What Are Threatened and Endangered Species and Why Are They Important?

A federally threatened species is an animal or plant that is likely to become endangered in the near future. A federally endangered species is an animal or plant that is in danger of becoming extinct. Extinct is a when an animal or plant ceases to be or exist. They are in effect gone from the face of the earth.

Preservation of threatened and endangered species is of particular importance because these species are declining in number and the consequences of losing them is extreme. When a species is lost from the earth it becomes extinct and is never seen again in the wild and sometimes never seen again at all except in photos or preserved taxidermical mounts. Extinction may seem far away from us but it's not. Link here to a list of six fish and five mussels that once existed in our region, but are now extinct. It is too late for those species, however it may not be too late for the species that are threatened and endangered in our region right now. Protection is the key to keeping these species around.

Which Aquatic Species Are Threatened or Endangered in Region 3?

There are a number of threatened and endangered aquatic species in Region 3. Below are a few that we are working with. Link to more information on each species by selecting the image.

Ozark cavefish Threatened

Pallid sturgeon Endangered

Higgins' eye pearlymussel Endangered

Niangua darter Threatened

Winged mapleleaf mussel Endangered

What We Are Doing to Conserve Threatened and Endangered Aquatic Species in Region 3

There are a number of projects that we are conducting to benefit threatened and endangered species in the Great Lakes/Big Rivers region. We have improved fish passage for the threatened Niangua darter and protected valuable spring habitat for the threatened Ozark cavefish. We are raising the endangered Higgins' eye pearlymussel for reintroduction (view the poster - pdf, 390 Kb), investigating host fish required in the reproductive process of the endangered Winged maple leaf, and raising endangered Pallid sturgeon for reintroduction.

Link to More Information

• USFWS Region 3 Endangered Species Site
• USFWS National Endangered Species Site

 

These species were once found in Region 3 - but are now EXTINCT. Extinct means they are gone forever.