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.

SpaceX launches in Boca Chica, Texas, threaten protected piping plover habitat with debris. The Center for Biological Diversity is suing to assess these impacts and needs your help to protect endangered species. Take action: https://biodiv.us/spacex.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to securing a future for all species. We believe human welfare is deeply linked to nature's vast diversity, protecting lands, waters, and climate through science, law, and media. Learn more at our website: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/ or email inquiries to center@biologicaldiversity.org.

NM LAWS (New Mexico Land, Air, Water, and the Sacred) is an Indigenous, frontline, and youth collective. They hold New Mexico accountable for protecting citizens from oil and gas pollution. Learn about this landmark case via their webinar. More info: nmlandairwatersacred.org.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a Tucson-based 501c3 nonprofit. Linking human welfare to nature and biodiversity, we use science, law, and creative media to secure a future for all species. We protect vital lands, waters, and climate to ensure a wild world for future generations.

Connect: biologicaldiversity.org. Social: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok. Action: biologicaldiversity.org/action/alerts. Email: center@biologicaldiversity.org.

A recent expedition in Mexico's Gulf of California tallied just 10 to 13 vaquitas, confirming these small porpoises are critically endangered but not yet extinct. Their population has plummeted from 600 in 1997, primarily due to entanglement in gillnets set for the endangered totoaba fish.

Despite the dire situation, Mexico has largely failed to enforce its totoaba fishing ban. The Center, advocating for over 20 years, now urgently calls on the government to enforce this ban immediately to prevent the vaquita's permanent loss. Learn more: https://biodiv.us/43PxPIE

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 committed to securing a future for all species. We believe human well-being is intrinsically linked to nature's biodiversity. Through science, law, and creative media, we work to prevent extinction by protecting the lands, waters, and climate essential for wildlife survival.

It's time to invest in imperiled wildlife. Support our mission by donating at biologicaldiversity.org/ESAat50. Find more information on our website: biologicaldiversity.org, or connect with us on social media. For questions, email center@biologicaldiversity.org.

Freshwater mussels employ diverse and ingenious reproductive strategies, often relying on fish as hosts. Some create tantalizing lures to attract fish, expelling larvae onto their gills, while others deploy larva packets on long strings. Researchers have now uncovered a novel tactic used by the endangered thick-shelled river mussel.

This mussel climbs streambanks, partially emerging from the water, and squirts larva-infused jets into the air and onto the surface. The resulting splashes attract fish, which mistake them for insects but inadvertently become hosts for the mussel larvae in their gills.

Learn more about this remarkable discovery: Remarkable Squirting Mussels Captured on Film

Once revered deities, jaguars are powerful, graceful hunters. Though they evolved and once thrived across the Americas, habitat loss and hunting pushed them to near extinction north of the U.S.-Mexico border. Learn about our efforts to restore them: biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/jaguar

The Center for Biological Diversity, a Tucson-based 501c3 nonprofit, links human well-being to nature's vast diversity. We use science, law, and media to protect lands, waters, and climate, securing a future for all species and ensuring a wild world for generations to come.

For more information, visit biologicaldiversity.org. Follow us on social media or email center@biologicaldiversity.org for inquiries.

Mexican gray wolves, also known as lobos, are a highly endangered subspecies. The Center for Biological Diversity, a 501c3 nonprofit, spearheaded their reintroduction to Arizona’s Apache National Forest in 1998. Since then, we have worked tirelessly to protect these unique wolves from persecution and boost their declining genetic diversity.

Today, 241 lobos roam wild in Arizona and New Mexico, with 380 in captive-breeding programs. Despite this progress, they remain among North America’s most endangered mammals. We are committed to their full recovery, believing that human welfare is deeply linked to the vast diversity of wild animals and plants.

Learn more about our work at 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.

Dr. Justin O. Schmidt, a renowned entomologist and ally of the Center for Biological Diversity, famously endured approximately 1,000 insect stings to create his unique Pain Index. This index comically rated and described the intensity of stings, from the "light, ephemeral" sweat bee to the "pure, intense" bullet ant. Dr. Schmidt passed away on February 18, 2023, at 75.

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 nature's diversity, working through science, law, and creative media to secure a wild future for generations to come.

Learn more about our mission at biologicaldiversity.org or contact us with questions at center@biologicaldiversity.org.

After weeks of protests, legal action, and public comments, the last shipping container from former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's rogue border wall was removed. This anti-immigrant symbol sliced through a vital wildlife corridor, impacting endangered jaguars and ocelots. The Center's Russ McSpadden called it "perhaps the only major border wall removed globally since the Berlin Wall." Taxpayers, however, still pay millions for Ducey's destructive stunt.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to securing a future for all species. We protect lands, waters, and climate, believing human welfare is deeply linked to nature.

Learn more at biologicaldiversity.org or 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.