burmese pythons from the Everglades.

"Experience already gained in Florida strongly indicates the need to regulate the importation and sale of this snake. Without stronger regulation and control resources, adverse impacts of Burmese pythons will continue to get worse, and the python's population will continue to expand north of the Everglades and likely into South
Florida's urban areas."

Burmese python nest eggs found in Miami-Dade County in Florida

Photo courtesy of SFWMD

Florida's other nonnative giant constrictors

Given South Florida's abrupt boundaries between dense human population centers and vast subtropical wilderness areas, it comes as no surprise that numerous giant constrictor species have been observed in Florida, Horne said.

"While most observed animals are presumed to be released pets, three additional constrictor species are now considered established or potentially established in Florida--the common boa, northern African python and yellow anaconda.

"All three species are identified in the USGS risk assessment as having a high overall risk of establishment in the
United States. The common boa has been repeatedly observed in South Florida, primarily on the Deering Estate in eastern Miami-Dade County, but also near Everglades National Park.

"Between 1989 and 2005, 96 common boas were captured in South Florida.

"Recent confirmed sightings of northern African pythons near the eastern boundary of the Everglades and yellow anacondas near Big Cypress National Preserve and Myakka State Park in southwest Florida are also cause for alarm."

"Recent confirmed sightings of northern African pythons near the eastern boundary of the Everglades and yellow anacondas near Big Cypress National Preserve and Myakka State Park in southwest Florida are also cause for alarm. All three of these species share traits with the Burmese python that are considered important factors for invasive potential, and like the Burmese python all three species will be very costly to control should they become widely established."

As the South Florida Water Management District and other agencies try to contain the documented damage and growing threat of the Burmese python and other invasive animals in Florida, the flow of potentially harmful exotic animals across U.S. borders continues, Horne said.

"To use just one example, roughly 144,000 boa constrictors were imported into the United States between
2000 and 2007. Federal action is needed now to address the immediate threat posed by giant constrictors which have or are likely to establish in our nation's wilderness areas."

Map courtesy of USGS

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The U.S. House of Representatives passed a Resolution today that condemns the unchecked illegal logging and decimation of Madagascar's endemic species, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), author of the resolution, said in a statement published on his Web site.

"The House is sending a firm signal that the devastating and illegal destruction of Madagascar's natural resources will not be tolerated," Blumenauer said. "Illegal logging not only does irreparable harm to the environment, but it destroys livelihoods.

"In Oregon and across the United States, at a time when we are working to recover the economy, illegal timber imports undermine legitimate logging operations.

"While Madagascar's de facto government continues to use its endangered resources to boost its regime, Congress today joined the administration in calling for an immediate end to these practices."

The Resolution responds to growing anxiety in the international conservation community that the continued plundering of Madagascar's few protected forests, for valuable rosewood and other timber, and with it the destruction of habitat vital for the survival of lemurs and numerous other rare species, has inflicted irreparable damage on the African island country's environment.

Satellite image courtesy NASA

Much of the California-size island has been eroded because of deforestation for farming. Most of the country's twenty million people are poor. Conservation projects such as national parks that would showcase Madagascar's abundance of endemic species were supposed to provide drawcards for tourists and researchers, creating income and work to kick-start local economies. But much of that is at risk because of recent political instability and the destruction of the forests.

There is also concern that what's been happening in Madagascar exacerbates the problem of worldwide illegal logging, which costs countries U.S.$10 billion-15 billion each year in lost revenues for legitimate lumber industries.

"Madagascar is home to almost 150,000 species of flora and fauna. The illegal extraction of these resources threatens biodiversity as well as legitimate logging operations in the U.S.--up to $460 million lost in export opportunities every year," Blumenauer said.

"After a coup in March, the new and weakened government of Andry Rajoelina issued sweeping decrees allowing the harvest and export of wood from protected forests and World Heritage Sites. The Obama administration has condemned the de facto government, and the Wildlife Conservation Society, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and Conservation International have denounced the wholesale exploitation of some of the world's most diverse forests and decimation of the local population's resources and livelihoods. These groups have strongly endorsed Blumenauer's resolution," the Congressman's statement said.

NGS photo by Luis Marden

The House voted 409-5 to join the administration and environmental groups in speaking out against the devastation occurring in Madagascar. The Resolution was co-sponsored by 49 members, representing both Democrats and Republicans and including Congressman Donald Payne (D-New Jersey), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health on the Committee for Foreign Affairs, and Congressman Eni Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and the Global Environment.

Author of the Legal Timber Protection Act, Blumenauer is a global leader on the issue of illegal logging, his Web site states. The law, signed in May 2008, bans the import of illegally harvested timber and wood products and empowers regulators to keep illegally harvested timber out of the U.S.

NGS photo by Luis Marden

Commenting on today's House resolution, John Calvelli, Wildlife Conservation Society Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, said, "The situation in Madagascar is nothing short of tragic--not only for the people and wildlife of Madagascar, but for the entire planet. I applaud Congressman Blumenauer for his continued leadership in the United States Congress on the issue of illegal logging. This resolution will serve as a clear message to the current Malagasy government that the illegal harvesting of Madagascar's natural resources is unacceptable."

Said Lisa Steel, Deputy Director for Madagascar at WWF, "The loss of Madagascar's spectacular biodiversity would not only be a global tragedy, but it will further impoverish rural communities whose lives are inextricably tied to the health of their natural environments. While Madagascar is under the rule of a weakened government, it is essential that the international community work to stop the harvest and trade of illegal wood and other protected species, and we appreciate this important first step by Congressman Blumenauer."

"Congressman Blumenauer continues to play a leadership role in the global problem of illegal logging and the responsibility of consumer nations like the U.S. to support the fight against it, through policies like the Lacey Act and this resolution," said Alexander von Bismarck, executive director of the Environmental Investigation Agency, which conducted a mission to Madagascar in August 2009 to evaluate the illegal logging situation.

Full text of the Resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives today:

H. RES. 839
Mr. BLUMENAUER (for himself, Mr. PAYNE, and Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA) submitted
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

RESOLUTION
Condemning the illegal extraction of Madagascar's natural
resources.

Whereas Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island, and
home to up to 150,000 species of unique flora and fauna;

Whereas during the last 20 years, with the support of the
U.S. Government and others, Madagascar has made substantial
progress in stopping environmental degradation,
effectively managing natural resources and preserving its
unique biodiversity;

Whereas these natural resources provide essential benefits
and services for the basic needs of the majority of
Madagascar's people, three-quarters of whom live in rural
areas and two-thirds of whom live on less than $2 per
day;

Whereas these natural resources also provide economic development
in the tourism sector, drawing an estimated
$390,000,000 per year;

Whereas the Obama Administration has condemned Marc
Ravalomanana's forced resignation as President of the
Republic of Madagascar, and Andry Rajoelina's installation
as de facto head of state, as tantamount to a coup
d'etat, undemocratic, and contrary to the rule of law;

Whereas in March 2009, the Obama Administration announced
a suspension of non-humanitarian assistance to
the de facto Andry Rajoelina government;

Whereas, given that 2⁄3 of people live off the natural resources,
decreased assistance for conservation efforts is
having dire humanitarian consequences;

Whereas the African Union and the Southern African Development
Community have suspended Madagascar's participation
until constitutional order is restored;

Whereas in October 2009, the World Wide Fund (WWF),
Conservation International, and the Wildlife Conservation
Society condemned an interministerial order issued by the
current administration granting sweeping authorization
to export raw and semi-processed hard wood as
''legaliz[ing] the sale of illegally cut and collected wood
onto the market; allow[ing] for the potential embezzlement
of funds in the name of environmental protection
and constitut[ing] a legal incentive for further corruption
in the forestry sector'';

Whereas the following natural resource degradation is occurring
under the de facto government's watch--

(1) open and organized plundering of precious wood
from natural forests, including World Heritage Sites such
as Marojejy and Masoala National Parks;

(2) intimidation and menace of legitimate local community
management structures, and expropriation of revenue
and benefits from them, causing suffering and impoverishment;

(3) intensified smuggling of endemic and protected
species and species parts and/or products to the national
and international markets;

(4) proliferation of destructive practices such as illegal
mining and slash-and-burn agriculture within protected
areas and environmentally sensitive areas;

(5) degradation of forests, pushing some rosewood
and ebony species to the brink of extinction; and

(6) the degradation of the resource base upon which
rural communities depend representing an immediate and
future threat to local governance, local incomes, and food
security; and

Whereas the vast majority of this precious wood is destined
for global export markets: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) calls on people of Madagascar to immediately
undertake a democratic, consensual process
to restore constitutional governance, culminating in
free, fair and peaceful elections;

(2) strongly condemns the illegal extraction of
Madagascar's natural resources and its impact on
biodiversity and livelihoods of rural communities,
including illegal logging, smuggling of wild species,
and illegal mining;

(3) supports action by competent authorities
and the people of Madagascar to stop this illegal
devastation and bring those perpetrating these
crimes to justice;

(4) calls upon importing countries to intensify
their inspection and monitoring processes to ensure
that they do not contribute to the demand for ille10
gally sourced precious woods from Madagascar; and

(5) calls upon consumers of rosewood and
ebony products to check their origin, and boycott
those made of Malagasy wood, until constitutional
order is restored.

