The Jaguar By: Billy Wilcox

Description and Ecology

      The jaguar is a large feline that lives in the Southwest United States, Mexico, Central America, and throughout some parts of South America. It is the largest feline in the Western Hemisphere, measuring anywhere from 5-8 feet long and between 80 and 350 pounds. Jaguars have compact,  muscular features, including a strong chest, short and strong legs, and a strong tail. These features allow the jaguar to be a very quick and powerful hunter. Apart from its physical makeup, the Jaguar is also known for its yellowish fur with black spots, or blotches. 

     Jaguars are carnivorous, opportunistic hunters, meaning they will hunt and eat almost any type of meat they can find. This normally includes a variety of birds, fish, reptiles, rabbits, and other mammals. They have large home ranges (12-80 square miles), and theses areas are usually lowland, wet communities with high vegetational cover. High vegetation is thought to aid their ambush style of hunting, and is therefore crucial to their survival.         

Geographic and Population Changes

     Historically, jaguars were found anywhere from the southwestern United States to central Argentina, occupying all nations in between. Today, they are rarely found in the Southwestern United States and northern Argentina, and are completely eradicated from El Salvador and Uruguay. It is thought that up to 46% of their historic habitat is no longer occupied, and 37% of that area is known to be without jaguars. It is predicted that their current range will decrease by up to 30% in the coming years. Most of that 30% is predicted to include the South Western United States and Northern Mexico, as numbers have been dwindling there in recent years. 

     As of 2012, there are an estimated 15,000 jaguars remaining in the wild, a decrease of around 85% from historic surveys. Population in the extremes of their environment, including the southwestern United States and South America suffering from the greatest amount of population loss. 

Listing Date and Type

     After consideration for many years, the jaguar was listed as "Endangered" in 1997. This came after the FWS noted that the Jaguar could be listed under all 5 factors used when selecting animals for listing.

Cause of Listing and Main Threats

     The FWS found that there were 5 main factors contributing to the endangerment of the jaguar.

1. Habitat Modification and Destruction:

High deforestation throughout Latin America is leading to fragmentation and degradation of jaguar habitat. With their large home ranges and use of tree cover for hunting, deforestation is the leading cause of jaguar endangerment. Jaguar's use large pieces of land and forest cover for their ambush style of hunting, and without these things, their numbers shrink. It is thought that Jaguars have only 60% of their historic habitat remaining, and this number continues to decrease.

2. Illegal Hunting:

The killing of Jaguars for their pelts was once a large practice that fueled a huge market. Today, the practice has shrunk dramatically, but  still leaves lasting effects on jaguar populations. The market was so large, and killings so great that it has been difficult for the population to recover.

3. Disease:

A 1997 study found that fragmentation and habitat degradation is leading to an increase in disease in jaguar populations. Disease is a common issue found in all endangered populations, yet it is one that is poorly understood in jaguar populations. Many diseases such as canine distemper virus, feline leukemia virus, and feline coronavirus have been found to kill many jaguars, but it is unknown exactly how these diseases are contributing to their endangerment.

4. Inadequate Regulations:

Up until around 2010, there were very few regulatory measures being taken to help the jaguar. Beyond its 1976 CITES listing, the jaguar wasn't very protected. Because much of its habitat was found in developing nations, there wasn't a lot of money available to help the jaguar, nor did the governments of these nations recognize the need to help the jaguar. In 2010 Mexico began to take action to help the Jaguar, but there is still not enough regulations in place. Without these measures, jaguar populations can continue to fall. 

5. Other:

Other Issues such as Climate change, increases in the hunting of their prey, and border issues continue to hurt the jaguar. 

Recovery Plan

     Because the jaguar has been found in as many as 21 countries, creating a recovery plan has been difficult. The FWS has had to work with many other international agencies to decide the best way to tackle this issue. They decided their main goal was to increase Jaguar populations (no specific number given) and return them to much of their original range as possible, including the Southwestern United States, Northwestern Mexico, and into South America. To do this, the coalition conducted surveys in these areas to determine which ones still provided viable options for jaguars populations to thrive. With areas that they felt jaguars could still survive, habitats are being restored as much as possible, human contact is being removed, education is being given, as are incentives are put in place to prevent people from killing jaguars and their prey. Along with this, recovery teams are being created to continuously monitor jaguar populations and create new ways to improve and expand the existing recovery plan. The most recent recovery plan I could locate was written in 2012, and  it is very possible that their have been new additions to it that I could not locate. 

