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.

A shy tree-dwelling monkey with a black face and long brown fur, the kipunji, was unknown to science until 2003, when it was discovered in a farmer's trap in a remote region of southern Tanzania. Now scientists think it may have had an intriguing sexual past.

Credit: Photo courtesy of Tim Davenport.

"The most extensive DNA study to-date of Africa's rarest monkey reveals that the species had an intriguing sexual past. Of the last two remaining populations of the recently discovered kipunji, (key-POON-jee), one population shows evidence of past mating with baboons while the other does not," the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) said in a statement.

NESCent is a collaborative effort of Duke University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University and is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

"The first analyses revealed that kipunji represented an entirely new genus of primate, Rungwecebus. Now, thanks to additional DNA samples collected from dung and tissue--the most extensive genetic data to date--scientists have a more complete picture of the genetic makeup of this monkey," NESCent said.

"The kipunji is found in two tiny forest fragments totaling less than seven square miles," researchers explained. "Of the last two remaining populations, one is in Tanzania's Southern Highlands, and the other lies 250 miles away in a mountain range called the Udzungwas."

Dung samples

Armed with six dung samples from the Udzungwas--the first ever genetic material from this population--and two additional tissue samples from the Southern Highlands, the researchers were able to reconstruct the genetic relationships between these populations and kipunji's closest kin, NESCent added.

"Confirming other reports, the Southern Highlands population contained bits of DNA that are similar to baboons. This suggests that the two species interbred at some point after they diverged," researchers explained.

"Way back in time in the evolutionary history of this population there was at least one event where there was some cross-fertilization with a baboon," said study author Tim Davenport of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

In contrast, the researchers discovered that the Udzungwa population showed no traces of baboon DNA.

"We thought the DNA from the second population would match the first one, but instead we got something quite different," said first author Trina Roberts of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center in Durham, North Carolina.

"Mating across the species barrier isn't unheard of in the animal kingdom."

Mating across the species barrier isn't unheard of in the animal kingdom, NESCent said.

"We usually think of species' genomes as being contained and not sharing with each other, but sometimes one species picks up genetic material from another through interbreeding," said Roberts. "It's as if the genomes are a little leaky."

The findings help to settle a debate over kipunji's status as a new genus of primate. "They're still separate taxa--they're not baboons, they're still kipunji," said co-author Bill Stanley of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. "But there's a little bit of baboon DNA that shows up when you analyze their DNA."

Their results may also help to set conservation priorities for this critically endangered monkey. Much of the kipunji's remaining habitat is threatened by deforestation for farming and other uses, the researchers explained. "There's a lot of pressure on the forest for natural resources--food, medicine, fuel, and building materials," said Davenport. "Part of the challenge we have is making sure the forest isn't degraded any further."

Census data indicate there are just over 1,100 individuals left in the wild, said Davenport. Of these, roughly 1,000 live in the Southern Highlands, and 100 remain in the Udzungwas. Both populations may require habitat protection if we are to preserve the genetic diversity of the species, researchers said.

"Udzungwa is a tiny population," said Roberts. "What we've shown is that it is substantially different from the first population. We may not be able to resurrect it by simply transplanting kipunji from one population to the other," Roberts said.

"If we were to lose it we might in fact lose the true kipunji genome forever," she added.

"We have two separate populations that are slightly genetically different, so until we learn more it is extremely important that we maintain both of them," Davenport said. "It might be that those genetic differences have an impact on their survival in the future."

The team's findings appear online in the November 11 issue of Biology Letters.

Canada, Mexico, and the United States have become the first countries to agree formally to cooperate on wilderness conservation measures across a continent, Mexico's President Felipe Calderón announced.

NGS photo by Bianca Lavies

"This Agreement will facilitate the sharing of successful experiences, monitoring, and training of human resources, as well as the financing of projects that will protect and recover wild areas," President Calderón said.

The MOU provisions address ecosystems, migratory wildlife, and natural resources that do not start and end with geographical boundaries, the organizers of the WILD9 conference reported in a statement. "This MOU also encourages cooperative efforts to conduct and share scientific research."

Signed in the three national languages of English, Spanish and French, the agreement is cross-cultural, and respects native approaches to conserving wild nature, accommodation for indigenous customs, priorities for species survival, and national environmental policy, the statement added.

Seven agencies responsible for wilderness management signed the MOU: the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources through the National Commission on Protected Areas (CONANP) of the United Mexican States; the Parks Canada agency of the Government of Canada; the National Park Service, Fish & Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management of the U.S. Department of Interior, and the Forest Service and Office of Ecosystem Services and Markets of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Map by NG Maps

The MOU process was facilitated by the WILD9 executive committee and is the result of 18 months of work by the North American Governmental Advisory Committee chaired by Ernesto Enkerlin-Hoeflich, National Commissioner, CONANP, in Mexico.

"Mexican legislation currently allows for incorporating the concept of wilderness in our protected area operations and private lands certification," Enkerlin-Hoeflich said. "We are close to having it formally incorporated into environmental law. This MOU builds on our tradition of trilateral cooperation. It will greatly benefit Mexico as it shares and learns from the Canadian and U.S. experiences such that wilderness conservation, while respecting each country's institutions and regulations, works seamlessly in North America.

The National Geographic Society is a sponsor of WILD9.

The 2009 update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species shows that 17,291 species out of the 47,677 assessed species are threatened with extinction, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature said today.

Threatened with extinction are:

• 21 percent of all known mammals
• 30 percent of all known amphibians
• 12 percent of all known birds
• 28 percent of assessed reptiles
• 37 percent of assessed freshwater fishes
• 70 percent of assessed plants
• 35 percent of assessed invertebrates

"The scientific evidence of a serious extinction crisis is mounting," said Jane Smart, director of IUCN's Biodiversity Conservation Group, in a news statement accompanying the 2009 Red List.

This gorgeted puffleg (Eriocnemis isabellae) entered the IUCN Red List in 2009 as Critically Endangered. The species is known from southwest Colombia, where it occurs in a tiny area of the Serraníadel Pinche. The global population is not known but is presumably very small given that the area of suitable habitat available for this species is thought to be less than 2,500 acres, and it is suspected to be decreasing as elfin forest habitat is converted for agriculture and illegal coca plantations. The primary threat to this bird is the shifting of the agricultural border towards remaining primary forests, causing a loss of vegetation cover, contamination of watersheds and soil degradation. Illegal coca cultivation is a major threat due to the lack of governmental presence, with 8.3 percent of potentially suitable habitat reportedly damaged annually by coca cultivation.

Photo © Alex Cortes. Photo supplied by BirdLife International.

"It's time for governments to start getting serious about saving species and make sure it's high on their agendas for next year, as we're rapidly running out of time."

"January sees the launch of the International Year of Biodiversity," Jane Smart added in today's statement. "The latest analysis of the IUCN Red List shows the 2010 target to reduce biodiversity loss will not be met.

"It's time for governments to start getting serious about saving species and make sure it's high on their agendas for next year, as we're rapidly running out of time."

