Featured Species Archived: 2012
- Episode
- 38
Lange's Metalmark Butterfly (03:50)
Host: Brynn Walling with Josh Hall
Status: Endangered/ Listed on June 8, 1967
Scientific Name: Apodemia mormo langei
Description: The Lange's metalmark is a reddish-orange butterfly with only a 1.5-inch wingspan. Its last known home is the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1980 specifically to protect the butterfly and two related rare plants, the Antioch Dunes evening primrose and Contra Costa wallflower. All three are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
- Episode
- 37
Copperbelly Water Snake (06:09)
Host: Sarah Leon with Barbara Holser
Status: Threatened/ Listed on January 29, 1997
Scientific Name: Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta
Description: The copperbelly water snake lives in lowland swamps or other warm, quiet waters. The population of copperbelly water snakes that live in southern Michigan, northeastern Indiana, and northwestern Ohio has been listed as threatened.
- Episode
- 36
Colorado Pikeminnow (09:38)
Host: Brynn Walling with Tom Chart
Status: Endangered/ Listed on March 11, 1967
Scientific Name: Ptychocheilus lucius
Description: The Colorado pikeminnow, formerly the Colorado squawfish, is the largest American minnow, growing up to 6 feet long and weighing up to 80 pounds. The fish occurs in the warm, swift waters of the big rivers of the Colorado Basin.
- Episode
- 35
Salt Creek Tiger Beetle (06:47)
Host: Brynn Walling with Robert Harms
Status: Endangered/ Listed on October 6, 2005
Scientific Name: Cicindela nevadica lincolniana
Description: The Salt Creek tiger beetle is an active, ground-dwelling, predatory insect that captures smaller or similar sized arthropods in a "tiger-like" manner by grasping prey with its mandibles (mouthparts).
- Episode
- 34
Alabama Beach Mouse (05:46)
Host: Brynn Walling with Bill Lynn
Status: Endangered/ Listed on June 6, 1985
Scientific Name: Peromyscus polionotus ammobates
Description: The Alabama beach mouse is a small, nocturnal rodent that lives along the along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
- Episode
- 33
Miami Blue Butterfly (05:37)
Host: Meagan Racey with Mark Salvato
Status: Endangered/ Listed on April 6, 2012
Scientific Name: Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri
Description: The Miami blue is a small butterfly that is native to coastal areas of southern Florida.
- Episode
- 32
Mauna Loa Silversword (07:57)
Host: Brynn Walling with Marie Bruegmann
Status: Endangered/ Listed on April 7, 1993
Scientific Name: Argyroxiphium kauense
Description: The Mauna Loa silversword is a giant rosette plant found only in the active volcano of Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaii.
- Episode
- 31
Chittenango Ovate Amber Snail (07:47)
Host: Meagan Racey with Robyn Niver
Status: Threatened/ August 2, 2078
Scientific Name: Succinea chittenangoensis
Description: The Chittenango ovate amber snail is only found in one place – Chittenango Falls State Park in Madison County, New York. The primary threats to the snail in its existing habitat are considered to be the small population size and limited distribution of the species and the negative interaction with an introduced snail, Succinea sp. B., for food and habitat.
- Episode
- 30
Great Green Macaw (07:16)
Host: Sarah Leon with Eric Horstman
Status: Proposed Endangered/ July 6, 2012
Scientific Name: Ara ambiguus
Description: The great green macaw has small populations in Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. It is estimated that only 1,000 to 3,000 individuals remain in the wild today.
- Episode
- 29
California Tiger Salamander (04:12)
Host: Brynn Walling with Andrea Adams
Status: Threatened and Endangered
Scientific Name: Ambystoma californiense
Description: The California tiger salamander is considered an ambystomatid salamander, which means they live most of their life underground. The salamander is listed as threatened in Central California and endangered in Sonoma and Santa Barbara County portions of its range.
- Episode
- 28
Northern Riffleshell (04:57)
Host: Sarah Leon with Bob Anderson
Status: Endangered/ Listed on January 22, 1993
Scientific Name: Epioblasma torulosa rangiana
Description: Northern riffleshell, typical of many freshwater mussels, are sensitive to siltation, residential and commercial pollution, agricultural run-off, channelization, impoundments, and competition with zebra mussel. Rivers than can support a reproducing population of northern riffleshells probably has good water quality and a healthy watershed.
- Episode
- 27
Vahl's Boxwood (06:47)
Host: Sarah Leon with Omar Monsegur
Status: Endangered/ Listed on August 13, 1985
Scientific Name: Buxus vahlii
Description: Vahl's Boxwood is a rare plant that is native to Puerto Rico and St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It has probably never been very common, but its distribution has been reduced by deforestation and other human disturbance of its habitat.
- Episode
- 26
Bog Turtle (03:40)
Host: Sarah Leon with Alison Whitlock
Status: Threatened/ Listed on November 4, 1997
Scientific Name: Clemmys (Glyptemys) muhlenbergii
Description: At only about 4 inches long, the bog turtle is North America's smallest turtle. The northern population of bog turtles in known to range from New York and western Massachusetts south to Maryland.
- Episode
- 25
Swamp Pink (07:03)
Host: Sarah Leon with Wendy Walsh
Status: Threatened/ Listed on September 9, 1988
Scientific Name: Helonias bullata
Description: Swamp pink is a perennial herb in the lily family. It is known to occur in headwater streams and mountain bogs from New Jersey to Georgia.
- Episode
- 24
Heath Hen (01:05)
Status: Declared extinct in 1932
Scientific Name: Tympanuchus cupido cupido
Description: The heath hen, a subspecies of prairie chicken, was once found in the eastern United States—common from Maine to Virginia. Prolonged and intense hunting pressure caused the bird to decline significantly throughout its range. The heath hen was declared extinct in 1932.
