Freshwater mussels employ diverse and ingenious reproductive strategies, often relying on fish as hosts. Some create tantalizing lures to attract fish, expelling larvae onto their gills, while others deploy larva packets on long strings. Researchers have now uncovered a novel tactic used by the endangered thick-shelled river mussel.

This mussel climbs streambanks, partially emerging from the water, and squirts larva-infused jets into the air and onto the surface. The resulting splashes attract fish, which mistake them for insects but inadvertently become hosts for the mussel larvae in their gills.

Learn more about this remarkable discovery: Remarkable Squirting Mussels Captured on Film

Once revered deities, jaguars are powerful, graceful hunters. Though they evolved and once thrived across the Americas, habitat loss and hunting pushed them to near extinction north of the U.S.-Mexico border. Learn about our efforts to restore them: biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/jaguar

The Center for Biological Diversity, a Tucson-based 501c3 nonprofit, links human well-being to nature's vast diversity. We use science, law, and media to protect lands, waters, and climate, securing a future for all species and ensuring a wild world for generations to come.

For more information, visit biologicaldiversity.org. Follow us on social media or email center@biologicaldiversity.org for inquiries.

Mexican gray wolves, also known as lobos, are a highly endangered subspecies. The Center for Biological Diversity, a 501c3 nonprofit, spearheaded their reintroduction to Arizona’s Apache National Forest in 1998. Since then, we have worked tirelessly to protect these unique wolves from persecution and boost their declining genetic diversity.

Today, 241 lobos roam wild in Arizona and New Mexico, with 380 in captive-breeding programs. Despite this progress, they remain among North America’s most endangered mammals. We are committed to their full recovery, believing that human welfare is deeply linked to the vast diversity of wild animals and plants.

Learn more about our work at biologicaldiversity.org.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a Tucson-based 501c3 nonprofit. We believe human welfare is deeply linked to nature’s diversity of wild animals and plants. Our mission is to secure a future for all species on the brink of extinction, protecting their lands, waters, and climate through science, law, and creative media.

Explore related content: Dead Monster Manual, Book of Extinction, and Kieran’s interview on Making a Monster. Discover more about gopher tortoises, bumblebees, Atrazine, and leopards. Connect with us: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok. For questions, email center@biologicaldiversity.org.

Dr. Justin O. Schmidt, a renowned entomologist and ally of the Center for Biological Diversity, famously endured approximately 1,000 insect stings to create his unique Pain Index. This index comically rated and described the intensity of stings, from the "light, ephemeral" sweat bee to the "pure, intense" bullet ant. Dr. Schmidt passed away on February 18, 2023, at 75.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a Tucson-based 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to protecting all species and their habitats. We believe human welfare is deeply linked to nature's diversity, working through science, law, and creative media to secure a wild future for generations to come.

Learn more about our mission at biologicaldiversity.org or contact us with questions at center@biologicaldiversity.org.

After weeks of protests, legal action, and public comments, the last shipping container from former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's rogue border wall was removed. This anti-immigrant symbol sliced through a vital wildlife corridor, impacting endangered jaguars and ocelots. The Center's Russ McSpadden called it "perhaps the only major border wall removed globally since the Berlin Wall." Taxpayers, however, still pay millions for Ducey's destructive stunt.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to securing a future for all species. We protect lands, waters, and climate, believing human welfare is deeply linked to nature.

Learn more at biologicaldiversity.org or email center@biologicaldiversity.org.

Male mason wasps have evolved a unique defense: using spiked genitals to mimic a female's venomous sting. Lacking true stingers, males deter predators like tree frogs by faking one with spines on their reproductive organs. A 2022 study found this strategy 35% effective, compared to females' 87% escape rate with real stingers.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a Tucson-based 501c3 nonprofit. We secure a future for all species, believing human welfare is linked to nature's diversity. Through science, law, and media, we protect vital lands, waters, and climate. Visit our website, follow our socials (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), take action here, or email center@biologicaldiversity.org.

Scientists recently discovered bats, like Tuvan throat singers and death-metal vocalists, produce sound using ventricular folds instead of vocal cords. A Danish biologist found bats use these for low-frequency calls. With their ability to also make extremely high-pitched calls, bats possess an unparalleled vocal range. The Center for Biological Diversity argues this makes them more akin to grindcore vocalists, who utilize both very low and very high frequencies.

The Center for Biological Diversity, a 501c3 nonprofit, works to secure a future for all species through science, law, and creative media. Check out our video to hear biodiversity-loving grindcore artists and see brutally cute bats. Learn more at biologicaldiversity.org or email us at center@biologicaldiversity.org.

Scientists recently filmed octopuses throwing seashells and debris at each other, possibly for social reasons. This adds them to a select group of animals known to hurl objects. Females initiated most throws (66%), often during mating, with 17% hitting their underwater targets.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a 501c3 nonprofit based in Tucson, Arizona. We believe human welfare is deeply linked to nature and biodiversity. Through science, law, and creative media, we work to protect lands, waters, and climate, securing a future for all species on the brink of extinction.

Learn more and take action on our website. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. For inquiries, email center@biologicaldiversity.org.

After five years of legal action by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized Endangered Species Act protection for the Dixie Valley toad. These extremely rare amphibians, previously under emergency protection, face acute threat from a geothermal power plant likely to dry up their critical hot springs. As the Center’s Great Basin Director Patrick Donnelly stated, "Renewable energy is essential to combating the climate emergency, but it can’t come at the cost of extinction."