Tip of the iceberg

"This year's IUCN Red List makes for sobering reading," said Craig Hilton-Taylor, manager of the IUCN Red List Unit. "These results are just the tip of the iceberg. We have only managed to assess 47,663 species so far; there are many more millions out there which could be under serious threat. We do, however, know from experience that conservation action works so let's not wait until it's too late and start saving our species now."

Rabb's fringe-limbed treefrog (Ecnomiohyla rabborum) entered the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered in 2009.

It is known only from central Panama, where it occurs in tropical forest canopy. In 2006, the chytrid fungus was reported in the area where this species is known to occur. Since then, only one individual has been heard calling. There is also some ongoing forest clearing within the species' range for the development of luxury holiday homes, although this potential threat has not yet reached critical levels. This treefrog is one of several species collected for captive breeding efforts, however so far attempts at captive breeding have not produced positive results.

Photo © Brad Wilson

Switzerland-based IUCN is a global environment organization that works on biodiversity, climate change, energy, human livelihoods and greening the world economy by supporting research, managing field projects, and bringing governments, NGOs, the United Nations and corporations together to develop policy, laws and best practice.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is a comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of plant and animal species. It is based on an objective system for assessing the risk of extinction of a species should no conservation action be taken. Species are assigned to one of eight categories of threat based on whether they meet criteria linked to population trend, population size and structure and geographic range. Species listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable are collectively described as "Threatened."

Photo © Gerald Allen

Highlights from today's IUCN statement:

Mammals

Of the world's 5,490 mammals, 79 are Extinct or Extinct in the Wild, with 188 Critically Endangered, 449 Endangered and 505 Vulnerable.

The eastern voalavo (Voalavo antsahabensis) appears on the IUCN Red List for the first time in the Endangered category. This rodent, endemic to Madagascar, is confined to montane tropical forest and is under threat from slash-and-burn farming.

Reptiles

There are now 1,677 reptiles on the IUCN Red List, with 293 added this year. In total, 469 are threatened with extinction and 22 are already Extinct or Extinct in the Wild.

The 165 endemic Philippine species new to the IUCN Red List include the Panay monitor lizard (Varanus mabitang), which is Endangered. This highly-specialized monitor lizard is threatened by habitat loss due to agriculture and logging and is hunted by humans for food.

The rare Panay monitor lizard occurs in large trees in primary lowland tropical moist forest. The species is a highly specialized frugivorous monitor lizard (it feeds on fruit). The loss and degradation of lowland forest habitat through conversion of land for agricultural use and logging operations is a threat to this lizard. The species is also hunted by humans for food and overhunting is a serious threat to the remaining population.

Photo © Tim Laman 

The sail-fin water lizard (Hydrosaurus pustulatus) enters in the Vulnerable category and is also threatened by habitat loss. Hatchlings are heavily collected both for the pet trade and for local consumption.

"The world's reptiles are undoubtedly suffering, but the picture may be much worse than it currently looks," says Simon Stuart, chair of IUCN's Species Survival Commission. "We need an assessment of all reptiles to understand the severity of the situation, but we don't have the U.S.$2-3 million to carry it out."

Amphibians

The IUCN Red List shows that 1,895 of the planet's 6,285 amphibians are in danger of extinction, making them the most threatened group of species known to date. Of these, 39 are already Extinct or Extinct in the Wild, 484 are Critically Endangered, 754 are Endangered and 657 are Vulnerable.

Photo © Tim Herman

The fungus also affected the Rabb's fringe-limbed treefrog, which enters the Red List as Critically Endangered. (See photo and description higher on this page.)

Plants

Of the 12,151 plants on the IUCN Red List, 8,500 are threatened with extinction, with 114 already Extinct or Extinct in the Wild.

The Queen of the Andes (Puya raimondii) has been reassessed and remains in the Endangered category. Found in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia, it only produces seeds once in 80 years before dying. Climate change may already be impairing its ability to flower and cattle roam freely among many colonies, trampling or eating young plants. Other threats include young plants being eaten or trampled by livestock, fires, and removal of pith from trunks.

Photo © Antonio Lambe (Acción Ambiental)

Toussaintia patriciae is an Endangered shrub species native to Tanzania. It is known from less than 30 trees in the Udzwunga Mountains National Park and West Kilombero Nature Reserve, and occurs in very low numbers where found, though it is cryptic when not flowering and may be more common that is currently known. It is considered relatively secure at present, as the population is present in protected areas and occurs above the altitude to which firewood collectors are allowed to operate. However, this species could become more threatened very quickly if the impacts of human activities, especially wood collection, were to increase.

Photo © Quentin Luke

Invertebrates

There are now 7,615 invertebrates on the IUCN Red List this year, 2,639 of which are threatened with extinction. Scientists added 1,360 dragonflies and damselflies, bringing the total to 1,989, of which 261 are threatened.

The giant jewel (Chlorocypha centripunctata) is known from the Obudu Plateau, Nigeria and from Mount Kupe and the Bakossi Mountains Cameroon. The species occurs in and around rain forest streams above 700-meter altitude. Habitat loss through selective logging and forest destruction for agricultural expansion is the main threat to this species. The species entered the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable in 2009.

Photo © Kai Schütte

Molluscs

Scientists also added 94 molluscs, bringing the total number assessed to 2,306, of which 1,036 are threatened.

All seven freshwater snails from Lake Dianchi in Yunnan Province, China, are new to the IUCN Red List and all are threatened. These join 13 freshwater fishes from the same area, 12 of which are threatened. The main threats are pollution, introduced fish species and overharvesting.

Freshwater Fishes

There are now 3,120 freshwater fishes on the IUCN Red List, up 510 species from last year. Although there is still a long way to go before the status all the world's freshwater fishes is known, 1,147 of those assessed so far are threatened with extinction.

Photo © Chavalit Vidthayanon

The brown mudfish (Neochanna apoda), found only in New Zealand, has been moved from Near Threatened to Vulnerable as it has disappeared from many areas in its range. Approximately 85-90 percent of New Zealand's wetlands have been lost or degraded through drainage schemes, irrigation and land development.

The status of the Australian grayling (Prototroctes maraena), a freshwater fish, has improved as a result of conservation efforts. Now classed as Near Threatened as opposed to Vulnerable, the population has recovered thanks to fish ladders which have been constructed over dams to allow migration, enhanced riverside vegetation and the education of fishermen, who now face heavy penalties if found with this species

"Creatures living in freshwater have long been neglected."

"Creatures living in freshwater have long been neglected. This year we have again added a large number of them to the IUCN Red List and are confirming the high levels of threat to many freshwater animals and plants. This reflects the state of our precious water resources. There is now an urgency to pursue our effort but most importantly to start using this information to move towards a wise use of water resources," said Jean-Christophe Vié, deputy head of the IUCN Species Programme.

