ndansered Species olor nB Book \vEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency (7506P) Washington, DC 20460 735-K-08-001 May 2008 ------- HI This coloring book is published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Office of Pesticide Programs. bid you know that when people use pesticides to kill insects and other pests, they can also endanger the lives of plants and animals? That's why EPA has a program to protect threatened and endangered species from contact with pesticides that might be harmful. If EPA determines that a pesticide may put at risk an endangered or threatened species, EPA will tell you on the label of the pesticide container how to find out what you need to do to protect that species. EPA will have a bulletin that explains how to use the product in a way that will not harm the species. The plants and animals shown in this coloring book are not always threatened by pesticides; however, they do represent many different species our program is protecting. Endangered Species Protection Program ------- What Are Endangered and Threatened Species? A century ago, a bird called the passenger pigeon lived in North America. There were so many passenger pigeons that people often saw thousands, even millions, of birds flying overhead. Today, there is not a single one left. What happened? The passenger pigeon became extinct. All passenger pigeons disappeared from the earth entirely. The passenger pigeon became extinct for two reasons. First, the forests where it lived were cut down to make way for farms and cities. Second, many pigeons were shot for sport and because they were good to eat. At that time, there were no hunting laws to protect endangered species like there are now. mammoths, and saber-toothed tigers all became extinct long ago. More recently, the dodo bird and the sea mink also have disappeared. Extinction has been going on since life began on earth but today, extinction is happening faster than ever before. There are more than 1,000 endangered or threatened species in the United States today. Can you count to 1,000? Endangered species are those plants and animals that are so rare, they are in danger of becoming extinct. Threatened species are plants and animals whose numbers are very low or becoming low quickly. Threatened species are not endangered yet, but are likely to become endangered in the future. How Do Plants and Animals Become Extinct? The passenger pigeon is one of Species disappear because of the many plants and animals that once changes to the earth that are caused lived on our planet and have become either by nature or by the actions of extinct. For example, dinosaurs, people. Sometimes a natural event, like a volcano erupting, can kill an entire species. Other times, extinction will happen slowly as nature changes our world. For example, after the Ice Age, when the great glaciers melted and the earth became warmer, many species died because they could not live in ------- a warmer climate. New species that could survive a warmer environment took their places. People can also cause the extinction of plants and animals. The main reason that many species are endangered or threatened today is because people have changed the species' homes or habitats. A habitat includes not only the other plants and animals in an area, but all of the things needed for the species' to live — food, water, and shelter. The United States has many habitats, from ocean beaches to mountain tops. Every species requires a certain habitat in order to live. A cactus, for example, needs the sunny, dry desert to grow. A polar bear, on the other hand, would not live in a desert, because it could not find enough food and water. Pollution can also affect wildlife and contribute to extinction. The Nashville crayfish is endangered mainly because the creek where it lives has been polluted. Pesticides and other chemicals can harm plants and animals if they are not used correctly. The bald eagle is one bird that was harmed by pesticides. In the past, a pesticide called DDT was used by many farmers. Rains washed the pesticide into lakes and streams, where it poisoned fish. After eat ing the poisoned fish, the eagles would lay eggs with very thin shells. These eggs were usually crushed before they could hatch. Today, people are not allowed to use DDT. This coloring book will show you 21 endangered and threatened plants and animals found in the United States. As you color these pages, you will journey to oceans, swamps, deserts, and islands and bring to life a variety of plants and animals. If we all work together, we can continue to share the earth with these fascinating and important species and enjoy them in the wild — not only in the pages of books. 