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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is dedicated to the conservation, protection, and enhancement of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. 🐟🦆 🌱
Aug 21 5 tweets 2 min read
The ghost pipe (Monotropa uniflora) is not a smoking utensil used by spooky spirits. It's actually a really cool native plant found throughout most of the country. 🧵 A plant with a white stalk and white flower, grow up out of the ground surrounded by dead leaves and vegetation. Don't be fooled. The ghost pipe is not a fungus. Sure, it lacks chlorophyll and every time if steps into a bar it shouts "I'm a fun guy," but that's just ghost pipe trying to be funny. This mushroomy looking plant isn't dependent on light for photosynthesis. 2/5 A small plant with a white stalk and white bloom, grows up out of the mossy ground.
May 16 5 tweets 2 min read
Where did all the fireflies glow?

We hear it in our comments - hey, why don't I see that many lightning bugs anymore? The simple answer is, because there aren't as many as there used to be. But why? Before we answer that, you need to know how this beetle starts out life. 🧵 A hand holding a firefly that is glowing. Fireflies lay their eggs in the ground where they then mature into glow worms. It's during this larval stage where they spend all their time eating other, tinier insects. Born and raised in the duff, they need the leaves that naturally litter the ground. 2/5 A close up view of a tiny firefly larvae moving on the ground.
Apr 23 5 tweets 2 min read
New Bipartisan Infrastructure Law National Fish Passage Program projects have just been announced, and they’re supporting migrating fish, addressing climate resilience, and strengthening local economies! 🧵 A group of salmon swim just below the surface on a calm river “This year’s $70 million investment will have tremendous impacts, not only in restoring fragmented aquatic habitats but in revitalizing communities across the nation,” said @USFWS Director Martha Williams. 2/5

New Release: fws.gov/story/2024-04/…
A large group of colorful salmon swim together in a school.
Jan 25 4 tweets 1 min read
Mussels vs. No Mussels

Wanna see some heavy lifting? After just 30 minutes, this two-tank demonstration shows the incredible filtration capacity of freshwater mussels. A single freshwater mussel can filter 5-10 gallons of water every day! 💪🏽 Two fish tanks filled with water. The fish tank on the left has live mussels in it, is labeled Mussels and has clear water. The fish tank on the right is labeled No Mussels and has cloudy water. Note from the photographer about the mussel tank image: The mussel tank has an oxygenator or bubbler. Live mussels need higher O2, as opposed to the tank that has no live mussels. The bubbler is not a filter. The filtering is done 100% by the mussels.
Sep 25, 2023 4 tweets 2 min read
We're celebrating BFFs today... black-footed ferrets. These hotdog-shaped mustelids were declared extinct in 1979. Just two years later, a small population was discovered along the banks of the Greybull River in Wyoming. #ESA50 With the help of a captive breeding program and protections from the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the black-footed ferret is making a comeback. Happy anniversary to the rediscovery of the BFF. #ESA50 An extreme closeup of a black footed ferret's nose and face.
May 27, 2022 8 tweets 4 min read
You are watching a lake sturgeon spawning event 25 years in the making!

Why this is such a big deal? Well, grab a mug of tea and your coziest blanket, because we have a feel good conservation story for you. 1/6 Between 1880 and 1930, lake sturgeon were driven to extinction in Minnesota’s Red River Basin and many other watersheds. Sturgeon are migratory fish with long lives and extremely slow reproductive cycles, making them highly vulnerable to overfishing and habitat fragmentation. 2/6 A group of large gray fish swim in a shallow and rocky strea
Sep 27, 2021 5 tweets 3 min read
Congratulations to James Hautman of Chaska, Minnesota - winner of the 2021 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest with his acrylic painting of a pair of redheads floating in the water!

More: ow.ly/qwWN50GhhPF

🎨: © USFWS A male and female redhead duck swimming in blue water. Six m Hautman's winning painting will be made into the 2022-2023 Duck Stamp, which will go on sale in late June 2022.
Sep 25, 2021 4 tweets 2 min read
Wildlife face many threats worldwide. Our International Affairs program has been working with partners for 30+ years to help protect imperiled wildlife such as rhinos, elephants, tigers, great apes, sea turtles, & many lesser-known species.

📷: Sumatran rhino by Matt Muir/USFWS Sumatran rhino in grassy area A new approach called “Green Status of Species” may help us & others measure progress & what’s working. It could inform our grant-making process to ensure conservation funding achieves the highest return on investment: ow.ly/ULMc50Ggtkg

📷: Tiger by Frank Kohn/USFWS Close-up of a tiger's face ...
Sep 15, 2021 4 tweets 2 min read
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! 🎉 Join us in celebrating & recognizing Hispanic communities’ unique contributions to American history, culture, & conservation!

📷: Monarch butterfly on swamp milkweed by Jim Hudgins/USFWS A monarch butterfly sipping nectar from a cluster of tiny pi For instance, discover the Latino legacy of California’s Salinas Valley: ow.ly/PQhb50GaM0N

#HispanicHeritageMonth

📷: Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge in California by Ivette López/USFWS A white sign with a blue goose illustration that says “Nat
Sep 15, 2021 4 tweets 4 min read
Biologists use many tools in the field, including camera traps set up inside of buckets to detect snakes. It's always exciting to see what wandered through and the variety may surprise you! 📷: Weasel, raccoon, painted turtle, watersnake. Weasel close upRaccoon on its backPainted turtleWatersnake 📷: Two Dekay's brown snakes, star-nosed mole, rabbit, racer snake. Two Dekay's brown snakesStar-nosed moleRabbitRacer snake