Downlisted bird species

The Mauritius fody (Foudia rubra) was downlisted from Critically Endangered to Endangered because its extremely small population has been stable since the early 1990s and is now increasing following an island translocation. The species is restricted to southwest Mauritius, and suffered rapid population declines between 1975 and 1993. However, since 1993 the population has been stable, and there is evidence that dispersing juveniles are now setting up new breeding territories, expanding the range of the species. Historically, clearance of upland forest, particularly for plantations in the 1970s, catastrophically affected this species. Introduced predators (e.g. black rat (Rattus rattus) and crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis)) caused almost total breeding failure in most areas, and nest predation is still the major threat to the species.

Photo © Lucy Garrett (Rare Birds Yearbook). Photo supplied by BirdLife International.

Global figures for 2009 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species:
Total species assessed = 47,677
Total Extinct or Extinct in the Wild = 875 (2%) [Extinct = 809; Extinct in the Wild = 66].
Total threatened = 17,291 (36%) [Critically Endangered = 3,325; Endangered = 4,891; Vulnerable = 9,075].
Total Near Threatened = 3,650 (8%).
Total Lower Risk/conservation dependent = 281 (<1%) [this is an old category that is gradually being phased out of the Red List]
Total Data Deficient = 6,557 (14%)
Total Least Concern = 19,023 (40%)

Global figures for 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species:
Total assessed = 44,838
Total Extinct or Extinct in the Wild = 869 (2%) [Extinct = 804 ; Extinct in the Wild = 65]
Total threatened = 16,928 (38%) [Critically Endangered = 3,246; Endangered = 4,770; Vulnerable = 8,912]
Total Near Threatened = 3,513 (8%)
Total Lower Risk/conservation dependent = 283 (<1%) [this is an old category that is gradually being phased out of the Red List]
Total Data Deficient = 5,570 (12%)
Total Least Concern = 17,675 (39%)

Not all species on the IUCN Red List are threatened. There are now more species on the IUCN Red List. This means that the overall percentage of threatened species has gone down by two percent. This is not because the status of the world's biodiversity is improving, IUCN noted, but because we have assessed more species.

"In the past, Red List assessments often focused on species that were already thought to be threatened, but as the Red List grows to include more complete assessments across entire groups, we are beginning to have a better idea of the relative proportion of species which are threatened against those which are not threatened."

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.

Cheetahs are a step closer to being reintroduced to India, where they were exterminated at least a half century ago, following a decision by the Indian government to allow surveys to identify suitable habitat for the big cat.

If all goes according to plan, the world's fastest land mammal will be reintroduced to India from Africa. The surviving remnant of Asia's cheetahs, genetically close relatives of their African kin, now found only in Iran, are deemed by experts to be too few in number to risk fragmenting its breeding population.

NGS photo by Chris Johns

If cheetahs are reintroduced to India it could have significant positive consequences for entire ecosystems.

Being top predators, cheetahs require sustainable populations of prey (mostly small antelope and other animals), which in turn require healthy habitat for their own feeding and breeding. Healthy habitat for cheetahs and their prey benefits a host of plants, insects, birds, and many other species.

NGS photo by Chris Johns

"The Ministry of Environment and Forests has given a go-ahead to draft a detailed roadmap for the Cheetah Reintroduction Project, proposed by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), and endorsed by wildlife experts during the consultative meeting held in Gajner, Rajasthan, last month," WTI posted on its Web site last week.

"Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests, conveyed the Ministry's decision [on October 6] in a letter addressed to Dr MK Ranjitsinh, Chairman, WTI, who heads the project," WTI said.

"The Minister approved the recommendation for a detailed survey of potential reintroduction sites in four states, shortlisted during the Gajner consultative meeting. The survey will ascertain which of these sites are most suitable for this endeavour as well as what needs to be done in each of them in preparation for the return of the cheetah."

NGS photo by Chris Johns

The survey, that will form the basis for the roadmap, will be carried out by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, in collaboration with the WTI, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the state governments concerned, WTI added.

"We have been given a mandate to prepare this roadmap in four months. The return of the cheetah would make India the only country in the world to host six of the world's eight large cats and the only one to have all the large cats of Asia. The effort would also ensure conservation action in cheetah habitats in India, which so far, has been severely lacking," Ranjitsinh said.

NGS photo by Chris Johns

The meeting in Rajasthan last month debated several issues impacted by cheetah reintroduction, including habitat and prey availability, man-animal conflict, professional project management and source of the reintroduction stock, according to Wildlife Extra, an online wildlife magazine.

NGS photo by Chris Johns

Ranjitsinh, the WTI chairman, stressed the benefits of cheetah reintroduction to the endangered grassland-woodland habitats of India, Wildlife Extra added. "If the project succeeds, we will not only be returning the species to India, but will also be securing grasslands, which despite being the most productive, are also among the least studied and excessively neglected of Indian habitats, and a number of endangered species that survive within these habitats will also benefit," he said.

NGS photo by Chris Johns

Ranjitsinh told BBC News that the plan is to import African cheetahs and release them in the wild in designated open areas, which have been examined and checked thoroughly. "The plan is to bring cheetahs from the wild in Africa and release them in the wild in India. The cat will help in conserving the ecosystem," he said.

NGS photo by Chris Johns 

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.

Representatives of Malagasy civil society, conservation and development organizations and the international community issued a statement today lamenting the ongoing destruction of Madagascar's last fragments of forest for the illegal harvest and export of precious woods. Consumers of rosewood and ebony products are asked to check their origin, and boycott those made of Malagasy wood. The full statement is at the bottom of this page.

Conservation biologist Stuart Pimm writes about his observations of the diversity in Madagascar and how the current pillaging of the country's natural heritage threatens not only to destroy decades of conservation work, but also ruin the one chance that communities adjacent to national parks have to escape poverty.

By Stuart L. Pimm
Special Contributor to NatGeo News Watch

Madagascar has long been the worst country to be a tree. In the last year, things have got even nastier.

"To how many continents have you traveled with National Geographic," people ask me. "Eight," I reply with complete confidence. "But there are only seven continents!" I will not win the National Geographic Bee. I am unmoved, nonetheless.

Madagascar is the eighth "continent," and no one who loves the great diversity of life on Earth would disagree.

Almost everything a naturalist sees in Madagascar is unique to the place.

There are the lemurs, of course. But even to a birdwatcher, broadly familiar kinds of birds are so special to the island that they must have "Madagascar" in front of their names: Madagascar partridge, Madagascar pochard, Madagascar buttonquail--and on down a long list. It turns out that most of these birds are not all that familiar--they are peculiarly from Madagascar.

Simply, Madagascar is an entirely isolated world. It has landscapes that could be the sets for science fiction movies, and one odd lemur, the aye-aye, that is too incredible to belong in one.

Photo of silky sifakas courtesy Jeff Gibbs

Most of Madagascar's trees--and other plants--are also unique.

Sadly, Madagascar is a wretchedly bad place to be a tree, even in the best of times. Most of the country has been deforested. A coup earlier this year ejected a democratically elected president. In the lawlessness that has followed since, the remaining trees are getting an even worse deal than they have in the past.

Along with other members of National Geographic's Committee for Research and Exploration (CRE) a few years ago, we flew from the capital city, Antananarivo, towards the northeast end of the island--the Masoala peninsula, a place of exceptional diversity.