 

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The call to boycott Madagascar's rosewood and ebony explained
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Conservationists Call on Malagasy People to Stop Forest Plunder
Eleven groups that fund and help manage conservation of Madagascar's remaining wilderness heritage issued a joint statement deploring the invasion by armed looters of national parks and forests, illegal timber extraction, illegal mining, and intensified smuggling of endangered species.

Act Aggressively to Curb Illegal Logging, Madagascar Urged
Madagascar's efforts to curtail illegal logging in the World Heritage Sites of Masoala and Marojejy National Parks and their peripheral zones have not reduced the impact of logging in the immediate term, say governments, international agencies, and conservation groups that support conservation of the country's natural heritage.

Lemurs, Rare Forests Threatened by Madagascar Strife
Looters are invading Madagascar's protected wildlife sanctuaries, harvesting trees and threatening critically endangered lemurs and other species. (March 2009)

 

Researchers have found a migration route of pronghorn antelope that ranks among the farthest for any land mammal in the Western Hemisphere, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Idaho-based Lava Lake Institute for Science and Conservation, said in a news statement.

The route stretches from the base of Idaho's Pioneers Mountains to the continental divide's Beaverhead Mountains, passing through Craters of the Moon National Monument and Reserve--a round trip of more than 160 miles.

"The route crosses federal, state, and private land and narrows in one stretch to a bottleneck less than two football fields wide.

Migration map courtesy of WCS

There, animals are restricted by mountains, fences, a highway, and fields of jagged lava from Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve," WCS said.

The discovery is part of an ongoing study to track pronghorn using GPS and radio collars. Investigators include Scott Bergen of the Wildlife Conservation Society, Tess O'Sullivan of the Lava Lake Institute of Science and Conservation, and Mark Hurley of Idaho Fish and Game.

"This study shows that pronghorn are the true marathoners of the American West," said Scott Bergen, project director for WCS. "With these new findings, we can confirm that Idaho supports a major overland mammal migration--something that is becoming increasingly rare in the U.S. and worldwide."

NGS photo of pronghorn by Sam Abell

To establish the newly discovered migration route, the researchers tracked the pronghorn's daily movements during their annual migration. They estimate 100-200 pronghorn currently use the migration route. During the winter, the pronghorn congregate with other regional herds from the area, making it Idaho's largest pronghorn herd of around one thousand animals, WCS said.

"Growing interest in development of large-scale wind farms and their associated power lines could threaten the migration route."

The newly discovered route is threatened by increased habitat fragmentation from development and other land-use changes, the researchers said. "Growing interest in development of large-scale wind farms and their associated power lines could threaten the migration route."

Both sexes sport impressive, backward-curving horns. The horns split to form forward-pointing prongs that give the species its name.

NGS photo by Bates Littlehales

As the American West continues to face increased development pressure, preserving migratory corridors will become more and more crucial to safeguarding large populations of wildlife like pronghorn, said Jodi Hilty, director of North America Programs for the Wildlife Conservation Society, and author of the book Corridor Ecology. "We have lost so many migrations globally, that these sorts of finds should inspire more of us to help give this uniquely American species a chance to roam in Idaho and throughout its range."

"Recently the Governors of Idaho and Montana signed agreements with the Departments of Interior, Agriculture, and Energy to improve management on federal lands where pronghorn migrate. In addition, Congress has recognized the value of wildlife migrations corridors as a strategy for adapting to global warming in pending climate change legislation."

Watch this National Geographic Wild Chronicles video "Epic migration seen 'through eyes'of' antelope". It covers the work of National Geographic grantee Joe Riis, a wildlife photojournalist and biologist who was the first to document an entire pronghorn migration on foot.

In a separate project in 2005, Wildlife Conservation Society scientists used GPS collars to document another migratory herd of pronghorn in Wyoming that travel from Grand Teton National Park to the Green River Valley. "With the leadership of the U.S. Forest Service, the nation's first designated wildlife migration corridor to protect 150-mile round-trip movement of pronghorn in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem was created. It has since been safeguarded in a unique public/private partnership called 'Path of the Pronghorn,'" WCS said.

The project which led to the discovery of the new migration route is being supported by the Wildlife Conservation Society, Lava Lake Institute for Science and Conservation, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Bureau of Land Management, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Idaho Conservation League, LightHawk Aviation, National Park Foundation, the National Park Service, The Conservation Fund, Wood River Land Trust, Carey area landowners and ranchers, The Nature Conservancy, and the Craters of the Moon Natural History Association.

National Geographic Channel will premiere an epic series about animal migrations in Fall 2010.

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In the latest crackdown on nonnative giant pet snakes in Florida, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) investigators have confiscated an 11-foot, albino Burmese python living uncaged in a private residence.

Photo courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission

Acting on a tip that a Crestview resident had a "large snake" that had escaped before, FWC officers were "amazed" to find the snake they estimated to weigh 100 pounds, the FWC said in a statement.

The resident was charged with possession of a reptile of concern without a permit, housing a reptile of concern in an unsafe manner, and resisting arrest without violence, the FWC said. All three charges are second-degree misdemeanors, punishable by fines of up to U.S. $500 and a maximum 60-day jail sentence.

"It was obvious children were in and out of the house. With a snake that size, that's just a disaster waiting to happen."

"There was no sign of a cage for the snake in the home, but the really shocking thing is there were mattresses on the floor along with the clothing of small children," said FWC Investigator Jerry Shores. "There weren't any children in the home when we were there, but it was obvious children were in and out of the house. With a snake that size, that's just a disaster waiting to happen."

Shores said the python was seized and is being held until the owner of the animal appears before an Okaloosa County judge.

"While most of the news in the past few months has been about the spread of Burmese pythons in the wild in South Florida and the recent strangulation death of a 2-year-old Sumter County child in her own bed by the family snake, there have been few reported python incidents in the Florida Panhandle, until now," FWC said.

Escaped python found in chicken coop

"Just two weeks ago," Shores said, "charges were filed with the State Attorney's office against a Wewahitchka man for numerous reptile violations after his 11-foot-long Burmese python escaped and was killed in a neighbor's chicken coop."

The owner of that reptile had no cage for his snake and let it freely crawl about his apartment in Wewahitchka, FWC said.

Under captive wildlife rules, anyone possessing one of the nonnative reptiles classified as reptiles of concern--including Burmese pythons, amethystine pythons, reticulated pythons, African rock pythons, green anacondas and Nile monitor lizards--must obtain a $100 reptile of concern permit and adhere to caging requirements based on the size of the reptile. They also must keep a written and approved contingency plan in case of escape or natural disaster.

The rules for captive wildlife went into effect in January 2008. People who owned reptiles of concern prior to the effective date are still required to purchase the reptile of concern permit, FWC said.

Pet Amnesty Days

The FWC hosts Pet Amnesty Days several times a year. At these events, people who can no longer keep nonnatives as pets can turn them over to the FWC for placement. The next Pet Amnesty Day will be held at Busch Gardens in Tampa on November 7.

For more information on Burmese pythons and other reptiles of concern, visit MyFWC.com and click on "Burmese pythons" under Quick Clicks. To report wildlife law violations, call the toll-free Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.

Skin and tissue samples from more than 1,500 humpback whales have provided new insights into how different breeding populations of the whales interact with one another in the Southern Hemisphere.

"After 15 years of research in the waters of the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the American Museum of Natural History, and an international coalition of organizations have unveiled the largest genetic study of humpback whale populations ever conducted in the Southern Hemisphere," the Wildlife Conservation Society said yesterday.

Credit: M. Leslie

So little is known about southern ocean basin humpbacks that researchers initially used old whaling records for insights into whale population boundaries.

