Extinction is not something new. Fossilrecords show that many plants and animals
have become extinct since life first appearedon earth. Over the past three hundred years
the passenger pigeon and heath hen, both oncefound in New Hampshire, became extinct. Some
scientists estimate that the current extinction rateis more than 1,000 times the natural rate of extinction.
• Habitat loss. All animals and plants de-pend on the place they live (habitat) for food,water, shelter and living space. The plants andanimals within a habitat also depend on eachother. They interact in many ways.
• Environmental contamination. The use ofsome pesticides, fertilizers and chemicals led toa decline of certain species, such as bald eaglesand peregrine falcons.
• Competition from introduced or non-native species.
• Overspecialization. An example is theKarner blue butterfly, which feeds only on onekind of plant when it is in its caterpillar stage.
• Commercial use and abuse (exploitation).Animals are collected and sold for hides, food,feathers and shells.
Pitch pine and scrub oak are two tree speciesthat define pine barrens. In New Hampshirethese species occur on sandy soils along thelower Merrimack River and in the Ossipeearea. Certain kinds of butterflies and moths
and other insects
have close ties to this plant community. Theseinclude the endangered Karner blue, Perisusdusky-wing and frosted elfin butterflies. Fire hasbeen an important part of the life history of thesecommunities; it prevents woody plants andleaves and fallen branches from building up sosun-loving plants can grow amongst the pines.Because fire and other disturbances no longeroccur in these areas, the plant community hasbegun to change.
Very little of the Merrimack River pinebarrens habitat remains from Concord to
Nashua; it has been developed and frag-mented for housing, industry and shop-ping malls. The Ossipee pine barrens stillretain much of their original character,although the lack of occasional fire hascaused the forest to mature.
This small butterfly is oneof several life forms found only in
New hampshire’s pine barrens.
Karner BlueButterfly
The pine barrens ofConcord provide theonly remaining homein New England forthis tiny federallyendangered butterfly.The Karner blue getsits name from thedeep, purplish blue on the upper surface of itswings.
Wild blue lupine is found on dry, sandysoils in open to partially shaded habitat in pinebarrens. (Lupine does not grow on the Ossipeepine barrens.) Lupine leaves are like tiny greenumbrellas and lupine flowers are purplish blue,with touches of white. This plant is extremelyimportant to the Karner blue, which eats onlylupine leaves when it is a caterpillar.
The butterflies first appear in late May orearly June. The females lay tiny greenish-whiteeggs, and one week later small caterpillarshatch from the eggs. Almost immediately theyoung Karners begin feasting on the lupineleaves. Each caterpillar has a tiny nec-tar-producing gland on itsbody. Ants attend thecaterpillars, apparentlyprotecting themfrom parasites. Inreturn, the ants getsweet sips of thenectar.
About a monthlater the caterpil-lars are plump andspin a pad of silk in asheltered place. As thebutterfly develops in thechrysalis, it changes from greento salmon to deep blue-black. After
Karner Blue Butterfly
10 days, usually in late July and August, theadult emerges. The Karner blue butterflymust have a variety of flowering plants toserve as nectar sources. These adults also layeggs, but they do not hatch. Instead, the eggsremain dormant through the winter, produc-ing caterpillars the following spring.
The population of Karner blue butter-flies in New Hampshire has declined fromseveral thousand to 24. The U.S. Fish andWildlife Service and the NH Nongame andEndangered Wildlife program are working tomaintain Karner blue butterflies in NewHampshire by clearing away shade-produc-ing trees and planting lupine. In addition,
biologists gather eggs and rearyoung Karners in captivity,
for later release in thepine barrens.Wild Blue Lupine
Only slightly larger than adime, this tiny butterfly is the
most endangered animal inNew Hampshire
The leaves of the wildblue lupine are the only food
Karner blue caterpillarswill eat.