But almost as soon as we took off there was smoke in the air--and on the ground beneath us we could see fires, small and large. I know from looking at satellite images that many are large enough to be seen from space.

Fires detected by satellite--red squares--dot the landscape of east-central Madagascar, while the wispy plumes of smoke often obscure the land beneath.  The image is approximately 300 kilometers (200 miles) from north to south.  Several of the smoke plumes are 30 kilometers (20 miles) long. There are scattered clouds along the eastern edge of the image and more extensive clouds in its southwest corner.

Image courtesy NASA

I first traveled to Madagascar with my then graduate student, Luke Dollar--now a National Geographic emerging explorer. On the ground, the problem was obvious. To clear their fields or to give a short flush of nutrients for the grasses on which their cattle feed, villagers set fire to the land.

The remnant patches of forest--often in national parks--would go up in flames too as the fire spread into them. Wherever we traveled, we saw forest edges that had been recently burned.

"Why should they care," Luke asked. "They get no benefit from parks." Rural areas of Madagascar contain some of the poorest people on Earth.

Photo by Stuart L. Pimm

Luke, and my fellow CRE member, Professor Patricia Wright, spend their energies ensuring that poor people near Madagascar's parks do benefit from the sanctuaries.

Luke founded a small restaurant near one park, for example. The committee ate there during our visit. (Rice and beans, French fries and eggs--a definite improvement on the food we ate during our field work in earlier years.)

With an income stream from the restaurant, the children in the village were all in school. Literacy is the first step on the ladder out of poverty.

Photo of rosewood logging in Madagascar courtesy Stuart Pimm

Reports from the field make it clear that in the last year there has been a surge in logging inside protected forests. The trees involved are mostly "rosewood" and "ebony," Peter Raven told me.

Peter is the chairman of National Geographic's Committee for Research and Exploration and has overseen many National Geographic grants to local and international researchers in Madagascar.

In his other capacity as president of Missouri Botanical Garden, Peter is responsible for a large staff in Madagascar. Missouri Botanical Garden runs a multitiered botanical training program in the country, with a network of local collectors working in parks and reserves.

Peter Raven is truly in the middle of the country's research and conservation.

Rosewood and Ebony

I asked Peter for more information about the rosewood and ebony trees, for these common names are misleading.

"Rosewood is Dalbergia, a legume, and it has some 47 endemic species in Madagascar, and Diospyros, ebony, which is also being logged, we now believe has nearly 200 species--a remarkable array of endemics in each case," he told me. ("Endemics" are those species found only in the country.)

Photo of rosewood logging courtesy Stuart Pimm

I've not seen the illegal logging firsthand in Madagascar. But I know the way it works in other countries. The essential ingredients are a good river and bad policing. You select a tree near a river, fell it with a chain saw, float it downriver. There will always be someone to pay for the chain saw, so long as he doesn't get caught.

So who buys these trees? Try typing "Madagascar rosewood" into Google. The first couple of hundred entries are almost all about guitars. And I gave up checking after that.

There's a lot of money to be made in poaching trees that provide beautiful wood that we desire. Do you know where your guitar came from?

There's a lot of money to be made in poaching trees that provide beautiful wood that we desire. Do you know where your guitar came from?

There was a time when people thought that leopards looked best as skins draped over expensive women. Then we learned that they never look more beautiful than when they're in their natural habitat.

I hope there will be a time when we'll agree that there is nothing so lovely as a tree. (I borrowed that.) Except, perhaps for the lemur sitting in it.

But more than anything, there is nothing more precious to behold than the children in the schools that tourist dollars build.

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>>

Text of statement released today by conservation groups regarding forests and export of wood from Madagascar:

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.

A silverback gorilla associated closely with researcher Dian Fossey, that went on to be the star of last year's television documentary "Titus: The Gorilla King," died of old age in the Volcanoes National Park this week, the Rwanda Development Board-Tourism and Conservation announced on its Web site.

Photo courtesy Rwanda Tourism

"Not only was he one of the most powerful silverbacks in the Volcanoes National Park, he is possibly the most remarkable gorilla ever known," the statement said.

"He was born on August 24, 1974 and has been observed closely by researchers, including Dian Fossey, throughout his entire life. Tragically, he succumbed to old age on September 14, 2009 at the age of 35 years."

Dian Fossey wrote an account of her mountain gorilla research for National Geographic Magazine. Read her article from the January, 1970 issue: Making Friends With Mountain Gorillas. 

Titus fathered more offspring than any other gorilla known, the Rwanda Development Board said.

The silverback's life and reign was recorded in the 2008 Nature documentary entitled "Titus: The Gorilla King." Watch this video excerpt, posted on YouTube:

Video courtesy Nature

"Every gorilla death recorded is not only a great loss but a major setback to conservation efforts of removing the mountain gorillas off the endangered species list," the Rwanda board said. There are only 750 mountain gorillas left in the world.

"How ironic that Titus died at a time when United Nations declared 2009 as the 'Year of the Gorilla.' He will always be regarded with great respect and be remembered for his charisma and affection for the group he led."

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.

Mangrove forests thrive in the salty tidal zone between ocean and land. They play an immensely important role in stabilizing the coastline against erosion, moderating storm surges, and as a nursery and sanctuary for hundreds of species of fish, birds, and other animals.

It's too bad then that in many parts of the world mangrove forests are disappearing faster than they can be surveyed and appreciated for the life-giving services they provide.

Mangroves in Africa have been particularly impacted by human development and many countries may be in danger of losing these vital shoreline woodlands completely, which could threaten food security and expose coastal communities to natural disasters.

"Impoverished fishermen along the coast of tropical African countries like Mozambique and Madagascar may have only a few more years to eke out a profit from one of their nations' biggest agricultural exports," says NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in a recent news release.

"Within a few decades, they may no longer have a livelihood at all."

"Mangrove forests--essential breeding grounds for fish and shellfish in these countries--are being destroyed by worsening pollution, encroaching real estate development, and deforestation necessary to sustain large-scale commercial shrimp farming."

That's because swampy mangrove forests--essential breeding grounds for fish and shellfish in these countries--are being destroyed by worsening pollution, encroaching real estate development, and deforestation necessary to sustain large-scale commercial shrimp farming, NASA explains.

"The decline of these forests threatens much of Africa's coastal food supply and economy. The destruction of mangroves--one of Earth's richest natural resources - also has implications for everything from climate change to biodiversity to the quality of life on Earth."

But help may be on the way.

Lola Fatoyinbo, an evironmental scientist with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), has helped develop a tool that will help African countries manage their dwindling mangroves.

Growing up in Cotonou, Benin, West Africa, Fatoyinbo passed polluted mangroves daily, NASA says. "Inspired to help save the forests, she began a mission as a graduate student in the United States to gain more insight about African mangroves."

Her studies have brought Fatoyinbo back to Africa, where she has journeyed along the coastlines to test a new satellite technique for measuring the area, height, and biomass of mangrove forests.

"She developed and employed a method that can be used across the continent, overcoming expensive, ad hoc, and inconsistent modes of ground-based measurement," NASA says.