"Humpback whales are perhaps the most studied species of great whale in the Northern Hemisphere, but many of the interactions among Southern Hemisphere populations are still poorly understood," said Howard Rosenbaum, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Ocean Giants Program and lead author of the study. "This research illustrates the vast potential of genetic analyses to uncover the mysteries of how humpbacks travel and form populations in the southern ocean basins."

Credit: T. Collins

Researchers collected skin samples from 1,527 whales from 14 sampling sites from the southwestern and southeastern Atlantic Ocean, and the southwestern and northern Indian Oceans.

"The scientists collected samples from living whales with biopsy darts fired from crossbows," WCS said. "The darts harmlessly bounce off the marine mammals as they surface to breathe. Samples came also from skin which is continually sloughed off by the animals and collected by the research teams."

The samples were analyzed by the AMNH Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, which focused on mitochondrial DNA, which is passed through maternal lines of a population, in order to measure interchange between groups.

The findings revealed:

• The highest rate of gene flow between populations is between whales that breed on either side of the African continent (Breeding Stocks B and C), with an estimated one or two reproductively active whales every year swimming from one ocean to join whales in another breeding ground. Authors of the current study previously identified the same individual whale in both Atlantic and Indian Ocean breeding grounds at different times, the first recorded instance of a humpback whale traveling between these two oceans.
• A lower rate of gene flow between humpbacks breeding on opposite sides of the Atlantic (one population along coastal Brazil and the other along the coast of Southern Africa). While no individual whales have been detected traveling across the Southern Atlantic to both breeding grounds, genetic similarities reveal a slight degree of populations interacting. "Interestingly, an examination of humpback whale songs between the two populations are similar, another hint at interchange between the two groups, most likely in the whales' feeding grounds in Antarctic waters," WCS said.
• Breeding Stock X, which inhabits the northern Indian Ocean off the Arabian Peninsula, numbers fewer than 200 whales and is the most distinct in terms of genetics and migratory behavior. Unlike the other humpback populations, it is non-migratory and only distantly related to the nearest group of humpbacks (which breed off Madagascar and the eastern coast of Southern Africa). As a small, insular group, the "X" population is unique and therefore a conservation priority.

"In addition to examining the population boundaries of humpbacks in the Southern Hemisphere, the study also gives scientists some insight into the mysterious and mercurial nature of marine ecosystems, with currents, water depth, and other unseen factors serving as shifting conduits and barriers between marine populations and ecosystems," WCS added.

Credit: Julie Larsen Maher (c) WCS

"Understanding the needs of humpbacks and other whale species can be challenging in terms of direct observations of these animals in the wild," Rosenbaum said. "Molecular technology gives us a window into the lives of whales that can help us understand the ecological forces shaping their movements and distribution. We can also use our findings to inform management decisions for a species that is only now beginning to recover from centuries of commercial whaling."

The humpback whale is a baleen whale that grows up to approximately 50 feet in length. The species has distinctively long pectoral fins and a head with knobs on the top and lower jaw.

"The humpback is also known for its acrobatics (such as full body breaching) and haunting songs, typically sung by males and possibly a mating behavior," WCS said. "The slow-swimming species was hunted commercially until the International Whaling Commission protected the species globally in 1966. Current estimates for humpback whale numbers are widely debated. While they are recovering, total population sizes may only perhaps be a small percent of the original global population."

The research was published in PLoS One, an interactive open-access journal for scientific and medical research. Other contributors to the study include: Columbia University; University of Pretoria; Environment Study of Oman; Instituto Baleia Jubarta and PURCS (Brazil); University of Cape Town; Marine and Coastal Management (South Africa); Faculdade de Biociências; Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (Gabon); Association Megaptera (France); Université de La Rochelle (France).

Big cats are in trouble, from lions in Kenya to snow leopards in the Himalaya, the National Geographic Society said in a statement today. "The icons of the natural world--lions, cheetahs, leopards, jaguars and other top felines--are disappearing, victims of habitat loss and degradation as well as conflicts with humans.

NGS photo of African lion by Chris Johns

"Large cats are keystone species of their ecosystems; losing them means not only loss of a majestic predator but destruction of a natural balance that affects an entire environmental system, including people."

To address this critical situation the National Geographic Society has launched the Big Cats Initiative, a comprehensive program that supports on-the-ground conservation projects, education and economic incentive efforts and a global public-awareness campaign.

The program's first phase will target lions, whose populations are dying off rapidly across Africa, the news statement explained.

NGS photo of African lion by Chris Johns

"Lions once ranged across Africa and into Syria, Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran and northwest India; some 1.5 million lions roamed the earth two millennia ago. Since the 1940s, when lions numbered an estimated 450,000, lion populations have blinked out across the continent and now may total as few as 20,000 animals. Scientists connect the drastic decreases in lions in part to burgeoning human populations".

The first goal of the Big Cats Initiative is to halt lion population declines by the year 2015 and to restore populations to sustainable levels by 2020.

The first goal of the Big Cats Initiative is to halt lion population declines by the year 2015 and to restore populations to sustainable levels by 2020.

As a first step, National Geographic will map all available data on lion populations, demographics and habitat. Using that information, National Geographic will launch a grant program that will fund a variety of conservation projects across the lions' range. These include innovative projects focused on near-term results for saving lions, including anti-poaching programs and projects that test new techniques and technologies.

NGS photo of African lions by Michael Nichols

Proposals for education projects will be encouraged, especially those working directly with community stakeholders to help local populations understand the ecological and economic value of preserving lions and other big cats. Projects that establish economic incentives for local people to ensure long-term survival of lions will especially be a priority.

The Big Cats Initiative is made up of conservationists led by National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence Dereck and Beverly Joubert. "Having lived and worked in some of Africa's most remote areas for more than 25 years as authors and filmmakers, the Jouberts have embraced the cause of wildlife conservation, especially for big cats," National Geographic said.

The Jouberts are active conservationists in Botswana, members of the IUCN-affiliated Lion Working Group and founding members of the Chobe Wildlife Trust and of Conservation International in Botswana. The Jouberts also work in ecotourism and on building community partnerships.

"We no longer have the luxury of time when it comes to big cats," said Dereck Joubert. "They are in such a downward spiral that if we hesitate now, we will be responsible for extinctions across the globe. If there was ever a time to take action, it is now."

NGS photo by W. Robert Moore

Conservation scientist Luke Dollar, a National Geographic explorer, is coordinating the Big Cats Initiative. "The BCI is the most ambitious, audacious conservation initiative I have ever encountered, much less been a part of," Dollar said in an email. "The extraordinary thing is that the goal is not only a critical response to a global biodiversity emergency; by our current roadmap, it is logical, progressive, and achievable."

National Geographic will collaborate with local and international NGOs, corporations, local community groups and individuals to work with saving lions and ensuring the future of this multiyear initiative.

For more information and how to apply for grants visit the Big Cats Initiative Web site.

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Not much has been known about the distribution and range of some of Africa's most secretive predators, including leopards and other big cats that hunt at night and sleep during the day. Where do they prowl after dark? Do they steal across farms when everyone is asleep?

By using a network of more than 400 camera traps, researchers have been able to monitor a number of carnivores as they move around in darkness across the northern part of the East African country Tanzania.

NGS camera trap shot of a leopard by Michael Nichols

The result of the investigation, according to the study by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), is that the meat-eaters tend to stay within specific habitat, avoiding other areas.

"Surprisingly, all the species surveyed tended to avoid croplands, suggesting that habitat conversion to agricultural land could have serious implications for carnivore distribution," said Wiley-Blackwell in a statement about the research. The study was published in the current issue of the Wiley-Blackwell research journal Animal Conservation.

NGS portrait of a leopard (Panthera pardus) in Africa by Chris Johns

The cameras recorded 23 out of 35 carnivore species known to occur in Tanzania.

Unsurprisingly, the cameras demonstrated that carnivore biodiversity tended to be higher in national parks than in game reserves and forest reserves.

Photo of serval caught in camera trap courtesy of Zoological Society of London

"We explored habitat use for seven species for which we had sufficient information. All species tended to be found near rivers and southern Acacia commiphora woodlands (except one mongoose species), and avoided deciduous shrubland, favouring deciduous woodland and/or open grassland," the researchers said in their paper.

"Camera traps provide a fantastic opportunity to gain knowledge on habitat use and spatial distribution of otherwise elusive and poorly known species," said Sarah Durant from ZSL. "This methodology represents a powerful tool that can inform national and site-based wildlife managers and policy makers as well as international agreements on conservation."

