Endangered Species

Ornithologist John Gould's illustrations of finches collected by Charles Darwin on the Galápagos Islands show the physical differences that the men relied on in dividing them into different species.

What Does It Mean to Be a Species? Genetics Is Changing the Answer

As DNA techniques let us see animals in finer and finer gradients, the old definition is falling apart

A little protection over here, please?

How America Can Help Save a Non-American Species: The Mighty Giraffe

Giraffes aren't native to the U.S. But listing them as an endangered species could offer them much-needed protection

Today the desert tortoise faces a variety of new human-associated threats: off-road vehicle use, the illegal pet trade, and now, an influx of deadly ravens.

To Save Desert Tortoises, Make Conservation a Real-Life Video Game

Traditional techniques weren't working for the raven-ravaged reptile. So researchers got creative

Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Two New Species of Googly-Eyed Tarsiers Discovered in Indonesia

The tiny tree dwellers are the 80th and 81st primates discovered since 2000

Roughly 70 pink pigeons exist in captivity around the world, including this one at the San Diego Zoo.

Threatened Species? Science to the (Genetic) Rescue!

This still-controversial conservation technique will never be a species' panacea. But it might provide a crucial stop-gap

Every cupful of pond water is swirling with DNA sequences. Now, scientists are putting them to work to solve stubborn conservation mysteries.

How Scientists Use Teeny Bits of Leftover DNA to Solve Wildlife Mysteries

Environmental DNA helps biologists track rare, elusive species. It could usher in a revolution for conservation biology

Sirocco, currently MIA, has helped millions connect with the island’s endangered wildlife.

Seduced By a Rare Parrot

What can conservationists learn from New Zealand’s official “spokesbird,” a YouTube celebrity who tries to mate with people’s heads?

Califorctenus cacachilensis

Huge New Spider Species Discovered in Mexican Cave

<i>Califorctenus cacachilensis</i> is the width of a softball and represents a new genus of arachnids

Rhinos grazing in a South African park

South Africa to Legalize Domestic Rhino Horn Trade

A court ruling overturns a 2009 ban, a move that conservationists worry will increase poaching

Aww.

How Caribou Baby Monitors Could Save a Dying Species

Scientists hope camera collars with GPS will unravel a deadly mystery

This Asiatic cheetah, caught on camera in the Naybandan Wildlife Refuge in Iran, is likely one of just dozens in the region.

Poaching Isn't the Cheetah's Only Problem

Humans isolate the rare cats with roads and fences—which can be as devastating as hunting them outright

Mother and calm manatee, showing scrapes from a boat strike

Manatees Move From Endangered to Threatened

But conservationists say the species still faces significant threats

One of the panther kittens photographed with trail cameras north of Florida's Caloosahatchee River

Panther Kittens Spotted in Florida Give Hope for Their Species' Survival

Trail cameras caught a mother panther trailed by two kittens

The notorious RPB: the rusty patched bumble bee.

The Bee That Breaks Your Heart

Insects are hard-pressed to get protection as endangered species. Can one fuzzy anomaly beat the odds?

A wild female Amur leopard crouches on a rocky hillside in the Kedrovaya Pad nature reserve in Russia.

China Approves Massive National Park to Protect Its Last Big Cats

The 5,600-square-mile reserve along the Russian border will safeguard rare Amur leopards and Siberian Tigers

Collars and tags are used to track animals like panthers.

Tracking Collars Can Lead Poachers Straight to Animals, Scientists Warn

A study says that the new technology could hurt more than it helps

Bee pollination drives billions of dollars a year in global agricultural production, but the busy insects are under threat.

New Map Highlights Bee Population Declines Across the U.S.

As wild bee populations continue to fall, new research identifies counties that will be hit the hardest

Tracking individual lemurs—such as the endangered red-bellied lemur pictured here—is no easy task. But researchers hope that facial recognition software can help in the fight for the survival of the bushy-tailed primates.

How Do You Pick a Lemur Out of a Lineup? This Software Makes the Leap

Facial recognition software can identify individuals, helping researchers conserve the endangered primate

Rothschild’s giraffes typically have five nubby horns, or ossicones, instead of the usual two.

To Save Giraffes, We May Need to Put Our Necks Out

With populations plummeting, researchers race to understand a beloved but enigmatic animal

A sea turtle entangled in a fishing net swims off the coast of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, on 8 June 2016

Winning Nature Photos Capture Triumph and Turmoil in the Animal Kingdom

From poaching to panda recovery, the winners of the World Press Photo competition chronicle human interactions with nature

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