Fatoyinbo's approach recently produced what she believes is the first full assessment of the continent's mangrove forests.

"We've lost more than 50 percent of the world's mangrove forests in a little over half a century; a third of them have disappeared in the last 20 years alone," said Fatoyinbo, whose earlier study of Mozambique's coastal forests laid the groundwork for the continent-wide study.

"Hopefully this technique will offer scientists and officials a method of estimating change in this special type of forest."

Photo courtesy NASA/Temilola Fatoyinbo

Mangroves are the most common ecosystem in coastal areas of the tropics and sub-tropics, NASA says. "The swampy forests are essential--especially in densely-populated developing countries--for rice farming, fishing and aquaculture (freshwater and saltwater farming), timber, and firewood. Some governments also increasingly depend on them for ecotourism."

The large, dense root systems are a natural obstacle that helps protect shorelines against debris and erosion, NASA explains. "Mangroves are often the first line of defense against severe storms, tempering the impact of strong winds and floods."

Mangroves also have a direct link to climate, sequestering carbon from the atmosphere at a rate of about 100 pounds per acre per day--comparable to the per acre intake by tropical rainforests (though rainforests cover more of Earth's surface), NASA adds.

"To my knowledge, this study is the first complete mapping of Africa's mangroves, a comprehensive, historic baseline enabling us to truly begin monitoring the welfare of these forests," said Assaf Anyamba, a University of Maryland expert on vegetation mapping, based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Fatoyinbo's research combines multiple satellite observations of tree height and land cover, mathematical formulas, and ground-truthing data from the field to measure the full expanse and makeup of the coastal forests.

Her measurements yielded three new kinds of maps of mangroves: continental maps of how much land the mangroves cover; a three-dimensional map of the height of forest canopies across the continent; and biomass maps that allow researchers to assess how much carbon the forests store.

Fatoyinbo and colleague Marc Simard of JPL used satellite images from the NASA-built Landsat and a complex software-based color classification system to distinguish areas of coastal forests from other types of forests, urban areas or agricultural fields.

They also integrated data from NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) to create relief maps of the height of the forest canopy.

Finally, they merged the broad radar maps with high-accuracy observations from a light detection and ranging (commonly called lidar) instrument aboard NASA's Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) to obtain accurate height estimates.

"Fatoyinbo double-checked the accuracy of her satellite measurements at the ground level in the only way possible: She went to Africa to measure tree heights and trunk diameters in person," NASA says.

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.

Hundreds of illegal charcoal kilns have been destroyed in dawn raids by armed rangers deep in the forests of Virunga National Park in Eastern Congo in recent days, according to a news statement released by park authorities today.

Virunga is Africa's oldest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and home to 200 of the world's last remaining mountain gorillas and a small population of eastern lowland gorillas.

The park has been caught up in the region's swirling conflict for many years. There have been periods when rangers were forced to flee the park, including the gorilla areas. Many rangers have been killed in conflict.

"The Congolese National Park Authorities have sent the biggest ever deployment of armed rangers to strike at charcoal-making operations run by armed groups," the park said in today's statement.

"The move, undertaken in collaboration with the UN peace-keeping forces MONUC, follows a report by the United Nations Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo identifying charcoal from Virunga National Park as a major source of revenue for illegal armed groups. These include the FDLR, the Rwandan militia whose members are held responsible for the Rwandan Genocide in 1994."

Five specially-trained platoons of 30 Rangers have been conducting dawn raids in the forests on the flanks of the Virunga volcanoes, the park said.

President Nicolas Sarkozy of France today announced his country's support for a ban of international trade in endangered Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna, joining a growing call to list the overexploited fish under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), WWF reports.

NGS illustration of bluefin tuna by Stanley Meltzoff

"Speaking at the close of a national stakeholder consultation on France's future sustainable fisheries and maritime policy, the 'Grenelle de la Mer,' President Sarkozy said, 'France supports listing bluefin tuna on the CITES convention to ban international trade,'" WWF said in a statement.

"Ours is the last generation with the ability to take action before it's too late--we must protect marine resources now, in order to fish better in future."

-- Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France

"Sarkozy put this in the context of France's support for a broader sustainable fisheries policy. 'Ours is the last generation with the ability to take action before it's too late--we must protect marine resources now, in order to fish better in future. We owe this to fishermen, and we owe it to future generations,'"

The Principality of Monaco was first to communicate its willingness to sponsor a proposal to ban international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, and has this week launched a formal CITES consultation process to seek the support of other range states--countries through whose waters the species swims, WWF added.

"WWF welcomes the Monaco initiative and the position of France, whose fleets have traditionally caught more bluefin tuna than any other country," said Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean.

"We now urge France to put its words into action and be the first country to formally sign up to Monaco's proposal for CITES Appendix I, which would ban international trade.

"WWF also appeals to other range states to follow this lead and support the proposal to list Atlantic bluefin on the CITES convention--if they want to give bluefin tuna a break and see a healthy fishery again in years to come. This iconic species is simply at the end of its tether."

CITES contracting parties meet again in Doha, Qatar in March 2010, but proposals need to be submitted by October 17 to be eligible for consideration at the Conference of the Parties.

Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna is in big trouble, and the fishery is insufficiently policed, WWF said.

"Contributing to the species' dramatic decline are the huge overcapacity of fishing fleets, catches that far exceed legal quotas, pirate fishing, the use of illegal spotting planes to chase tuna, under-reporting of catch, fishing during the closed season, management measures that disregard scientific advice - all driven by the insatiable appetite of the world's luxury seafood markets where bluefin tuna fetches record prices."

"In terms of eligibility for a listing on CITES Appendix I, Atlantic bluefin tuna ticks every box--and then some," said Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF's Global Species Programme.

"CITES contracting parties would surely regret failing to protect this commercially overexploited species, and an icon of the oceans, from collapse on their watch - while they have this historic chance."

"Fisheries managers have failed to get to grips with the complex fiasco of the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery," added Tudela, the Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean.

"WWF hopes to see a sustainably managed and thriving fishery in future, but to enable this recovery the species must be given a breather--if the world does not put the brakes on its voracious appetite now, an amazing species and fishery could be lost forever."

Chinese alligators reintroduced into China from the United States are breeding successfully in the wild on an island in the mouth of the Yangtze River, the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society said today.

Photo © WCS

"The alligator hatchlings--15 in number--are the offspring of a group of alligators that includes animals from the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo," WCS said. "The baby alligators represent a milestone for the 10-year effort to reintroduce the Chinese alligator on Chongming Island, located at the mouth of China's Yangtze River."

The announcement was made at the International Congress for Conservation Biology, convened by the Society for Conservation Biology in Beijing, China (July 11-16).

"The success of this small population suggests that there's hope for bringing the Chinese alligator back to some parts of its former distribution."

"This is fantastic news," said WCS researcher John Thorbjarnarson, an expert on crocodilians and a participant in the project. "The success of this small population suggests that there's hope for bringing the Chinese alligator back to some parts of its former distribution."