Nocturnal species under-reported

Until now, many of the species had been under reported because of their nocturnal habits, or because they live in heavily forested areas.

Photo of caracal caught in camera trap courtesy of Zoological Society of London

"The strength of the technique to document habitat preference of elusive species is highlighted by camera trap observations of bushy tailed mongooses--including the first ever records of this species from one of the most visited areas in the country," the researchers said.

Previously thought to be rare, the bushy-tailed mongoose (Bdeogale crassicauda) is in fact much more widely distributed in northern Tanzania than had been known, the scientists found by studying the camera trap images.

"These data can also be used to understand how Tanzania's carnivores may respond to habitat changes caused as a result of environmental change," the researchers noted.

Carnivores are sensitive to development

"Carnivores are generally thought to be relatively tolerant to land conversion, yet our study suggests that they may be more sensitive to development than previously thought, and that protected areas need to be sufficiently large to ensure that these charismatic animals will roam in Tanzania for the decades to come,' said Nathalie Pettorelli from ZSL.

All species were also foiund the be affected by rivers and habitat, and the analysis provides important information relevant to the examination of future impacts of climate change, the scientists said.

Photo of leopard caught in camera trap courtesy of Zoological Society of London

The project continues to map carnivore distribution across the country, working closely with the wildlife authorities to support local conservationists and to generate information that is used to inform conservation planning.

"Our study provides a first example where camera-trap data are combined with niche analyses to reveal patterns in habitat use and spatial distribution of otherwise elusive and poorly known species and to inform reserve design and land-use planning," the scientists said.

"Our methodology represents a potentially powerful tool that can inform national and site-based wildlife managers and policy makers as well as international agreements on conservation."

Photo of wild dog and warthog caught in camera trap courtesy of Zoological Society of London

Lions, cheetahs, leopards, jaguars, and other top felines are quickly disappearing, all victims of habitat loss and degradation as well as conflicts with humans.

To address this critical situation, the National Geographic Society has launched the Big Cats Initiative, an emergency intervention to halt the alarming decline of big cats combined with longer-term strategies to restore populations. For more information and to learn how you can help, visit the Big Cats Initative Web site.

Dragonflies and damselflies are ancient insects that have been around since the age of the dinosaurs. But now the aerial predators may be in trouble as climate change and human development are drying up the freshwater habitat they need to survive.

One in five Mediterranean dragonflies and damselflies is threatened with extinction because of Increasing scarcity of freshwater in the region, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said today.

Climate change and habitat degradation, due to the way land is managed, are also affecting the insects, says a report by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Photo of Large White-faced Darter (Leucorrhinia pectoralis) by Fabio Pupin/IUCN

Dragonflies and damselflies belong to the order of insects called Odonata. They have been around in one form or another since the Jurassic era, well more than a hundred million years ago. Giant specimens with wingspans of more than two feet have been found in the fossil record. About 6,500 species survive today.

Aerial predators that hunt by sight, dragonflies and damselflies generally are found at or near fresh water. The larvae are predatory, aquatic and occur in all manner of inland waters, according to the Web of Life.

Common Pond Damsel  (Ceriagrion glabrum) photo by Elisa Riservato/IUCN

The Red List assessment of 163 Mediterranean dragonflies and damselflies shows five are Critically Endangered, 13 are Endangered, another 13 are Vulnerable, 27 are Near Threatened, 96 are Least Concern and six are Data Deficient, meaning there is not enough information to classify them, but they might also be threatened.

"It is likely things will only get worse for these unique species as climate change and increased water demand take their toll," says Jean Pierre Boudot, member of the IUCN Dragonfly Specialist Group and co-author of the report. "Lower levels of precipitation and drought will lead to degradation of the habitats where the majority of dragonflies and damselflies live."

Photo of Glittering Demoiselle (Calopteryx exul) by Jean-Pierre Boudot/IUCN

Four species are already listed as Extinct in the Mediterranean, including the Little Whisp (Agriocnemis exilis), the Common Pond Damsel (Ceriagrion glabrum), the Phantom Flutterer (Rhyothemis semihyalina) and the Darting Cruiser (Phyllomacromia africana).

"Dragonflies are generally known for being good indicators of water quality," IUCN says in a statement about the report. "Major threats for 67 percent of these Mediterranean species are habitat degradation and pollution. The Spotted Darter (Sympetrum depressiusculum), which used to be common in the Mediterranean, is now listed as Vulnerable and is declining due to the intensification of agricultural practices in rice fields."

Banded Darter (Sympetrum pedemontanum) photo by Fabio Pupin/IUCN

Fourteen percent of these insect species can be found only in Mediterranean freshwater ecosystems, some of the richest and most threatened habitats, among which nine have been assessed as Endangered or Vulnerable. According to the report, the highest numbers of endemic dragonflies are present in the South and West of the Mediterranean, with the Maghreb and the Levant areas being regional hotspots of endemism.

"The Glittering Demoiselle (Calopteryx exul), for example, is listed as Endangered and is in decline. It inhabits the aquatic habitats of the Maghreb, whose ecosystems are under pressure due to water-harnessing for human use, water pollution, irrigation and drought," IUCN says.

"Long-term coordinated actions are needed at regional, national and international level, and the results of this report highlight the responsibility that Mediterranean countries have to protect the global populations.

"Though some species are already receiving some conservation attention thanks to international laws, such as the Ornate Bluet (Coenagrion ornatum) which is included in the European Habitat Directive, others are not protected at all, despite their high risk of extinction."

Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) photo by Jean-Pierre Boudot/IUCN

"The selection and protection of key sites are essential to ensure the survival of these species," says IUCN's Annabelle Cuttelod, co-author of the report. "Their ecological requirements need to be taken into account in the planning and management of water use, especially for agriculture purposes or infrastructure development. IUCN Red List data can inform both processes."

In addition to the Mediterranean odonata assessment, 1,912 species of amphibians, birds, cartilaginous fishes, endemic freshwater fishes, crabs and crayfish, mammals, and reptiles have been assessed to date in the Mediterranean region. About 19 percent of these species are threatened with extinction: 5 percent Critically Endangered, 7 percent Endangered and 7 percent Vulnerable, IUCN says.

Spotted Darter (Sympetrum depressiusculum) photo by Jean-Pierre Boudot/IUCN.

The assessment was carried out with the support of relevant scientists from the countries bordering the Mediterranean Basin in collaboration with the IUCN Dragonfly Specialist Group, to which they contributed with their expertise to gather the data, and to assess the conservation status that would be the basis for future conservation action.

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo meridionalis) photo by Jean Pierre Boudot/IUCN

This project was funded by the European Commission, the Mava Foundation and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID).

Ornate Bluet (Coenagrion ornatum) photo by Jean-Pierre Boudot/IUCN

You might also like:

Dragonfly Mating Game (National Geographic Magazine)
From a distance, dragonfly rituals of courtship and sex look harmless, even romantic. But a close look at their mating game reveals a harsher tale of sexual harassment and conflict.

Mountain gorillas survive in two pockets of African rain forest and are shared by three countries that have experienced much turmoil: Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

That the gorillas have been able to find relative sanctuary above the fray of the human settlements around them is thanks in no small part to the vision and dedication of several people and organizations devoted to the wellbeing of the endangered primates.

One such person is Eugene Rutagarama.

Photo of Eugene Rutagarama and mountain gorilla by J. Kemsey, IGCP

The recipient of both the Jean Paul Getty Prize and the 2001 Goldman Environmental Prize in recognition for his conservation work, Rutagarama is the first African director of the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), a coalition formed in 1991 by three partners: African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Fauna & Flora International (FFI), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

The mission of the IGCP is to empower the people of Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Uganda to jointly manage a network of transboundary protected areas "that contributes significantly to sustainable development and protects the endangered mountain gorillas and their habitat."

The partnership also incorporates the respective protected-area authorities of the three countries in which IGCP works: the Rwanda Development Board/Office Rwandais du Tourisme et des Parcs Nationaux (ORTPN), the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN).

From his office in Kigali, Rwanda, Rutagarama discussed in a telephone interview the successes and challenges in mountain gorilla conservation, and the role played by his organization, particularly in the context of Year of the Gorilla 2009..

NatGeo News Watch interview: Eugene Rutagarama >>

Pictures from some of the world's leading nature and wildlife photographers were exhibited at London's Saatchi Gallery today.

For those of us who couldn't make it to the British capital, Conservation International shared some of the images from the exhibit, shown here. The places they represent are indeed remarkable.

