Defenders of Wildlife

Today is Defenders of Wildlife’s 78th anniversary! 🐾 Find out why we’re still committed to Defending Wildlife, and let us know your WHY below. ⬇️

The Red Wolf was our winner in Round 1! Learn more about this uniquely American wolf and world's most endangered canid on our website: dfnd.us/4uD6mI9 🐺

Round 2 Eco-Engineers: American Bison🦬 vs North American Beaver🦫 Vote now and see the results on Friday!

#DYK there are about 250 dedicated wildlife crossings in Florida? 70 of those overlap with Florida panther habitat, but we need more. In Florida over the last decade, vehicle strikes were responsible for over 80% of Florida panther deaths. Wildlife crossings save lives! 🐾🚸

Our first round starts today! Round 1 Carnivore Country: Polar Bear vs Red Wolf.

🏀 March Mammal Madness🐾 is here! Vote for your favorite mammal on our X, Instagram Stories, Facebook, Threads, and LinkedIn.  It’s up to YOU to decide who wins! Vote in our first round in the thread below⬇️

The mission blue butterfly depends on lupine – a plant with a tall cone of colorful flowers with sprawling leaves. When their eggs hatch, the caterpillars feed on the leaves then enter their dormant state, which is perfectly timed with the lupines shift from leaves to flowers!

@washingtonpost Amazing! We always need stories that show us how we can all work together to protect all kinds of wildlife, including beavers. We can't wait to see this in theaters!

Column: My relationship with Pixar has basically mirrored that of Andy and his toys: I have good memories of the first few. When it was time to go to college, I walked away and left them for the next generation. At least until “Hoppers.” wapo.st/3N4adgA

"Tlalocelot" is the Aztecs’ Nahuahtl language word for ocelot, while "ōcēlōtl" is a related word for jaguar. Europeans frequently assigned animals of the Western Hemisphere names like animals they were familiar with. For the ocelot, they translated "tlalocelot" as “field tiger.”

When baby black bears are born, they only weigh half a pound, the same as a deck of playing cards. Black bear cubs are born tiny, helpless, and hairless. By adulthood, they can reach up to 300 pounds! Learn more about black bears: dfnd.us/3OHQgwk

Thank you, @SenBlakespear for introducing SB 1135 – critically important legislation to provide @CaliforniaDFW with the staff & tools they need to successfully foster wildlife coexistence statewide as California's human population continues to grow while its natural areas shrink.

Did ewe know that each Bighorn sheep horn weighs ~30 pounds? In the fall, rams compete for ewes by having head-butting contests. They charge each other at speeds of more than 20 mph, crashing with a crack that can be heard more than a mile away. dfnd.us/4tHqJU5

A salad for my friend, Sitka black-tailed deer, pls The Sitka black-tailed deer thrives on a diverse diet of woody plants & shrubs along the forest floor. This diet is why the lush, old-growth rainforest of Southeast Alaska is an ideal home! dfnd.us/4aEkvwJ

Protecting the Rice’s whale isn’t just about their own extinction. Their loss would spell disaster for the ocean systems that regulate climate, support biodiversity, and ultimately make human life possible. Read more via @ctexaminer: dfnd.us/4rEvXhs 🐋

Bundle up when out in the cold, unless you’re an Arctic fox! Arctic foxes have compact bodies that help minimize surface area exposed to cold air. Their short muzzle, ears & legs help conserve heat & thick fur allows them to maintain their body temp! dfnd.us/4sYJzpk ❄️

Everyone has a few bad habits, but some of our habits need a change.

DYK beetles 🪲 make up 25% of all accounted for animal species? Found in nearly every habitat in the world, beetles form the order Coleoptera, the largest of all orders. Move over John, Paul, Ringo, and George and say hello to Hercules, Ladybug, Scarab, and Weevil!

“Repealing the Roadless Area Conservation Rule would not be in the long-term interest of the American people, the National Forests or the communities they serve.” Former Forest Service chiefs wrote in support of the Roadless Rule. Read it on @thehill: dfnd.us/4bT4KTG