#wildlife: usa

[snototter]

An Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) in Georgia, USA

by Greg Brashear

[quillusquillus]

it's nesting season again for the Big Bear Valley Eagle Live Cam pair and I figured I should share some of my favourite screencaps from over the years. these birds don't know how much I love them.

[maureen2musings]

Wild and free

forest_deepness

[dragoncuspid]

A skunk was foraging in my yard this morning, I’m so happy he stuck around! (Also had a staring contest with a squirrel)

(Photos taken by me on FujiFilm X-T30)

[beauty-funny-trippy]

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that, while driving in the woods, he came across a dead bear cub that had been hit by a car.

“I pulled over and I picked up the bear and put him in the back of my van because I was gonna skin the bear,” he said. “It was in very good condition and I was gonna put the meat in my refrigerator.”

Later, he realized he was running late for a flight, and didn't have time to take the carcass home. Therefore, he did what any one of us would do after being disappointed that we couldn't eat a dead body we found on the side of the road. He took the bear to New York's Central Park and, using a bike he had in his car, tried to make it look like a biker had hit and killed the bear.

So, to review: the dude was gonna eat roadkill, but instead, decided to set up a fake hit-and-run scene with a bike and dead bear in the park.

Which means, of the three major presidential candidates, Kamala Harris is the only one whose sanity and cognitive abilities are not in question.

[2000ghosts]

february 3, 2008

[herpsandbirds]

'That’s a bloodbath': How a federal program kills wildlife for private interests

The USDA’s Wildlife Services program is a holdover from the 1930s, when Congress gave the federal government broad authority to kill wildlife at the request of private landowners. In that era, government-sponsored extermination programs for native wild animals, like wolves and grizzly bears, were common. After the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973, federal agencies were required to change course and start helping some of those wild animal populations recover. But today, Wildlife Services employees still kill hundreds of thousands of noninvasive animals a year, data from the agency shows. Even species considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act, like grizzly bears, are not exempt. So long as livestock or human life are threatened, federal rules allow Wildlife Services to kill those animals, too...

[chocolateshipsnickerdoodle]

Anyone who thinks that firing thousands of workers from our Fish and Wildlife Departments and National Parks is a good idea should absolutely NOT be in charge of the country. Anyone who thinks they deserve to lay off millions of government workers is delusional. Whoever thinks defunding cancer research is a good idea, and whoever says they voted for ANY of this, if they don't understand how important research to keep their loved ones from dying of disease, if they don't understand how important America's conservation efforts are and how they stretch BEYOND the United States and why that's a GOOD THING, then they're a lost cause.

SOMETHING THAT MAY BE HELPFUL:

If you are in charge of your vehicle tags this year, see about changing your license plate if you have money to spare, your state might have special license plates that you pay extra on to help fund medical research, conservation, and local colleges and other groups. In some states, conservation tags also allow free vehicle access to state parks.

[herigo]

[travelwithz]

We hiked at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park hoping to see elk, but didn’t. We saw a lot of other wonderful wildlife instead.

[snototter]

A robust clubhook squid (Onykia robusta) washed up at Dutch Harbour, Alaska, USA.

This approximately 10ft long specimen was photographed and then safely relocated back to the ocean, still alive.

by Andrew Bleiman

[midwestaesthetics]

Cedar Waxwing, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Bluebird, Blue Jay and Northern Cardinal. Some year-round birds of North America...

[maureen2musings]

Cannon Beach, Oregon

extreme_oregon

[wachinyeya]

Bridges and Tunnels in Colorado Are Helping Animals Commute

The state has emerged as a leader in building wildlife crossings, which can save animals, money and human lives.

Article originally from the the NYT, archived at archive.today. Published March 25, 2025

Wildlife crossings are growing in popularity across the country, and in recent years, Colorado has emerged as a leader. Since 2015, it has built 28 new large game crossing structures, according to the state Transportation Department.

The state is rich in wildlife, and many of its species travel from higher elevations in the summer to lower ones in the winter, oftentimes crossing highways at great peril. In 2022, the General Assembly passed a law creating a cash fund for the department to use for animal crossings. Colorado has also evaluated its highways to create a priority list for future projects.

Wildlife crossings, when combined with long stretches of fencing to funnel animals to the right location, have been found to reduce vehicle collisions with large animals by more than 80 percent.

They are expensive, but research has shown they can save money when installed on stretches of highway with at least an average of three collisions between motorists and deer per mile per year. For collisions with elk and moose, which are bigger and therefore cause more damage to vehicles and people, that threshold goes down to less than one collision per mile per year.

--

Wildlife crossings transcend political divisions, said Patricia Cramer, an ecologist who consults with states on wildlife crossings, including the project on Route 160. They are popular among Republicans and Democrats. Of the two states she sees as national leaders, Wyoming is red and Colorado is blue.

For the Southern Ute, the crossings fit in with the cultural importance of being stewards of the land, said Andrew Gallegos, a member of the Tribal Council.

“This is one way to give back,” Mr. Gallegos said. “To help preserve life.”

[theexhaustedmermaid]

God, do I hate talking about politics on here. But yet, here I am again.

Congress is considering rolling back key sections of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species act.

I'm assuming this is to make way for more drilling and fishing. Little to no regulations are good for business.

Do you have a favorite wild animal? Sharks? Buffalo? There's a good chance it's being protected by these acts.

Please please please, contact your representative any way you can and tell them to protect the ESA and the MMPA. Or organize a protest. Either way. The oversight hearing is on February 26th, 2025.

Also, donate to your favorite wildlife and marine charities too.

[travelella]

Sandhill Cranes in Dane County, Wisconsin, USA

Cole Marshall

The Sandhill Crane otherwise known as Grus canadensis is among the oldest species of bird with fossils dating back at least two million years. They're good swimmers and are considered intelligent, with complex behaviors as well as adaptation skills. In Native American traditions, the Sandhill Crane symbolize devotion, good fortune, and faithfulness. They form pair bonds at around three years of age and typically mate and remain together for life.