2 ------- Shortnose Sturgeon The fish gets its name from its short, pointy nose. The shortnose sturgeon is shaped like a torpedo. This helps it swim very fast. The fish lives in rivers. In the winter and spring, it swims upstream to lay eggs. The trip can be over 100 —~\XJ miles long! Then, in the summer and £ \ fall, the fish swims to its second home in the ocean. In what states is this species found? ------- Dwarf Wedge Mussel Do you see the squiggly line on the river bottom? It wasn't made by a snake or a worm. It was made by a dwarf wedge mussel when it dragged itself along the river bottom. These animals look like small clams. Like small clams, they have hard shells and soft bodies. Female mussels can carry thousands of eggs inside their very small shells! In what states is this species found? ------- Nashville Crayfish The Nashville crayfish looks like a very small lobster. Like a lobster, the crayfish has claws that can pinch. Ouch! As a young crayfish grows, it gets too big for its shell. When this happens, it grows a bigger shell. Then it casts off the old, smaller shell. This is similar to a snake shedding its skin when it grows. In what state is this species found? ------- Red-Cockaded Woodpecker t vy-^y^rJ TAP TAP TAP! High up in the trunk of a pine tree, the red-cockaded woodpecker digs a hole with its sharp beak. Sap flows from the tree and collects around the hole. The sap is sticky like glue. This keeps the woodpecker safe from predators, such as snakes. We need to protect the pine trees so the red- cockaded woodpecker will have a home. In what states is this species found? ------- Eastern Indigo Snake When full grown, the eastern indigo snake is longer than most people are tall! Indigo is the blue- black color of the snake's skin. This snake eats birds, frogs, and even other snakes. Snakes smell with their tongues. Stick out your tongue like a snake. What do humans smell with? In what states is this species found? ------- West Indian Manatee This gentle animal lives in the coastal waters of Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Puerto Rico. It is about 10 feet long and can weigh up to 2,000 pounds — as much as a car! Manatees are herbivores (meaning they eat only plants). After eating they may swim to the bottom of the water and rest. Manatees can hold their breath for up to 12 minutes at a time! In what states is this species found? ------- Monito Gecko V This little lizard with bulging eyes is quite an acrobat. It races easily across cliffs and can even walk upside down! Full-grown Monito geckos are about as big as your thumb — only 1-1/2 inches long. In what state is this species found? ------- Florida Panther The Florida panther has a cowlick of fur in the middle of its back that sti cks out. Li ke housecats, the Florida panther keeps clean by licking its fur. These graceful cats make a lot of different noises to communicate with one another. They chirp, peep, growl, and hiss. Panther kittens make a sound like a whistle to tell their their mother where they are. In what state is this species found? 10 ------- Green Pitcher Plant This plant eats insects! Do you like to eat insects? When an insect lands on one of the plant's leaves, it gets stuck in a gooey liquid. Then the insect slides down the leaf and into the plant's empty stem. The insect is digested just like we digest food in our stomachs. In what states is this species found? 11 ------- Mississippi Sandhill Crane These birds are about 4 feet tall when standing straight up on their feet. Sometimes, a group of cranes will dance in a great circle. The cranes bow to their partners and leap into the air. This tall, grayish bird lives in savannah habitats and is very rare. In what state is this species found? 12 ------- Ozark Big-Eared Bat This bat has big ears and orange- red fur. During the day, it sleeps hanging upside down inside caves. At night, the bat hunts for moths and other insects. On summer evenings, you might see bats flying back to their caves. Hungry babies are waiting to be fed! In what states is this species found? 13 ------- Leopard Darter These little fish have leopard spots and leopard speed! They zip through rivers in a wink of an eye, darting after the insects they eat. Leopard darters grow to only 3 inches long and live for 1 to 3 years. In what states is this species found? 14 ------- Wyoming Toad The Wyoming toad has green skin with dark blotches. This coloring helps it blend into the grass to hide from animals that might want to eat it. These toads have lived in Wyoming a long time — since the great glaciers of the Ice Age disappeared more than 12,000 years ago! In what state is this species found? 15 ------- Black Lace Cactus This tiny cactus is only 6 inches tall, and grows in the desert of southern Texas. The plant's pink and purple flowers with red centers are very pretty but watch out because this plant, like most cacti, has spines as sharp as pins! In what state is this species found? 