Plans to reintroduce Chinese alligators (Alligator sinensis) started in 1999 with a survey conducted by WCS, the Anhui Forestry Bureau, and the East China Normal University in Anhui Province.

Anhui was the only remaining location where the reptiles were still found in the wild, in a small fraction of the alligator's former range. "The results of the survey were dire, with an estimate of fewer than 130 animals in a declining population," WCS said.

An international workshop on the species was held in 2001, followed by recommendations for the reintroduction of captive-bred alligators. The first three animals released in Hongxing Reserve of Xuancheng County in Anhui in 2003 were from the Anhui Research Center of Chinese Alligator Reproduction (ARCCAR).

Photo © WCS

To ensure the maximum genetic diversity for the effort, project participants imported 12 more animals to Changxing Yinjiabian Chinese Alligator Nature Reserve from North America, including four from the Bronx Zoo, WCS said. "From this group, three animals from the U.S. were released in 2007 along with three more alligators from Changxing.

"Experts reported that the reintroduced alligators successfully hibernated, and then in 2008, bred in the wild."

With a former range that covered a wide watershed area of East China, the Chinese alligator--or "tu long," which means "muddy dragon"--is now listed as "Critically Endangered" on IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species and is the most threatened of the 23 species of crocodilians in the world today, WCS added. "It is one of only two alligator species in existence (the other is the better known, and much better off, American alligator)."

Photo © WCS

The Yangtze River, where the reintroduction of these alligators took place, is the third longest river in the world (after the Amazon and the Nile) and is China's most economically important waterway. The world's largest hydro-electric dam---the Three Gorges Dam---is also located on the river.

"The high levels of development along the river have become a challenge for native wildlife," WCS said. "In 2006 a comprehensive search for the Yangtze River dolphin, or baiji, didn't find any, although one isolated sighting of a dolphin was made in 2007."

Other participants in the alligator reintroduction project include the East China Normal University, Shanghai Forestry Bureau, Changxing Yinjiabian Chinese Alligator Nature Reserve, and Wetland Park of Shanghai Industrial Investment (Holding) Co. Ltd.

 The project is being supported by the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong.

Guests at the Island Beachcomber Hotel on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin islands received an unexpected visitor from the ocean last night. A giant leatherback turtle came ashore to deposit her eggs at the feet of guests, a rare but welcome surprise that delighted all who experienced it.

Photo courtesy Doug Norwood

"It thrilled our guests," said hotel general manager Rebekah Saville in a telephone interview today. "Our staff who have been here for as long as 30 years say they have never seen anything like this before."

The leatherback was one of three turtles known to have come ashore to lay eggs on St. Thomas in recent weeks. The turtle that came on to the Lindberg Beach in front of the Beachcomber went as far as a line of beach chairs before digging a hole to bury her eggs in the sand.

Photo courtesy Doug Norwood

Hotel staff cordoned off the area and the nest has been placed under 24-hour security guard.

"We thought she was going to go to the bar for a beer," quipped Doug Norwood, a hotel guest from North Carolina, who made the photographs on this page. "But all she did was cover her nest and go back out to sea."

They are designated as endangered worldwide under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The main threats to them are loss of habitat (including fewer suitable beaches for nesting), entanglement in fishing lines, and ingestion of plastic bags they mistake for jellyfish, their preferred food.

"We called experts from Coral World and several government departments to alert them to this," Saville said.

"It's a miracle that this has happened now, right before dredging of St Thomas harbor is about to start to accommodate new cruise ships. The sand from the dredging is supposed to be dumped in our bay, which threatens our marine life. Now we hope that the presence of the turtle eggs will stop those plans," she said.

The leatherback may have been passing St. Thomas when she felt the urge for one final round of egg-laying, said Coral World Ocean Park assistant curator Erica Palmer. "This is the end of the leatherback nesting season and she could have laid her first eggs somewhere else before heading back to her feeding grounds, when she felt the urge to lay her last eggs," Palmer explained.

St. Thomas had seen a increase in leatherback nesting in recent years, Palmer added, most likely because the turtles' numbers were increasing in the Atlantic Ocean. "There have been a lot of studies of these guys on St. Croix, which is a very popular nesting site for them. As the population grows they are starting to nest in different locations."

Photo courtesy Doug Norwood

Palmer said the rise in leatherback nesting on St. Thomas, a popular Caribbean tourism destination visited daily by cruise ships, started being properly studied by conservationists and government agencies only recently. "We are trying to get a general sense of what beaches they are using so we can make special efforts to protect them," she said.

The eggs left in front of the Beachcomber Hotel last night will be carefully guarded, Palmer said. "As we approach the time for hatching--about 60 to 75 days after the eggs were deposited--volunteers will be posted to sit by the nest through the night to make sure that the hatchlings make their journey to the ocean safely.

Photo courtesy Doug Norwood

"The contents of the nest will be examined to make sure no stragglers are left behind. The egg shells will be studied to look for undeveloped eggs and deformed hatchlings, count the number of eggs hatched, and make an overall assessment of the health of the turtles," Palmer said.

Coral World is currently researching turtle populations and the effects of lighting on turtles.

Washington D.C.'s giant panda cub, Tai Shan, officially celebrated his fourth birthday this morning--complete with singing, guests and a massive, three-tiered "veggie-sicle" cake, Smithsonian's National Zoo said.

Tai Shan is on the cusp of adulthood, the zoo added "At age four, he is considered a teenager in 'bear years.'"

Tai Shan (pronounced tie-SHON, meaning "Peaceful Mountain") was born early in the morning on July 9, 2005. He is the first offspring of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, the National Zoo's second pair of giant pandas. They were born at the China Research and Conservation Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, Sichuan Province.

The birth of Tai Shan was a triumph for the National Zoo. Breeding of pandas in captivity has been difficult to achieve, particularly outside China.

Read more about the National Zoo's giant pandas >> 

Smithsonian's National Zoo photos by Mehgan Murphy

Rhinos are falling to poachers at the rate of two to three per week in some areas as Asian demand for their horns escalates, according to a report to the 58th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Standing Committee this week in Geneva.

Photo of white rhino poached for horn by Martin harvey/WWF-Canon

Poachers in Africa and Asia are killing an ever increasing number of rhinos to meet a growing demand for horns believed in some countries to have medicinal value, says the briefing to the international wildlife trade regulation body by WWF, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and their affiliated wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC.

"Illegal rhino horn trade to destinations in Asia is driving the killing, with growing evidence of involvement of Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai nationals in the illegal procurement and transport of rhino horn out of Africa," the briefing states.

NGS photo of knives made with rhino horn on sale in Yemen by Steve Raymer

Rhino poaching is also a problem in Asia. About 10 rhinos have been poached in India and at least seven in Nepal since January alone--out of a combined population of only 2,400 endangered rhinos.

"Rhinos are in a desperate situation ...This is the worst rhino poaching we have seen in many years and it is critical for governments to stand up and take action."

"Rhinos are in a desperate situation," said Susan Lieberman, director of the Species Programme, WWF-International. "This is the worst rhino poaching we have seen in many years and it is critical for governments to stand up and take action to stop this deadly threat to rhinos worldwide.