On the Look Out: The peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) is believed to have the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. Each is capable of depth perception and trinocular vision. This allows the peacock mantis to detect semi transparent prey, different coral patterns, and the shimmering scales of hungry barracudas. They also have very powerful claws, known to break the glass of aquariums.

Photo by Sterling Zumbrunn/Caption by CI

Photo by Luciano Candisani/Caption by CI

The exhibition was opened by CI President Russell A. Mittermeier and BG Group Executive Vice President Charles Bland on Thursday.

"Mittermeier, one of the world's most famous conservationists, is a legendary field biologist who has discovered numerous new species of animals, and is a world authority on primates, amphibians and the wildlife of Madagascar, the Guianas and Brazil," CI's statement added.

No Blast Fishing: A community patrolman on his dugout canoe near the island of Batanta, Raja Ampat. Local communities, aware of the importance of reef habitats to their fisheries, have learned to patrol their waters to protect against cyanide and blast fishing.

Photo by Sterling Zumbrunn/Caption by CI

"We are at a critical time in the history of the planet. Over the next decade decisions are going to be made that will affect the lives of millions of people and the survival of thousands of plants and animals," Mittermeier said. "Conservation International's mission is to protect the world's ecosystems for the benefit of humanity. The partnership with BG Group allows us to use photography as a tool for conserving the incredible biodiversity and cultures featured in this exhibition."

Photo by Sterling Zumbrunn/Caption by CI

Charles Bland said: "At BG Group we understand that our business activity can have an impact upon the environment and we are committed to making a positive contribution to protecting the environment. Our alliance with CI supports this by helping to build awareness of the importance of our natural world."

Photo by Sterling Zumbrunn/Caption by CI

Brand New Frog?

Photo by Luciano Candisani/Caption by CI

Said Cristina Mittermeier, Director of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP), and one of the photographers whose work is featured in the exhibit, "Conservation photography is a mixture of art, journalism and environmentalism. It mixes beauty and abstract images with profound social comment, and it provides motivation for those who often live in a world far removed from the people, places and wildlife that are featured in this stunning exhibition."

Gentle Giant:

Photo by John Martin/Caption by CI

More Fish Species Than Anywhere On Earth:

Chimpanzee Orphanage: Endangered, the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is believed to have shared the same ancestry as humans 6 million years ago, making it the closest living relative to human beings. Habitat loss, hunting for bushmeat, and human disease are among the threats it faces. Sanctuaries, like Lwiro in the Democratic Republic of Congo, provide care for orphans. Nearly half of primate species worldwide are endangered.

Intersex in smallmouth and largemouth bass is widespread in numerous river basins throughout the United States, according to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research published online in Aquatic Toxicology.

Fish with the characteristics of both male and female fish are called intersex fish. It is suspected that fish are changing sex because of rising levels of pollution in rivers, including pharmaceuticals, detergents, and farm chemicals.

No one knows if the disruption of hormones in fish is an indication of harm to humans who drink the same water the fish live in.

The USGS examined 6 fish species researchers from 1995 to 2004, and found that intersex was most common by far in smallmouth and largemouth bass.

Largemouth bass, left, and smallmouth, right and jumping.

NGS illustration by Hashime Murayama

"A third of all male smallmouth bass and a fifth of all male largemouth bass were intersex," USGS said in a news statement about the study. "This condition is primarily revealed in male fish that have immature female egg cells in their testes, but occasionally female fish will have male characteristics as well."

Scientists found intersex fish in about a third of all sites examined from the Apalachicola, Colorado, Columbia, Mobile, Mississippi, Pee Dee, Rio Grande, Savannah, and Yukon River basins. The Yukon River basin was the only one where researchers did not find at least one intersex fish, USGS said.

"Although intersex occurrence differed among species and basin, it was more prevalent in largemouth bass in southeastern U.S., where it occurred at all sites in the Apalachicola, Savannah, and Pee Dee river basins," said Jo Ellen Hinck, the lead author of the paper and a biologist at the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center.

Intersex found in catfish for first time

The researchers also documented intersex in channel catfish for the first time.

"Although the USGS has already documented the severity of intersex in individual basins such as the Potomac, this study reveals the prevalence of intersex is more widespread than anyone anticipated", said Sue Haseltine, associate director for biology at the U.S. Geological Survey.

"This research sends the clear message that we need to learn more about the hormonal and environmental factors that cause this condition in fish, as well as the number of fish afflicted with this condition."

USGS researcher examining bass for abnormalities in the field in Alabama.

Photo by Jo Ellen Hinck, U.S. Geological Survey

The study, said Hinck, presents the observed occurrence of intersex in a variety of freshwater fish species, but not potential causes.

"This study adds a lot to our knowledge of this phenomena, but we still don't know why certain species seem more prone to this condition or exactly what is causing it.

"In fact, the causes for intersex may vary by location, and we suspect it will be unlikely that a single human activity or kind of contaminant will explain intersex in all species or regions," she said.

Smallmouth bass illustration courtesy U.S. Department of the Interior

 Such compounds are chemical stressors that have the ability to affect the endocrine system and include pesticides, PCBs, heavy metals, household compounds such as laundry detergent and shampoo, and many pharmaceuticals.

Yet other study sites with high occurrence of intersex were on rivers with dense human populations or industrial and agricultural activities, which are more generally associated with endocrine-active compounds, USGS said.

Largemouth bass illustration courtesy U.S. Department of the Interior

"Proper diagnosis of this condition in wild fish is essential because if the primary causes are compounds that disrupt the endocrine system, then the widespread occurrence of intersex in fish would be a critical environmental concern."

Specific river basin results include:

•Intersex smallmouth bass were found in a third of male bass at almost half of the sites examined in the Columbia, Colorado, and Mississippi River basins. The percentage of intersex smallmouth bass ranged from 14 to 73 percent at different sites. It was highest (73 percent) in the Mississippi River at Lake City, Minnesota, Yampa River at Lay, Colorado, (70 percent), Salmon River at Riggins, Idaho (43 percent), and the Columbia River at Warrendale, Oregon, (67 percent).

•Intersex largemouth bass were found in nearly a fifth of the fish examined from the Colorado, Rio Grande, Mississippi, Mobile, Apalachicola, Savannah, and Pee Dee River basins; intersex was not observed in male largemouth bass from the Columbia River Basin.

The percentage of intersex largemouth bass per site ranged from 8 to 91 percent and was most prevalent in the southeastern United States.
The Pee Dee River at Bucksport, South Carolina, contained the highest percentage of intersex fish (91 percent), with high percentages occurring elsewhere on the Pee Dee too. Sixty percent of male bass examined at the Apalachicola River at Blountstown, Florida, were intersex, 50 percent in the Savannah River at Port Wentworth and Sylvania, Georgia, 43 percent in the Savannah River at Augusta, Georgia, and 30 percent in the Chattahoochee River at Omaha, Georgia, and the Flint River at Albany, Georgia, Lower percent intersex (10-25 percent) were found in bass from sites in the Mobile River in Alabama.

•In addition, relatively high proportions of intersex largemouth bass were observed at three sites in the lower Rio Grande Basin including Rio Grande at Brownsville, Texas (50 percent), Rio Grande at Falcon Dam, Texas (44 percent), and Rio Grande at Mission, Texas (20 percent). In addition, 40 percent of male largemouth bass from the Colorado River at Imperial Dam, Arizona, and at the Gila River at Hayden, Arizona, in the Colorado River Basin were intersex.

Seahorses are familiar and loved as the peculiar upright fish that graces bathroom tiles, beach towels, cartoon movies, children's books, and even jewelry. That's when we're not grinding them into powder for traditional medicines.

Pregnant seahorse males, bellies big with embryos, rest in seagrass.

NGS photo by Paul Zahl

Although some people own seahorses in private aquariums, the great bulk of humanity has never seen a live one in the wild. For the most part they're tiny, solitary, and adept at hiding in coral reefs or seagrass. Yet they live in many parts of the world, and can be found even in fairly close proximity to popular beaches.

Marine biologist Helen Scales, a regular contributor to National Geographic News, has written a compelling book about seahorses that makes the case not only for these odd fish but also for the entire ocean.

"Increasingly, seahorses are being used as catalysts for conservation initiatives; they are being held aloft as poster species to help muster support for protecting the oceans.

"They are touchstones to remind people of the vulnerable, beautiful creatures that live there, giving us a reason to care."