No one can say for certain whateffect the loss of a plant or animal spe-cies might have on a whole ecosystem.But changes in the population level ofone species can have far-reaching, andoften unexpected, effects. It is alsoimportant to conserve the diversity of lifefor medical and economic reasons.Plants and animals might provide us withadditional foods, medicines and otherproducts that someday could save humanlives and benefit society.
Biologists and other experts helpmaintain animal and plant populations inmany ways. One of their biggest goals isto prevent animals and plants frombecoming endangered in the first place.Improving and protecting habitat is alarge part of their job, as is promotingpassage of wildlife laws. If a populationdoes become threatened or endangered,a variety of techniques including habitatprotection, reintroduction, captive breed-ing and cross-fostering (using healthyadults of a similar kind to raise young)may be used to encourage populationgrowth.
Mammals*Canada lynx, Lynx canadensis small-footed bat, Myotis leibii
he hognose snake is another animal of the Merrimack River pine barrens community that is in trouble. The reptiles are listed asthreatened by New Hampshire law due to habitatloss. Found on sandy soils, this completelyharmless snake often shows behavior thatfrightens people. When first disturbed, it willspread its head into a hood, hissing loudly andstriking with its mouth closed. If the “attacker”doesn’t back off, the hognose snake will roll overon its back and let its tongue hang out, appearingto be dead.
Hognose snakes are quite thick-bodied with aturned up nose. They rarely are longer than threefeet. They range in color from all black to a palebeige and have dark blotches on their backs.
Although their primary food is toads, theyoccasionally will eat frogs and other small animals.They have enlarged teeth in the rear of their mouthsthat may aid in killing toads. They also have glandsthat secrete a mild, toxic substance that helps to killtheir prey and aids in digestion. This substance is notharmful to humans.
The snakes lay eggs in the soil in June and July.The eggs hatch from late July through early Septem-ber. Females lay as many as 60 eggs, but just over 20is most common. Hognose snakes hibernate underdebris on the forest floor, stumps or brush pilesbeginning in late September. They emerge fromtheir winter slumber in April or May.
Extinct: animals that no longer can befound anywhere on earth.Endangered: animals that are inimmediate danger of becoming extinct.Threatened: animals that face seriousproblems and are likely to becomeendangered. ! *Visit www.herpnet.net for more great information
about reptiles and amphibians by Jeff LeClere
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There’s Strength In Numbers
Activity:
ANSWERSAnswers to Math Teasers (pg. 6):1.80 to 180; 2.500 to 600; 3.16; 4.16; 5.27; 6.false; 7.144; 8.2,240
Animals that require more time to become sexually mature and produce feweroffspring than other animals in the same family have an increased chance of becomingendangered when their habitat is altered.
Review the chart below and answer the questions that follow.
SPECIES SEXUAL MATURITY NUMBER OF OFFSPRING BREEDING INTERVALS
(years) (years)
Bald eagle 4 1-3 AnnuallyTimber rattlesnake 4 8 BienniallySpotted turtle 8 3-4 AnnuallyNorthern spring peeper 2 800-1,800 Annually
1. How many spring peepers could survive to adulthood in one year?
2. How many leopard frogs could survive to adulthood in one year?
3. In a year, what is the maximum number of offspring a female chickadee can produce?
4. In a four-year time period, how many offspring can a female rattlesnake possibly bear?
5. What is the possible maximum number of offspring that a twelve year old female bald eagle could have produced since adulthood?
6. True or False: A six year old spotted turtle can produce four offspring?
7. How many offspring can four adult garter snakes produce in two years?
8. There are four snapping turtles and their ages are: 40, 24, 16 and 6 years old. How many total offspring could they have produced since adulthood?
This program receives Federal financial assistance from theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Under Title VI of the Civil RightsAct of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title
II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the AgeDiscrimination Act of 1975, Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972. The U.S. Department of the Interior andits bureaus prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color,national origin, age, disability, religion or sex (in educationalprograms). If you believe that you have been discriminatedagainst in any program, activity, or facility, or if you desire
additional information, please write to:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceOffice for Diversity and Civil Rights Programs – External Affairs
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