"It is time to crack down on organized criminal elements responsible for this trade, and to vastly increase assistance to range countries in their enforcement efforts."

"Increased demand for rhino horn, alongside a lack of law enforcement, a low level of prosecutions for poachers who are actually arrested and increasingly daring attempts by poachers and thieves to obtain the horn is proving to be too much for rhinos and some populations are seriously declining," said Steven Broad, executive director of TRAFFIC.

NGS photo of slices of rhino horn sold in Japan as aphrodisiacs by Steve Raymer.

The situation is particularly dire in Zimbabwe where such problems are threatening the success of more than a decade's work of bringing rhino populations back to healthy levels, the briefing said.

"For example, earlier this week a park ranger arrested with overwhelming evidence against him for having killed three rhinos in the Chipinge Safari Area, was acquitted without any satisfactory explanation for the verdict.

"Similarly, in September 2008, a gang of four Zimbabwean poachers who admitted to killing 18 rhinos were also freed in a failed judiciary process."

Firm International Action

The briefing concludes that governments need "an accurate and up-to-date picture of the status, conservation and trade in African and Asian rhinoceroses, as well as the factors driving the consumption of rhinoceros horn, so that firm international action can be taken to arrest this immediate threat to rhinoceros populations worldwide."

"Rhino populations in both Africa and Asia are being seriously threatened by poaching and illegal trade," said Jane Smart, director of IUCN's Biodiversity Conservation Group. "IUCN and its African and Asian Rhino Specialist Groups are working hard to gather data and information on rhinos so that CITES parties can make informed decisions and ensure that rhinos are still here for generations to come."

The 58th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee is being held in Geneva from July 6 -10 . This issue will be further discussed at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES, which will be held in Doha, Qatar March 13-25, 2010.

CITES is an international agreement between 175 governments that aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

A new monkey discovered in a remote region of the Amazon in Brazil is threatened by proposed dams and other development in region, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) said today.

"The monkey is related to saddleback tamarins, which include several species of monkeys known for their distinctively marked backs. The newly described distinct subspecies was first seen by scientists on a 2007 expedition into the state of Amazonas in northwestern Brazil," WCS said in a statement.

The discovery was published in the June online edition of the International Journal of Primatology. Authors of the study include Fabio Röhe of the Wildlife Conservation Society, José de Sousa e Silva Jr. of Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Ricardo Sampaio of the Instituto Nacional de Parquisas de Amaozônia, and Anthony B. Rylands of Conservation International.

Illustration courtesy Stephen Nash (Conservation International)

"Researchers have dubbed the monkey Mura's saddleback tamarin (saguinus fuscicollis mura) named after the Mura Indians, the ethnic group of Amerindians of the Purus and Madeira river basins where the monkey occurs," WCS added.

"Historically this tribe was spread through the largest territory of any of the Amazonian Indigenous peoples, extending from the Peruvian frontier today (Rio Yavari) east to the Rio Trombetas."

The monkey is mostly gray and dark brown in color, with a distinctly mottled "saddle." It weighs 312 grams (about 11 ounces) and is 240 millimeters (9 inches tall) with a 320 millimeter (12.6 inch) tail.

"The Wildlife Conservation Society is extremely proud to be part of this exciting discovery in the Amazon," said Avecita Chicchon, director of WCS's Latin America Programs. "We hope that the discovery will draw attention to conservation in this very fragile but biodiverse region."

Threatened by Highway, Pipeline, Dams

According to the study's authors, the monkey is threatened by several planned development projects in the region, particularly a major highway cutting through the Amazon that is currently being paved, WCS said.

"Conservationists fear the highway could fuel wider deforestation in the Amazon over the next two decades. Other threats to the region include a proposed gas pipeline and two hydroelectric dams currently in the beginning stages of construction."

"This discovery should serve as a wake-up call that there is still so much to learn from the world's wild places."

The Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri) was named for Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine and the organization famous for its "Playboy Bunny" hostesses.

Rosanna Tursi, a master's student and graduate teaching assistant at the University of Central Florida, is using population genetics to aid in the conservation of the rabbits, which were declared endangered in 1990, according to a UCF news release. It is estimated that there are less than 300 of the Hefneri rabbits left in the wild.

Photo of "Playboy Bunny" Sylvilagus palustris hefneri courtesy Rosanna Tursi

Hefneri, the most recently recognized subspecies of the marsh rabbit, is small with short, dark brown fur and a grayish-white belly.

"Discovered in 1984, the subspecies was named in honor of Hefner after his organization donated money to support fieldwork on the rabbits," UCF says in a news release.

"Hefneri live in an island environment and are dependent on specific grasses and plants for feeding, nesting and shelter. Population growth and development in the [Florida] Lower Keys has led to the death of the bunnies at the hands of vehicles or domestic animals. Their natural habitat also is being destroyed."

"The loss of genetic diversity can have long-term repercussions by affecting the evolutionary potential of the species," Tursi said.

Photo courtesy Rosanna Tursi

UCF Assistant Professor Eric Hoffman and Philip Hughes, an endangered species biologist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) in Big Pine Key, landed a grant to study the bunnies, the university release says. "Tursi joined the team and is conducting fieldwork this summer in the Everglades and Florida Keys. The USFWS is interested in Tursi's finding because it wants to prevent the bunnies' from becoming extinct."

Plans to Relocate the Bunnies

The FWS hopes to identify rabbits from the most genetically diverse populations, relocate them and create a new population in a habitat where the bunnies are less likely to be disturbed, the university added.

The project was a perfect thesis subject for Tursi, who earned a degree in Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Biotechnology from Florida Atlantic University before enrolling at UCF, the university added.

"Nature and conservation of wildlife have always been my passion, and I wanted to use my molecular and genetic knowledge to help endangered species," Tursi said.

Hoffman said Tursi's work could certainly help keep the species viable.

"Our hope is to both characterize the amount of diversity in the Keys populations and determine which rabbit populations would provide the best rabbits to found new translocated populations set up by the USFWS," Hoffman said.

Tursi is currently working with another marsh rabbit subspecies, Sylvilagus palustris paludicola, which is native to South Florida and the Everglades.

"She is using hair follicles gathered from mainland rabbits to extract DNA," UCF says. "Once sample collection is finished, Tursi will conduct DNA analysis and compare the diversities of the paludicola and hefneri over the next four or five months."

Zoos worldwide are working to protect the endangered Matschie's tree kangaroo--conservation funded also by the National Geographioc Society/Waitt Grants Program.

Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, a leader in the effort to conserve tree kangaroos in their wild habitat in Papua New Guinea, is also working to expand the genetic diversity of these marsupials in captivity.

Woodland Park Zoo photo by Ryan Hawk

For the first time in three years, Woodland Park Zoo is again home to the Matschie's tree kangaroo, known for its bearlike head, bushy tail and marsupial's pouch, the zoo said today.