Personal Actions

     Personally, I believe education and monetary donations are the best way someone in my position can help save the jaguar. Because their are no jaguars near where I live, and it would be very difficult in my current position to help the jaguar, I can indirectly support the cause by donating money to the people working closest to jaguar populations. On top of this, I can use my newfound knowledge to help convince people to do the same. Groups like the World Wildlife Fund are great places to donate money to help save the jaguar. I can donate money to them, and help convince others to do the same. 

Works Cited and Other Cool Links

http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/049777%20-%20Jaguar%20Recovery%20Outline%20-%20April%202012_2.pdf

http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/jaguar

http://www.defenders.org/jaguar/protecting-critical-habitat-jaguars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWkIMUfamxI

http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/baby-jaguar-born-san-diego-zoo-boy/story?id=30050958

Ocelot: Survival Guide by Jordan Woo

Ocelot: Survival Guide

by Jordan Woo

size relevant to a 6ft man

What is an ocelot?

      The ocelot (leopardus pardalis) is a nocturnal cat that is roughly twice as big as a normal house cat, growing to sizes of about 28 to 35 in (70 to 90cm) and 24 to 35 lbs (11 to 16kgs). At this size it is the second largest spotted cat in South America, only behind the Jaguar. The spotted cat has a fur coat that is similar to the Jaguar, but its closest relative is the Margay(leopardus weidii). This cat is a mammal and carnivore, using its keen sight and hearing to hunt rabbits, rodents, fish, and frogs. Ocelots can be found in the canopies of South American rain forests, but also live in brush lands that go as far north as Texas. They often take to the trees to stalk on prey such as: monkeys or birds. In addition, as opposed to other cats the ocelot is not afraid of the water is a capable swimmer.

Ocelot Range

Ecology

      The ocelot's range in the western hemisphere goes from southern Texas and southern Arizona through Central America and South America into northern Argentina and Uruguay. In the Texas range of the ocelot there are only around 80-120 still thought to be alive, however the South American region are not in as low of numbers. The ocelot is known to live in many different types of habitats;  tropical rainforest, pine forest, gallery forest, riparian forest, semi-deciduous forest, dry tropical forest, savanna, scrublands, and marshlands. Ocelot's require dense vegetation (>75% canopy cover), and in places like Texas they prefer up to 95% cover. 

Threats

       The main threats to ocelots are habitat conversion, fragmentation, and habitat loss. As humans develop and population centers continue to grow, more and more of the ocelot's habitat is being destroyed. Currently in Texas more that 95% of possible habitat in the Lower Rio Grande Valley has been converted to agriculture, rangelands or urban land uses.  The issue of connectivity is becoming more prevalent as the road mortality is increasing. In addition, their gorgeous coats make them vulnerable to hunters. Thus, this rare species is becoming harder to find and the population size is decreasing. These small populations are now threatened with inbreeding, due to the high isolation and low connectivity. 

Listing

The ocelot was listed as an endangered species on March 28, 1972 . The original approval date for the recovery plan was in 1990 but it was not implemented until 2010.

Recovery Plan

The overall goal of the revised plan is to recover and delist the ocelot from the EPA endangered list. The immediate goal is to  down list the ocelot from endangered to threatened status. Not only are we trying to save the ocelot in Texas but we want to make sure the populations in South America are stable. The actions needed to have a successful recovery are as follows:

    

• Assess, protect, and enhance ocelot populations and habitat in the borderlands of the U.S. and Mexico
• Reduce the effects of human population growth and development on the ocelot
• Maintain or improve genetic fitness, demographic conditions, and health of the ocelot in borderland populations
• Assure the long-term success of ocelot conservation through partnerships, landowner incentives, community involvement, application of regulations, and public education and outreach
• Practice adaptive management in which recovery is monitored and recovery tasks are revised bu USFWS in coordination with recovery implementation team subgroups as new information becomes available