Scales describes in absorbing detail the prehensile tail seahorses use to tie themselves to a perch, a pair of chameleon eyes capable of moving independently of each other, a coat that can change colors to blend invisibly into the background, and a long tube of a snout to suck in passing plankton like a powerful vacuum cleaner.

The seahorse is the only fish with a neck and the only species on Earth in which the male gives birth.

A dwarf seahorse mimics plumes of hydroids on turtle grass.

NGS photo by Robert Sisson

Seahorses, one might imagine, are masterpieces of evolution, reaching their unique morphology and niche in the web of life through many twists and turns over millions of years.

But she really comes into her own when she delves into the mythology based on the seahorse (the title of the book is a reference to ancient art of the Greek god Poseidon's chariot being pulled by seahorses) and to the thousand-year tradition of using seahorses in Chinese medicine as cures for flagging libido and a variety of other ailments.

It's the booming trade in traditional medicine that is the biggest threat to seahorses. Some 25 million seahorses are pulled from the oceans every year, according to Scales.

Much of the harvest is bycatch in the shrimp fisheries, which use trawl nets to scrape all living things from the seafloor. Seahorses are picked out of the writhing heaps of shrimp, sponges, and other marine animals gathered by the nets, then set aside for sale to the traditional healing trade. It can be a lucrative sideline for fishers.

Five pygmy sea horses range in color from dull brown to golden yellow.

NGS photo of seahorses by Paul Zahl

Scales provides a nuanced and thoughtful analysis of traditional medicine in general, branching her analysis into the pros and cons of farming endangered species (yes, there are seahorse farms, and 18 seahorse species now live in aquariums) and she gives a fair hearing to those who argue that a billion users of Chinese traditional medicine cannot all be wrong about its efficacy.

But it's clear that irresponsible fishing practices, and an insatiable appetite for rare wild species as traditional medicine, are the biggest threats to seahorses and countless other marine animals.

Sea horses, one yellow and one green, suck plankton via their snouts.

NGS photo by Paul Zahl

Other threats to seahorses include habitat destruction because of coastal development and runoff.

A warming world could raise ocean temperatures, and also raise sea levels that could make what are now shallow seas deeper and darker. The changes could come too rapidly for many species to adapt, especially animals like seahorses which may not be able to relocate to cooler latitudes fast enough.

A pygmy sea horse pops out of its father's pouch tail first at birth.

NGS photo of seahorse by Paul Zahl

One of the rarest seahorses is the Cape seahorse, also known as the Knysna seahorse. They occur in only a small part of the coast of South Africa and are vulnerable to a major natural disaster. Watch this National Geographic video about them:

There is some good news for seahorses.

Scales reports on Project Seahorse in the Philippines as an example of artisinal fishers taking the initiative to zone off and protect ocean sanctuaries where species, including seahorses, can recover and restock adjacent fishing areas.

Cleaning up rivers has also had an important impact on seahorses. An example of this is the Thames River in England, which has recovered to the point where seahorses are being seen again as far upriver as London for the first time in many years. (Read the about this in the National Geographic News report Rare Seahorses Found in River Thames.) 

An Australian male sea horse grasps a stalk of algae with its tail.

NGS photo of seahorse by Paul Zahl

One of the most enjoyable features of "Poseidon's Steed" are the many digressions. There can be few, if any, aspects of seahorses in mythology, history, or the popular culture that Scales does not investigate.

Thorny cirri, skin branchings, sprout from a pygmy sea horse's head.

NGS photo by Paul Zahl

Everything Scales writes about is well researched and explained, and the additional details in the book's comprehensive footnotes speak not only to her academic diligence but also her journalistic professionalism to provide context and explanation.

The bibliography runs for an impressive number of pages.  I've never read a book devoted entirely to seahorses before, and I may never read another one. But I am very glad I read this one. It feels like a lucid distillation of a lot of research and careful thought.

My one disappointment with the book is that it lacks great color photography. I know from our news coverage that seahorses can make gorgeous photos. For an example of this, look at the images in SEA LIFE PHOTOS: Five New Pygmy Seahorse Species Found (captions written by Helen Scales).

I was expecting a book that dealt with many aspects of a delightful and enigmatic fish. I found all that and so much more.

Scales has provided much useful information and context for the wider issues of the long relationship we have had--and continue to have--with our oceans and the animals that live in them.

"Poseidon's Steed" takes a look at the oceans from the point of view of the seahorse, and in doing so gives us a profound appreciation of what's a stake for everything that lives in or depends on the sea, ourselves included.

Horses of Neptune by Walter Crane (1892)

You might also like these National Geographic News stories:

SEA LIFE PHOTOS: Five New Pygmy Seahorse Species Found
The Walea pygmy seahorse is one of five species named in a flurry of recent seahorse discoveries from coral reefs in the Red Sea and Indonesia. All five are less than an inch tall (2.5 centimeters) and are among the tiniest known vertebrates.

PHOTOS: Oldest Seahorses Found; Help Solve Mystery
The oldest seahorse fossils discovered to date have been uncovered in Slovenia, including a two-inch-long (five-centimeter-long) adult female Hippocampus sarmaticus fossil.

How Seahorses Evolved to Swim "Standing Up"

Seahorse in a Sea Fan (Best Photo Contest)
This exquisitely camouflaged pygmy seahorse on a sea fan in the Malaysian section of the South Pacific island of Borneo won first place prize in an amateur underwater-photography contest.

National Geographic News stories by Helen Scales:

Sharks Repelled by Metal That Creates Electric Field

Coral Reefs Vanishing Faster Than Rain Forests

SEA LIFE PHOTOS: Five New Pygmy Seahorse Species Found

Giant Shark Mystery Solved: Unexpected Hideout Found

Oceans Becoming Acidic Ten Times Faster Than Thought

Antarctic Fish "Hibernate" in Winter

Gardening Fish "Domesticate" Crops of Algae

Over the last ten years in Australia, scientists have unearthed an average of at least two new species a week, WWF said in a recent report.

"The extent of Australia's rich biodiversity is astounding, to the point where science is regularly being used to describe new species," Michael Roache of WWF-Australia said.

Photograph courtesy Ross Knowles, WWF-Australia

Tragically, many of the newfound species may already be heading for extinction. At least 1,300 species are thought to be endangered, according to the report released by WWF to mark Australia's National Threatened Species Day on September 7.

Take the the carbine barred frog (pictured above), for example. It lives only in cool, high-elevation rain forests of the Carbine Tablelands, a region in northern Australia that is vulnerable to the effects of global warming, conservationists say.

"The frog--among 13 new amphibians found in the country in the past decade--may lose its habitat by 2050, due to an intense temperature rise," National Geographic News reported yesterday.

Read more about the the 1,300 new plant and animal species found in Australia since 1999, and see a small gallery of pictures:

NEW SPECIES PICTURES: "Fast Talking" Frog, Snubfin Dolphin Found >>

Pythons have invaded the Everglades, where they flourish in warm, wet habitat that has an abundant buffet of native species to feast on.

The giant snakes were imported to North America as pets, but released or escaped into Florida's wetlands they are proliferating, challenging alligators for the top of the food chain, and potentially positioning themselves to invade much more of the United States.

Conservation biologist Stuart Pimm has dedicated his life to protecting species--but an infestation of 16-foot alien snakes in Florida's iconic Everglades National Park has got him wondering how to eradicate this one. He is worried about the impact on indigenous species--and what could happen if pet owners release other big reptiles into the watery wilderness.

An American alligator and a Burmese python struggle to prevail in Everglades National Park. Pythons have been known to kill and eat alligators in the park.

Photo by Lori Oberhofer, National Park Service.

By Stuart L. Pimm
Special Contributor to NatGeo News Watch

Everglades National Park, Florida--Most April mornings for the last 15 years have started well before dawn, with a cup of coffee and the drive into Everglades National Park. We're in the helicopter while the sun is still below the horizon. No brilliant conversation at this hour.

Through my headset I hear, "Seven eight four, one six three bravo hotel." A women's voice echoes, "seven eight four, one six three bravo hotel." Our pilot replies, "heading west from the Beard Center to 80 46 30, 25, 41 15, four souls on board, two and half hours of fuel." The women's voice repeats the numbers.

"Roger that, thank you," and the conversation ends. There is no chit chat. We let the Park know where we're going just in case the helicopter breaks down--which happens, but not often.

Photo courtesy Stuart Pimm

The sun is still not up and the colors are muted. The stands of pine trees are dark green, the prairies are dark buff. There's a mist over them, gray in this light, but thin, translucent, rumpled by the most gentle breeze. Anything stronger would destroy the veil. It's thin enough, sometimes, that I will stand with my head above it when we land.

