The Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) is a secretive forest-dwelling cat, common throughout the boreal forest of Alaska and Canada. Lynx are rare at the southern edge of their range in the lower 48 states, and occur primarily in Montana, Washington, Maine, and Minnesota. Habitat areas include large, young, dense stands of spruce and fir that support snowshoe hare, which comprise more than 75 percent of the Canada lynx's diet. In recent years, adult lynx and their kittens have been documented in northern Vermont and New Hampshire. More about the lynx.
Credit: Ann Froschauer / USFWS
The Indiana bat(Myotis sodalis) hibernates in caves in dense clusters of about 300 bats per square foot. They require an average winter temperature below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) in their winter roosting caves, which are called hibernacula. In the summer they also roost in colonies in cracks or crevices or under loose bark of trees. Females raise up to one offspring (called a pup) per year, born in June or July. Indiana bats are found across most of the eastern half of the U.S. This species was listed in 1967 due to episodes of people disturbing the hibernating bats in caves during winter. Other threats that have contributed to the Indiana bat's decline include commercialization of caves, loss of summer habitat, pesticides and other contaminants, and most recently, the disease known as white-nose syndrome. More about this bat.
Credit: Susi von Oettingen / USFWS
The endangered dwarf wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) lives in streams along the Atlantic Coast from New Hampshire to North Carolina, including within the Service's Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge. Collection, poor water quality and deteriorating habitat conditions led to its decline and continue to threaten remaining populations. Specific causes include impoundments, dredged, channelized or altered stream channels (i.e., mining, bank stabilization), chemical contaminants, and sedimentation. Their decline often signals a decline in the water quality of streams and rivers. Biologists have focused on working with landowners to improve stream conditions for the species. More about this mussel.
Credit: copyright Lisa Mattei / New England Wildflower Society
Jesup's milk-vetch (Astragalus robbinsii var. jesupii) is known to occur in only three locations along the Connecticut River in New Hampshire and Vermont. Found in the crevices of rocks, the plant emerges after the winter ice and spring floods have receded, usually sometime in April, with small violet flowers that bloom in May. Plant heights range from eight inches to nearly 2four inches. The main threats to this rare plant are non-native plant species, climate change, trampling and dams that change the river's flow, making flooding less frequent. More on this plant.
A wetland plant first identified in 1962, the northeastern bulrush (Scirpus ancistrochaetus) is tall, with narrow leaves and a drooping flower head with chocolate brown florets. It is difficult to find and recognize, and it is threatened by habitat destruction and deterioration of some areas in which it grows, including sinkhole ponds and wet depressions. Biologists continue to study the habitat requirements of this plant. More on this plant.