To the Rescue

In order to meet the recovery standards we must support efforts to ascertain the status and conserve ocelot populations south of Tamaulipas and Sonora. Once their numbers reach at least 200 in the Texas region and 1000 in the South American region, can they be considered no longer endangered. Thus it is our job to share the story of the ocelot. In addition there are places we can donate to help the recovery of the ocelot.
 https://secure2.edf.org/site/Donation2?df_id=2100&2100.donation=form1

Works Cited

Goulart, Fernando, Maurício Eduardo Graipel, Marcos Tortato, Ivo Ghizoni-Jr, Luiz Gustavo Oliveira-Santos,and Nilton           Cáceres. "Ecology of the Ocelot (Leopardus Pardalis) in the Atlantic Forest of Southern Brazil." Neotropical Biology and Conservation Nbc 4.3 (2009): 137-43. Web.

Haemig PD  2012    Ecology of the Ocelot and Margay.  ECOLOGY.INFO #9

"Ocelots, Ocelot Pictures, Ocelot Facts - National Geographic." National Geographic. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2015.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2010. Draft Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) Recovery Plan, First Revision. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southwest Region, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

   California Red-Legged Frog by Elijah Williams

     The California Red-Legged Frog, or Rana Aurora Draytonii, is a large frog endemic to California. It is typically identified by the color of it’s back legs, which typically range from reddish to dark brown. The backside of the rear legs, which can be seen from above, are covered with black spots. The facial area is covered with a dark mask that is contrasted with a tan stripe that runs across the entire frog, from shoulder to shoulder.
    Ranging from 2-5 inches in length, the California Red-Legged Frog carries the district title of being the largest Native frog in the western United States. It is worth noting that the size of this frog leads to it’s misidentification as a Toad or invasive species of frog [Stebbins].
   

       Although the frog has been spotted throughout almost all of California, it is important to not that frog populations can be spread very quickly and without longterm survey data, it is very difficult to measure the full species use of a given area. It is believed that populations existed in the entire state, what would currently amount to 46 counties. They are currently only known to be present in 26, focused largely in the upper San Francisco bay and Central Coast [U.S. Fish and Wildlife].
    Ecologically, the frog uses its surroundings in a variety of ways. Single frogs have been observed spending their entire lifetimes in a single location, while others have completed there life cycles in a variety of locations. While adult frogs are very nocturnal, adolescent frogs are know to be extremely active during the day and night. The frogs diet is also extremely versatile, including everything from mice to insects and even other frogs. As a population at large, other than egg laying periods (March-April), is very reactive to its environment and is known to change its behavioral patterns over years even in the same location.
    The California Red-Legged Frog was listed as Threatened on 9/12/2002, after a long history of exploitation and endangerment lasting throughout much of the 19th and 20th century.

    The main treat to the California Red-Legged Frog has been Urbanization and the creation of large highways along the California coast. The separation of large habitat swaths by way of the highways has left populations small and sensitive to random environmental factors. Urbanization has caused many of the streams that these small populations reside in to become polluted and altered, which has devastated populations in the larger Los Angles area in particular [US Fish and Wildlife].
    The Recovery Plan includes measures focused mostly on the reuniting of fragmented populations throughout the state. The populations are located in cores in the largely undisturbed coastal areas that still remain throughout the state. This program focuses on studying and reuniting the core populations that will create satellite populations to help restore the population and overcome the adverse effects of urbanization and habitat destruction [Stebbins, Kriger]. 
    In order to help care for the frogs I recommend staying up to date and questioning the building of large urban developments in your community. Because the areas are so sensitive and small, it is important to question the introduction of these spaces into any ecosystem, not just allowing for the convenience of a mall to destroy the natural beauty around you.
   


Sources:
    Kriger, Kerry. "California Red-Legged FrogRana Draytonii." California Red-Legged Frog. SAVETHEFROGS.COM, n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.

    Stebbins, Robert. "California Red-Legged Frog." NWF. N.p., n.d. Web.

    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2002. Recovery Plan for the California Red-legged Frog (Rana Aurora Draytonii ). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, Oregon. viii + 173 pp.