The helicopter leaves and I listen in complete solitude. There's a faint "bzzzz" to the north, so I check "one" on my clipboard. The Cape Sable sparrow-- one of the rarest birds in North America and one found only in the Florida Everglades, is at home. [Find a link to a video report of Pimm's sparrow research in the Everglades, at the bottom of this page.]

I know what you want to ask. Alone--and a very long, tough walk from the nearest road--what happens if I run into an alligator (there are lots of them), or a cottonmouth (you smell them first), or a Burmese python? A Burmese python?

Photo courtesy NPS

The alligator and cottonmouth belong in the Everglades, but I really don't relish the prospect of meeting a 4-meter (13-foot) constrictor, curled up on her eggs, as I wait for the helicopter to return to pick me up. I'm just not a snake person. And the pythons do not belong there.

There are snake people, of course. And the problem is that there are people who thought they were snake people, but grew out of it. Well, the snake grew them out of it, more correctly.

One of the Ten Largest Snakes in the World

The Burmese python grows to be one of the ten largest snakes in the world. Without doubt, it's a beautiful animal. And a very popular pet. Type the name into Google and you immediately get advice on how to care for one.

It also comes with a warning too few people heed: They can grow to more than 5 meters long (16 feet) and weigh more than 80 kilos (200 pounds). And you have to feed them. And they get very large very quickly.

"What starts out as a cute, mouse-eating novelty, can become a liability in a couple of years."

What starts out as a cute, mouse-eating novelty, can become a liability in a couple of years.

I talked to Dr. Nicolette Cagle, a Duke University colleague who did her Ph. D on snakes. Her husband, Mark--a vet--was an essential part of the conversation: It took both of them to hold Boa, their pet boa, as can be seen in the photo below and in my video interview with them at the bottom of this page.

Picture by Stuart Pimm--watch this video at the bottom of the page

Boas are snakes related to pythons and, like pythons, grow quickly to a large size. "They're fascinating creatures," Nicolette told me, "so many people are afraid of them--but there's no reason to be.

"For the most part, they're even-tempered--we like to show her to school groups."

Nicolette and Mark have had Boa since she was just over a meter (four feet) long. But handling such a large snake requires dedication.

"If you live in South Florida, the temptation often proves irresistible--you let your pet go."

So, what to do if you are unable to manage such a large reptile? If you live in South Florida, the temptation often proves irresistible--you let your pet go.

Many people have done this, even though this is against the law and there are humane alternatives. The result is that today the Everglades is home to perhaps thousands of Burmese pythons. And they're breeding.

It's not just pythons that are immigrants in the Everglades. The waters of this unique freshwater marsh have been populated by a veritable United Nations of tropical fish species. They too were dumped by owners who tired of them.

There are green iguanas across southern Florida, too--and the list of alien species that have taken up residence in the Sunshine State goes on.

Photo by Stuart Pimm

The damage that such invasive species cause is huge and, in the Everglades, many native species could be at risk. Alien species of all kinds are eating native species, or their food. Pythons could be emerging as the Everglades' alpha predator.

Photo of alligator in the Everglades by Stuart Pimm

On the far side of the world, the brown treesnake was responsible for eating all of Guam's birds to extinction in the wild. That's what can happen when an alien predator is introduced into a habitat where it has no natural enemies. (You can read more about the Guam situation on the USGS Web site.)

Python hunters have been recruited to go after the snakes in Florida. But even with the help of snake-sniffing dogs, the bag has not been impressive thus far.

What I do for a living is to understand why species go extinct-- and what we can do to prevent extinction. In this case, we want to know how to make Burmese pythons extinct in the U.S. wilderness, somewhere they do not belong.

So what are this species' vulnerabilities?

I talked to Dr. Lucas Joppa, another Duke University snake expert. "These pythons have an amazing advantage in the Everglades," he told me. "They are superb predators on the land--and they are superb predators in water, too."

Picture by Stuart Pimm--watch this video interview at the bottom of the page

A weakness, however, may be the python's need for warm places to lay its eggs. After giving birth, female snakes remain with their eggs for over a month to keep them warm," Joppa added.

Professor Stuart L. Pimm is a conservation biologist at Duke University, North Carolina. A former member of the National Geographic Committee for Research and Exploration, Pimm is the author of dozens of books and research papers, including the book "The World According to Pimm: A Scientist Audits the Earth."

David Blinken has produced this video interview with Stuart Pimm on Pimm's research in the Everglades on the endangered Cape Sable sparrow.

Read earlier blog posts by Stuart Pimm>>

You might also be interested in:

When the brown tree snake was transported accidentally to the Pacific island of Guam sixty years ago it slithered into paradise: a banquet of birds that had no fear of snakes--and no predators to keep snakes in check. Today Guam is the text book example of what invasive species can inflict on an ecosystem.

Wildlife Trade Threatens Health of U.S.

Wildlife trade is so poorly regulated in the United States that it threatens ecosystems, native species, food supply chains and human health, several agencies and institutions have warned.

Six orphan gorillas, rescued from the illegal bush meat trade, have begun new independent lives on a lagoon island outside Loango National Park in Gabon, the Société de Conservation et Développement (SCD) said today.

"This is the first step in a reintroduction project that is hoped will allow them to return entirely to the wild and follows a three-year-long 'rehab programme' to prepare them for release," SCD said in a statement.

SCD, an affiliate of Africa's Eden, an eco-tourism company, has conservation partnerships with the Wildlife Conservation Society, Max Planck Institute, the Fernan-Vaz Gorilla Project (FVGP), and Gabon government agencies. Loango National Park is located on the African coast and is famous for its surfing hippos.

"Halfway through the Year of the Gorilla, the transfer [of the orphans] marks the beginning of the gorillas' independence. They have exchanged their human-built shelters for the palm-fringed forested islet where they can now live in relative safety from threats from poachers or other predators," SCD said.

"We all felt a hint of sadness as the gorillas left the place where their journey started," said Bachand, a veterinarian. "But this was instantly replaced with a mountain of pride when we observed some of the gorillas starting to build their own nests to sleep outside overnight."

Building nests is an important indication of the young gorillas' progress during this second phase of their rehabilitation, SCD explained.

Photo courtesy SCD B.V.

The six gorillas, three females and three males varying in ages from two to seven, were orphaned by the illegal bush meat trade.

The oldest male, Gimenu, 7, was rescued in an emaciated state from a zoo in Gabon where he had spent three years in complete isolation, SCD said. He is accompanied by Sindila, 4, an abandoned male found by tourists on a river excursion, and Ivindo, also 4, flown in from the Ivindo National Park in 2005.

The youngest female, Wanga, 2, was left on the doorstep of a conservationist's home in the southern half of Loango National Park, while the other two females, Cessé and Eliwa, 3 and 2, were donated by another great-ape rescue center in Gabon.

"The gorillas have spent the past two and a half years undergoing daily forest rehabilitation accompanied by their keepers on Evengue Island, located north of Loango National Park," SCD said.

A small team of local keepers will continue to monitor the progress of the gorillas from a base camp in the center of Orique island, where their new home is.

The Fernan-Vaz Gorilla Project comprises a sanctuary and rehabilitation program. All its resident gorillas were rescued after the parents were killed illegally by hunters for bush meat. "The sanctuary provides a safe home for gorillas that can never return to the wild as they lack the critical survival skills usually taught by their parents in the first six to eight years of their lives," SCD said.

"The younger gorillas are part of [the project's] rehabilitation program, however, and have undergone its quarantine and socialization stages. They now have the potential to be reintroduced into the wild, although many challenges and uncertainties remain."

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has identified the use of reintroduction projects as part of a global strategy for the survival of the world's endangered great apes, SCD added. "The Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) works closely with the Fernan-Vaz Gorilla Project and focuses wherever possible on reintroduction programs."

Said Doug Cress, executive director of PASA, "We have to find ways to restore value to Africa's forests, and reintroduction places focus on the African wildlife in the African forests.

"It's no good for any of us to aspire to having the world's largest captive population of chimpanzees or gorillas--even if we are saving lives. That is not conservation and it is not sending messages that can be translated into environmental action."

"It's no good for any of us to aspire to having the world's largest captive population of chimpanzees or gorillas--even if we are saving lives. That is not conservation and it is not sending messages that can be translated into environmental action."

The orhpan gorillas' return to the wild in the Gabonese equatorial forest is expected within two to three years.