16 ------- Attwater's Greater Prairie Chicken Oo-loo-woo, sings the male prairie chicken to his mate. Prairie chickens sing and dance every spring in the grasslands of Texas. Their dancing area is called the "booming ground" because of the loud songs of the males. In what state is this species found? 17 ------- Desert Tortoise This tortoise lives in the deserts of Arizona, southern Utah, Nevada, and California. Actually, it mostly lives under the desert! In the summer, the tortoise digs tunnels underground to hide from the sun. Then all winter it sleeps, or "hibernates," in deep holes. In what states is this species found? 18 ------- Valley Elderbeny Longhorn Beetle Some insects are endangered, too. The valley elderberry longhorn beetle lives only in California. Female beetles lay their eggs in cracks and crevices in tree bark. From the time egg is laid, it takes 2 years for an adult beetle, with its bright green wings trimmed with orange, to appear! In what state is this species found? 19 ------- Mission Blue Butterfly The mission blue butterfly flies and flutters, looking for just the right flower in which to lay its eggs. In a few weeks, these eggs hatch into caterpillars. Sometimes,these caterpillars are guarded by ants that protect them from enemies like flies and other insects. The caterpillars "pay" the ants back by giving off a sweet liquid that the ant likes to eat. In what state is this species found? 20 ------- Mauna Kea Silversword The Mauna Kea silversword is found only in the State of Hawaii on the island of Maui. The pretty pink flowers of this plant can rise over 7 feet high! At the bottom of the plant is a ball of pointed, silvery leaves that look like swords. The leaves are sharp like swords, too. In what state is this species found? 21 ------- Bald Eagle The bald eagle is our national symbol and represents strength, courage, and freedom. Its eyesight is so good that it can spot a fish from more than a mile away! It is so fast that it can swoop down through the air at 100 miles an hour to catch this tasty meal with its strong claws. Until recently, it was endangered. The population of eagles had gone down rapidly with the use of DDT. DDT was banned and now the eagle population is rebuilding. In what states is this species found? 22 ------- Grizzly Bear V 3 You'd look pretty short standing next to this 8-foot tall bear! The grizzly bear is one of the biggest animals in North America. Adult grizzly bears are shy and usually live alone. Young cubs stay with their mother for several years while she teaches them to hunt, fish, and find berries and nuts. In what states is this species found? 23 ------- Index of Species' Common Name, Scientific Name, and Status PAGE COMMON NAME 3 Shortnose sturgeon 4 bwarf wedge mussel 5 Nashville crayfish 6 Red-cockaded woodpecker 7 Eastern indigo snake 8 Florida manatee 9 Monito gecko 10 Florida panther 11 Green pitcher plant 12 Mississippi sandhill crane 13 Ozark big-eared bat 14 Leopard darter 15 Wyoming toad 16 Black lace cactus 17 Attwater's greater prairie chicken 18 besert tortoise 19 Valley elderberry longhorn beetle 20 Mission blue butterfly 21 Mauna Kea silvers word 22 Bald eagle 23 Grizzly bear SCIENTIFIC NAME Acipenser brevirostrum Alasmidonta heterodon Orconectes shoupi Picoides boreal is brymarchon corals couperi Trichechus manatus Sphaerodactylus micropithecus Felis concolor coryi Sarracenia oreophila Grus canadensis pulla Plecotus townsendii ingens Percina pant herina Bufo hemiophrys baxteri Echinocereus reichenbachii var. albertii Tympanuchus cup ido attwateri &opherus agassizii besmocerus californicus dimorphus Icaricia icarioides missionensis Agyroxiphium sandwicense spp. sandwicense Haliaeetus leucocephalus Ursus arctos (=U.a. horrib ills) STATUS Endangered Endangered Endangered Endangered Threatened Endangered Endangered Endangered Endangered Endangered Endangered Threatened Endangered Endangered Endangered Threatened Threatened Endangered Endangered No longer Endangered (As of June 2007) Threatened To learn more about how EPA, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service protect endangered species, please visit the following Web sites: EPA - www.epa.gov/espp FWS - http://www.fws.gov/endangered/wildlife.html NOAA Fisheries Service - http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/ 24 ------- Mission Blue Butterfly VallBy Eltterbarry Locighorn Beetle Attwater's Greater Prairie Chicken ------- Gzark Big-Eared Bat » West Indian Manatee Black Uiw Cactus If you would like more Information about EPA's Endangered Spades Protection Program, contact: Endangered Species Protection Program (7507P) U.S. EftvirownanlBr Pfoiiictlon 1200 Psnatylrtnfcl AV*flU* , 0-C. 20480 Nashville Crax-fish Green Pitchar Plant Mqrtto Gecko Rad-Gockadad Woodpackar Mauna K*a Silversword Wyommg Toad ------- |