(all photos courtesy of SAVETHEFROGS.COM)

Hawaiian Monk Seal

Hawaiian Monk Seal

(Nick Walter)

     The Hawaiian monk seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi) is the only one native to Hawaii, and one of only two species of animal endemic to Hawaii. The Mediterranean monk seal is also found in Hawaii and is the only other monk seal there. The Hawaiian monk seal is highly endangered and its relative, the Caribbean monk seal, is already extinct.

     The seal can grow to around 7 feet and weight up to 450 pounds. With a lifespan between 25-30 years this K-Selected species has a very low survival rate of juveniles and sub-adults. The females usually become mature around age 5. In many breeding colonies there are more males than females and group mobbing of females is not uncommon sometimes killing the female. The seal is pregnant for 10-11 months and nurses for about 1 month.  The Hawaiian monk seal has a silver or grey back with a lighter belly, but newborns are originally black. They eat fish, cephalopods, and other crustaceans, and are seen resting on beaches during the day.

     As of now there are around 1200 monk seals still living, and although much has been done since its original recovery plan was started, they are slowly but steadily dwindling. This is the only marine mammal who is endangered and whose entire species range is within the US. They live in warm water and spend two thirds of their lives in the water.

     The Hawaiian Monk seal was listed as endangered first in 1983 and the recovery plan has been in action since then, until 2007 when it was revised because the population was still declining. There are six significant threats that the HMS is up against.

1    .     The low population could lead to disease outbreaks and would have grave affects based on its population size and range.

2    .     Galapagos sharks have increased preying on juvenile seals

3    .     Entanglement of seals in Marine debris kills many seals.

4    .     Humans cause mother-pup disturbance on popular beaches, they disturb them during recreational fishery interactions, and expose them to disease

5    .     Starvation in juveniles and sub-adults because of low food quantity has gone on for many years.

6    .     Many nursing beaches are being lost due to erosion, and prey resources have possibly been reduced due to climate cycles.

           The Hawaiian monk seal is far off from being fully recovered any time soon. To get it out of the “endangered” category and into the “threatened” category will take a lot of time and effort. There are, however, five main actions that need to be taken in its recovery plan.

     The first is helping specifically the young females survive in the northern Hawaiian Islands. This means learning more why this group of seals is declining more, and intervening to make sure that they can mature into mating adult females. This also includes protection from the single and groups of aggressive mating males. The second action needed is make sure during mating season that more seals are near each other and able to mate safely. Thirdly, minimizing the interactions of people and the seals, including individuals and mother-pup groups, is crucial. This can be done with coordination of all federal, state, local and non-government parties, volunteer networks. And lastly, preventing and reducing the chance of diseases into the population of Hawaiian monk seals.

     The problem with the Hawaiian monk seal population is clearly very localized to their location, so personal efforts by people other than those living near the seals would be raise awareness. As for the people near them, simply staying away from them in their environment. This causes a lot of issues for them, even by just being near them. Staying away and respecting their space can go a long way in the recovery process. 

Here is a video on how to live and share the beaches with Hawaiian Monk Seals 
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid660572737001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAmZfSubE~,RcH_vKEgcc8H4dTxFK_bcbVM8tx2ZgwW&bctid=1490299159001 


Sources 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_monk_seal

http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/seals/hawaiian-monk-seal.html

http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/hawaiianmonkseal

http://www.all-creatures.org/alert/alert-20110817-2.html

Make the Future Bright: Thick Billed Parrot

Miri Taple

http://main.abqjournal.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/b01_jd_17nov_bird2.jpg

The thick billed parrot has been the center of much controversy in the realm of wildlife management.  This visually beautiful species used to have a home that spanned from Arizona and across Mexico.  It is now contained to the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico.  The sheer collapse in number of the thick billed parrot has landed them a spot of the Endangered Species List.    

Ecology

The Thick Billed Parrot dwells in temperate conifer and mature pine oak forests. Their breeding concurs and responds to the pine seed production.  They breed at high levels in the tree than they nest.  These old growth forests are essential to their survival (birdlife).