"In the meantime, the project is working hard to raise local and global awareness on issues facing the gorillas, to encourage research that emphasises the needs of the local people, and to integrate responsible tourism, as part of a national and international effort to save the gorilla from extinction in the wild," SCD said.

Zhen Zhen celebrated her birthday yesterday in style--with cake and presents, the zoo added. "The gift boxes contained biscuits, specially made for pandas. Her sister, Su Lin, 4, celebrated her birthday today too, but her two-tiered larger cake had a big '4' on top."

Zhen Zhen, whose name means "precious," is the fourth panda cub born at the San Diego Zoo. Su Lin, who turned 4 Sunday, is the third. Her name means "a little bit of something very cute."

Photo taken August 3, 2009, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo

National Geographic grantee Professor Roger Kitching wants to know how much less diversity there is in tropical rainforest that has been logged than in unlogged "primary" forest. He finds some clues from the moths he draws to his lamp, Stuart Pimm reports in words, images, and video from the field, deep in the Borneo jungle.

By Stuart L. Pimm
Special Contributor to NatGeo News Watch

Borneo, Malaysia--Nothing quite captures the idea of "biodiversity" than standing in front of a white sheet lit by a mercury vapor lamp in the equatorial jungle at night. Mercury vapor lamps emit a lot of ultraviolet light which seems to be particularly attractive to moths.

Even though the sun has set, it's still hot, the humidity is 100 percent, sweat drips down our faces and into our eyes, making the mill of flying insects into our faces even more annoying.

We're here to teach a group of undergraduates from Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia about the basics of tropical rainforest natural history.

Before this course, Roger had been here to ask a particular question, one with important implications for protecting global biodiversity.

The field center accommodates not just us, but an enthusiastic set of visitors who come to the forest to enjoy its wildlife.

It's the gibbons that have everyone getting their cameras and, on several days, the orangutans. They are close enough to us evolutionarily that it's hard not to read human interpretations into their behaviors and expressions.

When one makes a tree-top nest in which to sleep for the night just opposite the center's open dining room, our loud chatter turns to whispers. We wouldn't want to disturb its sleep.

With every day, we add to our list of birds, mammals, lizards, and frogs. And every night, small groups go out with spotlights to add to the totals those species that only emerge at night.

Exciting though these vertebrates are, Kitching's focus on insects--and moths in particular--is deliberate.

The Danum Valley is a large tract of "primary" or largely unlogged rainforest. Surrounding it, however, are large areas of "secondary" forest--forest that has been logged, sometimes extensively, and which is re-growing--either on its own or with some help with replanting.

Photo by Stuart Pimm

Kitching's question is how these two kinds of forest differ.

Everyone expects there to be fewer species in the secondary forests.

How many fewer is the easier of two questions. One counts the species in primary and secondary forest--and compares them.

Ecologists call these counts "alpha diversity"--they are measures of how many species there are at a particular place.

Kitching could do this easily--running his sheet and UV light in primary and secondary forests close to the center.

The second question is the more difficult one. "We need to know beta-diversity--how much turnover there is from place to place."

Watch Stuart Pimm's video report:

Video copyright Stuart Pimm

Kitching explained the general idea that logging tends to homogenize the forest. Just as you can get the same hamburger in New York, London, Beijing and even Borneo, so in secondary forest the same species may occur everywhere.

"Moths are a good test of this--because they are herbivores that are tied to specific plant species. They reflect the likely homogenization of the logged forest--the fact that only a few common tree species survive in the canopy there."

So, for the last two years, Kitching has trapped moths at sites in primary forest separated by 100 meters (yards), to 60 kilometers (40 miles) apart and a similar set in secondary forest. At each site, he identifies the first one thousand individuals to species--and there are a lot to choose from.

"We have firm estimates that there are nearly 4,000 species of the larger moths around Danum and perhaps 10,000 species in Borneo as a whole," he says.

"And the answer, Roger?" I asked. "You have to wait for that, we've only just finished counting and identifying all those species!"

Photo by Stuart Pimm

Professor Stuart L. Pimm is a conservation biologist at Duke University, North Carolina. A former member of the National Geographic Committee for Research and Exploration, Pimm is the author of dozens of books and research papers, including the book "The World According to Pimm: A Scientist Audits the Earth."

Read earlier blog posts by Stuart Pimm:

Florida Panther Fights for Survival Again--This Time in Washington D.C.

Many Mammal Migrations Are at Risk of Extinction, Research Finds

One of the worst droughts in living memory is killing elephants and other wildlife in Kenya's Amboseli National Park and surrounding ecosystem, exacerbating a situation already critical because of a surge in ivory poaching.

Amboseli Trust for Elephants Program Director and noted elephant researcher Cynthia Moss posted an anguished account on her blog about this yesterday. Elephants she has known for decades are succumbing to the lack of water and food.

Funds are needed urgently to step up measures against poachers.

We are losing old friends in Amboseli.

Amboseli is experiencing the worst drought in decades.

The Maasai elders say it is the most severe drought since 1961 when they lost almost all their cattle.

I have been through two previous bad years: 1976 and 1984. By the end of 1976, 68 elephants had died, many from the drought, others from the competition and conflict caused by the drought, and still others from poaching. During 1984, 70 elephants died, most from the same three causes.

Ulla

There is a pattern in the deaths due to drought. Young calves under three months old die, probably because their mothers do not have enough milk or rich enough milk.

Then older calves 8-12 months old die towards the end of the dry season in September and October when they should be supplementing milk with vegetation.

There is simply nothing for them to eat and their mother's milk is not enough.

Calves 4-5 years old also die. These have been weaned and also cannot find enough vegetation to sustain them.

Once an elephant is over five it seemed to be able to get through the droughts.

Unless elephants are speared or poached they tend not to die as adults until they are in their 50s or 60s.

The adults that suffer particularly during droughts are the old females. Their teeth are worn down and they cannot find enough food that they can process.

Losing these old matriarchs and other big females is by far the hardest thing I have had to deal with over my 37 years in Amboseli.

Grace, Odile and Ebenezer

Now at the end of July 2009 after three years of low rainfall and an almost total failure of the rains this year, there is very little vegetation for the animals to eat. There is still water in Amboseli. The springs fed from Kilimanjaro continue to flow into the swamps, but the vegetation in the swamps has been eaten down to almost nothing and in any case what there is is not very nutritious.

Animals are dying everywhere: zebras, wildebeests, buffaloes, hippos and elephants. It is very depressing and frustrating standing by and watching this tragedy unfold.

There is nothing we can do and we feel so helpless.

Even if it was a policy to feed wild animals during droughts, there is not enough hay in all of Kenya to feed the wildlife for even a week. We try to tell ourselves it is a natural phenomenon, but it doesn't stop the pain of watching the animals suffer.

During 2008, 137 calves were born which broke all previous records for annual births. So far in 2009, another 53 calves have been born.

We fear that most of these calves will die. A minimum of 30 young calves have died.

This is just the beginning of August; it won't rain until late October or early November so there is three more months to go and we have to face the fact that many of the remaining calves will also die. It won't be until it rains again and the families come back into the Park that we will know the total loss.

"I am losing some of my old friends whom I've known for 36-37 years."

In the meantime, I am losing some of my old friends whom I've known for 36-37 years.

So far the matriarchs who have died over the last year are: Echo, Grace, Isis, Leticia, Lucia, Odile, Ulla and Xenia.

Echo, Freda, Isis, Leticia and Ulla had been the matriarchs of their families since the 1970s and some from even earlier. Their families must be very distraught and confused. Personally I will miss them terribly. They have been a part of my life for so long.

Older males are also dying but not from the drought. They are being poached for their tusks.

Just in the last 10 days three more big males have been killed.

One, Ebenezer, had his tusks cut out with a power saw.

The poachers are definitely getting more serious. We are doing everything we can by working closely with the Kenya Wildlife Service and providing support to the Amboseli-Tsavo Game Scouts Association.

On Thursday, at a special ceremony, Soila and Harvey, representing ATE, presented a motorbike, tents, rations, and money for vehicle repairs and running to the Scouts. We were able to give this support thanks to a generous donation from the Elephant Sanctuary.

We need more help.

The day of the presentation the scouts set up two anti-poaching camps, but there is need for another.

It is our estimate that it will cost about $10,000 to set up and run one of these camps. If any of you can help it will be greatly appreciated and I believe it will save elephant lives.

Cynthia Moss

For more information and to learn how you can help, visit the ATE Web site >>>