The Center for Biological Diversity is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to protecting all species through science, law, and creative media, believing human welfare is deeply linked to nature's diversity. Learn more about this victory: biologicaldiversity.org/news. Explore the Center's work: biologicaldiversity.org.

Mexico's rich biodiversity, home to howler monkeys and jaguars, is severely threatened by illegal wildlife trade. Thousands of animals are poached from their habitats annually, suffering and dying to be sold as exotic pets, often facilitated through social media.

An undercover investigation by the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit, exposed widespread trafficking. Devastating footage of kidnapped baby howler monkeys, used to entice buyers, can be seen in this video. Learn more about this issue: biodiv.us/3Fe3gBq.

The Center works through science, law, and media to protect all species and their habitats, ensuring a wild world for future generations. For more information, visit our website: biologicaldiversity.org.

Watch a black bear cub's delightful first encounter with snow, captured on video with its mother during an urban stroll. This was likely the young bear’s first winter, a crucial period when cubs learn vital survival skills from their mother.

The Center for Biological Diversity, a 501c3 nonprofit, works to secure a future for all species by protecting the lands, waters, and climate they need to survive. We believe human welfare is deeply linked to nature's vast diversity.

Learn more at biologicaldiversity.org or contact us at center@biologicaldiversity.org.

This delightful video captures a bear cub's playful encounter with its first winter snow. Filmed with its mother during an urban stroll, the cub charmingly tries to catch falling snowflakes. (Video courtesy Ring.com, CC BY.)

The Center for Biological Diversity is a Tucson-based 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to protecting diverse wild species and their habitats. We believe human welfare is deeply linked to nature, working through science and law to secure a future for all species. Learn more at biologicaldiversity.org or contact us at center@biologicaldiversity.org.

Watch an interview with Jean Su, director of the Center's Energy Justice program, conducted during the COP27 summit in Egypt.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a Tucson-based 501c3 nonprofit. We work to secure a future for all species, believing human welfare is deeply linked to nature's vast diversity. Through science, law, and creative media, we protect the lands, waters, and climate essential for survival.

Learn more and take action at our website. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. For inquiries, email center@biologicaldiversity.org.

Horseshoe crabs, ancient survivors for half a billion years, are crucial to our ecosystem. Their annual egg deposits along the Atlantic Coast provide vital food for endangered species like red knots, fueling their 9,500-mile migration. The Center for Biological Diversity secured protection for these shorebirds in 2014.

Now, a commission proposes increasing commercial horseshoe crab harvest limits, including females. We oppose this. These creatures support countless species; we cannot let them disappear. Read more: https://biodiv.us/3FWWrq1. The Center is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to protecting all species. Find us at biologicaldiversity.org or email center@biologicaldiversity.org.

The Endangered Species Mural project in Tulsa, by artist Roger Peet, features the American burying beetle. These unique insects are efficient recyclers, known for burying small animal carcasses to feed their larvae. Once common, they are now rare. The Center for Biological Diversity works to prevent their extinction. Learn more about American burying beetles here and the Mural Project here.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a 501c3 nonprofit securing a future for all species. Believing human welfare is linked to nature's diversity, we use science, law, and media to protect vital habitats. Visit our website or email center@biologicaldiversity.org for inquiries.

Five endangered red wolf pups underscore the urgent need to save this species from extinction. With fewer than 20 known in the wild, red wolves are among the world's most endangered carnivores. A new draft recovery plan, proposed by the Fish and Wildlife Service in September 2022, offers a crucial step forward after 32 years.

The Center for Biological Diversity, a 501c3 nonprofit, believes human welfare is deeply linked to nature and biodiversity. We work through science, law, and creative media to protect species on the brink of extinction, ensuring a future where the wild thrives. Learn more and take action at biologicaldiversity.org.

Washington's recovering wolf population faces flawed state management. Despite public support, the state wildlife agency, influenced by the livestock industry, continues lethal wolf management and defied Governor Inslee's reform orders. This approach lacks accountability, transparency, and science-based nonlethal strategies.

Learn from experts Amaroq Weiss, Claire Loebs Davis, and Samantha Bruegger how to transform Washington into a leader for wolf conservation. The Center for Biological Diversity, a 501c3 nonprofit, protects species through science and law.

Find us at biologicaldiversity.org, on Twitter @CenterForBioDiv, or email center@biologicaldiversity.org.

The Sonoran Desert National Monument, a biodiverse haven for endangered species, is severely damaged by target shooting. Despite the Bureau of Land Management's own findings of harm to wildlife, Indigenous sites, and human health, 90% of this precious area is now littered with toxic lead ammo and makeshift targets, destroying ancient saguaros and petroglyphs. The Center for Biological Diversity works to protect such vital lands and species from extinction.

As a 501c3 nonprofit, we believe human welfare is deeply linked to nature's diversity. Learn more, take action, and support our mission at biologicaldiversity.org. For inquiries, email center@biologicaldiversity.org.

Diamondback terrapins, keystone species of Atlantic and Gulf coasts, are wild treasures threatened by crab traps. The Center for Biological Diversity and allies secured Florida rules protecting them from collection and recreational blue crab traps.

The Center for Biological Diversity, a 501c3 nonprofit, works to secure a future for all species. Believing human welfare is deeply linked to nature's diversity, we use science, law, and creative media to protect the lands, waters, and climate essential for survival.

Connect with us for action or information: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok. Email questions to center@biologicaldiversity.org.