                

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=1584      http://joyofbirding.com/birding-a-tour-of-madera-mexico-with-solipaso-day-3/

Threats

There are several threats facing the Thick Billed Parrot that are contributing and have contributed already to the rapid decline in their populations.  In the 19th and 20th centuries an unbounded amount of unchecked shooting of the species had occurred, playing a visceral role in their inevitable endangerment (ecos).  Another key facet in their decline is the expansive loss of habitat.  The logging of old growth conifer forests reduced the amount of snags necessary for their reproduction.  Not only habitat destruction, but within that, fragmentation has severed their tie to habitat (ecos).  To a lesser degree, yet still impeding on their survival, is the increase in forest fires with immense magnitude to them; this is an additional component to their habitat destruction (ecos). Furthermore, climate change has also had an impact on their decline (ecos).  

Threats lead to POPULATION DECLINE: Only about 2,097 left and this could be an overestimate (ecos).

Listing

The Thick Billed Parrot was listed on the Endangered Species List in 1973.  However, not much action was taken as it did not have a recovery plan until much later on (wildearthguardians).  Its listing type is "5C" which expresses that there is steep severity in terms of threat to them in correlation with an inferior recovery potential (ecos).  

Recovery Plan and Attempts at Recovery

The species has been astray from the United States for over 70 years and the little that remains of their populations resides in Mexico.  Therefore, the recovery plan is primarily focused on salvaging their population in Mexico, as it is more viable and realistic.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service has adopted the Mexican recovery plan so as to collaborate and succeed further than they potentially could alone (ecos).  The first and ultimate goal of the plan is to decrease their standing on the "endangered" list down to the "threatened" list (ecos). 

As listed directly from the recovery site (ecos), there are five steps to their inevitable recovery:

• protect existing populations and their habitat
• survey, monitor, and research the population and habitat
• manage habitat for future thick billed parrot population growth 
• reduce or eliminate threats, such as illegal trade, timber harvesting, and high-intensity fire
• build partnerships and educate the public

The central focus is to sustain and aggrandize old-growth and mature forests as their degradation has been addressed as the primary cause of extinction.  There are and have been, historically, attempts to reduce timber removal so as to protect their species, and those actions are substantial.  However, there is additional action to be taken by local communities to further progress the maintenance and restoration.  

A previous attempt at restoration: 

A seven year endeavor to bring back their population in the pine forests of Arizona was initiated in 1995. It quickly deteriorated, however.  The USFWS had annexed approximately 29 adult birds of their species from the illegal pet trade and attempted to bring them back into the wild.  They found that since the birds had been raised in such extreme conditions of captivity, they had no chance of survival in the wild again.  They were prone to disease and became prey for hawks.  

This attempt is one of the many reasons that the modern proposed recovery is taking place in Mexico where there is an existing population, small yet still standing (nytimes).

Success Story for Recovery

http://www.abcbirds.org 

In the above video, an attempt to aid in the recovery of the Thick Billed Parrot was successful as opposed to the attempt in Arizona.  In the birds' current area of range in Mexico the American Bird Conservancy worked to conserve habitat and create nesting boxes.  The creation of the nesting boxes was the key success in this attempt.  Chicks were being raised successfully which could eventually contribute to a rise in their population. 

Personal Action

The main threat, as we have discovered, to the Thick Billed Parrot is habitat loss.  Logging is the primary industrial action that is contributing to said habitat destruction.  In the specific part of Mexico that the now small yet remaining population of the birds live, Sierra Madre, excessive logging has been linked to products sold to the U.S.  The main products that are imported here from the habitat of the parrot are plywood, paper, and pulp.  As an architecture student I am fully aware that we, as opposed to other students, use an excess of similar resources, in general.  My goal of personal action is to think in an innovative way when faced with the projects at hand in terms of material use.  Carrying it beyond the point of simply thinking, I will implement those ideas and purchase less paper, wood, etc.  If those materials are necessary for a project and there is no exception I will find an alternative recycled solution so as to not add fuel to the fire of habitat loss.  Now these products that I buy may not necessarily come from their specific region but they do come from a habitat of some species, probably similar species at that.  I can always look into the products that come directly from their area and avoid them as well as educate others to stray from them as well.  It is a simple matter of thinking before you buy.  I may not single-handedly bring their population back to it's peak but every refrain from purchase of harmful products contributes and the education of others on the same matter can only help from there.  

I encourage everyone to be conscious in their decision of purchasing paper and wood products.