Group items tagged

"This educational Web site, designed to serve as a resource for students, teachers, and the general public interested in the biology and identification of mammals in North America, was developed by the External Affairs and Public Programs Division of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. The resources we make available are derived from the Museum's unparalleled natural history collections, its scientific research, permanent and special exhibits, libraries, and through collaborations with other organizations and individuals with special resources to complement the site.\n\nThis Web site includes detailed descriptions, images, and distribution ranges for more than 400 mammals native to the North American continent. The primary resources for the site have been based in the continental United States, but as the opportunity occurs, the site will be expanded to complete the species found in Canada and Mexico."

Downloadable publications include "Checklist of NYS Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals, Including Their Legal Status"

AMPHIBIANS, BIRDS, FISH, INVERTEBRATES, MAMMALS, PLANTS, REPTILES

"Using data for 25,780 species categorized on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, we present an assessment of the status of the world's vertebrates. One-fifth of species are classified as Threatened, and we show that this figure is increasing: On average, 52 species of mammals, birds, and amphibians move one category closer to extinction each year. However, this overall pattern conceals the impact of conservation successes, and we show that the rate of deterioration would have been at least one-fifth again as much in the absence of these. Nonetheless, current conservation efforts remain insufficient to offset the main drivers of biodiversity loss in these groups: agricultural expansion, logging, overexploitation, and invasive alien species. "

Includes an interactive infographic showing dots for 4,529 species of mammal, bird, and amphibian at risk of extinction on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. Mousing over the dots shows details of individual species.