"An 8-year-old male, named Huen, arrived from Singapore Zoo in March and can now be found living in the Day Exhibit. As one of the newest conservation ambassadors at the zoo, Huen represents the international work of the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, founded and based here at the zoo under the leadership of Dr. Lisa Dabek, Woodland Park Zoo Director of Field Conservation."

National Geographic Grantee

Dabek also received funding from the National Geographic Society/Waitt Grants Program for this work. Watch this National Geographic video about her tree kangaroo work in Papua New Guinea:

The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program celebrated a milestone this year with the passage of Papua New Guinea's first ever national conservation area, preserving 187,800 acres of forest habitat for the endangered Matschie's tree kangaroo and thousands of other endemic and endangered species, Woodland Park Zoo said in a statement.

"On Earth Day 2009, staff from Woodland Park Zoo and partner Conservation International joined thousands of PNG villagers for a traditional Sing Sing celebration in the highlands of Papua New Guinea in honor of this conservation breakthrough."

Lisa Dabek (right), Woodland Park Zoo Director of Field Conservation, received honors on Earth Day from Papua New Guinea officials and YUS villagers for the efforts of Woodland Park Zoo's Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program to help establish the first ever conservation area in the country.

Woodland Park Zoo photo by Ryan Hawk

The arrival of Huen marks the latest step in Woodland Park Zoo's efforts to conserve this endangered species, the zoo added. "Huen will be joined by a mate in the near future to be part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums' Species Survival Plan to breed this species in order to increase its genetic diversity."

"Papua New Guinea, particularly the Huon Peninsula, is considered a high-priority area for conservation efforts due to the significant amount of intact rainforest, high species endemism and lack of protected areas for wildlife," says a National Geographic Web site dedicated to the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program. "Destruction of the rainforest by mining, logging, and development threatens the continued existence of Papua New Guinea's unique fauna and flora, including the endangered Matschie's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei), a flagship species for Papua New Guinea's people."

Read more about the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program >>

Are pollutants causing a surge in cancers in wildlife, threatening the conservation and even survival of some species? And is their fate a flashing light for the health of humans?"

"Cancer is one of the leading health concerns for humans, accounting for more than 10 percent of human deaths," said Denise McAloose, chief pathologist for the Wildlife Conservation Society's Global Health Program.

"But we now understand that cancer can kill wild animals at similar rates."

Photo by Sharon Deem

McAloose is the lead author of an article published in the July issue the journal Nature Reviews Cancer, which makes the point that some wild animal species suffer from cancer at the same rates that humans and some species serve as early-warning sentinels for animal and human health.

Many species living within polluted aquatic environments suffer high rates of cancerous tumors, and studies strongly suggest links between wildlife cancers and human pollutants, says the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society, in a statement about the research.

"These whales have an extraordinarily high rate of intestinal cancer, which is their second leading cause of death.

"One type of pollutant in these waters--polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (or PAHs)--is a well-known carcinogen in humans, and PAHs are suspected carcinogens for beluga whales as well."

A beluga whale in New York Aquarium. Wild belugas in the nearby St. Lawrence River system suffer from intestinal cancer.

NGS photo by Winfield Parks

Fish in other industrialized waterways, including brown bullhead catfish and English sole, also exhibit high levels of cancer.

Virus-induced cancers can affect the ability of some wildlife populations to reproduce.

"Genital tumors in California sea lions on North America's western coast occur at much higher rates than previously documented. Oceanic dolphin species, such as the dusky dolphin and Burmeister's porpoise (both found in the coastal waters of South America), are also showing higher rates of genital carcinomas."

Other virus-induced cancers can affect the feeding ability or eyesight of wildlife.

"Green sea turtles--a migratory species in oceans across the globe--suffer from fibropapillomatosis, a disease that causes skin and internal organ tumors. A virus is suspected as the cause these tumors, and environmental factors such as human-manufactured carcinogens might exacerbate their severity or prevalence."

Green turtle with a tumor.

Photo by Cynthia Lagueux

In certain situations, cancer threatens the survival of entire species.

"The Tasmanian devil, the world's largest carnivorous marsupial, is at risk of extinction due to a cancer known as devil facial tumor disease. This form of contagious cancer spreads between individual Tasmanian devils through direct contact (primarily fighting and biting).

The authors highlight the critical need to protect both animals and people through increased health monitoring.

"Monitoring the health of wildlife can illuminate the causes of cancer in animal populations; thereby, better safeguarding animals and humans against possible disease.

"Evaluating cancer threats in wildlife populations requires the collaborative efforts of biologists, veterinarians, and pathologists as well as the earnest engagement of governments and international agencies."

The paper concludes that more resources are necessary to support wildlife health monitoring.

"Examining the impact of cancer in wildlife, in particular those instances when human activities are identified as the cause, can contribute to more effective conservation and fits within the One World-One Health approach of reducing threats to both human and animal health," said William Karesh, vice president and director of WCS's Global Health Program.

The Congo Gorilla Forest exhibit in New York's Bronx Zoo is home to 19 of the great apes and an assortment of other animals. It has also raised almost U.S. $11,000,000 for the conservation of Central Africa's Congo Basin rain forest and wildlife, the Wildlife Conservation Society, which manages the zoo, said today.

WCS photos of Bronx Zoo gorillas celebrating tenth anniversary of exhibit by Julie Larsen Maher

"With this one exhibit, you can truly see the extraordinary power of the Bronx Zoo," said Steven E. Sanderson, president and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society. "Through its ten-year history, the Congo Gorilla Forest has turned millions of our visitors into conservationists and has helped directly to fund the protection of wildlife and wild places."

Since it opened in 1999, seven million visitors have visited the exhibit, which allows zoo guests to donate their admission fees to WCS field conservation efforts in Central Africa. The donations have helped to create 18 national parks in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Gabon.

Protecting All Four Subspecies of Gorilla

"From its inception, the Congo Gorilla Forest was designed to raise funds and awareness of the plight of gorillas in Africa," the conservation charity said. "Today, WCS is working with the national park services of Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda to create and manage protected areas and protect all four subspecies of gorilla.

"Finally, the Congo experience culminates in the C.V. Starr Conservation Theater and Lila Acheson Wallace Great Gorilla Forest. Separated from the gorillas only by glass, the visitor's instinct is to touch the hand that looks so different, yet is so close." Various parts of the exhibit have been named after the most generous donors.

The two troops of gorillas in residence at the Bronx Zoo form one of the largest breeding groups of western lowland gorillas in North America, WCS said. Through the years, 14 gorillas, 23 red river hogs, 11 Wolf's guenons and four okapis have been born in the exhibit. "The WCS breeding programs for these species make significant contributions to the survival of their populations in zoos. This success is due to an immersing habitat and exceptional animal care and dedication."

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of their exhibit, the 19 gorillas at the Bronx Zoo were given "cupcake" treats.

WCS photo by Julie Larsen Maher

Much of WCS's work with gorillas in the wild is funded through the Biodiversity Program and Central Africa Program for the Environment of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Great Ape Conservation Funds of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Through these critical programs, sustainable management practices are brought to key landscapes like the Congo Basin protecting great ape populat