Last One — Photo Map — National Geographic Magazine

Current Issue November 2009
Table of Contents »

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Endangered Species Photo Map

Take a closer look at 20 species that are endangered or threatened in the United States.

/2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/pgymy-rabbit-350.jpg
On this photo map you will find 20 of the more than 1,000 endangered and threatened species listed under the Endangered Species Act. The following information, including habitat, population, and status, pertains only to the United States.

Photography by Joel Sartore

Bryn the pygmy rabbit died in 2008, months after this photograph was made. Though her species survives, the genetically distinct Columbia Basin population to which she belonged does not.]]> View Photo Map <![CDATA[Credits]]> Managing Editor, NGM.com: Rob Covey
Art Director: Shawn Greene
Multimedia Producer: Jamie Bussey
Writer and Researcher: Jamie Bussey
Styling: Nancy Gupton
Research Consultant: Karen Font
Flash Developer: Stefan Estrada]]> Hawaiian Goose /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/hawaiian-goose-323.jpg <![CDATA[Hawaiian Goose]]> Scientific Name: Branta sandvicensis Status: Endangered Estimated Population: 2,100 (2,000 in the wild; 100 captive) Current U.S. Distribution: Hawaii Did You Know? • Unlike most members of the goose family, Hawaiian geese are nonmigratory and do not have completely webbed feet. • The Hawaiian goose, or nene—pronounced "nay-nay"—is the state bird of Hawaii. ]]> Polar Bear /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/polar-bear-323.jpg <![CDATA[Polar Bear]]> Scientific Name: Ursus maritimus Status: Threatened Estimated Population: 3,500 (wild) Current U.S. Distribution: Alaska Did You Know? • Underneath the polar bear's thick coat, its skin is black, which helps it take in the sun's rays more efficiently. • Scientists fear that if climate change trends continue, the polar bear may become extinct within a century. ]]> Yellow-Blotched Map Turtle /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/yellow-turtle-323.jpg <![CDATA[Yellow-Blotched Map Turtle]]> Scientific Name: Graptemys flavimaculata Status: Threatened Estimated Population: 50,000 Current U.S. Distribution: Mississippi Did You Know? • Endemic to the Pascagoula River system in Mississippi, this fresh water-loving animal is among the most endangered turtles in the world. ]]> Alabama Beach Mouse /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/alabama-beach-mouse-323.jpg <![CDATA[Alabama Beach Mouse]]> Scientific Name: Peromyscus polionotus ammobates Status: Endangered Current U.S. Distribution: Alabama Did You Know? • Alabama beach mice prefer to nest in dunes. • Stalked by wild and domestic cats, the Alabama beach mouse also faces threats from coastal development and natural disasters, such as hurricanes and tropical storms. ]]> Mount Graham Red Squirrel /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/mount-graham-red-squirrel-323.jpg <![CDATA[Mount Graham Red Squirrel]]> Scientific Name: Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis Status: Endangered Estimated Population: 300 Current U.S. Distribution: Arizona Did You Know? • The tiny Mount Graham red squirrel weighs in at eight ounces and is about eight inches long. • The Mount Graham red squirrel is one of 25 subspecies of red squirrels found throughout North America. ]]> Santa Catalina Island Fox /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/catalina-island-fox-323.jpg <![CDATA[Santa Catalina Island Fox]]> Scientific Name: Urocyon littoralis catalinae Status: Endangered Estimated Population: 572 Current U.S. Distribution: California Did You Know? • The Santa Catalina Island fox has lived on the island after which it is named for 4,000 years. Scientists have theorized various reasons for how it reached the island, including one that states the small canines floated across the channel on debris. ]]> Texas Blind Salamander /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/texas-blind-salamander-323.jpg <![CDATA[Texas Blind Salamander]]> Scientific Name: Eurycea rathbuni Status: Endangered Estimated Population: 1,150 (Some 1,000 in the wild; 150 captive) Current U.S. Distribution: Texas Did You Know? • Very little is known about the bizarre-looking Texas blind salamander, except that it is only found in the caves of Edwards Plateau in Texas. ]]> Chiricahua Leopard Frog /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/leopard-frog-215h.jpg <![CDATA[Chiricahua Leopard Frog]]> Scientific Name: Lithobates chiricahuensis Status: Threatened Estimated Population: Some 5,000 adults Current U.S. Distribution: Arizona and New Mexico Did You Know? • The Chiricahua leopard frog does not say ribbit-ribbit. Instead, it makes a snore-like call for one to two seconds. • The population of Chiricahua leopard frogs has been depleted largely by the introduction of non-native species, such as bullfrogs and crayfish, into their habitats. ]]> Delhi Sands Flower-Loving Fly /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/delhi-sands-fly-323.jpg <![CDATA[Delhi Sands Flower-Loving Fly]]> Scientific Name: Rhaphiomidas terminatus abdominalis Status: Endangered Estimated Population: Fewer than 1,000 Current U.S. Distribution: California Did You Know? • In 1993, the Delhi Sands flower-loving fly was the first fly listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. • Companies in Riverside County, California, and San Bernardino County, California, have filed claims to build in areas where the Delhi Sands flower-loving fly lives. ]]> Ocelot /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/ocelot-323.jpg <![CDATA[Ocelot]]> Scientific Name: Leopardus pardalis Status: Endangered Estimated Population: 195 (Fewer than 100 in the wild; 95 captive) Current U.S. Distribution: Texas Did You Know? • Ocelots are most active at night, hunting through thick foliage for rabbits, rodents, iguanas, fish, and frogs. • Unlike many cats, ocelots do not avoid water and are actually good swimmers. ]]> Mexican Spotted Owl /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/mexican-spotted-owl-323.jpg <![CDATA[Mexican Spotted Owl]]> Scientific Name: Strix occidentalis lucida Status: Threatened Estimated Population: 1,000 to 2,000 Current U.S. Distribution: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah Did You Know? • The Mexican spotted owl is one of the largest owls in North America. It is 16 to 19 inches tall, weighs 1.2 to 1.4 pounds, and has a wingspan of 42 to 45 inches. • When hunting, the Mexican spotted owl uses a "perch and pounce" strategy. It perches at high elevations and uses sight and sound to find its prey before pouncing. ]]> Bog Turtle /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/bog-turtle-323.jpg <![CDATA[Bog Turtle]]> Scientific Name: Clemmys muhlenbergii Status: Threatened Estimated Population: 14,500 to 18,100 Current U.S. Distribution: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia Did You Know? • The bog turtle, one of the smallest turtles in the world, can be easily identified by red to yellowish markings on either side of its head. ]]> Red-Cockaded Woodpecker /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/red-cockaded-woodpecker-323.jpg <![CDATA[Red-Cockaded Woodpecker]]> Scientific Name: Picoides borealis Status: Endangered Estimated Population: 12,210 estimated breeding birds Current U.S. Distribution: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia Did You Know? • Red-cockaded woodpeckers are the only woodpeckers known to roost in living trees, specifically mature pine trees. • The red-cockaded woodpecker is one of two woodpecker species protected by U.S. Endangered Species Act—the ivory-billed woodpecker is the other. ]]> American Burying Beetle /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/american-beetle-323.jpg <![CDATA[American Burying Beetle]]> Scientific Name: Nicrophorus americanus Status: Endangered Estimated Population: 2,500 to 25,000 Current U.S. Distribution: Arkansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and South Dakota Did You Know? • The American burying beetle is nocturnal, lives for a year, and typically reproduces one time. • In the winter the beetle buries itself in the soil, coming to the surface only when temperatures are above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. ]]> Woodland Caribou /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/woodland-caribou-215h.jpg <![CDATA[Woodland Caribou]]> Scientific Name: Rangifer tarandus caribou Status: Endangered Estimated Population: 40 (In lower 48 states) Current U.S. Distribution: Idaho, Montana, and Washington Did You Know? • Caribou are the only members of the deer family where both sexes grow antlers. • Woodland caribou do not migrate over large distances like the barren ground caribou found throughout Alaska and northern Canada. ]]> Whooping Crane /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/whooping-crane-215h.jpg <![CDATA[Whooping Crane]]> Scientific Name: Grus americana Status: Endangered Estimated Population: 538 (387 in the wild; 151 captive) Current U.S. Distribution: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia Did You Know? • The majestic white bird nearly disappeared during the mid-20th century. In 1941, just 16 living cranes were counted. • The whooping crane is the tallest flying bird in North America—up to 4.9 feet tall with a 7-to-7.5-foot wingspan. ]]> Grizzly Bear /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/grizzly-bear-323.jpg <![CDATA[Grizzly Bear]]> Scientific Name: Ursus arctos horribilis Status: Threatened Estimated Population: 1,500 (In the lower 48 states) Current U.S. Distribution: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming Did You Know? • Grizzly bears weigh between 400 and 1,500 pounds. Despite their size, they have been clocked at speeds of 30 miles an hour. • On average a male grizzly bear is nearly twice the size of a female. ]]> Boulder Darter /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/boulder-darter-323.jpg <![CDATA[Boulder Darter]]> Scientific Name: Etheostoma wapiti Status: Endangered Estimated Population: 4,100 (An estimated 3,500 in the wild, 600 captive) Current U.S. Distribution: Alabama and Tennessee Did You Know? • Currently, the three-inch fish is only found along Elk River in southern Tennessee and northern Alabama. • As its common name suggests, this member of the perch family lives and spawns among boulders in shallow waters. ]]> California Condor /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/california-condor-323.jpg <![CDATA[California Condor]]> Scientific Name: Gymnogyps californianus Status: Endangered Estimated Population: 336 (156 in the wild; 180 captive) Current U.S. Distribution: Arizona, California, and Utah Did You Know? • California condors do not have vocal chords. They grunt and hiss. • In 1985 just nine condors remained in the wild. Captive breeding is one measure that has helped bring the species back. ]]> Yellowfin Madtom /2009/01/endangered-species/map/img/yellofin-madtom-323.jpg <![CDATA[Yellowfin Madtom]]> Scientific Name: Noturus flavipinnis Status: Threatened Estimated Population: 5,800 (An estimated 5,000 in the wild, 800 captive) Current U.S. Distribution: Tennessee and Virginia ]]>