Horseshoe crabs, ancient creatures vital for endangered migratory shorebirds, faced mass killing for bait. Thanks to 34,000 public comments, an agency decided to spare female crabs in 2024, though future harvests remain a concern. Read more: [Female Horseshoe Crabs Spared](https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/female-horseshoe-crabs-spared-for-another-year-in-delaware-bay-2023-10-19/).

The Center for Biological Diversity is a 501c3 nonprofit. We believe human welfare is deeply linked to nature's diversity, working through science, law, and creative media to protect species and their habitats from extinction. Our goal is a wild world for future generations.

For more information, visit our [website](https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/), or connect via [Twitter](https://twitter.com/CenterForBioDiv), [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/CenterforBioDiv/), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/centerforbiodiversity/), [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@centerforbiodiv), or [Take Action](https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/action/). Email us at center@biologicaldiversity.org.

Explore a video of "creepy-cute critters," based on a Medium article by the Center's Cybele Knowles. Featured in our Endangered Earth newsletter (Oct. 19, 2023), this content highlights the Center for Biological Diversity's mission. As a Tucson-based 501c3 nonprofit, we secure a future for all species by protecting essential lands, waters, and climate, believing human welfare is tied to nature's diversity.

We work through science, law, and media to ensure a wild world for generations to come. Visit our website or take action. Find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Email center@biologicaldiversity.org for inquiries.

A new study reveals that snow flies amputate their own limbs to survive extreme cold. Scientists previously knew little about these flightless insects, which inhabit frigid, hard-to-reach alpine areas.

Now, it's understood that if a leg freezes, these remarkable insects can remove it to prevent ice crystals from reaching their bodies and freezing vital organs. They then continue walking, demonstrating a unique survival mechanism.

This discovery was featured in the Center's weekly newsletter, Endangered Earth Online, issue 1,208 (Aug. 31, 2023): Endangered Earth Online No. 1208.

Rare feather stars were filmed south of Johnston Atoll in the Central Pacific during a 2022 NOAA-funded expedition. Learn more about the expedition: https://nautiluslive.org/cruise/na141

This video, featured in the Endangered Earth Online newsletter, showcased new-to-science species, including the Antarctic strawberry feather star. These free-swimming crinoids, related to starfish and sea cucumbers, are named for their fruit-like body shape beneath 20 rhythmic arms. See pictures and read more: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/publications/earthonline/endangered-earth-online-no1207.html

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has deployed a "lethal obstacle" in the Rio Grande, comprising saw blades and netting, designed to injure border crossers. This installation, highlighted by Laiken Jordahl of the Center for Biological Diversity, has already led to bodies being discovered in the river.

Jordahl condemns Abbott's initiative as a "death trap" for both people and wildlife, driven by "racist politics" and implemented for a "photo op." These actions have transformed the U.S.-Mexico border into a dangerous zone.

Read more: What Texas Should Learn From Arizona’s Border Failure

Glassy-winged sharpshooters, common crop pests, consume 300 times their body weight in xylem sap daily, making them frequent urinators. Biophysicist Saad Bhamla discovered these insects efficiently expel urine using an "anal stylus" (dubbed a "butt flicker") to catapult droplets at high speed, a phenomenon he calls "superpropulsion."

Learn more about this physics-powered urination: research.gatech.edu/super-fast-insect-urination-powered-physics-superpropulsion

This research was featured in Endangered Earth Online, No. 1,205 (Aug. 10, 2023): biologicaldiversity.org/publications/earthonline/endangered-earth-online-no1205.html

The Center has sued NOAA Fisheries to enforce actual protection for 20 endangered Caribbean and Indo-Pacific coral species, including pillar and lobed star corals. While NOAA officially protected these species under the Endangered Species Act in 2014 following a Center petition, it has since refused to implement regulations to counter major threats like collection and climate change, despite a 2020 petition for such measures.

The agency also declines to monitor trade in these species, even though the U.S. is the world’s largest importer of live corals. Center lawyer Emily Jeffers emphasized, "Protection for corals shouldn’t be in name only." Learn more: biodiv.us/3DKztQo

Fauna & Flora International (FFI) recently filmed 15 critically endangered Burmese peacock softshell turtles hatching in Myanmar—a possible first-ever video of their species. Named for the peacock-like spots on their shells, these once-abundant freshwater animals are now among the world's most endangered.

Volunteer "turtle guardians" with FFI protected the nest sites until the eggs hatched. After a brief study, the hatchlings were released into the wild. Watch the video and learn more: Business Insider | Endangered Earth Online. Video credit: © Nyein Chan and Yae Aung / fauna-flora.org.

A rare gulper eel, also known as a pelican eel, was filmed 6,900 feet deep off Costa Rica. Its body was massively distended from a recent meal.

This sighting occurred in the Dorado Outcrop, an area also home to recently discovered, rare octopus nurseries.

Watch captivating footage of the gulper eel and other deep-sea highlights from the Dorado expedition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhH42NS8ig4. Video by Schmidt Ocean Institute, featured in the Center for Biological Diversity's Endangered Earth Online 1201. Audio: Mothership via Canva.

Biologists may have observed the first instance of a frog pollinating a flower. Izecksohn's Brazilian tree frogs reportedly dunk into large flowers for nectar, then hop around, dispersing pollen. While they leave covered in pollen without damaging the flowers, further study is needed to confirm this unique behavior. Read more: Live Science.

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 biodiversity and work to secure a future where wild nature thrives. Connect with us: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Take Action. For inquiries, email center@biologicaldiversity.org.

Sand cats, rare wild felines of the Sahara, are smaller than house cats yet travel vast distances. A new study reveals they may be the only nomadic felines moving with changing rainfall, hydrating solely from prey. Learn more at panthera.org or read the full article: Tiny Sand Cats, Huge Range.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to securing a future for all species. We protect lands, waters, and climate through science, law, and media, believing human welfare is deeply linked to nature's diversity. Explore our work at biologicaldiversity.org.

Leafcutter bees are solitary, gentle pollinators that construct leaf-based egg chambers, provisioning them with nectar and pollen. A female may create up to 20 such cells, like the one seen in this footage of a bee emerging in the UK. Many species exist globally, including 63 in Florida. (Thanks to Emily Doorish: [Twitter](https://twitter.com/EDoorish), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/EmiliagoXD)).

Bees are also remarkably complex. Expert Stephen Buchmann notes they feel emotions, process long-term memories during sleep, and may even dream, raising ethical questions about their treatment. Learn more about bee intelligence: [here](https://biodiv.us/3n2sePr).

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. Discover more: [biologicaldiversity.org](https://www.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.

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.